easiest phone?

I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
all our minutes as it is.

Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.

Thanks in advance.

---

› See More: easiest phone?

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
>technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
>5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
>all our minutes as it is.
>
>Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
>currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
>mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
>
>Thanks in advance.

Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.

I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
screen. Everything else is very basic.

You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4

Thanks.


"Michael Singletary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
>>technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
>>5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
>>all our minutes as it is.
>>
>>Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
>>currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
>>mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
>>
>>Thanks in advance.
>
> Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
> definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.
>
> I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
> forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
> screen. Everything else is very basic.
>
> You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
> http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4

Michael Singletary wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>>I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
>>technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
>>5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
>>all our minutes as it is.
>>
>>Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
>>currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
>>mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
>>
>>Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
> definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.
>
> I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
> forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
> screen. Everything else is very basic.
>
> You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
> http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4

I would recommend the Nokia 6010 over the 3120 simply because it is
bigger and just as easy to use. That is what my elderly mother uses and
she has no problem with it.

On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 20:40:34 GMT, BR <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>
>Michael Singletary wrote:
>> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
>>>technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
>>>5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
>>>all our minutes as it is.
>>>
>>>Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
>>>currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
>>>mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
>>>
>>>Thanks in advance.
>>
>>
>> Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
>> definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.
>>
>> I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
>> forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
>> screen. Everything else is very basic.
>>
>> You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
>> http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4
>
>I would recommend the Nokia 6010 over the 3120 simply because it is
>bigger and just as easy to use. That is what my elderly mother uses and
>she has no problem with it.

That phone is definitely easier to use with the bigger buttons.
Unfortunately it didn't show up on my list of phones when entering my
ZIP code into their store. The most basic phone that came up for me
was actually that 3120.

I don't believe the 6010 is currently offered in all markets.

It's quite difficult to find such a basic phone these days.
Unfortunately the elderly and non tech-savvy consumers are not the
market at cell phone companies are looking for these days.

eBay might even give a better shot at finding an older phone with
larget keys.

> That phone is definitely easier to use with the bigger buttons.
> Unfortunately it didn't show up on my list of phones when entering my
> ZIP code into their store. The most basic phone that came up for me
> was actually that 3120.
>
> I don't believe the 6010 is currently offered in all markets.
>
> It's quite difficult to find such a basic phone these days.
> Unfortunately the elderly and non tech-savvy consumers are not the
> market at cell phone companies are looking for these days.
>
> eBay might even give a better shot at finding an older phone with
> larget keys.

Interesting. In Austin the 3120 has vanished in corporate stores but
the 6010 is still available. I also remember the 6010 available at
Radio Shack as a pay-as-you go phone.

BR wrote:
> I would recommend the Nokia 6010 over the 3120 simply because it is
> bigger and just as easy to use. That is what my elderly mother uses and
> she has no problem with it.

Yeppers...I let my mom play with both of them. The 6010 was much easier
to use when you have a touch of arthritis.

"Michael Singletary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year old
> >technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go Nokia
> >5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use up
> >all our minutes as it is.
> >
> >Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
> >currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
> >mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
> >
> >Thanks in advance.
>
> Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
> definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.
>
> I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
> forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
> screen. Everything else is very basic.
>
> You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
>
http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4



By far the easiest and maybe the most appropriate is the one designed for
kids. It is called the firefly and is located here:
http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...88&WT.svl=dtl7
Mom and Dad dialing keys
Up to 20 programmable numbers
850/1900 MHz - Dual-band compatibility
Incoming and outgoing call restrictions
Caller ID
Personalize: Color lights, animations and ring tones
Special 911 button
Interchangeable translucent shells - blue shell included - Bubblegum (pink)
and Limeade (green) shells sold separately
12 fun ringtones
7 screen colors
5 animations
96 x 32 pixel display with 7-color backlight

While this may seem a bit inappropriate for a Mom as you are describing -
think about it - program the mom and dad keys to childrens numbers - the
screen may be a little small though.

"Michael Singletary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 20:40:34 GMT, BR <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>Michael Singletary wrote:
>>> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:35:24 GMT, "Peahen" <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I currently have the Cingular Family plan with 3 phones. My 80 year
>>>>old
>>>>technically impaired mother has use of my daughter's former Free2Go
>>>>Nokia
>>>>5160, but I'd rather not pay for two plans, especially as we don't use
>>>>up
>>>>all our minutes as it is.
>>>>
>>>>Does anybody have a suggestion as to the simplest, easiest to use phone
>>>>currently available? It shouldn't have lots of bells & whistles as my
>>>>mother has a hard enough time with the Nokia.
>>>>
>>>>Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>>
>>> Since she is already at least semi-familiar with Nokias, I'd
>>> definitely recommend the Nokia 3120.
>>>
>>> I used this phone for a while and found it to be a very straight
>>> forward phone to use, with the only 'extra' feature being the color
>>> screen. Everything else is very basic.
>>>
>>> You can find out more about it on Cingular's website by visiting:
>>> http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...10&WT.svl=img4
>>
>>I would recommend the Nokia 6010 over the 3120 simply because it is
>>bigger and just as easy to use. That is what my elderly mother uses and
>>she has no problem with it.
>
> That phone is definitely easier to use with the bigger buttons.
> Unfortunately it didn't show up on my list of phones when entering my
> ZIP code into their store. The most basic phone that came up for me
> was actually that 3120.
>
> I don't believe the 6010 is currently offered in all markets.
>
> It's quite difficult to find such a basic phone these days.
> Unfortunately the elderly and non tech-savvy consumers are not the
> market at cell phone companies are looking for these days.
>
> eBay might even give a better shot at finding an older phone with
> larget keys.

Thank you for all your responses. The Nokia 6010 isn't offered in our
market so I went with the 3120. I have used that one before, and while it's
not as easy as the 5160 (which is TDMA so not convertable), it is fairly
simple (to me that is; I'm going to have to drill my mother).

I'm on a similar journey and saw the kid's phone the Firefly as the
only Cingular entry but wanted more preprogrammed numbers from buttons
rather than menu as I don't think that will be figure out-able. I am
interested in Verizon Wireless's Migo phone but that won't help you on
the family plan.