The LEADSKY EZ112 Bar Style Senior Phone

I surfed the web for new senior-friendly cell phones and I was brought to the website of a cell phone manufacturer that I;'ve never encountered before. I simple typed "mobile phone for seniors" at the Google search engine and was directed to the product page of the LEADSKY company.

Upon further investigation, I found out that it's a China-based company that specialized in rugged handsets and cell phones for senior citizens. But can this manufacturer compete with other companies that specialize in cell phones for the elderly? Let's take a quick look at one of their products to find out. Let's check out the LEADSKY EZ112 Bar Style Senior Phone.

The EZ112 resembles the Just5 with its solid bar style design with large keys. The numbers are large so one will not have a lot of problems with dialling a contact even if you have weak eyes.

The main display is a bit small at 1.8inch TFT QQVGA but it's not a big deal because this cell phone specializes on making calls. It has big fonts so it caters to the weak vision of some seniors. But I'm sure that it can perform well with sending text messages.

The LEADSKY EZ112 also comes with a SOS key and 5 emergency members so it can handle any untoward incidents towards the user.

Here are the rest of the features for this cell phone for senior citizens:

• GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900
• FM Radio MP4 MP3
• Dual SIM
• 1200mAh Battery
• Bluetooth (Optional)
• 3.5mm/5pin Mini USB
• LED Flashlight Torch

So do you think it can compete with the other senior-friendly phones in the market?

That's it for this look at the EZ112. Stay tuned for more phones, accessories, and plans for seniors.

The Motorola i576 Nextel Direct Connect Phone

A visit to the Nextel Direct Connect website allowed me to spot a possible candidate for seniors who are seeking for a cell phone. The Motorola i576 is a simple phone that can cater to the needs of seniors.

This mobile phone is designed to be a durable and user-friendly device rather than a handset that is marketed to fashion-conscious consumers. This simple designed makes it ideal for the elderly who only require a dependable phone for making calls, sending text messages or a tool for emergency situations.

The Motorola i576 is a rugged device that is ideal for folks who work on the field. However, I feel that rugged mobile phones are also a good fit for seniors. Since the elderly do not have a steady source of income, a mobile phone that has a long life and can endure a few bumps and bruises eliminates the need to purchase a new device after a few months.

The features for the i576 are pretty basic. It's outer shell sports rubber sidings, an extendable antenna, and an external display. There's no camera since it's designed to be a reliable and easy-to-use phone.

The external display is a bit small but the main display is a bit more useful. It measures 1.75 inches wide and supports 64,000 colors. Users can change the change the backlighting time and the font size, a feature that is useful for senior users who have weak eyesight. This mobile phone for senior citizens also offers a user-friendly keypad and navigation array. The buttons on the keypads have good size and spaced far apart from each other. They're also raised above the surface of the phone with large numbers and letters and a bright backlighting, which makes it easy for users to dial numbers or compose text messages.

Reviews of the Motorola i576 also provided good feedback on its performance. The speakerphone calls made with the device were satisfactory and it provided great voice clarity and plenty of volume.

The Motorola i576 is currently available for $279 at full price and just $79 with service.

That's it for this cell phone for seniors. Stay tuned as we feature new mobile phones, plans, accessories and more.

The New Pantech Breeze III from AT&T

The third installment of AT&T's cell phone for seniors have arrived. The Pantech Breeze III from AT&T has quietly entered the market earlier this week for $49.99 after mail-in rebate with a 2-year agreement. We have featured the original At&T Breeze and the Breeze II so it's only fitting that we look at the Pantech Breeze III.

Like the previous models, this cell phone for seniors features a simple design that caters to the needs of new mobile phone users and the elderly. The sturdy clamshell design comes with a 2.2 inch display with 320 x 240 pixels and 256k colors. The main display on this handset is larger than the average entry-level handset, which offers a 1.8-2.0 inch display. It also have solid resolution and color support so the information on the display can be seen properly by users.

The Pantech Breeze III also comes with Audience earSmart, which provides background noise suppression and improved sound quality. This feature is good for a mobile phone for seniors because some elderly users may have hearing difficulties. It also comes with improved hearing-aid compatibility rating (Hearing Aid (HAC) rating M4,T4), which makes it even more attractive for seniors and those who are hard of hearing.

This AT&T cell phone for senior citizens also offers a pill reminder feature, which obviously favors users who take medication regularly. The Breeze III also offers a user-friendly keypad with big keys so dialling or texting is quick and easy. Three dedicated speed-dial keys on the inside also allows the users to quickly call for help during emergencies.

Here are the rest of the key features for this senior-friendly cell phone:

• 1.3 megapixel camera with 4X digital zoom, live video capture and playback
• 3G data, memory card slot, and music player
• Bluetooth wireless connectivity
• hands-free speakerphone
• 920 mAH Battery
• expandable memory storage up to 32 GB

That's it for this post on the new Pantech Breeze III from AT&T. Stay tuned for more mobile phones for seniors and other related topics.

The Kyocera Luno From Cricket

Cricket has added a new simple mobile phone from its line-up. The Kyocera Luno is now available for $59.99 MSRP and combined with the Cricket's unlimited talk, text and mobile data service plans. The Luno is already available from Virgin Mobile as the S2100.

The Luno is classified as an entry-level-phone. This simply means that it's a handset that works best for making calls and sending messages. It sports a clamshell design with a deep purple outer shell two displays.

The external display measures 1 inch and provides colored graphics. This display is used mostly to show some minor information such as the time, battery strength, and signal. The main display is located inside the flip design and measures 1.8-inches. This display is a bit small for seniors but its vibrant colors and adjustable elements should make up for its lack of size.

This cell phone for senior citizens also offers a good keypad. The Kyocera Luno comes with a tactile keypad with visual separation. This means that users will be able to do tasks like SMS and MMS messaging or dialing without much difficulty.

This mobile phone for senior citizens with the carrier's all-inclusive unlimited plans, including the basic $35 unlimited talk and text. I'm not sure if seniors need an unlimited plan but it may work for some seniors who want to be in constant touch with friends or family.

Here are the rest of the main features for the Kyocera Luno:

• Bluetooth 2.1
• BREW 3.1.5 technology
• WAP 2.0 browse
• VGA camera with 5x digital zoom
• voice tags
• voice digit-dialing
• voice response

That's it for this quick preview of the Kyocera Luno From Cricket.

Keep on reading for more senior-friendly cell phones and topics related to the use of mobile phones by senior citizens.

VoiceMail for Cell Phone for Seniors

I was looking at some of the cell phone services for seniors, and I spotted the voicemail services offered by some providers. This led me to ask, is voicemail a useful service for senior citizens?

VoiceMail is a service that allows user to answer telephone calls and allow callers to leave messages when the owner is unable to take calls. It is easy to learn and simple to use service so it might be a useful service for the elderly who cannot carry a cell phone all the time.

So are there any voicemail services for the elderly? Well, the major carrier's provide voicemail services so it is available to all cell phones that support the technology. GreatCall, the company behind the Jitterbug phones also provides this service.

The GreatCall voicemail service cost $3 per month and offers:

• unlimited voicemail calls
• Ability to retrieve from anywhere at anytime
• easy set up
• no access codes to remember

This voicemail for cell phone for seniors has been made simple to make it easy for users to use the service. It's not hard to use since senior citizens can access messages without having to remember codes or passwords. It's also affordable so it's suited to the needs of the elderly.

That's it for this feature on voicemail for mobile phone for seniors. Join us again next week as we look at more phones and services for senior citizens.

The Cheap Samsung SGH-a107 from AT&T

I was surfing the AT&T website in the hopes of spotting a new phone for senior citizens. I spotted the Samsung SGH-a107 and quickly realized that it has the potential to be a good phone for elderly consumers. it combines a simple design with an affordable price.

Let's take a closer look at the Samsung SGH-a107 and the qualities that make it a good cell phone for seniors.

The cheap price of this handset lead me to take a closer look to see if this handset can serve the needs of seniors. At the time this article was published, the AT&T GoPhone website is offering it for $9.99.

The design of this handset is also advantageous for the requirements of elderly users. The senior-friendly design include a compact and lightweight body. The basic design does not include an external display and a volume rocker. This handset is clearly one of the most basic handset is the market today. Well, that quality makes it ideal for seniors who do not demand a lot from their cell phones.

The Samsung SGH-a107 offers a 1.43-inch 65,000-color display. This screen is smaller than the average cell phone. A larger screen would have made it easier for seniors to view the information on the display. Fortunately, this mobile phone for the elderly makes up for its lack of display size with its user-friendly keypad and navigation buttons. The phone's navigation array feels roomy, and keypad buttons are separated from each other with a defined grid. Senior user will find it easy to text and dial with speed.

Since the SGH-a107 is a basic phone with a low price, the features one will find is pretty basic. This mobile for seniors provide text and multimedia messaging, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, instant messaging, a mobile MediaNet Web browser, an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a tip calculator, and more.

That's it for this AT&T prepaid cell phone. Stay close as we feature other cell phone that can fit the needs of senior consumers.

The Samsung Gusto from Verizon Wireless

I dropped by the Verizon Wireless website to check out the new DROID 3. I also looked at other phones in their roster to see if there are a few phones that can cater to the needs of seniors. I've found that we have already featured a few Verizon Wireless cell phones in this blog. I also discovered another handset that might suit the needs of the elderly. Let's examine the Samsung Gusto and see if it's a good cell phones for seniors.

The Samsung Gusto is a very simple phone with a very senior-friendly price. At the time this post is published, Verizon is offering it for free with a two-year contract. Senior consumers need affordable handset because they do not have a steady source of income.

Let's move on to the design. The Gusto is pretty simple. It's a flip phone with metallic-gray-and-black accents. The body is made up of plastic. Not exactly high-end but it's a free phone so it's understandable.

It sports a 2-inch display that supports 262,000 colors and a 128x160-pixel resolution. It's a solid display for its price but the font is not adjustable. Fortunately, the backlight on the display and the alphanumeric keypad can be adjusted. The phone also offered a user-friendly interface which highlights menu options as the user scrolls up and down a vertical list.

The navigation and text entry features on this device are solid. The keypad buttons are large and slightly domed so senior users will not find it hard to enter text or dial numbers.

Here are the rest of the main features for this cell phone for seniors:

• 2.5mm headset jack
• speakerphone
• 1.3-megapixel camera
• 1.07-inch external color display
• address book with 1,000 contacts
• a calculator
• alarm clock
• text, picture, and voice messaging

That's it for this affordable mobile phone for senior citizens. Stay in touch and check out our blog regularly for more phones, plans, accessories and other related topics.

The Huawei M228 from MetroPCS

Huawei mobile phones are starting to make an impact on the US market so I think we should feature phones from this manufacturer to see if they are fit for seniors. MetroPCS is one of the frequent destinations of Huawei phones and also a good source of potential cell phones for seniors.

Let's take a close look at the Huawei M228 from MetroPCS. I chose this phone because of its affordable price. It is being offered for $29.00, a good price for elderly users who do not have plenty of cash to spend.

The Huawei M228 is a simple device with basic features. It sports a bar style design with a 1.8-inch screen with 128-by-160 pixels. The display is a bit small and underwhelming in terms of specs but since this is a budget phone, one can't expect too much.

The M228 offers a bit more in terms of navigation and text entry. The keypad comes with well separated, rubberized keys so it's user-friendly. The phone offers a large circular button in the middle of a larger directional pad that allows users to navigate the phone. A small set of controls and a very basic UI makes it easy for users to navigate the handset.

What other features make the Huawei M228 suitable for seniors? it is equipped with a powerful speakerphone that can even be used outdoors. It is also loud and clear so its ideal for some senior citizens who have weak hearing. It also offers a solid battery that can power the phone for up to 7 hours and 3 minutes of talk time.

Here are the rest of the features for this mobile phone for seniors:

• tri-band CDMA (850/1700/1900 MHz)
• VGA camera
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 22MB of free internal memory
• alarm clock, calculator, calendar, stopwatch, and world clock

That's it for this cell phone for seniors. Stay tuned as we look at more devices that may fit the needs of seniors.