Saw this in the latest Big W catalog. Perfect phone for old people that struggle with unlocking a smartphone screen and plugging a small USB cable in to charge. Usually $79. 3G only. Probably locked to Vodafone.
Have you seen a pensioner with a micro usb cable? It's painful…
A usb c cable or just a wireless charge pad is a better solution.
Spend a bit more time as well as money:)
Its not just Father's/Mother's day that they deserve a visit.
Still waiting for something for old people who need that sort of physical keypad yet love taking and sending/receiving pics and could use a semi-decent camera and screen.
My BlackBerry from 2009 takes pretty slick photos. My tape deck from the 90s also plays a lot better than my 2018 one. Funnily enough, if you wait so long that the technology is outdated, the only people who keep making them make them shittier than they would have in the day.
A nice flipper from 2008-2010 or so would be about the best option really in terms of actual quality.
Not a single telco has spoken of plans to shut down 3G yet. It's years away at this stage. The only thing they're doing currently is shutting down 3G on the 2100MHz band. 3G will continue to operate on the 850-900MHz range for years.
Thank goodness !
Is keeping the 3G network that expensive ???? I lost count of older people I met who only want a phone for the purpose of just making and receiving calls, nothing else ! Why is it so difficult to give them a product like this ??
I only bought a Opel flip phone yesterday for its simplicity. I have not received it yet but the only criticism I have with those phones are "why they have to be so small???????????
Its not about the expense of keeing the 2g or 3g network.
Its about repurposing these spectrum for future tech. Like in the case of 4g. And soon 5g.
anyone know if tpg(vodafone) sims will work in it?
Yes
Anyone knows how it can be unlocked. Would like to bring it overseas.
You can buy unlocked ones on eBay for a bit more.
Anyone know of a cheap flip phone that's 4G. Need it for an elderly person.
I really doubt you need 4G. Why?
Good point.
I am regularly asked to help elderly with their phones. Well meaning relatives give them smart phones they are not used to & usually don't want to learn how to use. Older style keyboard phones are easier for calls & text - just what they are asking for.
Gave up after weeks of helping a blind man use Google Assistant to place calls on his 4G Android. Too much relies on sightš¢
So a flip (non-smart screen with keyboard) phone is not likely to benefit from 4G, for the type of user suggested. The main benefit is the 4G network for simple calls & text - it should be available for longer than 3G, but the phone may stop working or be lost before that.
A lot of 4G phones, including most older ones, actually use 3G for voice, and the users are not aware of it.
The benefit of 4G (and 5G) is fast data.
there is the opel smart flip at $129 rrp. or opel flip 3g at $79. both are unlocked. all the "seniors" phones seem to have problems.
Thanks mtg!
Knowing what the user wants is crucial.
Many people select tech for others mainly based of their own use, without properly considering the end user who may have different uses or limitations.
With elderly users I interact with - often the expensive tech ends up unused. (It seems a compensation for little time spent with their relative.)
An agile pensioner pulled out a new iPhone in its box for me to teach him how to use it, just for calls… He gave up on that pretty gift, returning to the basic keypad phone. Had a PC for other tasks, but rarely used it. 4G data was not going to be any benefit.
One very wealthy woman was given a nice new Samsung phablet - but could not hold it to her ear for long. I installed an app to turn on the speaker automatically so she could use it as a speaker phone, but she had already given up. I found her old keypad phone & she was delighted. She was so used to holding the phone to make calls, any other solution was doomed.
Some elderly are fine with smart phones. Those would be the ones benefiting from 4G for its data. But wasted on keypad phones lacking smart screens.
Also consider screen size, menu systems, etc as sight often decreases with age. And what they're used to using, decreasing the frustration of relearning new tech.
It's all about tech that is appropriate (truly understanding the needs of the user), not necessarily the latest & greatest.
Oh wow, a dock for my 3G flip phone. Sorry everyone but I'll be buying out every store.