What smartphone would be good for my mother?

How very basic does she mean?

There's phones that are specifically marketed as "seniors' phones". They're simple handsets that will only do talk and text. I can't recommend you specific models, as they vary from country to country, but I had a look at several when I was shopping for a phone for my mother. So that could be one option.

Otherwise, if your mother has problems with the iPhone interface, I'm not sure Android is the answer. The iPhone has a more unified user experience, and requires less user fiddling to get it working the way you want it to work. Along the the same lines, an article that might be of interest: Why My Mom Bought an Android, Returned It, and Got an iPhone.

Also, here's a review of the Atrix at CNet. It doesn't seem basic at all -- it's a fully-featured Android smartphone -- but you're correct that it doesn't allow the installation of non-Market apps. What that means is that your mother could install apps by third parties, but only apps that are available in the Android Market. However! The Android Market has no approval process, so there's a non-trivial amount of malware there. I think if you go Android you might like to suggest to your mother that she tell you what she's after and you choose the apps for her.

In my case, we decided my mother would use my old iPhone 3gs instead of getting a seniors' phone, because the iPhone text messaging is so superior to regular text messaging. I stripped it down to the basic apps (phone, messages, browser, plus a couple of carefully-chosen third party apps) and put everything else in a folder hidden on the second screen. My mother picked up calling and texting fairly easily, but she still has problems with voicemail. She also really likes the camera because it's always in her pocket.

If your mum wants something between a seniors' phone and a smartphone, you might look into what Nokia is selling in your neck of the woods. They make a number of phones with their non-smartphone Symbian operating system, and she might find her sweet spot there.

Hope that helps!

Cheers.

There's no smartphone as easy to use and intuitive as one running iOS, in my humble opinion. I've found Androids are more complex to use. Blackberries are hideously unfriendly.

If we are talking smartphones -- something that's a hand held computer for Internet, email, social media, productivity -- then I'd suggest the iPhone. Most people can just jump right in and start using it. My wife who is not tech savvy and had nothing but problems with her blackberry and android loves her iPhone.

But if we're talking basic basic, like my mom who struggles with any sort of tech and I have to go over and change her clocks all the time, we got her a truly basic cellphone with large number buttons, a dedicated "ICE" button and a dedicated 911 button. It's a Samsung and I forgot the name we bought it for Christmas but we had to specifically ask for it. They don't display it nor show it on their website.

A few questions:
1. How tech savvy is she? Not as in "she has all the gadgets" but "how quick did she pick up on email and computer use?"
2. Does she text?
3. Does she need to check email by phone?
4. Is she glued to Facebook?
5. Does she use mass transit and enjoy a distracting game?
6. Does she use Google products beyond email?
7. Do any of her friends use Smartphones?

It's really a matter of how it will fit in her life. For me, one is great - it's cheaper than a secretary and less sexy than a houseboy (a concern of my partner's.) This may or may not fit your Mom's lifestyle.

She might not even NEED a Smartphone; she may be OK with just a new version of her razr, depending on what she does.

In terms of flat-out product recommendation, I like Motorola phones in general. When I had a Razr, I accidentally dropped it off my 4 story balcony and had it come out without a scratch. Now that's workmanship. While I would never even take my SmartPhone out on my balcony, it impressed me enough to get a Motorola Smartphone when I upgraded.

Also, I've never needed to install anything that wasn't on the Droid market. Unless there's a specific 3rd party app you know your mother would use, it really shouldn't be an issue.

Diana has a really good diagnostic there. (Nice!)

The only other question I'd have is:

Does she have fingernails and use them for her button pushing?

Weird question, yeah? Turns out, not. My Darling Bride has the Envy for one reason. She wanted a touch screen, and it was the only one on the market that was a true contact screen as opposed to the others, which use the electricity of the human touch to create the input reaction. (For example, that's why you can't use the iPhone screen with regular gloves on.)

btw, that's not an endorsement for the Envy.

An iPhone is about as idiot-proof as smartphones come.

If she hates yours, though, you could try having her try out Windows Phone 7. You can show her the demo of the Metro interface here on your iPhone. It tries to stay pretty simple, too.

Fenika said:

One important thing is she wants to be able to easily turn off the 3G (or 4G) and use only WiFi. iPhone allows you to do this but it will go back to 3G without warning...

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Huh? It's not supposed to...

tracfone.
10 bucks for a phone,
20 bucks every three months for minutes.

Turn it on to use it, then turn it off.

They say it does text, and voicemail,
but I wouldn't know...

Fenika said:

Mine does, but only if the wifi is sketchy. But that includes hotels and other public hotspots, along with my mother's home wifi (a topic of a previous tech help post and possibly resolved since my mom got a new modem)

Have I mentioned I love you tech folks? s

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If you turn cellular data off, it should stay off regardless of whether you have WiFi or not.

Fenika said:

My mother is freaking out over this phone thing and the contract.

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Would it be possible to buy her a secondhand phone and a pay-as-you-go sim and avoid a contract altogether? (Can you do that in the US?) Your mother's unlikely to need any of the advanced features of the latest iPhone.

The iPhone 3gs could be a good model to consider. It's getting a little long in the tooth, honestly, but it supports iOS 5 and works well enough for basic calling/app usage. Plus, Apple's still selling them new so they should support them for a while. You can pick one up secondhand in Australia for less than two hundred dollars, so I imagine they'd be even cheaper in the US.

Cheers.

Fenika said:

She prolly should get a second hand phone and keep but not renew her current contract. I've learned that part of her problem is she thinks phones should cost 20-30 bucks (with 2yr agreement) and everything else gives her sticker shock. Sheesh.

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I agree with your Mother, and I have no need what-so-ever for the internet on my phone (just plain silly for me) or voicemail, or texting, or email... or, or, or... the list just goes on and on of what I don't need. I need the phone to work when I need it to work to make a phone call...

However, if those options were available at a price that was equal to or less than what I'm paying now for my land-line and tracfone combined, I would consider it, but I just not paying that much for a delicate wee little telephone, and that much again for the 'privilege' of using it.
I can't justify that kind of cost.

I know this is a little off topic but I need to mention it anyway: I was at B&N the other day and saw a book on how to use the iPhone 4. It was something like 300 pages thick! Is a book that big that necessary for such a user friendly device?

Fenika said:

And I think those thick manuels are mostly fluff... They feed off the smartphone craze.

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He's from Barcelona.

randi.lee said:

I know this is a little off topic but I need to mention it anyway: I was at B&N the other day and saw a book on how to use the iPhone 4. It was something like 300 pages thick! Is a book that big that necessary for such a user friendly device?

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Well, no, not really. Those books are to make money for the author. They're seldom helpful unless you're a complete novice or too fearful to experiment. There might be some tips for power users and suggestions on good apps that are available. But generally, no. I glanced through a few when I first got mine and already knew most of what it offered just by playing with it.

Oh pffft...on the iphone book.

Now if it was the iPad Project Book, (Vol 1 or 2) that you should have bought - several copies in fact - they make great gifts!