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- Best simple mobile phone: At a glance
- How we test simple mobile phones for older people
- The best simple mobile phones for older people to use in 2025
- 1. Chatsie Phone: Best smartphone for older people overall
- 2. Doro 6820: Best feature phone for simple calling, messaging and charging
- 3. Motorola Moto G55: Best simple (and cheap) smartphone
- 4. Doro 5860: Best feature phone for those with limited hand mobility
- 5. Nokia 2660 Flip: Best flip feature phone for less than £70
- How to choose the best simple mobile phone for older people
While modern smartphones can be a little daunting for those who encounter them later in life, the best phones for older people are designed to make the technology accessible and user-friendly. There are two different types of phones here: basic feature phones built purely for communication with small displays and large buttons, and simplified smartphones for those who require a little more from their handset.
With the world becoming increasingly digital, we generally recommend a smartphone where possible. I spoke to the creators of the Chatsie Phone (which you can find in our list below) about this issue, and Commercial Lead Ash Mcevoy summarised the situation neatly: “with things like NHS appointments and banking moving to apps, it’s more important than ever that seniors who value their independence get to grips with smartphones”.
Whether you’re looking for an easy on-ramp into the smartphone world, a back-to-basics handset for the odd text and phone call or something that caters to your limited hand mobility or vision impairment, our list of fully tested and reviewed phones has something for everyone. We’ve also included a handy buying guide to help make your buying decision even easier.
Best simple mobile phone: At a glance
| Best smartphone for older people | Chatsie Phone (~£249) | |
| Best flip phone for calls and texting | Doro 6820 (~£72) | |
| Best cheap smartphone | Motorola Moto G55 (~£130) | |
| Best feature phone for limited hand mobility | Doro 5860 (~£68) | |
How we test simple mobile phones for older people
Our testing differs depending on whether we’re looking at a smartphone or a feature phone. With smartphones, we use a consistent methodology across all handsets, testing for the following criteria:
- Performance: We run the Geekbench 6 and GFXBench applications to achieve quantifiable data measuring the CPU and GPU performance, which can then be compared to other phones.
- Display quality: We use a colourimeter and the DisplayCal software to accurately measure the phone’s maximum brightness and colour accuracy, as well as the black and contrast levels.
- Battery life: We set the phone to a brightness of 170cd/m2 and engage flight mode, to ensure consistency across all tests. We then run our looping video, recording the timestamp when the battery finally dies.
- Cameras: Photography isn’t as much of a priority in this price range, but we’ll test all available lenses in a variety of lighting conditions.
When it comes to feature phones, most of the above tests aren’t available, nor are they especially relevant. The simpler nature of such devices means that performance and battery metrics aren’t so important. Instead, we’ll test how intuitive the interfaces are to use, as well as how tactile and robust the physical buttons are.
From there, we’ll run through key functions such as calling, messaging and setting up the SOS feature, to assess the ease of use for each. Charging methods also vary a bit with feature phones, so we’ll judge how fiddly that process can be. Finally, cameras are even less of a factor here, but we’ll still run a quick check to see whether they can take good pictures in decent lighting.
Our team of experts have been rigorously testing consumer products for decades, with more than 600 phones and tablets under our belts. We put each phone through the same in-depth testing process to deliver fair, fact-led reviews that our readers can trust.
We also pride ourselves on our editorial independence – no matter how high-profile the brand or how popular the product, if it’s a stinker, we’re going to tell you about it. Our recommendations cannot be bought and spots on these rankings are decided solely on merit. Check out our About Us page to learn more.
The best simple mobile phones for older people to use in 2025
1. Chatsie Phone: Best smartphone for older people overall
Price when reviewed: £249 | Check price at Chatsie
Reviewed by Ben Johnston
- Great for… simple text menus and class-leading accessibility features
- Not so great for… rivals are faster and the backup cameras are weak
The Chatsie Phone is designed to be incredibly simple and accessible to users who aren’t all that confident with tech. Instead of coloured icons, the homescreen is populated with easily readable text boxes, directing you to calls, texts, internet, camera and whatever apps you choose.
There are plenty of accessibility features here, too, including adjustable fonts going all the way up to the largest font on any smartphone; a bundled stylus for those whose hand mobility may not be the best; and an excellent dictation option for texting, to save you from fiddly buttons. Best of all, there’s a dedicated, UK-based helpline that can sort you out if you get in a muddle.
You can get faster smartphones for this kind of money and you’ll likely only want to use the main camera, as the other lenses are fairly weak. Even still, for a simple smartphone that’s accessible to the less tech-savvy user, the Chatsie Phone is the best around right now.
Read our full Chatsie Phone review
| Key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 5G; 4G; Bluetooth; Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 78 x 9 x 174mm |
| Weight | 214g |
| Display size | 6.82in |
| Storage | 256GB; expandable up to 2TB by microSD card |
| Cameras | 50MP; 8MP (ultrawide); 2MP (macro); 2MP (depth); 16MP (front) |
| Operating System | Android 14 |
2. Doro 6820: Best feature phone for simple calling, messaging and charging
Price when reviewed: £72 | Check price at Amazon
Reviewed by Jon Mundy
- Great for… easy to use physical keypad and bundled charging dock
- Not so great for… no web facility and rubbish camera
The Doro 6820 is the perfect choice for users who just want a simple handset for calling and messaging. It strips out any serious form of online functionality, with no web browser, email or social media applications. Attention is instead focused on creating a solid typing experience, with high-quality physical numerical keys, as well as dedicated buttons for accessing the messaging functions and the basic 2MP camera.
There are also a couple of useful features that reflect Doro’s status as a company that makes phones specifically for older customers. It has a dedicated assistance button on the back that can be set up to call and message emergency contacts with a simple press. We particularly appreciate the fact that it comes with a useful dock, which allows for easy home phone-like charging.
Read our full Doro 6820 review
| Key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 4G; Bluetooth |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 56 x 20 x 107mm (folded) |
| Weight | 117g |
| Display size | 2.8in |
| Storage | 17.3MB; expandable up to 128GB by microSD card |
| Cameras | 2MP |
| Operating System | Mocor OS |
![Doro 6820 4G Unlocked Flip Mobile Phone for Seniors with Talking Number Keys, 2MP Camera, Assistance Button and Charging Cradle [UK and Irish Version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31OENlQlM6L._SL160_.jpg)
3. Motorola Moto G55: Best simple (and cheap) smartphone
Price when reviewed: £130 | Check price at Amazon
Reviewed by Ben Johnston
- Great for… excellent battery life and nippy performance
- Not so great for… minor display flaws and limited software support
Nobody does straightforward, cheap smartphones quite like Motorola, so if you’re looking for something under the £150 mark, the Moto G55 is your best bet. The build is nice and slim, measuring just 8.1mm thick, which makes it very comfortable to hold and the big 6.49in display gets brilliantly bright, keeping the screen readable on very sunny days.
Performance is on the better end of things for a budget phone, making scrolling and opening apps nice and responsive, and battery life especially is fantastic for this price. In our standard test, the Moto G55 lasted for over 24 hours, which means it will easily see you through the day without needing additional charging.
Other phones have a stronger contrast ratio on their display, and more years of software updates, but considering how cheap the Moto G55 is, these are very minor issues. If you want an affordable and straightforward smartphone for an older user, the Motorola Moto G55 is an excellent choice.
Read our full Motorola Moto G55 review
| Key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 5G; 4G; Bluetooth; Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 74 x 8.1 x 162mm |
| Weight | 182g |
| Display size | 6.49in |
| Storage | 256GB; expandable up to 1TB by microSD card |
| Cameras | 50MP; 8MP (ultrawide); 16MP (front) |
| Operating System | Android 15 |
4. Doro 5860: Best feature phone for those with limited hand mobility
Price when reviewed: £68 | Check price at Argos
Reviewed by Jon Mundy
- Great for… robust ‘candy bar’ design and dedicated emergency button
- Not so great for… no web facility and terrible camera
Unlike the other feature phones on this list, the Doro 5860 doesn’t need to be flipped open. In our opinion, this simpler ‘candy bar’ design is a better choice for anyone with hand mobility issues, as it doesn’t require the user to fiddle around opening it every time they want to make a call. Compared to the Doro 6820 above, the 5860 is also a little cheaper and the display is slightly shorter and wider, which some may prefer for text legibility.
Otherwise, the experience is near-enough identical to using the 6820, with a focus on messaging and calling and a complete lack of any online functionality. There’s a helpful assistance button for emergencies, and a useful charging dock that eliminates the need to mess around with fiddly wires. You’ve also got a 2MP camera but, as with the 6820, it’s barely good enough to be worth including.
Read our full Doro 5860 review
| Key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 4G; Bluetooth |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 66 x 13 x 128mm |
| Weight | 112g |
| Display size | 2.4in |
| Storage | 17.3MB; expandable up to 128GB by microSD card |
| Cameras | 2MP |
| Operating System | Mocor OS |
![Doro 5860 4G Unlocked Mobile Phone for Seniors with Talking Number Keys, 2MP Camera, Assistance Button and Charging Cradle [UK and Irish Version] (Graphite)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/410h9azuvZL._SL160_.jpg)
5. Nokia 2660 Flip: Best flip feature phone for less than £70
Price when reviewed: £54 | Check price at Amazon
Reviewed by Jon Mundy
- Great for… lightweight design and appealingly low price
- Not so great for… too many buttons and bad camera
Nokia is a familiar brand from the pre-smartphone era, and it continues to put its name to solid feature phones like the Nokia 2660. This is another simplified flip phone, like the Doro 6820, that places the onus on texts and calls with tactile physical buttons rather than a touchscreen. There are a couple of noteworthy points of differentiation however, one of which being the significantly cheaper price.
You’ll have to make do without that charging dock, with the Nokia 2660 instead charging with a micro-USB cable, but you still get a dedicated assistance button, this time on the side of the phone. The Nokia 2660 Flip also includes a web browser, unlike those Doro phones, but we have to stress that surfing the web on such a limited phone is far from an optimal experience.
The 0.3MP camera also borders on the useless. Suffice to say if you want strong web-browsing or decent photographic capabilities, consider either of the smartphones on this list instead.
Read our full Nokia 2660 Flip review
| Key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 4G; Bluetooth |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 55 x 19 x 108mm (folded) |
| Weight | 123g |
| Display size | 2.8in (internal display); 1.77in (external display) |
| Storage | 128MB; expandable up to 32GB by microSD card |
| Cameras | 0.3MP |
| Operating System | S30+ |
How to choose the best simple mobile phone for older people
What is the easiest phone for an older person to use?
If you or your loved one simply needs a phone to make calls and perhaps send/receive texts, the easiest choice would be a feature phone. These are old-school style mobile phones – the kind we had before smartphones came along – with physical buttons, smaller screens and limited functionality.
That means limited or no internet access and no apps – which can be tricky with things like the NHS and banking relying on apps more and more. If you don’t need these options on your phone, however, feature phones are usually very cheap and easy to get along with, making them ideal for older users who just need to call and text.
If this is the sort of phone that you’re after, our top recommendation right now is the Doro 6820. It’s got nice big buttons, a bundled charging dock and a dedicated assistance button that can be set up to call and message emergency contacts with a simple press. At the time of writing, you can pick one up for just £72.
How do I choose a smartphone for seniors?
If you’d prefer to be able to browse the internet or install apps for NHS appointments, banking and things of that nature, you’ll want to go for a smartphone. There’s a lot more choice here but the good news is that we’ve got some criteria that should help you to determine which is going to be the best for your needs.
Stick to trusted brands: Spend five minutes browsing the likes of Amazon and you’re likely to see a few smartphone brands that you’ve never heard of. While the phones will often be tantalisingly cheap, we’d urge you to avoid buying from unknown brands. You can’t be sure of the quality of the product that you’ll end up with, and there are additional concerns about the safety of your data to be considered, as well.
Our recommendations are all thoroughly tested and reviewed before appearing on these guides, so you can trust that the final product will do exactly what it says on the tin. Of course, if in doubt, it’s worth consulting with a friend or family member who has more experience with technology.
Simple interface: Even among brands we trust, not all are ideal for older users. Some have overly complicated menus or an excess of preinstalled apps that can cause confusion and make it difficult to find the one you’re looking for. We particularly recommend brands like Google, Motorola and Nokia for the simplicity of their interfaces, as they’re much easier to introduce to users who have little to no experience with smartphones.
Screen size: Feature phones naturally have smaller displays, to leave room for their big buttons, which can be a downside for users with vision problems. Smartphones, on the other hand, all have large displays these days, making it easy to find one that will be suitable.
The size is presented in inches and measured across the diagonal (bottom-left to top-right of the screen, for instance). Most modern smartphones have displays that are somewhere between six and seven inches – though just bear in mind that the larger a screen you go for, the bigger the phone will be.
How do I make my smartphone more elderly-friendly?
If you buy a standard smartphone like the affordable models on this list, you can make it even more user-friendly for older people in the settings. If you navigate to Settings | Accessibility, most modern Android phones will have display size and text settings, allowing you to improve the font size, bold text and improve the contrast, all of which are designed to make the display more readable for those with vision issues.
How much should I expect to pay?
The feature phones we recommend on this list are all under £100, with some of the more affordable models closer to £50. If you only want a phone for simple calls and texting, you absolutely don’t need to be spending any more than this – these phones will fit your needs perfectly.
Even if you want internet access, useful apps and maybe even the odd mobile game, you can get extremely competent smartphones for under £150. For most people, these models will be more than sufficient, with fast operation, solid battery life and even a decent camera to tick all the boxes.
At the top end of the scale, we have smartphones that offer more features, be that more advanced cameras – for those shutterbugs among you – or dedicated accessibility features that make them more user-friendly for older people. Even with these extras, you don’t need to be spending more than £300 to get an excellent smartphone.
