Hybrid Phone for Seniors: Cross-Country Focus Group Study

The project investigated whether a device positioned between a feature phone and a smartphone could better serve senior users. Participants tested commercial phones and a prototype across three countries. Results confirmed the hybrid direction, exposed recurring pain points in typing and navigation, and shaped prototype, UI and feature concepts.

The study followed an iterative, multi-country qualitative approach.

• Defined objectives: understand seniors' phone usage, identify usability issues, and set design directions.
• Recruited participants aged 60 to 91 who either struggled with smartphones or were feature phone users.
• Ran moderated focus groups in Sweden, France and the UK, with activities updated between countries based on earlier findings.
• Had participants complete real tasks on a range of commercial devices plus an internal prototype.
• Observed and documented physical ergonomics (grip, size, weight, buttons versus touch) and digital issues (navigation, typing, readability).
• Synthesized insights into a cognitive map separating app-dependent users from no-app-need users.
• Translated findings into prototype concepts, an Android Learning UI and a prioritized feature set.

The study validated the strategic assumption that a hybrid device is the right direction for senior users.

• Confirmed recurring pain points in typing, hybrid navigation between hard keys and touch, and screen readability.
• Highlighted easy access to a small set of favored apps as a critical user need.
• Delivered hardware prototype concepts, an Android Learning UI and a feature roadmap covering speech-to-text, adjustable text size and built-in guidance.