We take a look at the newest smartphone from emporia to assess how it fits into the market for elderly users.
While many of the major smartphone manufacturers race to introduce the highest spec, latest features, top-of-the-range cameras, there are many people out there who just want something that’s simple – and works! There have always been manufacturers and suppliers out there who aim for those looking for a ‘dumb phone’ without all the various bells and whistles.
However, there is definitely a somewhat limited marketplace for those who are looking for a ‘smart phone’ that doesn’t confound them with super-complex operating systems and hundreds of unnecessary and unwanted applications. This is where emporia really come into their own.
The emporia Mission
The mission that drives emporia’s owner, Eveline Pupeter, and her team is the digitalisation of the older generation.
In Europe, about 50 million senior citizens over the age of 65 are excluded from digital applications such as digital Covid-19 certificates, online banking, online ticketing and paying contactlessly at the supermarket, because they do not own or don’t know how to use a smartphone or tablet.
emporia has set itself the goal of building the digital bridge and ensuring older people are included in the digital future.
The emporia phones are smart (in an aesthetic sense), very easy to set up and use and offer all the essentials for those looking to enter the smartphone world. They have exceptionally good battery life and are a piece of cake to charge when they need to. There is a speed-dial facility too. Instead of a list of numbers, displays a photo of the person on the home screen. Simplicity epitomised!
I’ve had the pleasure of using the SUPEREASY from emporia over the last few weeks. It really has been a breath of fresh air. Firstly, it really looks good. The clear, bright 5” screen is really easy to read and isn’t cluttered with icons for everything that I really don’t need. It even has dedicated buttons used to answer and hang-up calls without needing to use on-screen prompts or buttons. Using the Android operating system, it still has access to security updates and patches. It comes with a charging port and the user has the option of having a ‘Care-call’ button on the back.
Even the Over-90s
My 91 year old father tried the smartphone experience a few years ago. But he was very put-off by the fact that there were too many variables. He often ended up in places he didn’t know how he got to and found it all too confusing. He just wanted ‘something simple’ so reverted to a push-button mobile. However he is still flummoxed by the T9 predictive text, so doesn’t send SMS text messages now. The SUPEREASY offers him the exact compromise he needs, but without all the extras.
I’ll be interested to see how he gets on with it in the longer term. I’m going to introduce him to the possibility of using his phone for contactless payments. He often comments on the ease of using a phone to pay in a shop. ‘But if someone takes your phone they can pay their bills with it’ he often comments. A little explanation about locking and unlocking the phone is slowly bringing him around to the idea.
He loves the camera(s) too. And these aren’t your run-of-the-mill cheap and cheerful cameras found on some of the budget entry-level phones. The photos are bright, clear and crisp and can be set to automatically back-up to the cloud. (That’s another lesson for him, when the time’s right!)
If these phones can bring a smile to my 91 year old Dad, then they are surely the perfect solution for those wanting to venture into the smartphone arena but who are apprehensive about the potential complexities they may encounter. They seem to be tailor-made for him and his cohort.
