The Simple Verizon Wireless Escapade

The Escapade was originally marketed as a dual-mode CDMA/GSM phone for Verizon Wireless subscribers who want a handset in the U.S. and abroad. However, a closer look at this device shows that it's a simple handset that can cater to the needs of the elderly.

Let's see if the Verizon Wireless Escapade is a good mobile phone for seniors as well as a solid global roaming device.

This cell phone sports a simple flip design with a glossy shell plus silver and black trim. It's not a flashy design but it feels comfortable to hold. It comes with an external display which measures 1.1-inches and supports 65,000 colors. It's not very large but it provides useful information such as date, time, battery life, caller ID, and signal strength.

The Escapade sports a larger internal display that measures 2-inches. This is a solid display because it also comes with 262,000-color support and 176x220-pixel resolution. The screen offers bright colors and sharp legible text, which are good qualities for a cell phone for citizens. Most of the elderly have weak eyes so a bright display with good size is ideal for their needs.

This phone's display also comes with adjustable font sizes for dialed numbers and menu text so seniors can manipulate them to suit their eyesight.

Unfortunately, this simple mobile phone also comes with a flat key pad. The buttons are quite flat to the surface of the phone so dialing and composing text messages are not quick and easy. Luckily, the phone has some raised lines in between each key so dialing is not too difficult for senior users.

Now let's talk about performance. After all, the elderly need cell phones to communicate with friends and family. The Verizon Wireless Escapade might be a simple phone but its call quality is quite impressive. The callers on this handset sounded loud and clear. The voice sound natural and there was minimal static or noise in the background. This mobile phone for seniors also come with a solid speakerphone.

This feature is not really a priority for seniors but I think it deserves to be mentioned since it performed better than I expected. The Escapade comes with a 2-megapixel camera that produced surprisingly good images for a phone that only cost thirty bucks with a contract. A camera is not really a requirement for senior phones but its a nice feature to get with an affordable phone. Folks who want a good cell phone for seniors with a decent camera should definitely consider this device.

That's it for this post on a senior-friendly phone that's also got dual-mode CDMA/GSM for international roaming. Bookmark this blog if you want to get information on mobile phones for the elderly.