We have in our possession the new Doro Smartphone, the model 8030, with which we have carried out laboratory and user tests.
"Camera button and loading slot"
The Doro 8031 is a terminal for those people who had already tried another more complex Smartphone and could not adapt, or for those users of more basic terminals who decide to make the leap to a device with many more functionalities.
For the rest of users with many difficulties in the use of a mobile terminal, Doro has other simpler models such as the 5030 or the 6030, although it must be said, with much less interesting functionalities than those provided by the 8031.
The phone, from its first start-up, has a series of tutorials that guide the user to configure the phone according to their capabilities, their preferences and their experience in the use of technology. In this way, options such as text size, volume, email or connectivity can be configured from the beginning in a very intuitive and guided way.
"Initial Setup Wizard"
What stands out the most from the beginning is its version of Android that is highly adapted to the needs of the elderly, following a premise that we believe is basic, "Identify rather than memorize." This is evident in the grouping of functionalities by actions supported by pictograms and colors, unlike the traditional organization by complex names and highly varied and scattered icons.
«Android Launcher Comparison»
For example, to read an email, we will press the action "View" and then within a list of options that we can see, such as text messages or photographs, among others. We select the option "My emails" where the emails of the email account that we have previously configured with the tutorial appear directly.
The phone technically has qualities that leave nothing to envy compared to a mid-range terminal:
The tactile interaction with the screen is very successful.
The autonomy with moderate use can easily reach 2 days, which can be extended to 4 in the cases of people who only use the phone to make or receive a short call and briefly check their mail and messages.
The external buttons are large and clearly identified, allowing you to always easily return to the initial menu or exit an application in the event of a mistake.
«Main functionality buttons»
"Power and volume buttons"
"Camera button and loading slot"
La call quality It is good and the volume both in calls and for the rest of the functionalities has a wide range for those with hearing difficulties.
La camera It has an acceptable quality without reaching the quality of upper-middle-range models.
El shipper together with the charging station are clearly identified, the functions that the screen presents when the terminal is placed in the charging station are very interesting, being able to access from a simplified menu to configure the phone in digital photo frame mode, in clock mode/ alarm or in music player mode.
«Charger and charging station»
"Functionalities in landscape mode"
The main screen facilitates quick and guided customization to be able to place up to 4 main contacts or frequently used functionalities.
The phone incorporates several very interesting dedicated functionalities, these types of functionalities that are already covered by the rest of the Smartphone through applications, in this model are specifically designed to facilitate usability and understanding. These features include:
- FM radio: a functionality widely used by the elderly and that other terminals on the market are beginning to eliminate.
- Land: This functionality that makes the camera easy to use is especially useful for people with vision difficulties.
In addition to these specific functionalities, we find an alarm, calendar, weather forecast and calculator with simple interfaces adapted for easy understanding.
A functionality that we really liked is the option “Discover” with 4 sections:
- new apps: This menu offers the installation of some applications selected by Doro and others by accessing the Google Play Store.
- My phone: Includes several tutorials to extend the capabilities of use of the Doro 8031.
- Around me: This is a very interesting feature that shows nearby locations such as restaurants, cinemas, supermarkets, ATMs, hospitals filtered by simple categories thanks to the use of Google Maps.
- something on the internet: allows access to a simple internet browser.
The fact that the Doro 8031 has been designed to be easy to understand for older people makes it also an interesting terminal for young people and adults with slight comprehension difficulties due to the clear identification of all its functionalities.
In turn, the terminal incorporates all the accessibility features of Android such as screen reader, increased font sizes, high contrast, incorporation of external buttons, also facilitating connectivity for modern hearing aids.
In this sense, we really liked the way of entering text using 2 ways, by means of a touch keyboard, or by voice. This option is consulted every time a text is required to be entered.
Emergency button and geolocation
The Doro 8031 incorporates an emergency button on the back that allows you to notify a previously established contact. This button can be configured from the phone itself, or from the remote My Doro Manager application to define its pulsation mode and the contact to be alerted.
"Rear emergency button"
Doro's payment plans through service providers allow these alarms to be attended by an emergency center.
Pressing this button activates an automatic call to the desired contact, in addition to sending an SMS with the last GPS location of the user terminal.
The tests were successful in activating the call and SMS, but it must be taken into account that the message with the position may take minutes to be received.
My DoroManager
My doro Manager is the remote manager for the 8031 terminal, in this way, a family member or caregiver can configure the user terminal remotely, abstracting the elderly person from the configuration.
This application, which is accessed through a PC, allows you to place a cover photo, adjust the font size, volume, configure the functionalities of the emergency button, make a backup copy of the content, enter reminders and tasks in the calendar, add new photos and even know the battery level, coverage and last location in real time.
"My Doro Manager application"
Highlights
- The simplicity with which all Android features have been adapted for easy understanding and interaction.
- Additional features such as a magnifying glass, FM radio or the emergency button are very useful for the elderly.
- The possibility that a family member can remotely manage the terminal with MyDoroManager.
- The menu in landscape mode when the terminal is placed on the base, with many interesting options such as: digital frame, clock / alarm clock or music player or radio.
Improvement points
- Simplify the process of connecting with MyDoroManager and improve its stability.
