Hi, I need to replace my “flip phone” to a 4G Volte, but I need to be able to set (at least) 4 alarms as daily medication reminders. My old Konka does it, but the new Konka’s don’t. I expect this will be an issue for a lot of us (oldies). The people who make the phones don’t seem to know? and the online instructions are useless. Hoping that someone has already done the leg work and owns (or has access to) a phone that can satisfy my needs. I don’t want to go “smart”, I just need two(2) phones will big button, 4+ daily alarms, and hopefully an SOS function. Not interested in being online, or social media capability, just a (cheap) phone. Thanks
Flip phones are old technology and most manufacturer’s have stopped producing them. If they are producing them, they are flexible screen smart flip phones (which incidentally are very expensive).
Choice has reviewed phones for seniors in the past:
Some of these might be worth considering. To see if they do multiple alarms, you will need to search for their user guides online and read to see if the phones offer that feature.
I am unsure why you don’t want to, but some smart phones are just as easy to use as past flip or button style mobile phones. They can also be easier to use for someone with arthritis or other mobility issues where pushing a physical button can be challenging. They also don’t need to be used for connecting to the internet, but can be if one choses to.
In relation to smart phones, any android or Apple smart phone will allow you to set as many alarms as you like. If price is an issue, the cheapest smart phones are around the same price as a flip phone.
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I can fully understand your preference for a good normal phone with buttons, rather than the touch screen of ‘smart’ phones.
All that tapping, pressing, swiping, and tiny little on-screen keyboard that needs a stylus to use is a pain on small compact phones.
Now reviews of mobile phones for ‘seniors’ I have seen on Choice don’t seem to look at the two applications you need. Alarm function, and calendar function, both having audible reminders. Every mobile phone I have ever used had both of those built in. And that goes back to the pre Apple iPhone days when Nokia was king.
Why do you think a new Konka model would not have those functions if the old one did?
Edit: it should be mentioned that almost all mobile phones outside the Apple brand will be using the Android operating system. Which comes with a suite of applications like alarm clock and calendar. Phones using Android will have these two apps the same. I know Android supports multiple alarms, and alerts using the calendar.
So just ask what OS the phone uses. And take a look at the features of that OS application suite. Konka and Aspera and Telstra easy phones all use Android.
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Although the ‘big guys’ like Apple and Samsung no longer produce old-style flip phones, a number of manufacturers do offer flip and ‘candy bar’ style phones intended for ‘seniors’. Eg,
The problem is to track down one that can set at least four alarms for daily medication reminders. Not all of them can - or the websites don’t specify a limit on the number of alarms.
@ancient - if nobody in this community knows of a suitable phone, it’d be worth contacting one of the businesses that sell ‘seniors’ phones and asking if any of the ones they sell can do this.
Sorry, @ancient - I realise you said you’ve tried that and they don’t know anything.
Some of the Aspera phones might be worth a look. The user manuals for the F46 and F50 say that “multiple alarms” can be set, without specifying a limit.
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Just personal preference, I don’t need any of the other tech, I’m old school, if I lose my current phone all anyone gets is a couple of contacts, unless they bother to do a recovery, as I delete all calls and texts after reading. Don’t you have to update smartphones over the internet?
I was able to look at the manual online with the new Konka’s and they specify only 3 alarms
Not sure about the F50 but I learnt the hard way with the F46 by buying one. Only 3 alarms, and I even tried manipulating the calendar to add multiple events and set it to daily reminders, but it was not able to manage more than one event on a “daily” basis.
I have contacted phone suppliers and manufacturers and all I get is 1. We don’t have access to the product, 2. Referral to the website, or 3. Well meaning redirection to one of their smart phone products.
I think my only hope is if someone actually has a 4g flip phone and proves its function.
Only if you use it for connecting to the internet.
You can use a smart phone as a phone only. Smart phones have settings where you can turn off data functions so it doesn’t connect to the internet.
You can use a smartphone the same way. You don’t have to store your contacts in the phone if you chose not to. You can dial a number using the keypad no differently to a push button type phone. Likewise, text messages and call history can also be deleted.
It is worth noting that some flip phoned run a lite version of android, which is one of the operating systems on smartphones.
I think you are right there. You have very specific requirements about what sort of mobile phone you want to use, and need a definitive answer on application capabilites.
Maybe some Community member out there shares your same requirements, or at least has the same sort of phone as you want and can do a test.
Thanks all, A young chap at my local Harvey Norman’s did a check for me on the OPEL TOUCH FLIP 4G, he said that the number of alarms appeared to be unlimited? I know the cheaper Opel flip phones are limited to 3. I am a little concerned as this phone is a WiFi hotspot and has a GPS capacity. The GPS capacity would be useful with the SOS function when somewhere remote, but I would want to be able to turn it off. I am going ahead and purchasing one from the post office ($150), I will post what I find out about its functions. I may ask for it to be included in a the Seniors phone review.
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GPS can be disabled. It may be on by default but in the phone settings under what it calls ‘Location’ just slide the slide from ‘On’ to ‘Off’.
Hotspot should be off by default, but if not it is easily turned off
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It is a lite smart phone in a flip phone. It has some of the functionality of s smart phone, albeit with a very small screen.
My parents bought one each of the Opel phone in the month before covid, possibly for similar reasons to why you want a flip phone. Their reasons being it was what they were used to (previous phone was a Telstra flip phone), preferred push buttons (even though they often complained it was hard to push the right button) and they were more or less scared of smart phones (new technology they didn’t want to have to learn).
A month or so after Covid started they found they needed a phone which could read government issued QR codes and for the mandated Queensland check-in app to be installed. That was the end of the Opel flip phones as they didn’t offer this facility and they reluctantly bought inexpensive Vivo smart phones.
They now say they would never go pack to a flip phone. My father only uses his smart phones for phone calls and text messages, and finds it easier to use than the flip phone mainly due to button/screen size and virtual screen keyboards. My mother also uses hers for emails, photos and some installed apps such as for map navigation etc. She can also use it for hotspotting when travelling to connect a tablet computer to the internet - this does require following a step by step guide I wrote for her.
I still recommend looking at an entry smart phone as it won’t be dissimilar to the Opel. A smart phone can be used in the same way as a flip phone (like my father does with a lot of settings off such as location, data, blue tooth, NFS etc). Or, if you need some functionality of a smart phone in the future (such as my mothers use), it provides flexibility as well. A downside is they are bigger in overall size.
I also recall they complained about the Opel battery life. Within a few weeks they took one of their phones back for a replacement but found it not much better. Running a version of Android lite consumed battery life relatively quickly compared to their previous flip phone.
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9 posts were split to a new topic: Buying a Smart Phone Specifically for Check-in App use during Covid
Flip phone vs flatscreen smart phone.
Comparing a Samsung SGH A401 3G flip phone to a flat pack smart phone. The first mentioned I used for nearly a decade as a second phone on the Telstra network. Blue tick with a pronounced antenna bump and socket to plug into the big rod aerial in the Ute for out west. Folded it would fit any pocket. It did not care if I had gloves on in the snow. Best of all it did not try and call triple zero when it was in my shirt pocket. Something my first true smart phone with touch screen, an iPhone kept on finding new ways to do despite my best efforts to disable every screen driven feature.
Setting a flip phone to answer when opened and hang up when closed was a great way to solve the parental confusion around the red and green phone or call buttons. My dad found the same Samsung A401 model the easier pathway to having mobile contact. As mental awareness often changes over time, it seems a wise choice to provide a variety of solutions. What meets one need may not suit another.
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Good to hear that the Harvey Norman’s person was so helpful and that this Opel phone seems to meet your needs! I hope it works out well in practice, and look forward to hearing about your experiences with it.
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Hello all,
While I thank everyone for contributing, I have just received an “Award”. It was never my intention to be that involved in this type of thing. I am not sure how to “opt” out now. I will select mute on this topic and (if Choice is monitoring) please remove my email from this topic. Thanks again to all
