A mobile phone designed for customers who only need the most commonly used functions
Innovative, common sense features including a single button to lock and unlock the keypad and a specific button to set the volume
Survey shows a third of people find devices difficult to use because they can't understand the instructions
Vodafone UK today launches a new, stylish mobile with an emphasis on making using a phone easy.
Vodafone Simply is aimed at people who do not want the extra features that many new phones offer and is introduced at a time when a survey for the network found that over 50% of people were put off using an electrical device due to its complicated nature.
The new handset, an exclusive to Vodafone, has been designed to appeal to customers who want to use basic voice and text services with minimum complexity to keep in touch with family and friends, and to organize their lives.
Vodafone's survey amongst over 1,200 people in the UK showed that nine out of ten of them believed that being up to date with technology made it easier to keep in touch with friends and family. Over a third, however, believed that advances in modern technology had made life more complicated in general, rising to over half amongst the over 55s.
The new phone is a significant shift in design and emphasis in today's mobile phone market, with a number of user-friendly features that make it quick and simple to master.
Buttons dedicated to a single task
- One button to get to all your messages - when it flashes, press it to retrieve the messages
- A home button to always take you back to the main screen
- A contacts button giving easy access to names and numbers
- A specific button to set the ringing volume
- A single switch to lock your phone to stop you making accidental calls
Large, clear, high resolution colour screen showing, in plain English, signal strength, battery life, ring tone volume and, if the customer wishes, their phone number
Easy menu
Large well spaced buttons to avoid misdialling or mistexting
Helpful tips available on the phone’s screen using words and moving images
In keeping with the ethos of the phone, even the instruction manual is simple and is backed up by the series of on-screen hints on the phone. This addresses a discovery in Vodafone's survey where the main reason for people finding a device complicated to use was not understanding the instructions (31%), although there was a split between men (24%) and women (35%). The struggle with the instructions, however, may explain the claim that over 20% of people say they have accidentally broken a device through misuse.
'Vodafone Simply is a new departure for us and the market in general," says Tim Yates, Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone UK. 'It's an easy to use yet stylish phone that concentrates on the most regularly used features - voice and text.
'We]ve undertaken extensive research across a number of countries and a large number of our customers have told us that they want a simple handset that does the basic functions well, so they can stay in touch with family and friends and organize their lives.
'Vodafone Simply addresses these needs. It's ideal for people who have not grown up with mobiles. We have a wide range of customers and look to provide phones and services suitable for all of them."
The Vodafone Simply mobile phone, produced by Sagem, comes with a cradle making it not only easy to charge but easy to locate as well when in the house.
Vodafone Simply will be available from 24 May. Available in Vodafone Stores, at www.vodafone.co.uk and through Argos, it will cost £80 on prepay and is free with a pay monthly price plan. When coupled with a Perfect Fit or smartplus price plan featuring Vodafone Stop The Clock, a Vodafone Simply customer will be able to talk for up to an hour at evenings and weekends while only paying for the first three minutes.
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Notes to editors:
Survey was carried out w/c 09.05.05 online by tickbox.net
Survey Highlights:
More than 50% of the over 55s believe that advances in modern technology have made life more complicated although 77% of people believe that their lives are more fulfilled by keeping up to date with modern technology.
- 31% of people say that the most common reason for them finding a device complicated to use is not understanding the instructions.
- Over 90% of those questioned said that modern technology makes it easier to keep in touch with family and friends.
- Over 20% of people say they have accidentally broken a device through misuse.
For further information please contact:
Julien Cozens or Ben Taylor
Vodafone UK Public Relations
For media enquiries, Tel: 07000 500 100 or email press.office@vodafone.com
For photographs call Andrew Olly, Borkowski PR, Tel: 0207 404 3000
For all other enquiries, Tel: 01635 33251
VODAFONE UK
Vodafone UK has 15.2 million customers and is part of the world's largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. On 1 January 1985, the first mobile call was made by Ernie Wise on the Vodafone network. Since then, Vodafone was the first to introduce SMS in 1994 and to make a 3G voice call in July 2001. Vodafone UK was the world's first mobile operator to introduce international roaming, now connecting customers with standard roaming agreements in 174 countries, GRPS roaming in 53 countries and 250 cities worldwide using 3G.
Following the launch of Vodafone UK's 3G/GPRS Mobile Connect data card in April 2004, the company launched Vodafone live! with 3G in November 2004 offering services such as video-calling and music downloads. Vodafone's 3G UK population coverage currently stands at 65 per cent and the network is being continually expanded.
In May 2004, the Newbury-based company was ranked top for customer satisfaction in the UK's contract mobile phone sector in a survey by JD Power and Associates.