Survey reveals low smartphone use among older over 65s

This year, 2020, a quarter of Europe's population will be aged 60 or over. This puts increasing demands on the development of customised technological solutions to suit everyone. In the group up to the age of 76 most people use a smartphone, but after this the proportion declines dramatically. The survey shows that Sweden has the highest proportion of smartphone users in the 65-70 age group, with 80 per cent, but also the lowest proportion in the age group over 76, with 36 per cent. The smartphone use in the UK declines substantially above the age of 76, to 46 per cent, compared with the 65-70 age group, where 69 per cent have a smartphone.

"We're getting older and older, and the number of people over 60 will continue to increase year by year. As the world becomes increasingly digital, smartphones are becoming an increasingly important tool for the service market for contact with authorities and healthcare. This puts high demands on digital solutions, products and services suited to everyone. So the fact that only 40 per cent of people over the age of 76 use smartphones is worrying, since it may lead to digital exclusion," says Carl-Johan Zetterberg, CEO at Doro.

The survey also shows that 57.5 per cent of people live in the same town as their parents. Not living in the same town as your parents means that contact moves to the digital channels, and that there is a greater reliance on healthcare and help being close at hand should a problem arise. The biggest health problem among over 65s in the last three years has been falls at home. This has affected roughly 27 per cent of all over 65s. At the same time, the greatest worry among relatives is that their older family members will suffer from falls or loneliness, become ill or depressed, or stop communicating.

"At Doro, we work on a daily basis with including everyone in digitisation, by means of our products but also through Doro Care. For us, it's important to create smartphones and mobile phones that are user-friendly for all target groups. We believe that, regardless of age, you need to have access to technology in order to be independent, and that it's therefore important to develop products and services that can make things easier for the individual, but also for the society around them," says Carl-Johan Zetterberg, CEO at Doro.

In March Doro will launch the new Doro 8050 smartphone, which is the second smartphone in the design family. The Doro 8050 is aimed at active seniors who want a modern but easy-to-use smartphone. The Doro 8050 prioritises user-friendliness. EVA, our unique, patented user interface, makes the android experience and navigation even simpler. In addition, the Doro 8050 offers its users access to exclusive services such as Response by Doro®, a security service that makes it easy for the user to dial a preset phone number or to be connected to an emergency call centre in an emergency. The Doro 8050 is also compatible with hearing aids, and the sound can also be fine-tuned to suit the user's needs.

Read more about the Doro 8050 here

About the survey
The survey was conducted by the research agency River Research on behalf of Doro in November 2019. The survey was conducted in Sweden, the UK, France and Spain, with a total of 2,025 respondents.