Buying a phone for a parent or grandparent tends to go one of two ways: a simplified "senior" handset that turns out to be limiting, or a hand-me-down flagship that is never properly set up. A little thought about what they will actually do with it leads somewhere better.
Two kinds of user
Calls, texts and not much else. A simple feature phone with physical buttons, loud speaker and an emergency button — the Doro range is the best known — can be exactly right, especially for someone who finds touchscreens frustrating. Pair it with the cheapest pay-as-you-go bundle or a small rolling plan.
Video calls with family, photos, WhatsApp, maybe a bit of browsing. This is most people, and a mainstream smartphone is the better tool. What they need is not a special phone but a bigger screen, a good speaker, long battery life and a careful setup. A mid-range Samsung, Motorola or an older iPhone fits well; the same phone as their nearest relative makes remote help far easier.
Setup that makes the difference
- Turn up the text size and display zoom, and switch on bold text.
- Put the few apps they use on the home screen and remove everything else. Fewer icons, less confusion.
- Set up favourites and photo contacts so calling family is one tap on a face.
- Enable hearing-aid compatibility and call captioning if relevant; both platforms support them.
- Emergency SOS and medical ID — set them up and show how they work.
- Remote help. Screen sharing during a video call, or the platform's family features, let you fix things without a visit.
The plan
Data use will be tiny unless they watch a lot of video away from Wi-Fi. A small rolling SIM-only plan or a pay-as-you-go bundle with a spend cap is usually right, and a network with a good indoor signal at their home matters more than price. Ask neighbours what works, or check coverage maps for the address. Then compare SIM-only plans on that network.