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EmporiaCLICK hands-on at CES 2012 (video)
It may not turn the heads of anyone who needs the latest and greatest phone -- let alone most smartphone users -- but Emporia Telecom's not going after that market. Rather, the handset manufacturer is busy pushing out devices that appeal to the first-time phone buyer or anyone who doesn't need anything besides a simple phone that actually makes calls and sends messages. The EmporiaCLICK, which should be available this Spring for under $100 without contract, is the absolute epitome of the basic clamshell cameraphone, complete with large buttons, fingerprint-friendly exterior and a built-in one-click emergency button which will cycle through a list of five emergency numbers until somebody answers. Head on below to see the device in all its glory, as well as a video after the break.
EmporiaSOLIDplus at CES 2012 hands-on (video)
Emporia Telecom is looking to come to the Americas this Spring, and it's bringing a rugged beauty with it -- as long as you're not dead set on getting yourself one of them fancy smartphones. If so, keep on lookin', as Emporia's focusing on winning the hearts of basic / budget phone users all over. One of its first phones the company's bringing overseas with it is the EmporiaSOLIDplus, an IP67-certified candybar that can handle most things you throw at it -- heck, it could probably handle it when you're throwing the phone itself, though we certainly don't recommend you give it a test run anytime soon. The basic device is capable of calling, sending messages and that's ultimately about it. The phone will come as an unlocked GSM phone and is going to be available this Spring for an undetermined price. Pictures and video? Yeah, we have 'em below.
Emporia Telecom expands to North America and Latin America, brings a couple new phones with it
Emporia Telecom, an Austrian phone manufacturer that focuses on making basic and easy-to-use handsets, announced this morning that it plans to expand its boundaries to include North and Latin America sometime this Spring. Along with the endeavor, Emporia plans to introduce two new handsets: the EmporiaCLICK clamshell and EmporiaSOLIDplus rugged candybar. These devices -- much like the others in the lineup -- are geared toward first-time phone buyers and seniors who aren't interested in a smartphone, boasting simple features such as large buttons, loud speakerphone and ringtones, high-powered vibration motors and a one-touch Call to Care button that automatically alerts emergency services when pressed. The company plans to show off the handsets at CES next week, so keep an eye out for more updates as they roll in. In the meantime, read up on the press release below.
Emporia RL1 doesn't think your smartphone is all that great
In this age of perpetual smartphone one-upmanship, calling your handset the "most straightforward mobile phone in the world" seems a strange selling point. Still, there are surely people out there who need a reprieve from the complications of iPhones, BlackBerrys, and Android devices, and Emporia's RL1 does eschew pretty much everything that's not a phone call or text. The handset has a bright screen with adjustable text size and big buttons that light up when a call comes through, nice features for older users with vision and hearing problems. The phone comes with the above angular cradle and should give you about three hours of talk time on a charge. For those who want to get fancy with the thing, there's also a calculator, alarm clock, and a feature that'll help you remember birthdays -- the primary reason a lot of us use Facebook. The phone is available now for Vodafone's monthly and pay as you go plans. It runs £60 ($99) -- you didn't think straightforwardness like this comes cheap, did you? Press release after the break.
Emporia Solid and Elegance hands-on
Emporia landed at MWC with a couple sets geared specifically to the elderly, the Emporia Elegance (pictured left) and the aptly named Solid. Both of these freshly launched phones are targeted squarely at your grannie's generation, that's to say they include large easy to read fonts, huge keys, and a pretty slim feature set. The Elegance will ship in both black and white, features a 1.8-inch OLED high contrast display, an extra loud ringer, hearing aid compatibility, and 900 / 1800 GSM. Elegance, the slicker of the two launched phones will retail for €129 (roughly $175) and will hit the shops round about Q2 of this year. The Solid is a rugged -- at least looking -- phone for seniors into extreme sports and adds Bluetooth into the mix. The Solid will retail for €199 (roughly $275) and also launched in Q2. Gallery is right down below.%Gallery-85944%
Emporia's EmporiaLife gets nod from FCC, seniors
We saw Emporia's handset for the blue rinse crowd at CeBIT a year or so ago, and while the tech has taken a year to get here, we're positive that the target market's not likely to care one single, dentured lick. Specs are the same we saw last year, of course, with dual-band GSM in either 900 / 1800 -- obviously not for US consumption -- or 850 / 1900 freqs., a huge display with super-sized numbers, and a emergency button in case something goes wrong. The handset will eschew a traditional charger for AAA battery power when and wherever -- and if -- it finally lands over here.[Via PhoneScoop]
Emporia's "emporiaLife" for the silver set
Emporia focuses on handsets for the older generation and the "emporiaLife" is no exception, targeted squarely at folks 50 and up. Featuring giant-sized keys and the "granddaddy" (pun completely intended) of all screens, this is a potential goldmine market for those wanting to gift cellies to their grandparents or aging parents. On the bottom of this oversized handset is a giant round red heart button that dials an emergency number in case of disaster. Another handy feature is the speakerphone and a screaming-loud ringer, and by screaming-loud we mean scare-the-kids-out-of-the-playground loud. We are immediately struck with nostalgic thoughts of "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials of days gone by. Pics are on the next pages; extra large, of course, for your aged eyes' appreciation. Emporia's cellphone for the elderly
