Digital Trends

Jitterbug Dial April 20th, 2007 | by Stewart Wolpin

Performance

It's refreshing – and rare – to find a phone that someone actually put some effort into designing, both hardware and interface, that actually improves the way people will use it.

First and foremost, people baffled by technology on any level are never on their own or forced to use the manual. Jitterbug operators are almost literally standing by, 24/7. Just press "0" to reach a live Jitterbug operator who answers you by name for any Jitterbug need, including finding a number and placing a call for you. This service is essentially free; Jitterbug merely deducts the minutes used as it would for any call.

As to the phone's actual performance, it starts off reassuringly to non-cell phone users. When you open the flap, the phone emits a dial tone for 30 seconds – not a real dial tone, of course, but a comforting sound to seniors unfamiliar or uncomfortable with a cell phone's silence. The screen displays a voice dial prompt. Simply say a name from your phone book, the phone asks you to confirm, then it dials. No voice training necessary. Our Jitterbug had no trouble with dialing "home" or "Stewart's cell" upon command. I actually had two "Stewart" entries, one for cell and one for home; when I simply said "Stewart," it asked "Stewart's Cell?" You can also ignore the prompt and dial directly, or, as noted, just dial "0" and ask the operator to dial.

If you hit "NO" on the voice dial prompt, the screen then displays the first name in your phone list, which you can scroll through, one name/number per screen. Press "NO" again and you get a list of the last few outgoing calls, again, one name/number per screen. Press "NO" again and you're asked if you want to check for saved voice mail messages. Press "NO" again and you get a phone status screen (battery life, signal strength, and approximate minutes used). Press "NO" once more and you're back to the voice dial prompt. All but the outgoing call and status screens are accompanied by a dial tone, and all screens can be ignored if you simply want to dial.

If you miss a call, the first screen you're greeted with upon opening the flap is a notice that voice mail is waiting, along with a "YES" or "NO" choice to listen to said message(s).

And that's the entire menu. All prompts and dialed numbers, like the keypad, are displayed in large, easy-to-read fonts. Even the slim, 103-page manual has large, easily-readable type.

Our lone complaint is ringers. Jitterbug offers five polyphonic ringers. The default scaling, flute-like ringer is plenty loud at its maximum setting, but no louder than most loud ringing cell phones (likewise for the relative tameness of the vibrate alert). Raising, lowering, or silencing the ringer toggle is simply a matter of manipulating the external volume control with the flap up, but you can't change the tone itself from the phone. Ringers can be adjusted only on the user’s personal www.myjitterbug.com webpage (although we couldn't find a subscriber login link at this URL) or by calling the Jitterbug operator. However, this is a minor issue, since most casual phone users worry more about hearing the phone than the relative distinctiveness of the ringtone.

As you'd expect, conversation volume is exceptionally loud (my hearing aid-wearing father lauded its volume) — louder than most cell phones we've used — and call quality is near landline quality.

Battery life is a bit shorter than we’d expect — 3 hours talk and 8.3 days standby — but this is a phone that seniors are likely to keep plugged in until needed.


Conclusion

Jitterbug is a brilliantly conceived and executed concept, filling a need for a large and growing segment of the population that simply need a basic cell. Considering the handset's modest capabilities, it's a bit pricey, but it is also quite specialized, designed as it is for a specific user base, and doesn't exactly have any competition. I and my parents highly recommend the Jitterbug phone and service for all senior technophobes.


Pros:

• Simple to use
• Easy to handle, uncluttered handset
• Large, bright, readable keys and display fonts
• Simple pricing plans
• 24/7 subscriber assistance


Cons:

• Expensive, unsubsidized handset
• Cannot change speakerphone volume