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Best mobile phones for elderly people that keep things simple

 (Pexels)
(Pexels)

In such an interconnected world, it can be hard to navigate daily life without a mobile phone.

Nowadays, phones aren’t only useful for making calls and sending text messages. They open up endless possibilities, such as reading the news, playing games, streaming movies, browsing the internet, reading emails, accessing social media sites and so much more. And those who don’t own a mobile phone can easily feel disconnected from the world around them.

But given how fast mobile phones have evolved over the past few years, some people might find it difficult to choose a handset that suits their needs and then use the device on a daily basis. Elderly people often fit into this category, with almost two million people aged 75 or over currently facing digital exclusion in England alone - according to Age UK.

While many elderly people struggle to use a modern mobile phone, owning one offers lots of advantages.

Namely, mobile phones can help pensioners stay in touch with loved ones, get emergency assistance at the click of a button, stay entertained, track their health, conduct internet banking and so much more. After getting to grips with their mobile phone, many elderly people discover that it makes their life so much easier.

Fortunately, there are lots of mobile phones that are ideal for elderly people with different wants and needs. Whether it’s classic brick phones with gigantic battery lives, stylish clamshell phones, handsets with emergency response buttons or easy-to-use smartphones, there’s a perfect handset for every pensioner.

Of course, considering just how many mobile phones are available on the market today, choosing the right handset can be an arduous process. However, to make things easier, we’ve rounded up the best mobile phones for elderly people. They include the newest models from Doro, Nokia, Samsung, Alcatel and many other brands.

See our favourites below

Emporia Smart 5

The Emporia Smart 5 is an advanced Android smartphone with lots of accessibility features.

It offers a 5.5-inch display, NFC for making contactless payments, a triple camera setup, an 8-megapixel front camera, a powerful octa-core processor, a 3550mAh battery that provides 700 minutes of talk time, 4G connectivity, 32GB of internal storage, Android 10 and more.

One of its more unique features is a smart cover with physical buttons for answering phone calls, taking photos, using the torch and accessing your contacts. It’s also a great way to prevent accidental calls from happening in the user’s pocket.

The handset also comes with an additional battery cover that has an emergency response button, and thanks to IP54 certification, it provides protection against dust and splashes.

Buy now £249.30, Amazon

Nokia 6310

The 6310 is Nokia’s modern take on its classic brick phones from the early 2000s. Its top features include a 2.8-inch curved display, a rear camera with a flash that doubles as a torch, Bluetooth, a 1150mAh battery that can last several weeks, a MicroSD card slot for expanding the storage up to 32GB, an FM radio, an MP3 player and the iconic Snake game.

From an accessibility perspective, the 6310 impresses with zoomed-in menus and the ability to enlarge the font. Made from polycarbonate, the 6310 is as durable as ever and comes in three colours: black, green and yellow.

Buy now £49.99, Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

For tech-savvy elderly people willing to spend more money on a high-end smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is worth considering. One of its standout features is a built-in stylus, which makes it less fiddly to navigate the handset’s huge 6.8-inch display. It’s also great for jotting down notes and doodling.

Made from aluminium and glass, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks and feels highly expensive. But with IP68 water and dust resistance, it’s surprisingly rugged. Other top features include a 5000mAh battery, wireless charging, Android 12, a quad-camera system with a whopping 108-megapixel lens, a 40-megapixel selfie camera, 5G connectivity, an under-screen fingerprint sensor and much more.

Buy now £1149.00, Samsung

Doro 8100

The Doro 8100 is an Android smartphone aimed at elderly users who want something easy-to-use yet modern. With a triple rear camera system, a 5-megapixel front camera, a 6-inch touchscreen display, access to the Google Play Store, Google Assistant, facial recognition, water resistance and a sleek design, it has all the hallmarks of a capable smartphone.

Additionally, the Doro 8100 packs an assistance button and companion app so that users can quickly get help in the event of an emergency. And if users run into any difficulties, they can easily get a loved one to show them around the device remotely via the TeamViewer app. It’s also compatible with hearing aides, sports HD Voice technology for clearer phone calls and has an easy-to-use interface.

Buy now £174.99, Amazon

Doro 6880

The Doro 6880 is a classic clamshell phone for elderly users. It comes with a decently sized 2.8-inch display, a modest 2-megapixel camera and flash, video recording, HD Voice technology for crystal clear phone calls, Bluetooth, a 1000mAh battery that provides up to 7 hours of talk time and an emergency assistance button. For users who struggle with their vision, there are talking keys that play back the numbers being typed.

Another neat feature is a black list for blocking nuisance calls and text members from particular phone numbers. The handset also comes with a handy charging cradle, and thanks to a soft touch material on the back of the phone, it feels great to hold.

Buy now £174.99, Amazon

Doro 5860

The 5860 is one of Doro’s more affordable handsets. With a simple bar form factor, a 2.4-inch display, large physical keys, an easy-to-use interface and a 2-megapixel camera, it’s ideal for elderly people who want a phone for basic everyday activities like making phone calls, sending text messages and taking the odd photo.

Just like the Doro 6880, it has talking keys, a phone number blacklisting feature, an emergency response button and a 1000mAh battery. It also comes with a charging cradle, Bluetooth, built-in games, a flashlight, a 3.5mm headphone jack, 128GB of expandable storage, a hands-free mode and lots more. A soft touch rear coating makes the 5860 comfortable to hold, too.

Buy now £69.99, Amazon

Nokia C21 Plus

Although Nokia has stuck with the classic brick phone, it also makes modern smartphones like the C21 Plus. It’s an affordable Android smartphone that offers lots of impressive features for just £109.99.

This includes a 6.5-inch display, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, 4G connectivity, 32GB of onboard memory, dual SIM, facial recognition, a fingerprint sensor, two to three days of battery life and so much more.

With Google Assistant, elderly users can make phone calls, send text messages and perform many other tasks using their voices. The texturised back is lovely to touch, and the Dark Cyan colour is particularly easy on the eyes.

Buy now £109.99, Amazon

TCL 30 SE 64GB Mobile Phone - Grey

TCL may not be a familiar name in the mobile phone world like Nokia or Samsung, but it has some great smartphones for users of all ages - including the elderly.

A great example is the TCL 30 SE, which is an affordable Android smartphone that offers high-end features like a 6.5-inch display, a gigantic 5000mAh battery, fast charging, a 50-megapixel triple camera, an octa-core processor, facial recognition, a fingerprint sensor, NFC technology and lots more.

The TCL 30 SE runs on the Android 12 operating system and provides an array of accessibility features, such as the ability to enlarge menu buttons and navigate the user interface with facial gestures.

Buy now £139.99, Argos

ALCATEL 1B 2022 - 32 GB, Prime Black

Using a smartphone can be a scary thought for many elderly people who are only used to basic mobile phones. But costing just £69.99, the Alcatel 1b makes a great first smartphone for technophobic users.

It provides a 5.5-inch display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, 32GB of internal storage, 128GB of expandable storage, 2GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, a 3000mAh battery, facial recognition, Android 11 Go Edition and many other great features.

While the Alcatel 1b isn’t the most stylish smartphone on the market, its matte and glossy rear makes the handset feel solid.

Buy now £69.99, Currys

Emporia TouchSmart 2

The Emporia TouchSmart 2 takes a modern approach to the classic clamshell form factor, offering both a touchscreen and a physical keyboard. The touchscreen makes it easy to get around Emporia’s simple user interface, and it’s surprisingly responsive.

If users don’t want to use the touchscreen, there are also physical navigation keys. Another neat feature is a dedicated messaging button for quickly accessing either Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp. It’s also cool that you can choose between two battery covers - one has an emergency button while the other doesn’t.

In terms of other features, the Touch Smart 2 offers an 8-megapixel rear camera, 4G connectivity, a front display, a MicroSD card slot, a torch, a radio, a USB charging port and more.

Buy now £149.99, Amazon

Emporia TalkActive

Emporia also offers a non-touch clamshell mobile phone in the form of the TalkActive. One of its standout features is Voice Assist, which reads aloud menus, button functions, messages, calls, phone contacts and battery life.

As is the case with the Emporia TouchSmart 2, the TalkActive is supplied with a battery cover that has an emergency response button and one without.

It also sports a 2.2-inch display, a 3-megapixel camera, a USB C charging port, 4G connectivity, a lightweight design and more. This is a great mobile phone for anyone who is blind or partially sighted.

Buy now £150.00, RNIB

Emporia Supereasy

The Supereasy is one of Emporia’s simple Android smartphones. On the front, users will find a 5-inch touchscreen along with physical buttons for answering and ending phone calls. The 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel camera take decent photos, and there’s a flash.

The handset also boasts Bluetooth, a MicroSD card slot, an optional battery cover with an emergency button, 4G connectivity, Google Assistant, a 2500mAh battery, a USB C charging port, a charging cradle, 32GB of onboard storage, a 3.5mm audio jack, 64GB of expandable memory, support for hearing aids and more. Overall, it’s a great first-time smartphone for elderly users.

Buy now £217.14, Amazon

Verdict

With an impressive combination of cutting-edge technology, accessibility features and a fair price tag, the Emporia Smart 5 is the perfect smartphone for elderly people. But for pensioners who only want a basic phone for keeping in touch with friends and family, Nokia’s 6310 is both practical and a blast from the past.