Optus mobile phones for seniors

Need a no-nonsense phone? These days it feels like every phone on the market comes with an overdose of whizz and bang. But what if you just want to use your phone as a phone?

If you're an Optus customer, you've actually got a few options. From the Doro 6520 designed specifically for seniors to the simple but effective Nokia 3310, to a more advanced smartphone with some of the more fancy features scaled back, there are a range of Optus mobile choices for the older and wiser.

Doro 6520 mobile phone for seniors

There are a few simple and easy phones on the market, but one that stands out is the Optus Doro 6520. Designed by seniors phone specialists Doro, the Doro 6520 comes with a big and eye-friendly colour screen so you don't have to squint to read your contact names, offers loud and clear sound, as well as hearing aid compatibility – fingers crossed you'll never need it.

The keys of the Doro 6520 are large, well-spaced and back-lit for easy typing in any situation. It also comes with an assistance button, which you can easily program to call a specific number or send a pre-written text automatically when pressed.

Optus' special seniors phone may put simple features first, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the newer mod cons. It comes with an FM radio and the ability to browse the web, send emails and log onto Facebook. As the phone is 3G only, however, it can't handle much more, and isn't designed to. One extra thing this seniors phone does have, though, is a camera – with only 2-megapixels it's pretty basic but you can take videos and photos with it and it's definitely handy to have if you need the occasional quick snap.

As a flip phone, it folds down easily to pocket size and is light to carry. Because of its no-frills operation the battery is extremely long-lasting, offering up to 8 hours of talk or 16 days on standby. The Doro 6520 comes with a cradle charger – just drop it in once a week or fortnight and it's good to go.

The Optus Doro 6520 costs $119 and is available exclusively with Optus prepaid plans.

Nokia 3310 mobile phone for seniors

The Nokia 3310 is similar to the Doro 6520 in a lot of ways, with the big difference that it's pitched at a completely different audience – younger people nostalgic for their first mobile phone experience.

But while the nostalgia Nokia has been largely panned by critics as a impractical option for data-hungry smartphone users, it could suit seniors looking for a phone that really is just a phone. Like the Doro 6520, it's lightweight, boasts excellent battery life (will last about a week between recharges), includes a basic web-browser (3G browsing only), a basic 2-megapixel camera and an FM radio.

The Nokia 3310 also comes with 64MB of storage, which is included so the device can act as an mp3 player – something the Doro can also do but only practically with a micro-SD storage expansion.

Unlike the Doro, however, the Nokia 3310 doesn't include accessibility features like the assistance button, specially added loud and clear sound or hearing aid compatibility.

The Nokia 3310 is available with Optus prepaid plans as well as on a Vodafone postpaid contract. You can also buy it outright from a range of electronic stores for around $89.

Looking for a smarter phone?

If you're after something more sophisticated than the Doro or Nokia, you're moving into smartphone territory. But that doesn't mean your fancy new phone has to be confusing and inaccessible.

Whether your eyes and ears need a little extra help or you just want a simpler home screen, you can improve your smartphone experience by installing an app like Wiser Launcher.

Wiser Launcher provides a simpler, easier to navigate home screen layout, a big dialling pad for easy calling and quick shortcuts to your favourite contacts, apps and settings.

You can install it on an Android phone simply by going to the Play Store and searching for Wiser Launcher. Download the app and then click your phone's home button. You should be asked if you want to start using Wiser Launcher. You can choose to use it one time as a trial, or always. Unfortunately, it's not available on the iPhone.

If this sounds like the option for you then check out our guide to best mobile phones for seniors for quality smartphones that won't cost the earth.

Optus mobile phones for seniors plans

If you're looking at the Doro 6520 or the Nokia 3310, they're both available through Optus prepaid plans (the Doro exclusively so). On an Optus prepaid plan you can choose between Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) credit or a 28-day recharge plan.

PAYG credit is your best option if you don't use your phone that often. On PAYG credit standard calls are 20c per minute, standard texts are 20c each and data is charged at 5c per MB. To put that in perspective, a $10 recharge will buy you 50 minutes' worth of talk, 50 text messages or around 3 hours of web browsing (200MB). PAYG credit will expire after a certain period but you can get credit roll-over provided you recharge before the expiry date.

Optus prepaid credit will last between 45 and 365 days. How long your credit will last depends on how much you buy.

If you think you'll be making a lot of calls, sending a lot of texts or using a lot of data, Optus does offer 28-day recharge plans with unlimited talk and text and a choice of 3GB, 7GB or 10GB of data. However, we don't think Optus' 28-day recharge plans are suited to the Doro 6520 or the Nokia 3310. It's hard to imagine anyone using 10GB or even 3GB of data per month just by web browsing, checking emails and Facebook.

How do Optus seniors phone plans compare

If your heart is set on the Doro 6520 specialist phone, a comparison of plans can be a little academic as this phone is locked to Optus. The same would be the case with the Nokia 3310 if you bought it with an Optus prepaid plan, but note that you can purchase the Nokia elsewhere.

You can get an Optus prepaid phone unlocked, but you'll need to pay an unlock fee of $80 if you've had the phone for less than 6 months, or $25 if you've had the phone for more than 6 months (or have paid for at least $80 accumulated credit).

But how do Optus prepaid plans compare? Optus' PAYG rates are competitive when compared to rates from providers like Vodafone, amaysim and even Dodo and ALDI Mobile. But PAYG plans really only offer good value if you intend to go for the longer expiry credit options.

If you think you'll be recharging every 45 days or less, a better option might be a prepaid SIM from a provider like amaysim and Yomojo, which both offer unlimited talk and text for just $10 per month. And if you're looking for unlimited talk and text and at least 3GB of data, depending on what deals are around and how much data you need, Optus prepaid plans are generally undercut by smaller providers by anywhere between $15 and $30 per month.

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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