Help me find an inexpensive, easy smart phone

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My aunt is 85, technophobic and getting very deaf.
I would like to persuade her to have a phone that I can put a few contacts and whatsapp on.
Her eyesight is good, with glasses, and I think she could manage to type short messages.
It is getting so hard to speak on the phone as she can't hear.
We live a long way from her and I would love to send her photographs and updates, short messages daily.
He dh has a lap top but he gets so exasperated with her he doesn't often show her messages and photos when I send them to him.
I worry that she is missing out on so much.
I do post cards, but the post is slow and unreliable.
Can anyone recommend a really simple smart phone?
She won't entertain the idea of online shopping or banking so I won't go there. I would buy the phone and pay for a sim only contract for her.
TIA

Argh. I did this for my mother, same reasons. She's scared of it - or, as she says, can't be bothered with all that 😬 She doesn't even know where the damn thing is now, or I'd have sold it (I'm still tied to her calls & data plan).

Before you invest, I'd recommend showing her yours, talking her through how to WhatsApp, and seeing if there's any enthusiasm!

I wouldn't bother. My stepmother is exactly the same. We've tried everything but she just won't engaged. I don't know why but she won't. It's frustrating. We just leave her to it now.

I will talk to her next time I see her, which won't be for 4 weeks. She lives a long way from me and I worry about her. But I agree, I can't make her do anything.
It is frustrating.
I have friends and neighbours of a similar age, all joining in the local whatsapp groups that started up during lockdown. Lots of friendships and support networks have developed.
She is in denial about her hearing too.

I work for a large well known high st store and our older generation of customers tend to go for Doro phones. Every single time .

I'd suggest an older, refurbished iPhone as they are very user-friendly - almost instinctive.

Tesco have a PAYG deal without minimum usage restrictions.

Does she have WiFi though? That's another consideration.

That's helpful, my mum 79 is so so stubborn she refuses to get a phone and yet she's missing so much in terms of groups locally. She uses email, online shopping but hates phones.

Never heard of it. Would you like to expand?
There's only so much needed for some folk. Thanks

The most important feature would be whatsapp. Which Doro would be best for that? I see some of them only provide 2g. I don't know if that would work?