Digital technology is a massive part of our lives and is essential for many to socialise, shop, manage finances, or contact friends and family. However, not everyone can fully embrace the digital world. The digital exclusion increases with age, and my father is a prime example.
The senior smartphone market is growing and a survey carried out by Age UK states 67% of people in the UK aged 65 & over and 88% aged 55 to 64 using a smartphone. If you’re like my father or you have parents who look at an iPhone with horror how do you keep them connected?
Well, look no further than the brand Emporia which creates phones designed for the senior market adding a level of style but keeping things simple. Now, if you want to get your parents online, check out the recently reviewed Emporia ME6. However, if you’re looking for something a little more basic allowing you just to call, text, and take a photo without offering internet services then you should continue reading our review of the Emporia Joy LTE.
First Impressions
The Emporia Joy-LTE is a flip phone with a range of features designed to suit the older person in your family who is just looking for a phone to keep things simple. The Emporia Joy LTE is available in two colours Black or Red.
The Joy-LTE comes with a 1.1-inch external display that will display the time, and indicate if you have a message or have missed a call. In this review, the guys at Emporia sent us the red version to test and it looks very modern offering a solid metal build weighing 115g.
On the sides of the phone, you will notice the standard volume buttons on one side and the other two shortcut buttons for the camera or torch. What I did notice is you do have a lot of Emporia branding all over this phone which is hardly a dealbreaker.
Open up the clamshell design and you are provided with a 2.8-inch display and large textured keys (numbers& Letters) ideal for those with poor eyesight. The illuminated and well-spaced buttons help the users to call and text with ease. You will also notice 3 one-touch buttons that you can programme in the most regular people you speak to so with a simple press you can speak to your nearest family members with complete ease.
This phone also comes with an IP54 rating so it will be protected against water splashes and dust. In regards to connectivity, this phone comes with 4G allowing you to enjoy the best call quality and also comes with VoLTE technology helping maintain the best signal strength. The Joy LTE also comes with Bluetooth 5.0 so you could connect this to your car for hands-free conversations. Joy LTE also comes with M4/T4 hearing aid compatibility suitable if hearing is not what it used to be allowing you to gain loud and clear sounds with the highest levels of Hearing Aid compatibility.
Last but not least Emporia continue to offer the Emergency call system button on the rear of the device. The button comes with a heart shape moulded into it. If you press this button in an emergency for example you have a fall. Pressing the button for 3 seconds will call the stored emergency contacts in that just-in-case moment. You are also provided a rear case if you do not want to have access to the emergency button.
Design
The clamshell mobile phone measures 102mm x 55mm x 20.3mm (HxWxD) when closed and as mentioned it is fairly lightweight at only 115g. The 1.1-inch external display provides the time, who is calling you and some quick notifications. You will also notice within that external display a small 2MP camera with flash.
Switch to the rear of the phone and Emporia keep things simple with a speaker grill and that all-important emergency button.
Open the phone and you are provided with a 2.8-inch display that comes with a 240 x320 pixel resolution and large keypad below. All are powered using a 1,300mAh battery and 128GB memory that should be more than enough to store contacts, call logs, texts and pictures of special memories. Need extra space you can expand using a micro-SD card up to 2GB if needed!
This phone is suitable for those with poor hearing and is compatible with those with M4/T4 hearing aids. The phone also comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and is even IP54-rated. Additional features include Alarm Clock, Torch & FM Radio.
Performance
Emporia provide a useful manual to get your parent or grandparent going and it’s really helpful for entry-level users. I set up this phone for my father as I would question if he could have done this himself as he is not great with technology and I was testing this phone in any case. However, the manual provides clear instructions to get you started.
The device comes with a separate power button labelled at the bottom of the keypad. The rest of the keys are large tactile buttons that are easy to press. The green phone symbol key is for accepting or making a call. The arrow keys allow you to flick through your contacts and the menu. The red phone key is to finish a call or when in the menu go back one step. There are three buttons under the call buttons that are your speed dial keys followed by your normal keys for dialling or typing out text messages.
The on-screen menu is easy to follow and comes with the following – Messages, Photo Album, Contacts, Call history, Tools ( Alarm Clock, Bluetooth & FM Radio) and Settings.
Once you have navigated using the up or down keys simply press the green phone symbol button and you will select that option. When to go back simply press the red call button and it will bring you back to the home page. Handy tip if you remember what the navigation was like on the old Nokia 3210 it’s not far off.
Receiving and making calls only requires a few clicks and you can also set up 3 speed dials perfect for the family members you speak to the most. We also found the process of adding a contact simple and straightforward:
- Menu – Contacts – Add Contact
- Enter phone number & name
- Decide if you want to add a photo to the contact.
- Save
You can also connect a photo to your contact that will be displayed on the screen when your contact calls and you open up the phone. If you are looking at the phone when it is in its closed position it will just display the name of who is calling or the number.
Sending or receiving texts are in an easy-to-read format with large text. The keypad uses a T9 structure just think of anyone with a mobile phone early 90’s who sent a text that combines the groups of letters on each phone key.
If this is your first time using this style of keyboard it’s less convenient compared to a QWERTY keyboard as you have to press the keys multiple times to create a text. Creating a text also has predictive text but if you asked anyone who lived through the 90’s and had a phone you soon learn how to text fast once you get some practice.
It might not surprise you that the camera on this phone does not record videos but it does offer a 2MP camera. So you can take photos but it will provide you images in low resolution meaning the pictures are poor quality and look a little fuzzy. When I think of my father I would be surprised if he even took a photo on this phone but it’s a nice feature to have even if the quality of the image is not great.
Emporia Emergency Call Function
Now the star of the show for this phone is the Emporia emergency call function I feel this has both positive and negative aspects. The positive is this feature can be tailored to your specific needs. The emergency button is positioned on the rear of the device enabling you to quickly call people you trust for help in an emergency.
The negative is when the emergency contact has been contacted they have to call back the person in need. If they dont the call will automatically be ended after 1 minute and the next emergency contact will be called. The only bonus is when you do call back the emporia phone will automatically answer the callback re-establishing the connection. I just feel there could be a better way instead of having to finish the call and ring back as this might add panic to the elderly person who has had to use the emergency button in the first place.
That said setup is quite easy simply make sure you’re using the battery cover with the opening for the emergency button. Now the button is switched off by default, so you need to open settings click on emergency contacts then add your emergency contacts and press save.
Do not enable the emergency button until you have specified your emergency contacts.
When you need to make that emergency call simply press and hold the Emergency button for 3 seconds and it starts the process of making contact with one of your emergency contacts.
Battery Life
The Emporia Joy-LTE offers a good battery life which is hardly surprising as there not much putting a strain on the battery coming from this phone. You get 168 hours which equates to 7 days or continued talk time of 390 minutes which equates to 6.5 hours. When it is time to charge the phone you are provided with a USB-C charging cable or you can use the provided charging cradle which I think is a nice touch and something my father found to be a useful offering allowing him to keep the device powered up.
Emporia provide you with a charging cradle, USB-C charging cable and spare rear cover.
Charging time from 0% to 100% takes 2hrs 45 mins which is a tad on the long side but once fully charged this will remind you of the days of the old Nokia phones when a battery on a phone would last a week!
Verdict
The Emporia Joy-LTE is a user-friendly smartphone offering a stylish clamshell design that should cater for the needs of the senior generation who might feel they have been left behind by technology advancements. The Joy-LTE offers large buttons, and 4G LTE connectivity and allows quick and easy options for the use of the camera and touch. Struggle with your hearing The Emporia Joy-LTE has your back covered with M4/T4 hearing aid compatibility which is a crucial feature for the hard of hearing.
Overall, the Emporia Joy-LTE is a great option for the senior in your family who is looking for a phone with easy-to-grip keys, speed dial keys and IP54 rated, therefore, dust and splash-proof. This modern-looking device supports the hard of hearing and more importantly, comes with an emergency call button. So if you want to get that senior device that is practical but also elegant especially the red version which will attract a lot of attention down the bingo hall this is the phone for them!
Emporia also provide a 1-year guarantee that you can enjoy the phone but have the peace of mind of knowing if a repair is required Emporia have your back.
Product Rating
Overall ranking: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars – 4 stars
The Emporia JOY LTE Senior Smartphone is available from Amazon for £91
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