It certainly isn’t the best smartphone, and may not even be the best cell phone for seniors, but the Uleway Flip phone (dual SIM capable) is a senior flip phone that provides a simple mobile experience for its users. The big button design, M1/M2/M3 speed dial, SD card slot, mp3 player, FM radio, and flashlight feature all make this mobile flip phone a suitable option for seniors.
Why We Like It – Uleway Flip
The Uleway Flip is a basic cell phone for seniors. This unlocked flip phone has a large button design, works with your choice of 3G WCDMA SIM card (dual card capable), and has a press-and hold emergency button on the back of the device.
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- Dual SIM Card Capabilities
- Up to 150 Hours of Standby Time
- Comes With A One-Year Warranty
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- Doesn’t Work On CDMA Networks
- Poor Battery Life
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Overall Performance
You can expect a decent performance from this basic flip phone. Unlocked for use on 3G WCDMA networks, these unlocked flip phones can use two SIMs (each on a different band mode) to support two phone numbers on a single device! The phone has 3 buttons (M1/M2/M3) dedicated for easy speed dialing and a hold-to-use SOS button on the back of the device. This feature will call and message emergency contacts in a preset order until one of them answers the call.
Battery Life
These cell phones come with two batteries, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it’s great to have a backup battery. On the other hand, a single 900 mAh lithium battery lacks the energy to last through the day, making an extra battery a necessity. This is definitely an area that needs to be improved upon, as depleting two batteries over the course of one day is simply unacceptable. For a device with exceptional battery life, check out the Nokia 3310 TA-1036 instead.
Display
This phone has two displays: a 2.4” main screen and a 1.8” external display. The 2.4” main display is a fairly common size (also found in the BLU JOY Cell Phone), but the addition on the external display makes it easy to see who’s calling without actually answering the phone. It also shows you your signal, battery life, time, and date on the external 1.8” display. The external screen is a color display, but we almost think it would have been smarter to make it B&W (to increase the battery life).
Durability
No phone is invincible, but the Uleway Flip should be durable enough for daily use. The plastic shell won’t crack easily and is somewhat resistant to scratches. That said, this phone isn’t impact-resistant so you shouldn’t abuse the phone either. Part of the phone’s durability is due to its design, which protects the main screen when closed. On the plus side, even if you do damage the external screen, the rest of the device should work just fine as the external screen is not a necessity. You can get a much more durable smartphone when you get the iPhone SE, which is known to survive a fall of more than 50-feet.
Value
At $53.99, the Uleway Flip is somewhat expensive for the features it offers, but we still think it’s reasonable (and far cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus!). You get free shipping from Amazon.com, and if you decide you don’t like it, you can return the phone for no extra charge. There is a 2-year protection plan available for $13.99, but considering the low value of the device, we probably wouldn’t recommend it. The phone received fairly mixed reviews from Amazon customers, with people either loving or hating it.
Uleway Flip Wrap Up
The Uleway Flip is a simple phone that’s perfect for seniors who mainly stay at home. While the dual SIM capabilities are great for travel, they aren’t much use as they are severely limited by the battery life. The SOS feature makes it an invaluable device for elderly citizens who live alone, so that’s mainly who we’d recommend it to.
