Stay in touch - A guide to telephones and services for older and disabled people 2004 (view report contents)
Mobile phones
The convenience of using a mobile
Mobiles are small, convenient and fashionable, and can be used at home (rather like a cordless phone), as well as out and about. As well as making voice calls, many mobile owners text - using the keypad and display to send or receive short messages (see section on useful features if your hearing is poor). Most mobiles can be used in much of Europe as well as the UK, and ‘tri band’ types can be used in the USA as well.
For many people though, mobiles have some drawbacks. Calls often cost more than on a fixed-line phone (see section on companies and deals). More important, mobiles are so small and so packed with features that they can be difficult if you have poor sight or limited use of your fingers. They can also cause interference with hearing aids (click here for more information). But if you choose carefully, you should be able to find one to suit you.
The Sony Ericcson T630 with colour screen and GPRS for faster downloading
Mobile technology is developing very fast. Many mobiles now have colour screens, built-in digital cameras and let you send or receive pictures with text, sometimes called multimedia messaging or MMS. Many let you pick up your emails, play complex games or access music or short video clips. 3G or ‘third generation’ mobiles offer very fast downloading and real-time face-to-face video calls. But 3G is still new; by mid 2004 only one network – Three – was offering 3G mobiles and while the other networks are likely to follow, it’s too early to say how useful people will find 3G services.
The world of phones and computers is overlapping more and more. A ‘smartphone’ may now incorporate many of the features of a computer, such as its own Windows or other software, while handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) now often include a phone. Such products can be useful if you find using a voice telephone difficult.
Report Contents
Telephones
- types (fixed & mobiles)
- useful features if your hearing is poor
- useful features - if your sight is poor
- useful features if you have limited mobility
- useful features for other difficulties
Other equipment
- answering machines, fax machines & computer equipment
- textphones, videophones & computer email
- accessories & adaptors
Buying a phone & phone services
- where to go
- companies & deals
- services for older or disabled people
- scam calls & cold calling - what to do
Useful contacts
Fixed line Operators
- BT
- Homecall
- Kingston communications
- NTL
- One.Tel
- Sainsbury's Homephone
- Skytalk
- TalkTalk
- Tele2
- Tesco home phone
- Telewest broadband
- Tiscali.smart talk
- Toucan
Mobile Operators
