For seniors, smartphones can seem intimidating due to tiny text, low earpiece volume, and complicated software and menus. The $200 Doro 824 SmartEasy is built with these concerns in mind. Available on Consumer Cellular, the 824 SmartEasy has large, highly visible apps and icons, a loud, but clear, earpiece for calls, and customized software that guides you through the basics of using apps. Throw in an Emergency Alert button, and the 824 becomes a great option for both seniors and first-time smartphone users alike, and our Editors' Choice for simple smartphones.

Design and Display

The 824 SmartEasy's design stands out, melding a combination of physical buttons, heavy branding, and a black-and-blue color scheme on a polycarbonate body (the phone is also available in all black). At 5.74 by 2.85 by 0.40 inches (HWD) and 5.54 ounces, the 824 has roughly similar dimensions and weight to the Huawei Vision 3 (5.68 by 2.86 by 0.36 inches; 5.64 ounces) and the Motorola Moto G (5.59 by 2.85 by 0.48 inches; 5.47 ounces). It's easy to hold and use in one hand, and the physical buttons on the front, side, and back are all within easy reach.

The front of the 824 consists of a 5-inch 1,280-by-720 LCD. It looks clear, with big icons and text making it extra visible for users with poor eyesight. The display gets bright enough to use outdoors and viewing angles are good. Overall, it's a solid display for the price.

Above the screen, you'll find the earpiece and a Doro logo. Below the screen is a physical Home button in the middle, surrounded by an Options button on the left and a Back button on the right, all of which are satisfyingly clicky. They are also backlit, and the Home button has a dimple so you can find it more easily. 

On the right edge of the phone you'll find a volume rocker, power button, and camera button, all of which are clearly labeled. Only the Camera button feels somewhat mushy in comparison with the more responsive power and volume controls. The bottom is home to a micro USB charging port and the top has an audio jack. The left side has dock connectors, intended for use with the included charging dock.

On the back, there's a prominent Consumer Cellular logo and a metallic strip with a speaker and another Doro logo. You'll also find a camera with a single LED flash. The back panel peels off to give you access to a removable battery, a SIM card slot, and a microSD card slot that worked with a 64GB Leef Pro card. Doro has disabled moving apps onto SD cards, so you're mostly limited transferring music and photos.

You'll also find the Emergency Assistance button on the back. Pressing the button three times will automatically make a call to the contact of your choice. The button is flush against the back, so I never accidentally pressed it when the phone was in my pocket.

Network Performance and Audio

Consumer Cellular is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses AT&T and T-Mobile's towers. The carrier has done very well in PCMag's Readers' Choice poll several years in a row.

The phone supports GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz), UMTS (850/1800/1900/2100MHz), and LTE (2/4/5/17) bands. It operated on T-Mobile's network during our testing in midtown Manhattan, where it maintained strong connectivity. Indoors, I saw download speeds range from 3Mbps to 6Mbps. Outdoors, I got a high of 20Mbps. Upload speeds were unusually strong, averaging around 20Mbps both indoors and out.

Call quality is excellent. Transmissions are clear, with a natural tone that doesn't suffer from any distortion or garbling. Earpiece volume is loud, and you shouldn't have any trouble hearing what the person on the other end is saying. Noise cancellation is also strong. I couldn't detect any background noise when making calls on a crowded city street.

Wi-Fi is single band, and there's no NFC, but that's to be expected of phones in this price range. Bluetooth and wired audio are both of decent quality, and there are three audio profiles—Normal, High, and Hearing Aid Compatible (M3/T4). The speaker gets very loud, though it sounds rather tinny. It's loud enough to hear voice calls in noisy environments, but I don't recommend using it for music.