Emporia Telecom has recently launched a swipe-free smartphone for older generations.
The smartphone, made specifically for the 65+ market, aims to break the technological barrier between older people and smartphones.
It follows a pandemic in which people of all ages were near-forced to use smartphones as Covid passes became compulsory for months.
“The use of devices is now becoming more and more important to older people who are so unused to technology,” said Chris Millington, Emporia’s UK managing director.
To reduce the gap between older generations and smartphones, Emporia Telecom created a new smartphone that does not require the user to swipe.
“We talked to older generations and we found that even the action of swiping was extremely difficult for them,” explained Millington. “So, we’ve removed the action of swipe from answering a call by installing two hard buttons at the base of the phone.
“You start to talk to people who have always feared technology and who have always struggled with the idea of getting a smartphone and it’s really interesting that we managed to bring this excluded group in the smartphones’ world.”
Studies have shown that the use of mobile phones with a high performance is associated with increased health literacy, self-care and independence in older people.
To improve its flexibility for older people, SuperEasy is compatible with hearing aids and it is splash resistant.
“This is a very exciting product, especially when you talk to a user who has never been able to use a smartphone before and who really fears using one,” said Millington.
This comes at a time in which 4.2 million people in the UK aged 65+ have never used the internet.
