The Big Button phone has big buttons
Most phones for old folks offer nothing but a large-text display, big buttons and nothing else. And rightly so: Removing complexity is the point. But what about adding in a few Grandpa-friendly extras? That’s just what the Bluechip BC5i Big Button Mobile Phone does.
The Big Button phone lives up to its name, with big fat buttons on the front, and these are joined by a big orange button on the back. This is the emergency button. When Granny presses it, the phone will call a preset number (hint: put in the number of a sibling and not your own).
The phone speaks numbers out loud during dialing, so you can be sure you hit the right button. SMS is also supported, and the phone’s settings can be updated by sending it a specially-formatted SMS message.
But what about those extra features? These are neat enough to make me consider buying the phone for myself. First is an FM radio. If you don’t know what that is, it doesn’t matter, because Grandpa will. Think of it as a kind of 20th century Spotify that doesn’t let you choose the music and you’ll get pretty close.
There is also a flashlight built in, which uses bright, low-power LEDs. This, along with the radio, is operated by sliding a switch on the side of the phone. No diving into menus here.
The price for this technical anti-wonder? Just £30 ($50) without a contract.
Bluechip BC5i Big Button product page [Mobile Fun via Mobile Crunch]
See Also:
- Researchers: Adults 31 and Older Hate, Fear Cell Phones
- Android App Tracks, Helps Wandering Alzheimer's Sufferers
- Folks Take Cellphones To The Grave
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