emporia: Smartphones Now More Popular Than Landline Phones Among the Over 60s

Three out of four senior citizens would rather live without a conventional landline telephone than their smartphone. These are the findings of the 2019 Senior Citizens Survey: Smart Technology - Everyday, conducted by emporia Telecom in partnership with the German Senior Citizens League, in which 500 smartphone owners aged over 60 were interviewed.

Digital communication has become a simple matter of fact for many older people . One significant reason according to 83 percent of interviewees is: it is easier to maintain contact with family and friends via a smartphone.

According to the survey, three-quarters of senior citizens don’t want to be without their smartphone when they are out and about. It's also essential to them when travelling. It means that they always have useful information to hand, like weather forecasts and maps.

But it's far from every senior citizen that enjoys the benefits of the digital world. “75 million senior citizens in the EU today still don't own a smartphone. Yet there is an ever-increasing number of day-to-day activities that can only be performed with one. It's important to keep up to pace with modern communication technology so that you don’t suddenly find yourself cut adrift,” says Eveline Pupeter, owner and CEO of emporia Telecom. “It's our mission to guide older people into the digital future.”

The survey clearly identifies the concerns and difficulties experienced by senior citizens. Many older people worry about being left behind in a technology-driven world. For example, they wonder if they will even be able to perform daily errands and tasks such as using banking services, dealing with public authorities or buying bus and train tickets just as easily as they could before. “There's no stopping the progress of technology, but technology can also be simplified,” says emporia boss Eveline Pupeter. “We are seeking to gradually break down the fear of interacting with technology, and to help get the older generation up and ready for the future with user-friendly smartphones.

emporia is presenting two innovations simultaneously this September: The emporiaSMART.3 and the emporiaSMART.3mini. Despite their simplicity of use, both smartphones are fully intelligent, highly complex and state-of-the-art devices.

The emporiaSMART.3 is an easy-to-use top-class smartphone equipped with all the usual features such as two cameras, a powerful battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 5.5” screen, Type-C charging etc. It has a simple interface and mechanical home button and it’s also dust and splash-proof, compatible with hearing aids, has a sound amplifier, emergency call button, charging station and learning manual.

The SMART.3mini is something special. It was developed specially for men who wanted a compact smartphone that would easily fit into their trouser or shirt pocket. The SMART.3mini features a 4.95 inch touchscreen, meaning it's still easy to see and use. Spec-wise he mini is every bit the equal of its big brother, the SMART.

Talking about her mission, Eveline Pupeter says: “75 million of 65+ senior citizens in the EU still don't have a smartphone. It's emporia's goal to guide this generation into the digital future. Because being “smart” has nothing to do with age.”

The Linz-based manufacturer has a dual approach towards bringing digitalisation to the older generation. Its hardware and software solutions are precisely tailored for this target group. But it has also developed new training courses (such as Smartphones for Beginners, WhatsApp courses, Staying Secure on the Smartphone) to make it easier for senior citizens to get started.

emporia, the technology leader

emporia is an Austrian company that develops, manufactures and markets mobile telephones, smartphones and apps for the older generation. emporia’s products also include a wide range of accessories and landline telephones. Founded in 1991, emporia now operates in more than 30 countries around the world. The company is wholly owned by Eveline Pupeter who runs the business, together with her experienced management team. emporia employs 100 people. Its head office is located in the city of Linz on the banks of the Danube.

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Contact information

Walter Deil
+43 670 7010 322
deil@emporia.at