What happens on our 42-point test
How a refurbished phone is checked before it gets a grade and a price.
Choosing a phone for a parent
Screen size, loudness and battery matter more than the number of cameras.
Most of the phones we sell to people over sixty are bought by their children, and most of the returns come from the same mistake: buying the phone the child would want.
Start with the screen. A 6.5-inch or larger display with the font size turned up is easier to read than a sharper small one. Then the speaker: ask us to play a video at full volume at the counter, because a quiet speaker means missed calls. Battery comes next. A 5,000 mAh phone usually lasts two days for someone who calls, watches a little video and uses WhatsApp.
Storage matters more than people expect. Family groups send a lot of photos and videos, and a 64 GB phone fills up within a year. We suggest 128 GB as the floor.
Finally, set it up properly. We turn on large text, add emergency contacts to the lock screen, remove apps they will never use and put the camera, WhatsApp and phone on the first screen. If they live nearby, bring them in. Half an hour at the counter saves a lot of phone calls later.
