According to Nielsen research, folks aged 55 – 64 represent the fastest growing segment of smartphone adoption (as us whipper snapper generations are somewhat saturated with technology at this point). And while I’m sorry to skew their results, we brought my 68 year old mother into the fold this past weekend.
After the last few visits with Mom, it became clear she would benefit from smartphone features – namely access to a digital rolodex and efficient web searching while on the go. But would she be comfortable with the tech? She had her doubts. But, as I reassured over the last few months, a much more capable and powerful iPhone would actually be simpler to use than her aging Nokia flip – which she had a tough time using for text messaging and routinely, but inadvertently, snapped pictures of her feet.
Of course I’m the family tech advisor and what moved this project forward was Apple opening up their Mobile Me tier by offering free email and address books under iCloud (because seniors have fixed incomes). I’m convinced Mom could have handled Yahoo Mail, but Gmail’s interface would have overwhelmed her when migrating from her Mindspring Earthlink ISP. But Apple’s solution is even cleaner, featuring a streamlined, ad-free web UI… with seemless iOS integration. So shortly after iCloud went live, I created her email account and gave her two weeks to start populating the online address book from various lists and notebooks.
Then it was with some trepidation we visited the Apple Store this weekend while Mom was in town for an out-of-state visit. Our first decision was which iPhone model? And we settled on the iPhone 4 for $100, despite the store having just received a large shipment of 4S units. The 4 offers the right balance of performance and price, knowing she’d never use Siri and wouldn’t appreciate any slight boost offered by the upgraded processor or camera. The Apple Store clerk sensed my mother’s apprehension and very patiently helped get her going — answering questions and encouraging her to come back for a free class. Something one doesn’t generally get with an Android or Windows Phone purchase and another reason why we went Apple.
After querying my Twitter peeps, we strolled down the block to an AT&T outpost to pick up an Otterbox Defender case. Yeah, the rugged enclosure adds bulk… but it reduces the fear of an unexpected iPhone drop and the integrated screen protector is a bonus. Plus, when you consider all the bulk we’ve cleared from Mom’s purse, she definitely comes out ahead.
So far, she’s doing well. Her first priority was mastering answering, making, and ending calls, which she picked up very easily. Visual voicemail was a bigger conceptual and procedural change, but I think she’s getting the hang of it. Web surfing and app persistence has been interesting – she’s surprised that every time she returns to the browser or an app, it’s often exactly where she left it… whereas she expects and wants it to reset. Related, she’s still learning the UI and can’t find a “back button” or occasionally taps things that send her to unexpected places. But the iPhone’s physical home button is reassuring as it allows her to start over at a familiar place.
Based on her initial interactions with the device, I’m confident that she’ll continue to grow accustomed to iOS and develop her skills over the next few months. And, beyond increased yet simplified function, the iPhone also seems to provide a certain amount of enjoyment – something not seen from her former utilitarian flip.