Generally speaking, those in their twilight years are not the core demographic of today's fast-moving tech companies. Poor eyesight, weak hearing and inexperience with computers are considerations that you're unlikely to see addressed in the next iPhone. Doro seems to understand these issues, though, and the PhoneEasy 410 might be just what Nanna is looking for.
Design
To accommodate its target market, the PhoneEasy 410 is a handset with an emphasis on function over form. The handset harks back to the early noughties with its thick clamshell design and soft-touch plastic exterior. The 410 comes in three shades, a burgundy, a white and a dark charcoal, and while they aren't particularly eye-catching, we do imagine these colour schemes would be easy to identify when you're trying to locate your ringing phone before the caller hangs up.
Flip open the clamshell and you'll find a sight for strained eyes: a number-pad comprised of some genuinely huge digits. Doro has made good use of the space on this pad and has given each enormous key a bit of breathing room on all sides. Its 2-inch colour display should be fine for most users, though its low pixel resolution and comparatively low brightness just barely meet our minimum expectations.
On the outside of the phone you'll find two notification lights, one for messages and one to remind you to recharge the phone. On the back is a large external speaker grille and one of the phone's few features designed specifically for the elderly, an emergency call button which dials numbers that you preset into an emergency dialling list on the phone. You can also set the emergency button to activate a large alarm to attract attention from those close at hand.
Features and performance
If you're familiar with our smartphone reviews here on CNET, then you may expect us to use jargon like 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS. Not today; the spec sheet for the PhoneEasy 410 reads like a prepaid handset from 2006. It has an FM radio and a calculator, it can send and receive SMS messages and is hearing aid-compatible with Bluetooth.
There are also a few limitations, which are issues that we haven't had to think about for five years or so, like an address book that can only hold 100 numbers. You might snort and wonder who would need space for more, but after a lifetime of collecting friends and family, many people could fill this allocation of phone memory with just those near and dear to them, let alone finding somewhere for all of the second and third cousins that you can't seem to cross off your Christmas card list.
There's also no camera on the PhoneEasy 410. We understand that this is in keeping with the easy-to-use philosophy, but it is one feature that you could include for those who might use it; we are mostly speaking about people with grandchildren, after all.
One of the key sales points for the 410 is its +35dB handset volume. We can certainly attest to this feature; the ringing volume of the 410 is ear-bleedingly loud. In-call volume was also good, with clear-sounding audio for both parties on a call. The speakerphone feature worked well enough, too, though you will lose some of the clarity when you use the phone's external speaker.
During our tests, battery life was decent. Doro estimates that the 410 should handle four hours of talk-time and just under 12 days in standby.
Overall
The Doro PhoneEasy 410 certainly seems to tick all the right boxes for users who want an easy-to-use phone with no bells and whistles. We only wonder if you those who would get good use out of an PhoneEasy wouldn't do as well with a simple Nokia or Samsung. The PhoneEasy 410 retails for AU$249, which seems like a lot for a phone with basically the same features as an AU$50 pre-paid model. The emergency call button is a good idea for certain users, but you might as well have a look around for a cheap phone with big buttons before contacting a Doro reseller.
Add Your Review