How Can I Learn to Use a Smartphone

[racyrick]

I am 62 years old and will be buying my first smartphone.

I will probably purchase the Asus Zenfone 2 as it seems to have the most bang for the buck, although I will only be using the phone for basic things like making calls, sms, internet surfing, pictures and maybe some gaming for my son.

My fear is that I will not be able to learn how to use it.

It comes with no manual or start up guide.

How can I learn to use the phone? Will it be easy?

All suggestions appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[HooHaa]

its hardly rocket science, buy it, charge it, turn it on. your son will most certainly know how to use it.

[sulasno]

Practice makes perfect. Keep fiddling till it breaks lol

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

[nikmar]

The same as me. I had to get one as my boss required me to get the Line app. and Im a complete technophobe.

Bought it and played with it. Although I cant do the same sort of stuff that my Niece can do, nor do i want to, I can do what I want to do. ie/ download music.

It's really a lot easier than it looks.

[dddave]

Just go to YouTube. Search "Zenphone2" and you will find dozens of tutorial and review videos that will show the phone in operation. Some of the videos will be skillfully made and very helpful, some almost unwatchable trash so if one you select seems amateurish, cut it and go on to another.

You can also search "Android Lollypop tutorial" and you will gets loads of visual information. Nothing like seeing it done.

I would add: while the Zenphone-2 is an excellent phone with great specs, Asus insists on pre-loading it with the most extensive array of useless bloatware of any phone on the market which I could see being very confusing to a new user. The good news is that Asus also builds in the option of a simplified home screen that would be easier for you.

For your needs, you will get along very well with the far less expensive 2gb ram/16gbROM version rather than the much more expensive 3gbRAM/32 or 64gbROM models.

Actually; I'm sure your son will have a bunch of friends who know all about smartphones, tablets games and every other aspect of usage...in this case, the young can teach the old.

Edited December 9, 2015 by dddave

[racyrick]

Thanks for the comments, replies, suggestions and laughs.

My son is only 10 years old, so don't know how much help he can give me, but no question that kids know this stuff and learn a lot easier then us old people.

[canuckamuck]

My dad is 80 and has never used a computer, but I got him a tablet, which is the same thing as a smart phone, and he caught on just about right away.

Just find anyone of your friends that has a smartphone and say, show me how to use this. You will have the basics down in about 5 minutes.

Then you will wonder how you lived without it.

[HooHaa]

Thanks for the comments, replies, suggestions and laughs.

My son is only 10 years old, so don't know how much help he can give me, but no question that kids know this stuff and learn a lot easier then us old people.

you are not giving your son credit, any 10 year old worth their salt these days knows their way around a phone, irrespective of make.

[ignis]

One with a stylus is better... easier to control what is is doing, or you want it to do..

Some friends have different makes, but the ones without the pointer, and nothing but a pain, any movement and the thing comes alive and does all sorts of things.

No do not have a Smartphone of any kind, OK with the Tablet, but also goes all over the place if I try to use my finger, thankfully bought it with the stylus pen..

Edited December 9, 2015 by ignis

[Aachen]

"I will only use it for ...." this is the most wrong sentence used BEFORE buying such a thing. Trust your son, but try to have some time where you are allowed to use your phone.

What do you want to say by : I am 62??? My oldest tablet/computer using girl friend died last year with 88. Fit with the phone, tablet and computer... So what?

Learning by doing was here motto.

[Deli]

Ask a bar girl for a ST, pay her 1k THB and she will teach you everything you need to know

[Colabamumbai]

I'm 65 and want to buy one also but like you I am not technology smart, I use a regular cell phone does not even take photos, this after teaching computers to students for years in Thailand.

I would need someone to show me how to use an I phone.

[Pdavies99]

Wow! If you dont know how to use a computer, then I give you one week before you hate it. Good luck!

[hanssna]

In the beer bar. Buy a breezer for a lady and she will show you. Gives you something to chat about as well

[WhizBang]

its hardly rocket science, buy it, charge it, turn it on. your son will most certainly know how to use it.

How true. In fact, his son can probably teach him everything he needs to know.

[WhizBang]

My mother is 92 years old. Last year I gave her a smartphone. It took about a week with lots of questions and trial and error, but she finally got the hang of it. Now she WhatsApps me almost daily. Mostly about how to fix yet another computer issue she is encountering, LOL.

But it's great, she loves it and we now communicate more than ever.

[user82374298374]

Going with Android is a huge mistake.

Pony up and get an iPhone 6S Plus, with at least 64GB of storage. That way you'll have the easiest smartphone to use, with the most applications and readily-available and legal content, and a nice large screen so that you can read it easily.

[canuckamuck]

Going with Android is a huge mistake.

Pony up and get an iPhone 6S Plus, with at least 64GB of storage. That way you'll have the easiest smartphone to use, with the most applications and readily-available and legal content, and a nice large screen so that you can read it easily.

And with the IPhone you get to pay about 4 times what is needed to buy the smart phone the OP needs.

And you get the bonus of stuck in the Apple ecosystem.

[stephenterry]

I got a vivo for 5k. It does everything I need it for which is about the same as the op . Decent camera also. Needs a 16k memory card for basic apps.

[asdecas]

People over sixty should be prohibited from owning smartphones; they clog up forums, chatrooms, comment boards and drive friends and strangers alike mental with their incessant questions.

Give them all a complimentary Nokia 100 and tell them to get on with it, I say.

[gandalf12]

Give me your email address I have a manual for that phone

[fvw53]

You can also try to download the manual from the internet (choose English version)

https://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/HelpDesk_Manual/

[sulasno]

Buy one that is 4g lte

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

[gemguy]

Get a girl friend.....she will help you figure it out....

They love those man made modern gadgets and seem to be naturals at figuring out how to work them.

[jippytum]

My friend persuaded me to purchase one some time ago .I found it most difficult and frustrating .I tried to sell it for half price and no one would buy it from me..I persevered and now would not be without it . Please switch off data roaming that cost me a few quid before someone advised me .

Anyway good luck with your purchase.

[freebyrd]

Easy one this, just ask anyone under 25 to show you the ropes, they will be able to do it blindfolded. Just don't engage in general conversation with them and expect it to last more than 20 seconds.

[watcharacters]

You probably already know this but just in case..http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Asus-ZenFone-2_id9050/manual

[Brit_Doggie]

SAme age as you op takes a little time to master but keep playing with it it comes easy.

[laislica]

I'm 65 and want to buy one also but like you I am not technology smart, I use a regular cell phone does not even take photos, this after teaching computers to students for years in Thailand.

I would need someone to show me how to use an I phone.

My Thai wife was 50+, never used a smart anything. I got ger a Samsung Galaxy and she had it off pat in just a few days.

Now we put in a memory card of 32 Gb to store the hundreds of photos.

This year in Spain, I bought her a Samsung smart TV so she could watch Thai stuff.

Again, she only needed a few minutes to get a grip of it.

By the way, although her spoken English is OK she doesn't read so I am impressed with her progress.

You Tube tutorials are all you need, although you can download a user manual but they are hopless compared to the video tutorials.

First time we flew a passenger showed her how to select flight mode and even how to switch the thing on or off...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Smartphone-for-SeniorsDummies/

Just go for it!

Edited December 9, 2015 by laislica

[tonray]

This entire thread frightens me...seriously how are you folks not institutionalized ? 62 and cannot figure out a cell phone...scary to walk the same streets with you