OwnFone: A Custom Phone Perfect for Seniors and Kids

The creators of OwnFone have heard the complaints of many non-technical users who hardly ever use a phone except to contact a limited number of friends, family and emergency personnel. The makers have created the OwnFone to be easier to use than a dumb phone and designed specifically for use by senior citizens and younger children.

If you lose it, they just print you a new one. You do need to call OwnFone support if you need to change someone’s number, or add a contact.

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Interesting concept. I wasn't able to hear how much this phone might go for. Can anyone fill me in on that?

You know, I kinda had a similar idea over a year ago. An emergency phone that you could keep in your wallet, about the size and thickness of a credit card. It would split and pull apart and kinda rotate to better fit your head, and would only have a few emergency numbers on it. The idea was that since it would have no screen to power, it would require so little to power it that you could keep it on you in case you had an emergency and your cell phone's battery died.

It would ruin many a horror/thriller movie.

Azhar said:

Interesting concept. I wasn't able to hear how much this phone might go for. Can anyone fill me in on that?

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$87 for the phone $12/month for the plan.. IMO too much, a throwaway would be a better option. Granted this is stupid proof in that you just press a button to call someone, but still.

sfsuphysics said:

$87 for the phone $12/month for the plan.. IMO too much, a throwaway would be a better option. Granted this is stupid proof in that you just press a button to call someone, but still.

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Yeah, $87 for such a low-tech phone seems ridiculous.

Phone should be free. Just up the monthly access fee a bit.

sfsuphysics said:

$87 for the phone $12/month for the plan.. IMO too much, a throwaway would be a better option. Granted this is stupid proof in that you just press a button to call someone, but still.

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Ouch. Far too much for something so simple. Maybe $12-20 for the phone and $5 a month for the plan seeing how you only can call a couple people from it. An iPad data plan is only like $25 a month but you can do much more with it than this device.

$87 dollars? LOL what a failed concept (at least right now).

You can buy a cheap (but far more functional) cell at the local super market for $19.99. The plan is the only attractive part thanks to its $12 a month fee.

$87? To much to ask for, but they are marketing it to people would buy it w/o the worries of the person not knowing how to use something more complicated.

You can get a LG 800g from Tracfone for $50 which also has ATM a triple the minutes plan, the minute cards start at $20 for 60 minutes and there is a good chance you can find promo minutes codes online.

Edit:

....people who would....

Also the minutes and service rollover, and the service last 3 months per card.

Azhar said:

Ouch. Far too much for something so simple. Maybe $12-20 for the phone and $5 a month for the plan seeing how you only can call a couple people from it. An iPad data plan is only like $25 a month but you can do much more with it than this device.

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yeah, and if I'm getting how the phone works, you can only dial out, you can't accept calls at all. Probably the reason why they claim such a long battery usage since it only turns on when you press a button to call someone.

I take it you missed the big button that says ANSWER on it.

It's just to the left of the on-off button, just in case you need help finding it.

I'd say the price for the device is about right (remember, in UK this includes VAT, in the US this would probably run $50,) but it should be available with not just a postpaid minutes plan, but also a prepaid "emergency" type plan. Just fund it with $50 at 20 cents a minute that don't expire for a year, and this would be a great backup/emergency phone, or, as they suggest, an emergency phone for the elderly/young.

Hell, throw a GPS tracker in it, and it would be GREAT for a kid, even at $15/month.

Also, the "one year battery life" thing is if you turn it *OFF*. As in: It doesn't vampire-drain the battery. They say if you actually use it, expect 3 days of battery life. (Obviously they don't expect much active calling.) If they could bump standby-plus-15-minutes-per-day-talk to a week between recharges, I'd be sold. (Well, and if I lived in the UK.)

If it came to the US it would be jacked up in cost I'm sure. Since all we do is sue each other into oblivion.