London - It’s normally children and teenagers asking for the latest mobile phone for Christmas.
But this year many grandparents could be doing the same.
Age UK has launched the no-frills ‘My Phone’ for the elderly, designed to make phone calls easy for those unfamiliar with modern technology or with bad eyesight.
Rather than dialling numbers to make a phone call, the owner simply has to press a button featuring the names of their friends and family.
The credit card-sized phone can hold up to eight numbers, which are chosen by the owner and programmed by the manufacturer when the phone is ordered.
It also has buttons clearly labelled “answer” and “on/off” and the owner’s phone number printed on the back.
The phones, which come in 11 different colours, have a battery life of around five days – much longer than the average smartphone.
The handset costs £55 (about R700) and various 30-day rolling contracts, starting at £7.50 a month for 50 minutes’ talk time and rising to £15 a month for 500 minutes, are available.
Alternatively, customers can get the handset with a six-month bundle of 50 minutes a month for a one-off fee of £87.50.
Helena King, of Age UK, said the My Phone is “easy to use and means that people can contact their nearest and dearest at literally the touch of a button”.
The phone, made by mobile firm CyCell, is available through selected Age UK shops and can also be ordered by telephone and post. - Daily Mail