Best 4G tablet for 83yr old technophobe?!

[SatsumaFan]

Looking for my Dad who hasn't stayed up to date with technology and smart phones. He still has an ancient Nokia with no touch screen. He doesn't have the Internet or wifi.

He has been shielding since March and now the cold dark days are coming in I'm trying to convince him to get a tablet so friends and family can video call him (he's 45 mins away from me). Not only that I am hoping he could learn to order his own food shopping if he wants (he lives alone but local friends drop supplies into him) and clothes from M&S etc

Anyone got any tips for us please? I'm so used to using an android smartphone on wifi for everything.

Doro make phones which are simple to use and recommended for elderly

Oh no sorry, he is happy with his Nokia for normal calls. I'm looking to set him up with a tablet (rather than smart phone so the screen is nice and big) so that he can go online and receive video calls.

Samsung galaxy tab 10.1 easy, android and cheaper.

10” iPad - expensive, but the buttons and App Store is easy to navigate

I'd like to know too, my mum has early dementia and really struggles with technology.

but if he has no internet/wi fi ,how will it work?

@peridito I have just this evening learnt that you can now get 4G tablets which you put a SIM card in and pay for data bundles like you do smart phones?! So no WiFi needed.

Like this Samsung

www.argos.co.uk/product/8845504

@ThunderSkies thanks, I don't see the point in shelling out more for Apple.

Anyone know if you can get WhatsApp on a 4G tablet?

@SatsumaFan No ! what is this wizardry ?

We've just bought a 10" Amazon fire tablet for my husband parents for the same reason op. They're both in their 80s and have learned to Skype quite quickly. Unfortunately they don't like to waste the internet or the tablets battery so switch everything off until they want to call us...
They have WhatsApp on the tablet but we haven't tried it for this reason. I think once they see that the bills dont go through the roof they'll relax a bit and we'll be able to drop messages and photos and bring them fully into this century 😃

I know right! Just doing some research now.

Looks like I could get him an unlimited 4G data pack for £16 a month...

www.4g.co.uk/news/unlimited-data/

Not that I can see him using it that much but at least it's peace of mind that he's not going to go over and incur lots of unforseen costs.

@Mysa74 oh that's brilliant! Great news they're slowly getting used to it. Bless them for not wanting to use up the battery. Did they already have the Internet then?

My grandma used to take the bulb out of her doorbell during the day to save the electricity.

My mother is 90 and moved from her Nokia to an iPhone early this year. She is pretty technophobic but it's much more of a mental block than lack of ability. She is happy with a WhatsApp call (up to four of us) or a Zoom call with all the family once a week. Someone lent her a tablet and she couldn't get on with it - we thought it would be easier because, as you said, the screen is bigger, but she's happy with her iPhone. She does have WiFi though, £20 a month.

I know you want a tablet so he can shop etc on it but i highly recommend the portal for video calls, we got one during the last lockdown and my children call my mum and just leave her on in the corner and go about their day, popping over every so often to show her toys or drawings. She said it made lockdown much less lonely and its really simple to use but he would need wifi.

We got my mum one too as they had a deal on but it works from a phone or tablet too

@EthelPullsItOff oh bless her! A lightbulb in a doorbell?!

@Lobsterquadrille2 oh wow, 90?! Amazing. I'll be sure to tell him to hopefully inspire him and get him on board. How does she get on with her emails? I'm guessing she needs to have one to open a Zoom link? Fair play to her doing all that!

@SatsumaFan she's actually great with emails in general but we have found, through trial and error, that texting Zoom links works better - it's one click and you're in the meeting (or maybe a "join by video" click too), no password needed, which is what she didn't like about having to join via an email. So she has an iPhone but only uses text, calls, WhatsApp and Zoom. Oh and Facebook! 😀

Oh wow @smilingthroughgrittedteeth I'd never even heard of Portal before. Looks brilliant! Shame it needs WiFi tho. Will definitely consider it tho - thank you.

@Lobsterquadrille2 shut up does your 90yo Mum use Facebook?! Incredible

My Dad is an incredibly intelligent man and loved tech when he was younger. He has cctv installed and a screen in his kitchen so he can watch the world go by. But he never did bother with texting and so has slipped behind. He has some health issues but luckily so far his mind still seems sharp, so I'm quietly confident that with a couple of lessons he'll get the hang of the basics with video calling.

Some of the mobile networks do tablet contracts where the tablet is included.

The data is usually capped so it will run out rather than keep using it and running up a bill.

Check for good 4G coverage.

Do people think Portal has advantages over using a laptop or PC ? I see it tracks people who join the conversation ,but are there other things ?

And I don't suppose anyone could slowly explain to me how you can go online if you have no internet ?

Going online without Internet is the same as having mobile data on your phone. We have an ipad that has a sim card so you get Internet anywear. As for recommendations I have a huawei m3 lite 8" and I have had no problems. I'm going to lend it to my 80yr old mum and see how she gets on with it.

@MadeForThis thanks for that tip, I've used a 4G coverage checker and he's got strong coverage.

@imtoooldforallthis hope your Mum gets on well with it! I take it she already has the internet set up as had a look and don't think that one has 4G?

Went to mums today and didn't leave it, she was a bit wobbly and confused, there is no way she would of known what to do and I think it would of made her feel really stupid. I'll try again another day.

@Imtoooldforallthis thank you for pointing that out! We are a non smart phone household and use tablet and lap top while at home .

I guess you just need a good signal and you're away .

Do people rely on phones while out and about and use a hub and Wi Fi at home ?Or do most use their mobile devices and 4/5 etc G at home ?

@peridito to not having any smart phones in the house?! I can't imagine life without mine. I use WiFi at home and 4G out and about. Obvs if I'm in a pub or hotel with free WiFi I connect to that.

That said we're quite rural and with Vodafone for Internet and on the weekends lately the WiFi keeps going down so I turn it off on my phone and just use data/4G. I only use it for browsing as opposed to streaming or gaming so doesn't use much data up.

My partner and self = the household .Early 70s ,use basic Nokias .

But I'm not sure if the non smart phone use can continue ,there are so many things that seem to require passes/tickets to be either printed ( also a non printer household ,used to nip up to library ,but not poss now ) or shown on phone .

I know the cost difference is quite large, but I was advised that Apple are much easier for older people to negotiate. Technophobic DM is certainly happier scooting round her iPad than she was with an Android tablet.