Do senior citizens need a smartphone designed especially for them? China’s JD.com thinks so. The ecommerce giant is crowdfunding a handset filled with features tailored for grandparents.
For those struggling with vision loss, the JD Elderly Smartphone sports a giant 6.53-inch screen that displays larger-than-usual app icons on the home screen. Ever receive those dreaded phone calls or messages from older relatives asking for tech support? Using JD’s Family Hours app, you can get remote access to their phones to help them from afar.
To sweeten the deal, JD is also offering online health consultation services with the phone. Users can set up a video session with doctors and have prescriptions delivered to their door.
For now, response from consumers seems to be lukewarm. With four days to go, the crowdfunding campaign has reached 23% of its funding goal of 50,000 yuan (US$7,277).