Mobile phones aren’t just for busy professionals and teenagers - they’re valuable gadgets for folks of all ages, including older people.
are durable enough to withstand a drop or two.
Whether you're after a simple handset for making calls, or something a bit more snazzy, we have a few suggestions.
Doro designs its phones with accessibility in mind. Its PhoneEasy 612 is a clamshell-style feature phone that may take you back to the late 2000s, but suits an elderly person perfectly. Large widely-spaced buttons, an extra loud speaker, and shortcut keys that basically function as speed dial all make it super useable. It comes with a charging dock too so you won't need to fiddle around with wires. There's no internet, and no apps - but as a basic phone to call and text on, it'll do the job no problem.
No one's done feature phones quite like Nokia. The 105, released in 2017, has everything the company's older models were known for: amazing durability, low cost, and really long battery life - up to several days on standby, in this case.
Unlike Doro's handsets, this one isn't made with the elderly in mind, but the basic functionality is nice and simple to navigate. Plus, this baby isn't just for calling and texting - you'll also get a torch, a calculator, a calendar, and so on. And yes, you can play Snake on it. It's still missing things like a camera and internet connectivity, but for some people that won't really matter.
Another good choice for a smartphone newbie is an iPhone, thanks to Apple's intuitive software and an interface that doesn't take long to master. We recommend the SE in particular because of its sturdy build, low price, and good basic specs. With a four-inch screen it's also the perfect size.
For accessibility, iOS is wonderful. Siri is one of the best pieces of voice-to-text software around, for a start, but as well as that there are a wealth of settings to help anyone with impaired vision, hearing, and mobility. There are options for bigger text, altered colours, mono audio, subtitles and closed captions, and tons more - including AssistiveTouch and Switch Control to make the touchscreen easier to use. You can even get hearing aids that are designed to work seamlessly with iPhones.
Not everyone wants a simple feature phone in their old age - what about the techie folks?
With the Xperia XA Ultra, you don't just get a phone - you get a ruddy good one, with a nice big 6-inch display. At that size it may be difficult to hold, but if mobility isn't an issue, this is a fantastic choice.
That screen is big, bright, and easy to see, even outside in sunlight. The Android interface is smooth and straightforward too - though Sony has also put in a 'Sensory Assist' mode, which makes its phones far easier to use for anyone with accessibility issues. It gives you text with larger fonts, spoken feedback and audio descriptions, an easier-to-use keyboard, and more.