This phone caught my attention for another reason. Christmas is coming up, and if you’re looking to buy a smartphone for an older relative, there aren’t any great options. The camera is not perfect when you consider macro & bokeh modes but this phone is for the senior market and the majority of users won’t be worried these features are not as good as they should be. The Portrait and auto mode works very well which I feel is the most important feature they will use every day when you consider the camera element. To summarize, Emporia has taken what they did with the SMART.5 and made it feel more like a smartphone but without making it complicated to use. The Smart cover is a really useful addition and the improved battery and larger display are just some of the improvements they have done to make this an excellent option for someone looking for a phone for nan or grandad. Product Rating: Gone are the days when simple mobile phones were just compact emergency phones with basic 2G connectivity. These swanky new models come with features like dedicated buttons to access WhatsApp, an IP rating for waterproofing, and 4G connectivity. The phone is IP54 rated which means it’s dust and splash-proof which is great for offering a bit of protection to the device. Speaking of adding protection, with the Emporia SMART.5 comes with a smart cover that works for these looking to bridge the link between the feature phone and smartphone.

Battery life is solid. Although its 3,550mAh battery sits on the small side, its power-sipping CPU means it can last for several days between charges. It also wins points for the inclusion of USB-C, which is a bit less fiddly than the older (and cheaper) micro USB standard. Would I buy this for a relative? Android can be relatively complex, and the fact that experiences differ between vendors makes it hard to provide long-distance technical support. iOS does a better job of hiding that complexity, but it still shows up in ways that can confound non-digital natives. The main display of the S5 contains four major shortcuts and a couple of smaller links. The four large buttons take users to: Emporia has launched four new devices, one of which is a hybrid simple phone and smartphone. We've taken a look at what each of them has to offer. What you look for in a simple phone is very different to a smartphone, particularly as simple phones are typically geared towards older phone users and those who need a cheap emergency handset.This phone is designed to use a Nano SIM. Simply insert the Nano SIM provided by your mobile service provider and you should be ready to go. Which Networks Will This Phone Work With? The S5 has all the basic features you'd expect from a smartphone, yet it's designed for older people to handle comfortably. It'd be easy for Emporia to skimp on the quality of the camera on a simple smartphone, but they haven't done that. In fact, the quality is impressive and video calling on a strong wi-fi connection yielded a perfect picture. With that in mind, we'll focus on some of the features most useful to its target demographic. Uncluttered screens

When I was handed the Emporia Smart.5 to review the camera on, I wasn’t expecting much as this phone is geared to the “older” generation so I wasn’t expecting much from the camera on this handset… WOW, was I surprised with this 13 + 2+2 Megapixel triple-lens camera and 8mp front-facing lens.

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Two features we especially liked for being easy to access and useful to the target market were the Magnifier and torch. While we don't recommend taking your phone with you to the bottom of the pool, it is built with IP54-rated splash resistance, meaning you don't have to worry if it gets wet. Does the Emporia S5 Smartphone Have a Torch?

Automatically put your phone in loudspeaker mode (an alarm will sound to alert anyone nearby to assist) With the smart cover open, the S5 works like any other smartphone and the large 5.5” touchscreen is easy to control. But with the cover closed, users can still make or answer calls, and can adapt their own device to show their favourite or most used functions constantly available without having to open the phone. When it’s time to charge you will hear a beep and the battery icon will appear red and the LED flashes. Simply plug into the charging cradle which also allows you to keep the phone in the cradle when at home as it acts as a holder as well as a charger.As a man who struggles to grip things sometimes thanks to a health condition, getting the rear cover off was a bit of a mission. There is a decent groove on the cover to allow a fingernail to be inserted, but it does feel as though you're pulling the phone apart. If someone wasn't sure about setting up a device, they might not have the confidence (or the dexterity) to do that. This becomes most apparent when the device is fully set-up, and your home screen is populated with a flurry of big, bold, and eminently pressable icons. When the case is closed, users can still see the wallpaper image, time, date, battery icon and network information through the window in the case.

When closed, the Smartcase provides only the most important functions on four easy buttons What Can I Do with the Smartcase Closed?Emporia was founded in 1991 to offer the senior market user-friendly telecommunication products. The brand is known internationally and has been developing products with up to date technology with a degree of understanding. Emporia have a part of the market that target those who feel left behind in technology. Design The language is straightforward and there are plenty of pictures, plus it doesn't assume knowledge. There are even sections for notes and useful tip sections throughout. I really like the touchscreen offering that has been adjusted for the senior user they won’t feel that much different from anyone else in the house. The Emporia SMART.5 comes with all the accessories you come to expect from Emporia to make using this phone easy to use. I like the charging cradle as it offers you somewhere in the home to place the phone when not in use. We even dig into the nitty-gritty, to gauge how useful the instruction manual is, and how well the applications on the phone work to see whether the phone is fiddly to use once it's set up. Something else he discussed was the length of the Training Book seeming a little intimidating, although the content is excellent.