Mobile for the hard of hearing

LONDON: It will not make you popular with the neighbours. But if your hearing is not what it was and you do not always hear your mobile ring, it could be the phone for you. With a ring tone that can reach 100 decibels, the same as a pneumatic drill, there is no chance that you'll miss it going off - and nor will anyone in your street. And for the hard of hearing, the earpiece can be set to an even higher volume - 110dB, the equivalent of a South African vuvuzela horn being blown at full blast beside your head. Designed with large, clear buttons and a lack of complicated features, the makers of the Amplicom M6000 say it is the ideal phone for the elderly or anyone with hearing loss. While it is compatible with hearing aids, product manager David Youngs, who has hearing difficulties himself, says many people like to be able to make calls without wearing theirs. 'I can make a call and even if I haven't got my hearing aid on I can just push the volume up and hear the conversation perfectly,' he said. 'The ring tone is also extremely loud - put it this way, if it went off in a restaurant on the highest setting, you'd probably get thrown out!' The phone was designed for those with hearing difficulties, but the simple, uncluttered design is expected to prove popular with anyone who feels the range of often unnecessary functions on modern phones is just too much. 'To those who want simplicity, talk of megapixel cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and music files is extremely off-putting,' added Youngs. The standard earpiece volume of the M6000 goes up to 30dB, but a 'boost' function enables it to be increased right up to 110dB - louder than a motorbike or the average thunderclap, and almost as noisy as being at a rock concert. In addition to its ear-splitting volume, the phone features a large, clear keypad and a screen with displays text messages in extra-large type. And while it has no camera, there are extra functions - including an SOS button on the back which can be set to ring a relative in an emergency. There is also a motion sensor which can be set to automatically ring 999 or an emergency contact if the user falls over. The handset, which sells at £119.99 and according to the manufacturers is compatible with all UK operators except the 3 network, could prove a hit with the estimated 4.5million UK pensioners who don't own a mobile. While there are almost 77 million mobile subscriptions in the UK, more than half of voice calls still originate from landlines rather than mobiles. But by last year, four in five households had both a mobile phone and a landline phone. Amplicom are also targeting the 165,000 people registered as being hard of hearing in England. Out of these, 65 per cent are over the age of 75.