iBall Aasaan Mobile Phone + Radiation Safety Pouch Review

By Bharti_GroverSep 14 '11

iBall has introduced mobile phones exclusively designed for seniors. The iBall Aasaan Mobile in an attempt to make the life and communication needs of the elderly easy.  Often in the frenzy to be ahead of the competition, the special needs of the senior citizens are ignored. These phones have been customized to make communication for the elderly a real easy task. Earlier, the seniors would shy away from using mobile phones as they found it difficult to operate and they felt that these phones are unable to cater to their needs. Thus, iBall has laser targeted this segment of the society and introduced mobile phones exclusively designed for them. The company has been felicitated with the prestigious IF Product Design Award 2010.

Let us start with the USP of the Aasaan mobiles i.e. the emergency SOS feature which is not found in other mobile phones available in the market. This feature is a great thing for the elderly who need immediate attention at times. They can press this SOS button which is given at the back of the phone. In an unpleasant situation, they can immediately get in touch with their loved ones, when the SOS button is activated it gives out a siren which helps in attracting the attention of the people nearby. Simultaneously, a SMS is automatically sent to 5 predefined numbers.  After this process, the handset automatically starts dialing those 5 predefined numbers one after the other till the call is attended.  If the call is not answered even by one number, then the entire process is repeated thrice.

SPECIFICATIONS

Color & Display: people have two choices in the colors of the Aasaan mobile-white and black.  It has a 4.2 cm (1.65”) mono display which is Amber. Thus, the screen does not shine and users are able to see the numbers and alphabets without any problems.

Messaging: Users can send SMS in English and Hindi. So they can choose the language they are comfortable with.

Music & Video: The elderly can not only make calls and send SMS but they can also enjoy music with FM radio on speaker- wireless FM is available on these mobiles. So, they can enjoy music. The phone is also equipped with polyphonic ringtones. The handset has a standard 3.5 mm earphone jack.

Storage: This handset has a decent capacity to keep up to 200 SMS record and records up to 500 phone numbers.

Battery: The battery is 1000mAh which has up to 3 hours 30 minutes talk time.  It has a standby time of 250 hrs.

iBall Aasaan’s other features include Single SIM- Dual Band GSM and has a dual language support in English and Hindi. The add-on features include alarm with ringtone, Scheduler. Clock, Currency and Unit Converter, Calculator, Countdown Meter, and stopwatch.

The Good:

Large Keypad with Large Buttons: This is indeed a very good thing about the handset. Elderly have vision problems and this prevented them from using other mobile phones which are loaded with latest features but they had small keypad. This made it absolutely difficult for senior citizens to make calls. But this phone is customized for their needs as it has  large keypad with large buttons and they can easily see them.

Large Display Fonts: The fonts too are large and so it makes complete sense as the elderly can see the numbers they dialed with straining their eyes. Also, when they dial the number the handset echoes the number being dialed. This is absolutely amazing feature as even if the elderly press a number by mistake, they can hear out the number and press the right number. Thus, if even they dial incorrect number, they can know instantly about their mistake.

Emergency SOS Button: this is indeed the USP of the Aasaan mobiles which is absent in other phones. The SOS button is a blessing for the users as they can immediately and easily connect with their loved ones in case of an emergency.

One Touch Wireless FM: There is no hassle of getting tangled in wires if the user prefers to listen music through a wireless FM. The elderly can enjoy themselves by tuning into their favorite music on FM. Thus, the company has taken care of their entertainment too. They can enjoy the soulful rendition of songs on the FM and have a great pastime.

Bright LED Torch: This is a feature that is just right for the senior citizens and comes handy in cases of power cuts. Instead of searching for torch or other emergency light and put themselves in danger of stumbling, they can make use of this torch.  There's no need to press any key, they just need to slide the side button given on the right side of the handset.

Fluorescent, Orange Back Light for Readability: This feature makes it convenient for the elderly to view numbers, alphabets and the screen easily even in darkness.

Usability: Seniors will have 2 favorite number call options in this phone.

Battery: This handset has talktime battery back up to 3 hrs, 30 minutes. . The standby battery backup in Aasaan is up to 250 hrs.

Multiparty Conference: This feature is also available in Aasaan and SMS can be sent to more than one person at a time.

Speed Dial: In this handset speed dial can be assigned on 10 keys maximum in Aasaan.

The Bad: With so many highly practical features for the elderly, there's hardly anything one can point out that is bad in the handset. However, when the company embodies the statement- 'Old is Bold' then why do they have to stick to white and black colors for the Aasaan mobiles. Let the old experience a dash of color in their daily life and bring out the Aasaan mobile in other colors too. Also, the price of the handset which is tagged at Rs. 2500 + should be brought down  a little bit to make it more budget friendly for the senior citizens who have saved their hard money and want to spend it prudently.

Verdict: The Aasaan mobile phone is a must have for the elderly. iBall has reached new heights with innovation by introducing mobiles for the elderly. It is a perfect phone for elderly and they need to have it as their companion for sure. It will help them to connect with others easily and they'll not feel alone in this fast paced world as they too can keep pace with it with the Aasaan mobile phones!