Sometimes people want to have a cell phone just in case of emergencies, for example:

• if they are in danger or if a natural disaster occurs
• if they have lost their usual cell phones with all their contacts and their numbers
• if they are travelling and need a cell phone compatible with any type of SIM card
•  if they are people that require constant care and need to be in contact with a member of their family, a doctor or a friend

So they require a very simple cell phone with just the main features: making and receiving calls and sending and receiving SMS. A cell phone without unnecessary features such as a built-in camera, internet access, Bluetooth  but with a long lasting battery life. A cell phone that is very easy to use. That anyone, particularly seniors and kids, can use.

While some companies have designed and launched cell phones with the latest technologies (camera, microphone, internet access, voice recognition, games, mobile television…), others have decided to keep their cell phones as simple as possible and make customer safety a priority. Let’s discover some of the cell phones for emergency use that are available on the market.

A cell phone that runs with an AA battery:

The SpareOne phone is a cell phone that offers up to 10 hours of talk time on just a single AA battery. It was launched this year by an American company and focus on a very specific aspect of emergency needs: power supply. Among its features we have: an emergency flash-light, the automatic transmission of the cell phone’s location via the cell ID, the ability of pre-programming the phone with important phone numbers for easy access, the fact that it comes in 2 different GSM frequencies and covers the entire world and finally the capability of doing emergency calls with or without a SIM card. This cell phone will always be ready when needed; it can keep its charge for up to 15 years when not used. It was particularly designed for emergency situations, especially for natural disasters. When earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes take place, people are left without power for several days. A cell phone with a battery inserted and already charged can be the solution.

http://spareone.com/

A cell phone with a SOS button included:

Just5 is another cell phone that has been designed for emergency situations. The cell phone has a SOS button in the back, to use in case of emergency.  Let’s discover how this device works! With this cell phone, the user can pre-set up to five phone numbers (family, friends, doctors, 911). When something occurs, the user has only to press the emergency SOS button in the back of his cell phone and automatically an urgent message will be texted to the five numbers he has pre-set. After sending an SMS, the cell phone will dial them in prioritized order. When dialling, the phone will sound a loud siren to attract the attention of people surrounding the user in danger. Once someone answers a call, the phone automatically switches to speaker mode for easier communication.

This cell phone is also very easy to use, it has big buttons and amplified sound. It allows users to make and receive calls and to send and receive SMS. Moreover it has a long-lasting battery for reliability.

http://www.just5.com/home.php

A cell phone with an address book and a pen included:

John’s Phone is a very simple cell phone, with no unnecessary features such as: a camera, text messaging, an endless number of ring tones and wallpapers… Users can only make and receive calls with it. It is very easy to operate. Moreover John’s Phone can be used worldwide. It is a no-contract cell phone, compatible with any type of SIM card (national and international ones). It also  has a long-lasting battery with a  standby time of more than 3 weeks.

This phone has also been designed for emergency situations. In the back of the phone there is a small opening with an address book and a pen. In this address book, the user can note the main phone numbers he needs in case of emergency (family, friends, doctors…) and has easy access to them, even if the cell phone is switched off or the battery has run out. Moreover the user can write its personal information and the information of the person to contact if something happens to him. This way, everyone can have access to this information in case of emergency. This cell phone is ideal for people travelling a lot.

http://johnsphones.org/

Cell phones especially designed for kids:

            Some emergency cell phones have also been designed for kids. Cell phones where numbers can be pre-set, kids have only to press the corresponding numbered key to dial. They are very easy to use. Moreover, the contact list of these cell phones is protected by a password. Kids cannot change a number, add a new contact or dial new numbers.  LG Migo VX1000 and Firefly are some examples of these cell phones which have also been developed for emergency situations.

For example both cell phones have a dedicated emergency key. Kids have only to hold down this dedicated key for three seconds and the cell phones will automatically call 911 or another programmed emergency number. Moreover, with one of these cell phones (the LG Migo VX1000 cell phone) thanks to the GPS  parents can easily track their children.  Some operators (such as Verizon) even allow parents to designate child-safe areas for their child and whenever the child leaves that area, it will alert them via a text message. These cell phones are ideal for children between 5 to 10 years old, who can use them when they get lost in a shopping mall, in a supermarket or when something has happened to them… although they are designed to provide peace of mind to parents!

http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-VX1000-migo

http://www.fireflymobile.com/

While we are on the subject of cell phones for emergency use there are also some emergency programs that work with any type of cell phone (cell phones with the latest technologies that just need to be unlocked and working), such as the program ICE ‘In Case of Emergency’. What ICE is about?

ICE was conceived and promoted by British Paramedic Bob Brotchie in May 2005. It is a program that encourages people to store emergency contacts in their cell phones under the name ‘ICE’. Multiple emergency contacts as: ‘ICE1’, ‘ICE2’… can be stored. This way, in the event of an emergency, first responders (police officers, firefighters, paramedics…) know the names and the phone numbers of the persons that would like to be contacted by the victim and have easily access to the personal, medical and support information of the victim.

These phone entries could supplement or complement written information and indicators, such as tags or identification cards wear on bracelets, necklaces, wallets, purses… But, in order to have access to them,  the cell phones need to be working and unlocked. For security purposes, many users lock their cell phones and to have access to their phone book entries a password is needed. To resolve this problem, many mobile manufacturers have conceived some mechanisms that allow to display some text while the cell phone is blocked: ‘In case of emergency contact…’ or to have access to the ICE contacts even when the cell phone is blocked. For example,  BlackBerry mobiles permit the ‘Owner’ information to be set in the Settings → Options → Owner menu item and in iPhone 4S models, the Siri service (an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator which works as an application for Apple’s iOS. The application uses a  natural language user interface to answer questions and make recommendations) can access the emergency contacts in ICE by asking Siri verbally ‘contacts ICE’, even when the iPhone 4S is locked.

Emergency contact information is frequently vital to facilitate treatment during life-threatening situations, that is why this program has become very popular and it is now used in Europe, Australia and North America.

Finally, we have seen that simplicity and security can also be the main priorities for cell phones designers and manufacturers. Several simple and easy to operate emergency cell phones have been launched recently. And for those users who prefer to possess a cell phone with the latest technologies, special programs aiming mobile users’ security have been conceived. A lot is going on in this domain! Would you add an ICE contact to your mobile phone?