Age UK My Phone, new but without complications
Technology when it comes to a mobile phone has advanced incredibly over the years, and owning a smartphone can be somewhat expensive and complicated to use especially if you are getting on in years. Understanding the tech involved in operating a smartphone can be quite hard to grasp, but it is still important for the older generation to be able to stay in touch with family and friends.
With this in mind Age UK has joined with CyCell to develop the Age UK My Phone, a mobile phone especially for people that require a straightforward personalised handset, and the new mobile phone is launching in 200 Age UK shops across England.
The Age UK My Phone is a very easy to use mobile phone that is lightweight and credit-card sized weighing only 40 grams, and sports only 8 buttons that can be customised to contact the users loved ones with one press, whilst answering the handset is as simple as pressing a single answer button.
Designed to deliver the needs of older people, the Age UK My Phone has been brought to the market after a 4-month trial through Age UK shops in Peterborough, whilst customer research helped to develop design features like style and quantity of buttons, along with developing price plans for the handset.
According to recent research, just over 68 percent of those aged 65 and over use a mobile phone, whilst this number falls to 52 percent with those aged 75 and over, with many older people feeling excluded from the benefits the tech has to offer, says the head of Affinity at Age UK, Helena King.
For those older folk, the Age UK My Phone has been priced at £55 along with a range of flexible 30-day rolling price plans, and the mobile phone is available in eleven colourful design options. The handset arrives fully charged and ready for use, and the battery last up to 5-days typically. There’s no need to look through the handset to find your phone number as it is clearly written on the back of the device, whilst pre-set numbers can be changed by contacting the Age UK My Phone helpline.
Age UK is also offering a gift package up until December the 31st that includes the Age UK My Phone along with 50-minutes of call a month for 6-months, and those wishing to order the Age UK My Phone, you can do so by hitting up the Age UK website, via telephone or via post.
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3 thoughts on “Age UK My Phone, new but without complications”
This phone really fails on the basics. Reception is either non existent or hit and miss at best. It fails to work in areas where other mobiles work with no problem. A nasal voice saying “no signal” or nothing at all. Age UK’s response – Send it back then. Try explaining this to a 90 year old.
I have had problems with the microphone on this phone – the sound fades in and out and is often faint – it’s hard to have a conversation when you can barely hear the other person. I send the unit back and they replaced it, but it has the same problem. It’s not a person thing – it happens whoever is using it. The lady in customer support suggested moving the phone nearer your mouth when speaking but why should I have to do that? No other phone requires it.
I have just received my phone. Yes, nice idea but not fully thought through. Reception is not good, very hit and miss. NOT LOUD ENOUGH! But even more seriously, fitted with a stupidly tiny, fit one way, charging plug. How do does someone with poor eyesight connect it? Answer they can’t. What a missed opportunity!