The saying goes that death and taxes are the only two things that are certain in life. We can also add aging to this list. Almost every country in Europe has more than a fifth of its population aged 65 and over, and the world population of people aged 80 and over probably exceeds 150 million. To say that this market has too often been marginalized due to its perceived technophobia would be an understatement, and a growing number of companies are jumping on the bandwagon to design personal communication devices aimed exclusively at more mature users; welcome to the world of tablets for seniors. One of them is the GrandPad, an Android tablet produced by Acer that aims to connect more retirees with the outside world through a series of integrated services. Please note that the hotfix covers a UK version of the product with UK-focused services; US customers may get a different package.
Prices and availability
The GrandPad tablet is available in the US directly for € 696 per year when paid in advance, or € 58 per month billed annually, a 26% savings with free setup and shipping. Techsilver is the exclusive UK partner and rents the GrandPad for € 59.95 per month with VAT relief (billed annually) or € 69.95 per month with VAT relief (billed monthly). Customers can claim this 20% discount if they receive VAT relief (see more on Gov.uk).
(Image credit: Avenir)
Integrated
Externally, this tablet unsurprisingly looks like a standard 7-inch Android device. The model we received had a red folding case that doubles into a wireless charging stand and dock, both included as standard. There is also a fancy pencil and cleaning cloth in the box.
(Image credit: Avenir) But don't be fooled by the looks, this is a purposefully locked tablet that can confuse you at times. You send the GrandPad to sleep by folding the cover down, not by pressing the power button; Such a cover is attached to the tablet quite conveniently so that you cannot accidentally remove it. However, the cover can be removed by popping each of the corners with your fingertips.
(Image credit: Avenir) There's a rear camera, a microUSB connector for charging, a headphone jack but no volume control or HDMI-out ports. Once opened, you are faced with a slightly shiny screen covered with an oleophobic coating. A pair of speakers sits on each side of the screen with a camera sensor to the left.
(Image credit: Avenir) Overall, the GrandPad looks sturdy, but it's not a rugged tablet. We dread to think what will happen when it hits a hard surface. We would prefer to have a better protected device; on the other hand, GrandPad comes with accidental damage insurance; your tablet will be replaced if damaged, no questions asked.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Use
GrandPad emphasized that this is a package and should be considered as such. This includes unlimited 4G internet connection with unlimited phone calls, unlimited photo and video storage, 24/7 support and help from a dedicated person based in "native English speaking countries" (our contact was Joyce). GrandPad has partnered with 7Digital to stream music ad-free (30 million songs according to marketing copy). At the time of writing, Three was selling an unlimited plan for €20 per month, while music streaming service Spotify was selling for €9.99 per month, albeit with offline playback, while unlimited storage for photos and videos may cost you an additional €50. by year. That said, 4G performance wasn't great; We recorded 13 Mbps download and a measly 3 Mbps, which is about the speed of 3G.
(Image credit: Avenir) Of course, this is unlikely to be noticed by the user, since there are no high-bandwidth applications like video games or resource-intensive graphics games. Unsurprisingly, the entire tablet is designed to provide a simple, intuitive, and straightforward user experience for a market with diverse needs. Parents know that young children seem to intuitively know how to use a touch screen, but this is not always the case for the older generation, whose ability runs the gamut due to differences in cognition and fitness. It's no surprise, then, that there's no physical brightness or power-saving toggle feature to turn off the device or screen to avoid creating doubt and confusion. There's no need to plug in anything itself, which is a boon for arthritis sufferers.
(Image credit: Avenir) The user interface is spartan, with large colored buttons on a gray background and very clearly arranged. The text is about 20 in size, very readable, and can be moved using the arrows and dragging. Nothing is taken for granted, so there is text attached to each button. There are 15 buttons that are basically shortcuts to specific tasks. Internet is a simplified browser with access to five favorite websites that the user can modify at any time using the help button or the family manager. Users can also go to any website they want using the "search" feature, but the family manager can turn this feature on or off.
(Image credit: Avenir) Then there's calling, basically the ability to call using a phone keypad. By default, GrandPad includes the name of someone close to the user (probably the "ICE", in an emergency, a family member or a designated family manager). Please note that the GrandPad cannot receive calls or texts unless it has its own phone number which the family manager may have changed to any UK landline prefix or UK mobile number, from the GrandPad central administration website. There is also limited access to email and text messages; there's no on-screen keyboard except for search (look up an encyclopedia or dictionary) and for entering the Wi-Fi password. Instead, "emails" are delivered by voice as an audio clip; speech-to-text conversion would have been too complicated. However, a QWERTY keyboard can be added upon request. A few emails from the GrandPad team had already hit our inbox, one of them announcing tournament winners for an online event, all free and included in the package. For this particular event, Sandra in Woodbridge, UK played the most games and won a prize. No registration required per se, just play the game (she has 18 types, all old favourites) during the posted time window. It's a subtle and effective way to reduce isolation and loneliness for GrandPad users.
(Image credit: Avenir) The rest are pretty standard features, though Zoom Video Call, given the current pandemic, is probably a popular choice for video conferencing with family and friends.
(Image credit: Avenir) We spoke with Joyce, our designated support team member, and she explained that GrandPad users call all the time to discuss mundane things like the weather, as well as troubleshoot support issues. The help desk can remotely manage the device, including configuring the GrandPad (for example, we asked for a battery icon to be added). They will also send messages when the device is about to turn off. What surprised us was the fact that this is a 24/7/365 operation with calls handled by the US team. Oh, and there's no interactive voice response. or call center shenanigans involved as our calls were answered within seconds. A few words about GrandPad Central; Available through a desktop browser or through a mobile app, it's the family management command center. From here you can get an overview of your tablet usage and enable or disable specific apps and features.
Final verdict
The GrandPad reminds us of the Pebble Gear Disney kids' tablet we recently reviewed. In both cases, these are tablets running on Google's mobile operating system, but GrandPad offers it as a service: the tablet is essentially a gift for the duration of the subscription, while the Kids tablet has separate services and materials. . Both had to be purchased separately. However, the GrandPad works on another level; the level of attention to small details is extraordinary. It is truly a white glove service as long as you accept the extreme "limits" of the service for the good of the public you serve. As for the quality/price ratio, of course, we could try to mimic what GrandPad did, but we'd miss the point and end up with a half-baked, poorly integrated product that, well, will disintegrate after a few days and transform the buyer into a permanent assistance service on call. Price - GrandPad GrandPad: ▼