Telstra's new phone with bloody big buttons

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 03 May 2011 12:04

When it comes to finding the buttons on your phone, you'll never say 'where the bloody hell are you?' again!

Seniors, people of low vision, the big thumbed and the retro-lovin' rejoice! Telstra has announced its 'EasyCall 2', a mobile phone with 'specifically designed features for older Australians'.

Of course, the sentence above explains why Telstra's EasyCall 2 isn't just for the politically correct title of 'older Australians', but any Australian (or otherwise) that wants one.

After all, as Telstra's Executive Director of its Consumer Division, Ms Rebekah O'Flaherty states, 'With big buttons and large numbers on the screen for easy dialling, the EasyCall 2 has audible key tones so you can hear the numbers you are typing and make sure you're dialling the right number.'

Why 'discriminate' against younger Australians who might also find such features desirable?

However, I'm just being unnecessarily fiendish, for after all, it is indeed the less technically savvy set of Australians, and older Australians at that, that Telstra is targeting.

This is clear through one of the EasyCall 2's new features.

As Telstra's Ms O'Flaherty o'explains, 'There is a quick access switch on the back of the phone, which older customers can use if they ever need to make a call in a hurry.

'For instance, flicking the switch activates the speaker phone and dials their preferred phone number, so even if they can't hold the phone up to their ear they can still speak to someone. At the same time, it will send a SMS message to four pre-programmed numbers, so seniors can simultaneously contact friends and family.'

 

A photo of the EasyCall 2 and more details on page two, please read on!