Need suggestions - Big Button CDMA phone for elderly

[HelloNNNewman]

Hi all,

I've hunted and hunted for a solution to this, but everything I find is on GSM service. My parents are elderly and my dad's eyesight is terrible due to age and diabetes. They live in a less urban area in Wisconsin and GSM services simply don't work well. I need to find a BIG button phone that is on CDMA - ideally not a flip-phone, but a candybar design. Unfortunately I'm coming up empty in my searching.

What I'd love to find is something along the lines of this:

Like I said, it's almost like nothing is made at all for CDMA when it comes to BIG button phones.
Any suggestions, would truly be appreciated. I'm thinking/hoping there are others out there who have had similar needs.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hi all,

I've hunted and hunted for a solution to this, but everything I find is on GSM service. My parents are elderly and my dad's eyesight is terrible due to age and diabetes. They live in a less urban area in Wisconsin and GSM services simply don't work well. I need to find a BIG button phone that is on CDMA - ideally not a flip-phone, but a candybar design. Unfortunately I'm coming up empty in my searching.

What I'd love to find is something along the lines of this:

http://silverevolution.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/just5-phone1.jpg

Like I said, it's almost like nothing is made at all for CDMA when it comes to BIG button phones.
Any suggestions, would truly be appreciated. I'm thinking/hoping there are others out there who have had similar needs.

Thanks!
Dave

Smartphone or basic phone?

 

[Golfdriver97]

In poking around, I saw the Kyocera Dura Plus on Sprint's site, but the buttons are not all that big. I struck out on Wirefly, too.

 

[lennyj17]

The best one to me was the Sanyo Vero (you can still find it on Ebay, Amazon Market Place) my 80 year old GM uses it with such ease...

Numbers are Big...Check
Screen Font Big....Check
Decent Battery for Voice Only Calls ....Check
Uses any Universal Micro-USB for charging .... Check
External LCD for CID and Time .... Check
Disable all Non-Voice features so they're not confused .... Check

Perfect Grandma,Granddad Phone for Sprint anyway

 

[HelloNNNewman]

Smartphone or basic phone?

Basic phone, candybar design (he had a stroke and it needs to be easily handled in one hand - flip phones don't work well for him)

 

[HelloNNNewman]

The best one to me was the Sanyo Vero (you can still find it on Ebay, Amazon Market Place) my 80 year old GM uses it with such ease...

Numbers are Big...Check
Screen Font Big....Check
Decent Battery for Voice Only Calls ....Check
Uses any Universal Micro-USB for charging .... Check
External LCD for CID and Time .... Check
Disable all Non-Voice features so they're not confused .... Check

Perfect Grandma,Granddad Phone for Sprint anyway

View attachment 101237 View attachment 101238 View attachment 101240

Thanks for that! What I really need is a non-flip phone with large buttons. Ideally in a design like I posted above. There are a ton of companies that make that type of phone, but non are CDMA. Like I mentioned above, he had a stroke so using a flip phone can be done, but it is very difficult with poor eyesight and one-handed... hence my hunting high and low for a candybar design with big buttons on CDMA.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Basic phone, candybar design (he had a stroke and it needs to be easily handled in one hand - flip phones don't work well for him)

Is this possible: Get the phone you showed, but get a prepaid TMo plan for it?

 

[Golfdriver97]

I know you said GSM doesn't work well, but maybe double checking with Sensorly to see other possibilites, and with the prepaid, if it doesn't work, it's not like anything substantial is lost.

 

[B. Diddy]

How about a smartphone with BIG Launcher installed?

 

[HelloNNNewman]

Is this possible: Get the phone you showed, but get a prepaid TMo plan for it?

I know you said GSM doesn't work well, but maybe double checking with Sensorly to see other possibilites, and with the prepaid, if it doesn't work, it's not like anything substantial is lost.

GSM is out of the question - there simply is no signal where he is located. (sucks)

How about a smartphone with BIG Launcher installed?

I'd never seen that app before. I'll definitely have to check it out. If the app has the ability to lock up access to any apps/screens you don't want to cause confusion, that would be a viable solution.... but still too difficult to operate with one hand. Thanks for that one - I'll take a closer look!

 

[HelloNNNewman]

Life would be soooo easy if one of those candybar phones was offered in CDMA. Touchscreen phones are a PIA for stroke victims as they simply have no mobility in one hand/arm depending upon the severity of the stroke. In this case, he can move his arm, but cannot grasp a phone or anything. So using a touchscreen phone is very difficult because you have to cradle it somehow and touch the screen (basically think of it as if the person only has one arm/hand). This is why I've been searching high and low to see if any of those phone companies with the candybar design offer one in CDMA. The only one's I've found so far are Chinese and do not support English. <sigh>

Thanks for the suggestions all!

 

[buffdaddy72]

Have you checked out the Jitterbug?? They're pretty much tailor made for people with bad eyesight. Basically a no frills flip phone with big keys for under $100.00.

I think you can get it prepaid or on Verizon.




Also if you're looking for a candy bar style phone: TracFone Alcatel A382 Cell Phone

 

[B. Diddy]

Problem is that he prefers a candybar design, so there's no flipping open involved. I suppose he could always keep a flip phone open.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[HelloNNNewman]

Have you checked out the Jitterbug?? They're pretty much tailor made for people with bad eyesight. Basically a no frills flip phone with big keys for under $100.00.

I think you can get it prepaid or on Verizon.

View attachment 101539


Also if you're looking for a candy bar style phone: TracFone Alcatel A382 Cell Phone

View attachment 101540

Yes, Jitterbug was looked at but flip phones won't work because of what I've stated above. I'll have to take a look at the TracFone option. Again, because of eyesight issues the print size will need to be large. Thanks for pointing that pointing that one out too.