The Samsung Galaxy S22, iPhone 13, and OnePlus 10 Pro are great phones, but with their reams of features, high price tags and fragile builds, they’re at once overkill and unsuitable for many elderly users.
Whether through unfamiliarity with modern tech, sight and hearing issues or a heightened potential for accidents, the elderly often have different needs in a phone. With that in mind we’ve created this list of the best phones currently available for older users.
From the smart Doro 8100 and Doro 8080 to the Nokia 6310 feature phone and more, there’s something suited to most elderly users here.
On that note though, unlike most of our guides this one isn’t ranked, since depending on tech-savviness, eyesight, dexterity, and other factors, no specific one of these phones will definitively be better than the others – it all depends on what the user is comfortable with.
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The Doro 8100 is one of Doro’s more high-end phones, packing a large (by Doro’s standards) 6.1-inch touchscreen and a 720 x 1560 resolution, so that text is crisp and easy to read, and there’s plenty of space to interact with the interface.
The Doro 8100 also has lots of the features you’d expect from a Doro handset, such as loud, clear sound, hearing aid compatibility, an assistance button (for one tap alerts and connection with friends and family), and a step-by-step tutorial, so even those with no smartphone experience should be able to operate it with minimal assistance.
But this thing runs Android, meaning users can control many aspects of the phone with their voice, using Google Assistant. And it sports an easy-to-use, intuitive interface to keep things simple.
Android also means that the Doro 8100 comes with full access to the Google Play Store and its millions of apps. Most of these won’t be needed by most elderly users, but there are a number of assistance apps aimed at making life easier.
In fact, it comes with TeamViewer pre-installed, which lets a person they invite assist them with their phone, direct from their own device.
The phone is fast too, thanks to 4G, and it has a torch, which could come in handy, plus a triple-lens camera. It might be overkill for an elderly person who just wants a basic phone, but it’s a great smart option.
The Doro 8080 is one of the most premium phones you can get from Doro, though by general smartphone standards it still has a lower mid-range price.
It has a 5.7-inch 720 x 1440 screen, which is large enough that even those with poor eyesight should be able to read larger text on the display – and of course being designed with accessibility in mind, you can adjust the text size.
That large screen also ensures it’s easy to interact with, as you’re not stuck prodding a cramped space.
The Doro 8080 runs Android, so you get the full smartphone experience with access to endless apps, and there’s even a fingerprint scanner for security, along with both 16MP main and 5MP front cameras, a volume boost option to make ringtones and the speakerphone louder, and an assistance button, that can call and give your location to select contacts in an emergency.
With 32GB of storage too, plus a microSD card slot to expand that space, and solid battery life, the Doro 8080 is ideal for any elderly user who’s comfortable with tech and wants to get more out of their phone.
We previously had the 2017 model of the Nokia 105 on this list, but that’s no longer widely available, and the Nokia 105 (2019) has it beat anyway.
The Nokia 105 (2019) has a simple, intuitive interface of the kind that Nokia has been making and perfecting since the 90s.
Physical buttons give more precise control than a touchscreen, while the durable build should survive many a drop.
The Nokia 105 (2019) also has a battery which can last weeks, so forgetting to charge it won’t be as much of a problem as with some phones. This isn’t specifically designed for the elderly, but as long as they can read the small screen it should be an ideal fit. And it’s cheap too.
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The Nokia 6310 is one of many robust, reliable feature phones from the brand, but we’ve picked this one out because it’s specifically designed to be durable, while also including big buttons, and improved readability and accessibility, through tools like zoomed in menus.
It’s not specifically marketed at elderly users, but with features like that it’s clear that the Nokia 6310 was made with them in mind.
The Nokia 6310 also has a long-lasting battery, which the company promises can last weeks in standby mode, so it won’t need constantly charging.
And being a feature phone, this is simple to operate, with easy-to-use physical buttons. It should feel familiar to users of older mobile phones too.
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TTfone isn’t a big name, but it has a range of phones aimed at the elderly, such as this, the TTfone Mercury 2.
It’s a basic phone with very large buttons that are easy to read and press. It also comes with a dock to charge it, which means you don’t have to fiddle around with charging cables, so it’s more likely to stay charged.
Like any good phone for the elderly this comes with a loud maximum volume, which coupled with those big buttons and a simple interface makes it easy to operate.
There’s also an SOS panic button for emergencies. This is on the back and easy to reach, and can be used to instantly dial a number of your choice.
A clear, colourful, 1.7-inch display should be readable by most users, and there are other handy features too, like the ability to have the buttons spoken aloud as they’re pressed.
Decent battery life, a torch and a pocket-sized design round out the features of this bargain handset.
Not all elderly people require the same thing from a phone, so it’s impossible to recommend one above all others, but one of these five should fit the bill.
For very basic and simple use opt for the TTfone Mercury 2, Nokia 6310, or Nokia 105 (2019), while for more of a smartphone the Doro 8080 or Doro 8100 would be a better choice.
