Verizon wireless - phones for seniors

Author

phones for seniors

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-24, 4:33 am

I would like to get my father cell phone service through my VZW family plan.
Dad's vision is quite poor, however. Are there any phones out there, new or
older models, with large buttons and fonts?

Thanks,

Angelo

The Other Funk

2006-08-24, 7:33 am

Finding the keyboard operational
Ange1o DePa1ma entered:

> I would like to get my father cell phone service through my VZW
> family plan. Dad's vision is quite poor, however. Are there any
> phones out there, new or older models, with large buttons and fonts?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Angelo

There is another disscussion on this newsgroup about how VZW must supply
phones for the visually impared but dosen't. It may provide some
interesting reading.
I am sorry I don't have a specific recomendation but I suggest that yyou
look fora phone wit a good voice interface Your Dad will need someone to
enter in the contact information but he should ne able to make calls.
Go thru all the phones VZW offers and go directly to a Verizon store (not a
reseller). Also try calling VZW directly, you wiill have to call more then
once to get a meaningful answer sine I'll bet that the first tier phone
peope don't know anything not on the script.
Even with bifocals, I have trouble with the smaller fonts on tdays phines.
Bob

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putt@webtv.net

2006-08-24, 10:33 am

>Are there any phones out there, new or
> older models, with large buttons and]
> fonts?

Ha! I can help someone! I recently went to my local vzn store for a
phone to replace my Q2700. Every phone on display had very small
numeric displays. I told the lady that, although she isn't old now,
someday she may be and that her eyesight will be less than she is
enjoying now. Everyone of the phones that she showed me had too small
of a display to read easily. She said, 'hold on, I've got something in
the back you may like'. She came back with a Motorola e815. That is
the one I could easily read. Close to 2x the size of every other phone
she showed me. It is either discontinued or being discontinued, but the
manager said they had 100 in the back. This is a good phone from what
I've researched, and few complaints. You might check for yourself....

Hope this helps.

Dave S(Texas)

Esmail Bonakdarian

2006-08-24, 10:33 am

putt@webtv.net wrote:[color=darkred
]

I just got a LG VX8300 .. partially because I read it has a setting
to change to font size. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but when I change
the font size from normal to large I can't tell a difference. The
text messages etc are still in the same tiny font.

Anyone else?

The buttons on the phone are great by the way.

I suppose the best thing is to try them out at the store like someone
above already suggested.

Esmail

Nick Danger

2006-08-24, 10:33 pm

"Ange1o DePa1ma" < angelodpnospam@nospa
m.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:k9adnbY5UIEA23D
ZUSdV9g@ptd.net...
>I would like to get my father cell phone service through my VZW family
>plan. Dad's vision is quite poor, however. Are there any phones out there,
>new or older models, with large buttons and fonts?

Razr displays huge numerals while dialing. Fonts for othe things are kind of
small though. Caller ID on the external screen is difficult to read even for
a UXGA fanatic like me. Considering that you can't read most phones'
displays in bright sunlight, you're not really losing much if the fonts are
small. If he's mostly using it to make and receive calls, probably voice
dialing would be handy. I've found it to be remarkably accurate.
Interestingly though, it seems to have a hard time with Chinese names but
has no trouble at all with Indian names. I guess that gives you a clue as to
who makes the hardware and who makes the software.

RichC

2006-08-24, 10:33 pm

"Esmail Bonakdarian" <ebonakDUH@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:DkiHg.24719$u1.10071@trnddc05...
> putt@webtv.net wrote:
>
>
> I just got a LG VX8300 .. partially because I read it has a setting
> to change to font size. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but when I change
> the font size from normal to large I can't tell a difference. The
> text messages etc are still in the same tiny font.
>
> Anyone else?
>
> The buttons on the phone are great by the way.
>
> I suppose the best thing is to try them out at the store like someone
> above already suggested.
>
> Esmail

I also just got an LG 8300 & I notices the same thing about the font size. I
thought I was doing something wrong. The phone has much better reception
than my previous phones & the screen is more visible than most others in
bright sunlight.

rocxspam

2006-08-25, 4:33 am

Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
> I would like to get my father cell phone service through my VZW family plan.
> Dad's vision is quite poor, however. Are there any phones out there, new or
> older models, with large buttons and fonts?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Angelo
>
>
Why bother with a new phone if none are really that suitable? See if
you can find a Nokia 3589i or a 6015i on eBay for a reasonable amount?

They have nice big fonts (buttons on 3589 are a bit awkward, but the
6015 has reasonable ones, and is a bit more compact overall without
being anything like tiny as my new 6236i). The bar design is generally
easier for arthritic hands to work with, the ringers are loud for
hearing impairment (such as I have - real issue with my new Nokia 6236i,
along with tiny screen/fonts, but I keep it close...). Ours have had
generally excellent reception (wife still happily using a 3589i, and I
am keeping my 6015i as a backup), and they are tri-mode, so a wider area
of coverage, if that matters. They have the requisite GPS feature, so if
he calls 911, there is a decent chance of locating him (although lots of
caveats about that for cell phones in general). They also have voice
dialing, and standard 2.5mm headset jacks if that would help for any
hearing issues as it does for mine, plus, I believe, M3 hearing aid
compatibility (the 6015i also has a speaker phone setting - never really
tried that out though). Compared to the new phones, that is KISS:
"Keeping It Simple, Sam."

A quick search on eBay shows "Buy It Now" prices for 6015i's ranging
from $40-70 (although many have ridiculous S&H of $15+ for something so
small...). Just check out the ESN with Verizon as being clean, and that
the seller has lots of good feedback, and little-to-no negative.

And, no, I don't work for Nokia or own their stock - just a (fairly)
satisfied customer ;-}

HTH,
ROC

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-25, 10:33 am

Thanks to everyone who commented.

Angelo

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