Age UK My Phone

The Age UK "My Phone" (supplied by CyCell) simplifies phone usage by having no display and up to 8 buttons with fixed numbers. In theory it's one button to make a call and no chance of getting it wrong. There are 2 additional buttons to answer calls and to end calls or switch it on and off. There is one light which is either red or blue and is constant or flashes depending on what it's doing.

I bought this phone for my father who has dementia - it seemed ideal.

Problems I have with it -

1. The main problem is that the microphone is poor - often it's hard to make out what someone using this phone is saying, and the sound fades in and out. I sent the phone back and got a new unit but it has the same problem. Different people have tried using it and it has the same problem for everyone. The recommendation by Customer Support was to hold the phone nearer your mouth when speaking! I've never needed to do this on any other phone.

2. The phone uses a complicated series of lights and sound to indicate something. My father has never really "got" mobile phones and always switches the phone off when he's made a call. When switching on, the phone goes through a series of showing solid red and blue lights, playing a sound then flashing red and blue then flashing blue. You have to wait until it flashes blue slowly before it's ready to use. No way can my father remember this. I bet some programmer had fun doing it but it would have been far better to have had 2 lights - one showing for startup and the other for ready.

3. The charger socket is similar to a micro-usb socket and is fiddly to insert - it's stiff and easy to get the wrong way around (and then break it) if your eyesight isn't too good. The "old" style round socket would have been a lot better.

I bought a six-month package with the phone but will be cancelling it when the time is up.