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Emporia's Click and Solid phones are perfect for kids and seniors (photos)

Harking back to the days before smartphones dominated the field, Emporia makes deliberately simple phones for first-time mobile users and seniors.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
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The simpler days

Based in Austria, Emporia specializes in making products for first-time phone users and seniors. Its products are currently sold in 30 countries, but it plans to expand to the U.S. in the spring.


At CES, we got a hold of two of Emporia's phones, the Click (left) and the Solid (right). Built to be tough and simple, these phones hark back to the pre-smartphone days of yesteryear.

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Pesky kids

The Emporia Solid was built for those who have a rugged lifestyle, and the phone is perfect for kids who can get a bit rough with their gadgets.
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Toss it and drop it

The Solid was built to military specifications, with extra-hard display glass and a rubber bumper around the edges. It also has Bluetooth capabilities.
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A tough behind

The Solid has a rubber backing, and the phone is splash-proof and shockproof. It is expected to cost less than $150.
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No flashlight app required

On the top of the phone there is an LED flashlight that you can quickly turn on by pressing a button on the side.
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Clamshell phones are making a comeback

Another one of the company's phones is the Click. Built with seniors in mind, the phone sports huge buttons with three programmable buttons on the top for your most dialed numbers.
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All you need is the basics

The Click also includes a 1.3-megapixel camera that is accessible with a side button, and SMS and MMS text messaging.
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Calling for help

On the back of the phone is a one-touch Call for Care emergency button indicated by a heart icon. When the button is held down for 3 seconds, the Click will call up to five preprogrammed numbers sequentially until it gets an answer. These could be the numbers of family members, neighbors, local health providers, or 911.
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Who will carry it?

Although nothing is official yet, the people at Emporia say their phones will most likely be carried by T-Mobile in the U.S.
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Smartphones aren't for everybody

The clamshell phone's design and user interface are similar to those of the phones that were on the market during the pre-smartphone era. It is predicted to cost less than $100.

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