Mobile phone for an 82 year old

mac.d

My Gran never got on with her Doro any better than she did with a basic mobile, you can only give it a try for your Dad & see how it goes.

Keeping the battery life topped up may be an issue with someone not used to a mobile phone, so probably best to keep it to a more simple phone than a smartphone anyway. Do they really need the big button type, as if not, the non-flip phone Doro might be better, or even a basic 4g mobile like the Nokia 110 4G - though the smaller screen may be a problem?

I agree with the suggestions for ignoring bog standard PAYG to save worrying about top-ups/credit, around a fiver a month is far better than the £18 they're currently paying.

Second the recommendations of Giffgaff for £6 a month or 1pMobile for £5. 

Giffgaff you can set it for the rolling monthly £6 (so no need to ever top-up) or 1pMobile you could choose the annual option of £60, so only need to 'top-up' once a year.

jimjames

elsien said:

86-year-old parent got on quite well with one of the lower range Samsung’s.
Think she now has an Oppo.
You might find to start using it more for other things when he’s got it - Parent certainly does. 

WhatsApp, for example 

This is a really good point. My 86/82 year old parents have iPhones and use them extensively for photos and WhatsApp/social media. Being over 80 isn't an automatic assumption that they can't use a phone anymore

madlyn

mac.d said:

My Gran never got on with her Doro any better than she did with a basic mobile, you can only give it a try for your Dad & see how it goes.

Keeping the battery life topped up may be an issue with someone not used to a mobile phone, so probably best to keep it to a more simple phone than a smartphone anyway. Do they really need the big button type, as if not, the non-flip phone Doro might be better, or even a basic 4g mobile like the Nokia 110 4G - though the smaller screen may be a problem?

I agree with the suggestions for ignoring bog standard PAYG to save worrying about top-ups/credit, around a fiver a month is far better than the £18 they're currently paying.

Second the recommendations of Giffgaff for £6 a month or 1pMobile for £5. 

Giffgaff you can set it for the rolling monthly £6 (so no need to ever top-up) or 1pMobile you could choose the annual option of £60, so only need to 'top-up' once a year.

There are a couple of reasons I've looked at the doro flip phone, to my dad it would feel more like his landline phone, the large buttons would be better for him, but when I dial a number on my smartphone the numbers are a similar size, so I might get him to have a go with my phone to see how he gets on, he also wears a hearing aid and doro claim to have better clarity of sound for hearing aid wearers, it's also basic with just buttons to press, there's no screen with different things for him to worry about, but then again, even the screen on a smartphone at the lower end of the market can be customised? And it would just be used for calls, he has no internet in the house and doesn't want it.

Your replies and suggestions have been a real help and given me a lot to think about, so thank you for that.

littleboo

You get traditional looking phones which use the mobile network, for example, this

sheffieldeagle

If you are not sure how much he may use it and you want a cheap PAYG option might be worth getting one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226078013358

Just got one for my dad for the same reason.

Cheers

muffinhead

Spusu uses the EE network and gives unlimited UK calls and 500 mins to EU countries for £2.90 per month:

https://www.spusu.co.uk/spusu1special

Their plans are 30 day rolling contracts as opposed to traditional PAYG however this might allow more freedom to make calls without the worry of using too much credit or having to topup.

For now a 2G Doro phone should work fine but if you can get one that has VoLTE it will offer some future-proofing. 

Ms_Chocaholic

GiffGaff do a £6 a month deal which also uses the 02 network.  The deal includes unlimited calls and texts and 2GB data and auto renews so once you are signed up it will just renew each month but you can stop it/change it at any time and there's no contract to agree to, just a monthly rolling plan.  I've used GG for years and never had any problems whatsoever.

You can view all the deals they have here.

https://www.giffgaff.com/sim-only-deals

madlyn

Ms_Chocaholic said:

GiffGaff do a £6 a month deal which also uses the 02 network.  The deal includes unlimited calls and texts and 2GB data and auto renews so once you are signed up it will just renew each month but you can stop it/change it at any time and there's no contract to agree to, just a monthly rolling plan.  I've used GG for years and never had any problems whatsoever.

You can view all the deals they have here.

https://www.giffgaff.com/sim-only-deals

Thank you for this, once he's found a phone he likes, something like this is definitely worth a look. 

twopenny

I use 1p mobile and it tops up automatically sending an email to tell me so.
They will send a text too if that's better.

Works on EE. Based in Wales I believe.

I like the easy to read layout on their website, no nonsense rubbish, not pushy or advertising on there just straight clear information and the customer service great. Email a question and you get a response same or next day.
You could set up the account to read or check up on your phone. 

flaneurs_lobster

twopenny said:

Works on EE. Based in Wales I believe.

Well their registered address is 

1pMobile, Equinox House, 6 Oriel Court, Alton, Hampshire

But their corporate and CS could be anywhere in the world - even Wales!