Working together to get results

Emporia has a deep understanding of the behaviours of older consumers when using technology.

Years of customer feedback, in-depth interviews and observations mean that when it comes to designing mobile phones, we know what works and we know how evolving technologies in particular should be presented.

Every product we put on the market must meet strict quality standards, offer outstanding user comfort, and embody the emporia policy of providing simple telephony for everyone. This is both demanding and challenging and is best achieved by talking directly to the people who use our products.

For this reason, the R&D department at emporia works in close collaboration with product testers in the target user group who provide valuable, constructive feedback for the development of the devices. We organise workshops and special mobile phone courses at adult education centres, as well as professional conventions and ideas competitions centred on “mobile communication of the future”.

All the findings are analysed and evaluated in collaboration with our partners at the University of Cambridge, in particular, Professor Ian Hoskins, with whom we have worked for over 10 years. We also have strong ties with Johannes-Kepler University of Linz, the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences and the Hagenberg University of Applied Sciences. All of their input is incorporated into the product development cycle.

Tested and given a 5-star rating.

The end result is mobile phones that are perfectly attuned to the needs of our customers. Take the screens, for example: their maximum width, high-contrast display and the on-screen font specially designed for emporia make text very easy to read.

The keypads feature large and well separated keys that have a clearly identifiable pressure point and provide an audible click when pressed. emporia uses components from the field of mechanical engineering for the precise generation of this sound.

Another innovation is the keypad lock function. Instead of using a complex key combination, emporia mobile phones boast a dedicated button for locking and unlocking the keypad.

All of our phones also have first-class features when it comes to sound and loudspeakers, ergonomics and menu navigation. These include hearing aid compatible loudspeakers, a flashing signal to indicate incoming calls, external side buttons for accessing basic functions and simple, intuitive menu navigation. Another highlight is the pop-up help that automatically appears on the display of some phones if the user delays for longer over an individual menu item.

All of this innovation has been recognised within the industry and emporia handsets have received a number of design and usability awards like the “Plus X Award”, the iF Design Award Gold Medal, and the Universal Design Award Consumer Favourite.