Innovative, common sense features including a single button to lock and unlock the keypad and a specific button to set the volume
Survey shows a third of people find devices difficult to use because they can’t understand the instructions
Vodafone Simply is aimed at people who do not want the extra features that many new phones offer and is introduced at a time when a survey for the network found that over 50% of people were put off using an electrical device due to its complicated nature.
The new handset, an exclusive to Vodafone, has been designed to appeal to customers who want to use basic voice and text services with minimum complexity to keep in touch with family and friends, and to organize their lives.
Vodafone’s survey amongst over 1,200 people in the UK showed that nine out of ten of them believed that being up to date with technology made it easier to keep in touch with friends and family. Over a third, however, believed that advances in modern technology had made life more complicated in general, rising to over half amongst the over 55s.
The new phone is a significant shift in design and emphasis in today’s mobile phone market, with a number of user-friendly features that make it quick and simple to master.
Buttons dedicated to a single task
One button to get to all your messages – when it flashes, press it to retrieve the messages
A home button to always take you back to the main screen
A contacts button giving easy access to names and numbers
A specific button to set the ringing volume
A single switch to lock your phone to stop you making accidental calls
Large, clear, high resolution colour screen showing, in plain English, signal strength, battery life, ring tone volume and, if the customer wishes, their phone number
Easy menu
Large well spaced buttons to avoid misdialling or mistexting
Helpful tips available on the phone’s screen using words and moving images
In keeping with the ethos of the phone, even the instruction manual is simple and is backed up by the series of on-screen hints on the phone. This addresses a discovery in Vodafone’s survey where the main reason for people finding a device complicated to use was not understanding the instructions (31%), although there was a split between men (24%) and women (35%). The struggle with the instructions, however, may explain the claim that over 20% of people say they have accidentally broken a device through misuse.
“Vodafone Simply is a new departure for us and the market in general," says Tim Yates, Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone UK. “It’s an easy to use yet stylish phone that concentrates on the most regularly used features – voice and text.
“We’ve undertaken extensive research across a number of countries and a large number of our customers have told us that they want a simple handset that does the basic functions well, so they can stay in touch with family and friends and organize their lives.
“Vodafone Simply addresses these needs. It’s ideal for people who have not grown up with mobiles. We have a wide range of customers and look to provide phones and services suitable for all of them."
The Vodafone Simply mobile phone, produced by Sagem, comes with a cradle making it not only easy to charge but easy to locate as well when in the house.
Vodafone Simply will be available from 24 May. Available in Vodafone Stores, at www.vodafone.co.uk and through Argos, it will cost £80 on prepay and is free with a pay monthly price plan. When coupled with a Perfect Fit or smartplus price plan featuring Vodafone Stop The Clock, a Vodafone Simply customer will be able to talk for up to an hour at evenings and weekends while only paying for the first three minutes.
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