John Baker’s Blog

Mitsubishi’s Raku Raku Simple Keitai‘ phone, which is aimed at the over-60s, has limited features, an extra loud earpiece, easy-to-push buttons, and a large, clear display.

The phone also has a peace-of-mind feature which automatically sends a message to the family members of the user every time his or her phone is plugged in to recharge.

There is also a slot at the bottom of the handset which contains a real paper address pad, so addled old minds don’t have to wrestle with digital concepts.

In Japan the uptake on mobile phones is almost one-hundred-percent in most of the population. The only people left to market phones to are the under-fives and the over sixties. The marketeers have decided to go for the old folks first.

The new phones have large buttons labeled 1, 2 and 3 (you can see them in the photograph directly under the screen) for calling the most important numbers. And the mobiles can read out loud any text on the screen.

The final touch is a built-in pedometer, a device that is, apparently, something of a fixation among Japanese seniors.

If you’re not old yet but only a little deaf or a little blind or a heavy drinker, or if you want your girl-friend or boy-friend to know when you’re charging your batteries, then deliveries of the new mobiles are expected in Europe and the USA soon.

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