AT&T's LG A340: Eco-conscious Cell phone for Seniors

The LG A340 recently became available at the AT&T website. It was a quiet launch with no press release or other fanfare that usually accompany high-end phones and devices. This is probably due to the fact that the A340 is a basic phone that does not come with the complex features that are to be expected within today's crop of modern cell phones.

Other tech sites might frown upon or disregard a phone that does not even merit an announcement or press release but not at this blog. This site focuses on simple handsets that provide features and functionality that favor the elderly so the simplest phones are often the best phone to blog about. Well, let's look at this new AT&T cell phone for seniors and see if it can make benefit folks who are 65 or older.

The is reasonably priced at just $19.99 with a contract. That's not a bad deal for a new flip phone. This handset sports a dual color display. The main screen measures 2.4-inches with 320 x 240 pixels. It has good size and sharpness for users with weak eyes. This phone also comes with TTY support and hearing aid compatible (M3/T3 rating) so its usable for folks who have hearing difficulty. The keypad for this phone is also user-friendly. The buttons are separated so it's not difficult to dial numbers or create text messages.

The  LG A340 is also targeted towards environment-conscious users. This cell phone for seniors has a body that is made from 17% recycled materials. it also ships with  an energy efficient charger that draws less power than traditional chargers

Here are some images of the AT&T LG A340:

 And here's a list of the features for this mobile phone for seniors:

• 3G network
• 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture
• GPS-based navigation
• Bluetooth 2.1
• speakerphone
• 900 mAh battery  with 3 hours of talk time, and up to 10 days of standby time
• 20 Unique Ringtones + Vibrate and Silent Modes

That's it for this post. Stay tuned as we look at more phones that can  be used by seniors.

The Samsung Rugby II AT&T GoPhone

Another trip to AT&T's GoPhone website pointed me to another cell phone for seniors candidate. The Samsung Rugby II is not a new phone and is designed for users who want rugged and durable handsets. However, since it is included in the carrier's GoPhone packages, it became an affordable option for budget restricted users like seniors.

The Rugby II is designed to take hits and keep on working. It's built to resist dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, and extreme temperatures. So how does these rugged qualities seniors who might want to purchase this handset? Well, seniors do not have a lot of cash to spend o buying phones so a device with a long shelf life and can survive massive amounts of falls is suited to their lifestyle. A durable phone will eliminate the need to buy a new handset every few months.

Now let's look at the features that make the Rugby II a good mobile phone for the elderly. Frist let's look at the handset's main display. The internal screen measures 2.2-inches and supports 262,000 colors, which allows it to provide plenty of space and brightness for the weak vision of some elderly consumers. Users can also adjust the brightness, the backlighting time, and the dialing-font, size, type, and color tome the information on the screen easier to see.

The key pad and th navigation array for this handset is also user-friendly. The keypad buttons are a bit flat but they are spacious and separated from each other so the user will not find it hard to dial numbers or compose messages.

The Samsung Rugby II is more of a mid-range device so it offers a few advanced features. Most of these are not really important for senior users but it still nice to have them on a solid device. The key features for this handset include:

• 2.0-megapixel camera with video
• instant messaging
• Web-based POP3 e-mail support
• stereo Bluetooth
• USB mass storage
• PC syncing
• PTT for making walkie-talkie calls

Performance-wise, the Rugby II can compete with other cell phones for senior citizens in the market. The phone's voice quality is smooth and clear, the volume was loud, and we observed that the speakerphone and PTT audio quality are solid.

That's it for this rugged handset for seniors. Stay tuned as we feature other senior related stuff such as plans, services and more phones.

Pantech Ease: A Touchscreen QWERTY Phone for Seniors

Touchscreen handsets have become more accessible to consumers this year. The number of handsets with touchscreen displays have significantly increased and the pricing for these phones have also become more affordable. And so it's only a matter of time before a touchscreen becomes a key feature of a cell phone for seniors.

Pantech, the maker of AT&T's Breeze and Breeze II mobile phone for senior citizens, is responsible for combining a touchscreen with a simplified handset. In coordination with AT&T, the manufacturer is set to release the Pantech Ease touchscreen cell phone for seniors.

This senior friendly phone sports a (3.2 inch) full touchscreen display and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard alongside features that are useful to the elderly. It offers two modes, Easy and Advanced, with the former obviously catering to users who want simplicity. The Easy Mode minimizes scrolling and highlights the features customers want to access most.

The Pantech Ease also features a highly visible large font. Senior users can increase or minimize the font of received messages with either touch or physical zoom in or out keys. This cell phone for seniors also offer a QWERTY keyboard which is easier to use than a normal text keypad. It has well spaced, backlit buttons that respond with a tactile click when pressed, and remain illuminated while in use.

Here are two quotes that will help to convince you that the Pantech Ease is a good cell phone for senior citizens:

Iain Gillott, president of iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry states:

"The seniors market remains a significant opportunity for the operators to expand their businesses. But as iGR's research has found, the challenge is to provide a solution that meets the specific needs of the seniors with sufficient functions and capabilities yet is easy to use and intuitive. Our research has shown that seniors primarily want to make calls, to send and receive photos in text messages, to get driving directions and to read their email. And they want an attractive design that would make their family members envious - the Pantech Ease, with an easy-to-use interface developed collaboratively by AT&T and Pantech and attractive yet senior-friendly form factor, seems to address those needs squarely."

Jim Berridge, vice president of sales and marketing, Pantech Wireless:

"AT&T customers have come to rely on Pantech's ability to create phones that meet their unique lifestyle needs. Ease is a phone that incorporates the latest customer requests – a touch screen – yet does so in a manner which is easy to use. We have a winner with Ease and we're confident that customers will be impressed with both the design and functionality of this handset."

The Pantech Ease will be available on June 20th and will retail for $69.99 on contract after a mail-in rebate.

That's it for this new mobile phone for seniors. Tune in for more handset, plans and accessories for senior mobile users.

Samsung A137: A Simple Flip Cell Phone for Seniors

Last, week I introduced the second Pantech Breeze for the AT&T network. This time let's look at another AT&T phone that's also suitable for the needs of senior citizen consumers. Here's a closer look at the Samsung A137 and the features that makes it a good mobile phone for seniors.

The simple Samsung A137 features a flip phone or clamshell design. This very basic, no frills handset is a great match for newbies. It's also a good choice for senior who want the modern convenience offered by wireless phones. This handset is so simple that senior citizens will have no problem learning how to use it.

This senior-friendly cell phone also comes with hardware features that make it ideal for elderly users. For instance, the keypad is quite user-friendly. The buttons are large and spaced widely apart making it easy to dial by feel.

The display is also suitable for weak eyes. It's not as large as other cell phones for seniors but the color display with 128 x 128 pixels resolution is good enough.

The price of the Samsung A137 is also a good match for seniors who do not have a steady source of income. At only $29.99, this handset can fit the budget of most senior consumers.

Here's a list of the features of the simple Samsung A137:

• weight: 2.86 ounces
• dimensions: 3.46" x 1.76" x 0.78"
• 800mAh Li-ion battery with 300 minutes talk time and 250 hours standby time
• external display: monochrome LCD with 96 x 96 pixels
• MMS, 2-way text messaging, text messaging templates
• 40 polyphonic ringtones
• Picture ID and ringer ID
• T9 predictive text entry
• alarm, calculator and calendar
• Phonebook capacity: 100 names and numbers
• Speakerphone

That's it for this cell phone for seniors. Stay tuned for more devices and plans for the elderly.

Pantech Breeze II: AT&T's Latest Mobile Phone for Seniors

The Pantech Breeze was AT&T's answer to the Jitterbug, Verizon Coupe and other handsets that are especially designed to serve the needs of seniors. The Breeze formed a potent combination with AT&T's special rate plan for seniors. However, the carrier has decided to replace its reliable senior-friendly handset.

AT&T has now started to sell the Pantech Breeze II for a senior-friendly price of $19.99 with a two-year contract. A low price is a good attraction for seniors who do not have the luxury of relying on a fixed source of income.

Consumers may also go the unlocked route by purchasing the device for its full price of $170. This may be a lot more expensive than its contact price but its a good option if you want to be free of contractual obligations.

The Pantech Breeze II still carries on the tradition of being a suitable phone for the elderly. The 2nd generation Breeze is a simple flip phone with easy-to-use features.

However, I did notice the major changes made to the handset's keypad. In my opinion, the keypad on the original was much more suited to senior citizens.

Nevertheless, the Pantech Breeze II would still be a good choice for consumers who are interested in a cheap cell phone for seniors.

Here's a list of the key features for this device:

• dual color displays
• 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture
• voice-guided GPS navigation
• 3G connectivity
• Bluetooth
• speakerphone
• microSD card support up to 32GB in capacity

Tha's it for this new cell phone for senior citizens. Visit often to get more news and updates on the latest plans, accessories and mobile phones for seniors.

Mobile Magnifier for Seniors with Weak Vision

Several posts ago, I blogged about an AT&T service that is aimed towards seniors and persons who have disabilities. These services are offered on mobile phone for seniors and they aim to make handsets more user friendly towards the elderly. I blogged about Mobile Speak a few months ago and I felt that its time to talk about AT&T's Mobile Magnifier.

But before that let me give a quick recap on Mobile Speak. AT&T's Mobile Speak service for seniors is a a powerful full-fledged screen reader with an easy-to-learn command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several languages. This service automatically detects information that the blind user should know, just as a user with sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance. You can click here to see my full post on Mobile Speak.

Now let's move on to Mobile Magnifier. Like mobile Speak, this application is designed to help make good mobile phones for seniors. It is is a flexible, full-screen magnification application that supports low and high resolution screens. Mobile Magnifier can be used with or without speech feedback.

As it's name indicates, mobile Magnifier acts like a magnifying glass and enlarges the information a a mobile phone's screen. This magnification software is compatible with a wide range of mobile devices. A mobile phone equipped with this application would be a suitable mobile phone for seniors.

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

• Magnification levels from 1.25x to 16x
• Font-smoothing for easier readability
• Three different layouts: full-screen, split and distributed view
• Different color schemes, including inverted color
• Automatic panning and cursor-tracking
• Automatic zoom function that detects areas of interest on the screen

Here are the devices that currently support this service (Additional compatible devices will be available soon):

• Nokia N75
• Nokia E62
• Cingular 3125
• Samsung BlackJack (Windows Mobile version 5)
• Pantech Duo (Windows Mobile version 6)

I hope that many similar programs and applications will be developed by mobile phone makers and developers. Paul Schroeder, vice president of Programs and Policy, American Foundation for the Blind says that, "There is a real need for more wireless options for Individuals who have vision loss.We value AT&T for its leadership in addressing the needs of this community." Other companies should follow AT&T's lead.

Tune in to to this blog for more mobile phone for seniors news and info.

Pantech Breeze: AT&T's New Cell Phone for Seniors

It seems that the mobile phone for seniors market has become active in the last few weeks. After the Life Phone was recently announced, AT&T launched a handset that is suitable for senior mobile phone users. Let me introduce the Pantech Breeze from AT&T.

There have been a few updates on when AT&T will launch the
Pantech Breeze After a few months of waiting, the carrier has finally released the device and has marketed it as a handset suited for seniors. Let us examine the elements that make this mobile device a good cell phone for the elderly.

The Pantech Breeze is an uncomplicated or basic mobile phone. It has a clean and uncluttered design, simplified menus, over sized display, large keypad and quick-call keys. Clearly, its a useful device for people who want an easy way to stay in touch with friends, loved ones and caregivers. I don't think I need to explain why a simple or basic phone is best for seniors.

AT&T's Pantech Breeze is also part of the carriers "Universal Design" approach. This approach the practice of designing products and applications that are usable by the most customers possible. This means that application developers and handset manufacturers were encouraged to consider the needs of seniors or customers who have disabilities when creating products and services. The Pantech Breeze is an example of a device design with this approach.

Here's a statement from an AT&T representative that would further explain the Universal Design concept that was used in the making of the Pantech Breeze:

"Universal Design helps define important design criteria to meet the wants and needs of as many of our customers as possible. The Pantech Breeze is a result of our efforts to meet these criteria and offer a great-looking phone that's a breeze to use for everyone — from tweens to great-grandparents."

These are the fruits of the Universal Design being applied to the creation of the Pantech Breeze.

• Simplified Menu : senior users can easily navigate the phone's features with the simplified "breeze menu," which prioritizes the features that customers want to access most.
  

• 1-2-3 Quick-Call Keys : The Breeze has 3 preprogrammable quick-call buttons that are located below the screen. By selecting one of the three quick-call contacts and pressing the send button can easily tart a call.

• Easy-to-Use Buttons - When users press the Pantech Breeze's oversized buttons, the buttons respond with a tactile click. The amount of time the keys remain illuminated after use is extended tp benefit seniors with weak eyesight.
  

• Large Font - The menu screens on the device use a highly visible large font for greater visibility. The font of SMS messages is also enlarged to aid weak eyes.

• Clear and Loud Speakerphone - the design of the Breeze takes seniors with poor hearing into consideration by offering a large, dedicated button starts and stops speakerphone use.
  

• Audible Keys - mistake-free dialing for those with limited sight is also offered by the Breeze. this is possible through the option to have audio accompany numeric keystrokes.

I guess it should be clear by now that the Pantech Breeze is a mobile phone for seniors. It has the attributes that are design to make communication by mobile phone a breeze for seniors.

Mobile Speak: a Software Designed for Cell Phones for Seniors

In my last post I described AT&T efforts to reach senior cell phone users through mobile phones and services. One of the ways the company reached out to elderly companies was through the adaptation of the Universal Design. This led to the creation of good cell phones for seniors as well as other products and applications that can be beneficial to senior citizens.

One of these products senior-friendly products is called Mobile Speak. I hope to tackle this feature and see how it can help the elderly to use cellphones for seniors and other mobile phone related products.

Mobile Speak is a software designed to enhance the functionality of some of AT&T's most popular wireless devices for users with who are blind or have low vision. This type of softwares will obviously benefit seniors because elderly people have poor vision and some have unfortunately lost them due to sickness or old age.

AT&T's Mobile Speak is a powerful full-fledged screen reader that offers an easy-to-learn command structure. This software also offers intuitive speech feedback in several languages, and Braille support that can be used with or without speech.

This special screen reader for mobile phones for seniors automatically detects information that the blind user should know in a similar way a user with full sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance.


Mobile Speak supports these applications and functions:

• Speed dial, call lists and contacts
• Text messaging
• Calendar, tasks, notes, and calculator
• Internet browser
• Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Voice Recorder, Media Player, voice speed dial and voice command
• Phone/device settings, profiles, alarms, and ringtones

These are the curently supported devices which can be good mobile phones for seniors:

• Cingular 3125
• Nokia N75
• Nokia E62
• Samsung Blackjack (with Windows Mobile version 5)
• Pantech Duo

There is no doubt that this software can enhance any mobile device that is designed for senior citizens. The ability to make it easier for seniors to read information is a key attribute for any cell phone for seniors. I will feature more softwares and services that are meant for seniors in my next posts.