Less than 10K Phone for senior citizen

[cranky]

Hi

Need a phone for a senior citizen who is 100% computer illiterate but loves a good screen and a comfortable interface. She was using my hand-me-down N85 till it stopped charging and the back cover broke. Though we are getting the phone fixed, it may not be possible to fully revive it. After a day or so of using a backup Rs 2k Nokia S40 phone she realises she actually wants a better experience.

So we are thinking of going to Windows Phone (specifically, the Lumia 630) given it is a tile-based interface and probably more suitable for someone with poor eyesight and slow-moving hands than the fiddly Android icons and homescreens. Input regarding the choice is absolutely welcomed, but had a few specific questions:

1. Are the live tiles manually resizeable? Or is the size related to the number of tiles in the row?

2. Are the number of homescreens fixed, or is it possible to reduce them? We will be only using the phone for receiving and making calls to a very limited set of numbers, and reading SMS. Everything she needs can be on a single homescreen.

3. Are there any network-capable file browsers available for Windows Phone, and which would you recommend?

4. How good is the Kid's mode (which is probably where I would keep it for her as she might press wrong tiles sometimes)?

Thanks for your help.

 

[singenaadam]

where is the fisher-price logo

Good one

 

[cranky]

Cranky, would appreciate your/her review of the 630.

The phone arrived today and I spent a few hours setting it up. Also she began 'using' it, the quotes are due to the fact that I didn't realise it needed a micro-SIM so as of now it is operating without a phone network.

I must say the reason for getting it is served to the T. The large tile-based interface took her about 5 minutes to understand. The sound is crisp and though not as loud as earlier Nokias, is loud enough that she can hear the ringtone when it is in the same room. The largest font size is nice and legible. There is some learning curve in terms of handling a touch phone (how do I hold it/which finger do I use) and the transition from a button-press to this one. She will be playing around with the phone to get a feel for it before I put in a SIM. I've preloaded a few videos and some music for her. No Nokia/MS account is created for her nor do we feel she will need it. She seems tickled pink by her new toy

However I think Windows UI is still extremely rough at the edges. I would not be able to convince myself to buy a Windows Phone of any sort just yet. For example, there is a massive discrepancy between the tiles on the outside and the DOS look on the inside. The only thing MS added was the ability to change the background to white. The tiles desperately need a background (not on the tile, behind it) and all you get are Black and White. Really not happening. The grab handle on the notification shade is extremely narrow and not easy to accurately touch all the time, I end up hitting it below or above the mark. The display parameters are divided into three separate menus, one for the theme, the other for brightness and colour and the third for font sizes (which I can sort of understand but no, not really). This is a simple port from desktop, looks like. The DOS background doesn't help either.

I wish it stopped at the UI, but sadly it doesn't. No OTG support in 2014, not even pen drives. No network file manager. Which means the only way to integrate into a home network and get your files on to your device is none. You can connect it to a PC, which is what I ended up doing for my Nokia in 2007 as well, so zero progress in 7 years. I do realise this is an issue with all operating systems now, but it's still quite sad specially given the Explorer roots of Windows.

As to the phone itself, it is a little weird to hold. The actual shape is not really as rounded as the pictures show, it is bevelled and not rounded. This makes it a strange grip and the buttons on the side cannot be operated with the tips of the right hand fingers (partly due to the fact they are on a negative bevel and partly because the switches are not properly actuated by the button. One has to use a claw position of the left hand. I find it really strange. The display is not very good either. It's a whole lot better than the replacement phone she was using, but it tends to flare in a dark setting. Also viewing angles are considerably lower than I expected for an IPS display. I have some matte screen protectors on the way, hopefully I will be able to max the brightness and have a better experience.

Not complaints, mind, just nitpicks. It's a great buy under 8k and we're both quite satisfied with the purchase. I guess you do get what you pay for.

@blr_p, you can look at the prices of phones, gives you a pretty good indication of where each phone stands in the market. Also this has become an industry convention, to raise the model number every gen and keep features same (see nVidia cards, for example, the GT640 is roughly the same as the GT530). It's a marketing trick, and very easy to see through. A simple side by side shows you the truth such as absence of front camera, camera flash (which the 620 has) and face sensor. The most telling truth is that the 620 still costs about 40% more than the 630, so no, it is not the natural line of succession.

620/630: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Nokia-Lumia-630,Nokia-Lumia-620/phones/8503,7593?ft=2

630/520: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Nokia-Lumia-630,Nokia-Lumia-520/phones/8503,7745

The first paragraph or three of this review also confirms it: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_630-review-1080.php

It doesn't help that FK just launched an offer for 520 that is really very good

 

[blr_p]

@blr_p, you can look at the prices of phones, gives you a pretty good indication of where each phone stands in the market. Also this has become an industry convention, to raise the model number every gen and keep features same (see nVidia cards, for example, the GT640 is roughly the same as the GT530). It's a marketing trick, and very easy to see through. A simple side by side shows you the truth such as absence of front camera, camera flash (which the 620 has) and face sensor. The most telling truth is that the 620 still costs about 40% more than the 630, so no, it is not the natural line of succession.

620/630: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Nokia-Lumia-630,Nokia-Lumia-620/phones/8503,7593?ft=2

630/520: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Nokia-Lumia-630,Nokia-Lumia-520/phones/8503,7745

The first paragraph or three of this review also confirms it: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_630-review-1080.php

It doesn't help that FK just launched an offer for 520 that is really very good

If its not the natural line of succession then what else is it supposed to be ?

the 930 and 830 are improvements over the 920 & 820. The 525 improved over the 520.

The 530, 630 & 720 do not improve over their predecessors. They give you something with one hand and take away something else with the other. It's not an improvement in the conventional sense more like a rearrangement to fit into budgets. The 630 isn't necessarily better than the 620 its just different. 512MB RAM and no proximity sensor in 2014 is ridiculous. The resolution on the 620 itself was bad, the 630 preserves it and makes the screen larger (!) without offering HD. That you would find the N95 that came out eight years ago to have a better screen says a lot.

Nadella decided instead of making iconic phones that wow people with their hardware they would concentrate on making phones that sell by leaving things out. All of the lumias came with GPS (no phone reception required), were dual band wifi except the 720, which you could not get at the time on android except on midranges or above. As i mentioned earlier have seen this disappointing shortchanging trend even with samsung. Happens in the low end space, the midrange and higher do offer substantive improvements. Though the midrange pricing of late seems out of whack. The market is growing, just that its at the low end.

for your requirement 630 is fine and this is important. This model for under 1ok is strictly for very casual use.

I doubt its possible to get more for under 10k. If somebody wants more, the motto should be --don't go below 10k! a second hand from last year that sold for more, is a possibility but not the latest.

 

[cranky]

You could at least have the courtesy to read the post and the associated links before getting all frothy at the mouth.

The 630 is NOT a replacement for the 620, just as the 530 is not a replacement for the 520. They sell side by side, with the latter costing 40-50% more than the former. That's not a replacement, I don't see a single example of a replacement being offered alongside its predecessor at a much lower price. Anywhere in marketing/manufacturing, in any sector.

Nokia does not claim it, none of the reviews I have read claim it, only you seem to understand it that way and that understanding is wrong.

 

[blr_p]

The 630 is NOT a replacement for the 620, just as the 530 is not a replacement for the 520. They sell side by side, with the latter costing 40-50% more than the former. That's not a replacement, Nokia does not claim it, none of the reviews I have read claim it, only you seem to understand it that way and that understanding is wrong

Oh i see what you're saying. I agree the 630 isn't a replacement. A replacement means the same not less.

I used the word successor as in comes after. In the device space the expectation is an upgrade as in more not same.

630 isn't an upgrade. Now it isn't a rule that every successor be an upgrade but when its not the case its worth pointing out.

Is the 620 better than the 630 not if battery life matters. But I can't see why someone with a 620 would want a 630. There just isn't a compelling reason. 525 over 520 is easier. People were expecting similar with the x30 series. This is what i was conveying.

I don't see a single example of a replacement being offered alongside its predecessor at a much lower price. Anywhere in marketing/manufacturing, in any sector.

Sure.