Basic Simple Smartphone

nicola00

I bought my Aunt (77) a Doro phone 2 years ago and it was ok for making calls but its on its last legs

She lives in a Sheltered housing complex and they have quite a few get togethers , If I or my kids are there she normally gets us to take photos , it would be good for her to be able to do this

Also if the kids are showing her photos on there phone she always asks why she can't do that with hers and the same with videos and games etc

Is there a simplish smartphone on the market that would be suitable, something with a good size screen as her eyesight isnt the greatest either

I have an old iPhone 5 which she could use, I'm just not sure how quickly she would get to grips with it

Nile

Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

I’ve moved your thread from the ‘I wanna’ board to the ‘Mobile Phones’ board, where it is better suited.

Regards

Nile

ballyblack

Moto E3 new model

£84 from Tesco or £8.50 a month on contract


http://shop.tescomobile.com/pay-as-you-go/mobile-phones/motorola/moto+e3+and+headphones?deal=38773

[Deleted User]

It'd be far, far easier to just buy a cheap digital camera.

Does the sheltered accommodation have wifi? A smartphone will need either wifi or a data package to be much good.

An old iPhone is probably the easiest, most reliable option. There is no good 'simple' smart phone.

nicola00

Yeah she has Wifi in her house too

iPhone seems to be what I'm swaying towards more, although she is just on a basic PAYG Tesco sim, I would need to look at a cheap contract sim

We all use iPhone /ipads and the kids being able to FaceTime her would be a great bonus too,
We have family in Italy and Canada that she would love to see, all be it through a phone but it def beats a phonecalll ( which to be honest doesn't happen that often)

I suppose I was of the thinking, am I really giving a 77yr old an iPhone and expecting them to work it

[Deleted User]

My son was pretty good using an ipad by the time he was 3...

What about - you get an old ipad, so it's got a bigger screen, and she keeps the existing phone? That'll do as a camera/video/apps/internet and be more suitable for older eyes. You'll also get your facetime and iMessage.

We've got this case (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-GB02480-Survivor-Military-Stand/dp/B004SPVZKW) - our ipad has survived 4 years of toddler abuse!

jon81uk

An iPad is probably your best buy, she doesn't need to leave the house but can use it on WiFi to browse the web, read the news, look at family photos that are shared and to take pictures too. Then get a seperate very basic phone for emergency calls if needed. But iPad can still be used for iMessage and FaceTime over WiFi.

chrisw

We bought my 80 year old mum an iphone 5 last year and she's got to grips with it fine. She also has an ipad and the similarity helps.

dragonchild66

Apple are famous for the ease at which their devices can interconnect between phone, tablet and computer so if she had an iPhone or iPad then any problems she has could easily be shown how to overcome them by one of the people in the family if you are mostly iPhone users.

My nan struggled for years trying to use 'simple' android devices but since her iPhone and iPad we cant get her off it lol. She said it was so easy to use and has so many features on that she loves playing with! (we recently introduced her to Snapchat and Facetiming haha)

My suggestion would be to see how she gets on with your old iPhone 5, it may need to update but wont have issues with the latest iOS - one of the advantages of apple devices is that even the older versions can run the most recent operating system.

If she likes the iPhone 5 then maybe invest in a cheap iPad for her at a later date - there are a lot of second hand shops online that offer great quality used devices that work well for a lot cheaper than new, and for what she would need would probably be ideal.

Also when setting it up for her you might want to try the 'zoomed' view option as this will make the app icons and text larger on the screen and so would be easier for her to see.

Another thing...she could still keep her tesco PAYG sim if she finds that simpler - she could avoid draining the credit by using apps such as Whatsapp for texts and calls as while she is in a wifi area she wont be using any data or minutes through this and is free to download. If she is alright with a contract though look for a sim only deal as you can usually get more for less with those and allows the freedom to change devices when needed.

Hope this helps (^_^)

Stompa

Though I've no experience of them, there are 'simple' launchers available for android, which attempt to simplify the user interface. For example:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-best-simple-android-launchers-parents-grandparents/

nicola00

Thanks everyone for the replys

Funnily enough Ringo I have an old ipad of my daughters that I was thinking about getting repaired for her , silly mummy dropped it and smashed the screen, its around 4yr old but really good condition apart from the screen

Chrisw thats good to know, she did struggle with the basic phone but I'm hoping if we spend a bit of time "teaching" her she'll eventually get it

Great suggestion dragonchild, I hadn't thought about the zoomed option, that will make a big difference