Buying a mobile phone

should be a simple matter - yes?

Of course it is not. It becomes even more complicated when the would be user has issues with manual dexterity and would much prefer something she could actually use with ease.

I have a mobile phone but it needs to be replaced. It is no longer reliable. There is no auditory alert of an incoming call so I need to be alert to a little green icon popping up. This usually means returning the call with apologies. This is more than a little irritating to both of us. Nobody has been able to solve the problem. 

Yes, it is an old flip-top but it does have 4G capacity. It should be okay to make and receive calls. I can also receive a text message but sending one is a different story. There is no internet access on the plan I am on but the cost of this would outweigh the benefit because there is a limited amount of data which can be stored. I could go on. 

It has been fine until now. I am not wedded to the phone. I avoid giving out my number if possible. I do not want to be contacted in the wee small hours unless it is an emergency. My family and the police have my number for that reason and anyone else who dares to call at that time may no longer be a friend. I dislike phones and making phone calls is something I find stressful.

But, Middle Cat and I are planning the Big Trip. This phone will no longer do. I need a reliable phone that can do some things we used to do on paper. I will need flights and accommodation. In order to enter the UK I need a photograph and relevant information. I will need to be able to find things, make inquiries, do things....it is all done on a phone - or so they tell me. Even more importantly I will need access to my email and a bank account. Sigh....

I spent almost the entire day yesterday looking at various sorts of phones. I read reviews. I visited websites. I compared prices. At the end of it I was no wiser. I think I understand why touch screens are more popular - but they are also more difficult for me to use. My current phone has "big" buttons - not that they are actually that big or as big as some phones but they are bigger than some. Apparently you can get a sort of delay on a touch screen and that might help but it is not available on all phones. I found a tough looking phone with a keyboard but it is heavy and it is made in China which may pose a security risk for me. Sigh again....

It seemed to me there were phones available which would do anything you asked of it...even start the dishwasher or turn the oven on. Yes, I suppose those things could be useful for some people. I just suspect that most people do not need to do anything more than make and receive calls. It might actually be good if they could only make and receive calls...unless of course they are planning the Big Trip.