These are tech transition times for everyone – including seniors and their devices. In case you didn’t see it, the Pew numbers about smartphone use are out – 27{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} of the 65+ have smartphones, up from 19{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} last year. Given the date of that data (from last fall), let’s just assume that this number is actually lower than today's reality. So why should a PERS reseller or manufacturer care? First because carriers don’t want to sell feature/clamshell phones any more. They make it difficult to even find them. They are selling smartphones to people who don’t want or use all of the features they have, but they’re buying them anyway because that is what they’re being sold. In retrospect, Philips Lifeline might have seen the near term PERS future – and it could be a smartphone – and thus an app. And thus — why have more than one device? And why not pair a tiny pendant or clip to a smartphone? Or make a watch?
SOURCE: Laurie Orlov’s blog – Read entire story here.
