Simplify your life with a new Doro phone

If you're looking for a cheap, no-nonsense phone that's simple to use, Doro might just be the brand for you.

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Doro 6520		2.8	240 x 320	128MB	800	Buy at eBay View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What to consider when choosing a Doro phone

Doro phones are quite unlike your typical modern smartphone, and shopping for one requires a different perspective from the one needed when weighing up the latest iPhone. You need to be prepared for compromise in exchange for simplicity, especially in the following key areas:

• Internal storage

  The inbuilt storage on most Doro phones is minimal, with just enough space to accommodate the operating system and to store basic data like contact information and text messages. Some models come with as little as 128MB of internal storage, though most support expansion via microSD cards for those who want room to store photos and music. Support for large microSD cards isn't guaranteed, though, so be sure to check the specs when comparing different models.

• Screen size

  Most Doro phones are modelled after handsets of the early 2000s, adopting flip-phone designs and full numeric keypads. This approach extends to their screens, which are typically around 2-3 inches and driven by physical menu buttons instead of a touch interface. Unsurprisingly, this makes Doro phones impractical for visually intricate activities like watching videos or navigating image-heavy websites. If you intend on reading more than the occasional text message or email, Doro is probably not for you.

• Price

  Doro's streamlined focus serves it well on the price front. Most of its basic handsets retail for around $100-$150, making them suitable for pairing with a cheap prepaid SIM card. This is, in fact, the only way to purchase and use a Doro phone in Australia as no local mobile providers currently offer Doro handsets on contract.

• Headphone jack

  In keeping with its retro aesthetic, Doro continues to include the 3.5mm headphone jack on its handsets. It also offers Bluetooth support, so you can use both traditional wired headphones and wireless headphones with your Doro phone as you please.

• Security options

  The barebones approach to phone design is both a boon and a burden for security on Doro's phones. Because most run Doro's proprietary operating system and don't support apps, automatic downloads or other features that expose your phone to third parties, there is far less chance for them to run afoul of malware or other malicious attacks. At the same time, Doro phones don't benefit from the steady stream of firmware updates that modern Android and iOS handsets do, so any security holes that might exist will likely remain open for the life of the phone. However, given Doro's target audience, the locked-down ecosystem provides plenty of security.

• Camera quality

  Put bluntly, the camera quality on Doro phones is dismal. Odds are, most Doro phone owners will never touch the camera at all, except maybe as a handy shortcut for remembering things rather than typing out a text note. For anything more than that, you'll want to use a dedicated digital camera instead.

• Network speed and support

  While Doro phones can access the Internet, they're not built for anything more than the lightest of web browsing. This is evident in the fact that most handsets only support 3G networks rather than the common and much faster 4G networks. 3G coverage is available in more parts of Australia than 4G is, but Internet speeds are often many times slower. Once again, this is likely to be a minor issue for Doro's primary demographic.

• Wireless charging/quick charging

  Since both wireless charging and quick charging are features aimed at heavy smartphone users, it should come as no surprise that Doro's phones do not support either technology. Its handsets stick with traditional wired power chargers that can take multiple hours to juice a phone back up to full.

• Battery life

  The batteries included in Doro's phones are just a fraction of the size most modern smartphones use, and in a traditional head-to-head test, this leads to battery life hours shorter than you'd see from the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S. Doro's phones aren't built for the same heavy use as an iPhone, though, and if you're only making the occasional phone call or text, a single charge can last you multiple weeks. 

• Waterproof design

  For as pared-back as Doro's phones are, they still suffer from the same weakness to water that most modern technology does. However, where recent smartphones are starting to feature waterproof designs, most Doro handsets include no official water resistance and are instead susceptible to damage from spilled drinks or sudden rain. If your Doro phone is going to be buried safely in your bag 99% of the time, this may not be a big issue, but it's worth keeping in mind all the same.

• Performance

  Doro makes its phones just as powerful as they need to be to handle calls and texts, and that's about it. Don't expect snappy menus, slick visual effects or fast photos; Doro's handsets use a stripped-back, 2000s-era operating system for a reason, and even then buttons and menus may respond slower than is optimal.

  However, as with all the shortcomings of Doro phones, lacklustre performance is unlikely to be a major concern if you're only going to be using your phone for basic calling and texting.

Which Doro phone is best?

Categorising any particular phone as "the best" is typically a fool's errand, since the features that make a phone "the best" are inevitably going to differ from person to person. Knowing this, we here at finder prefer instead to highlight our top picks based on our many years of experience reviewing smartphones in Australia. We take the broadest view possible when selecting our top handsets, but that doesn't mean they're necessarily right for you, so make sure to adjust our recommendations according to your own situation.

finder's pick

Doro 6520

Simply simple

The Doro 6520 does away with the finicky touch screens and innumerable apps of modern smartphones in favour of no-nonsense functionality that is accessible to all phone users.

Buy Now

By virtue of being one of the only Doro handsets currently available in Australia, the 6520 almost takes our top pick slot by default. Fortunately, availability isn't the only thing it has going for it as the clamshell handset represents a smart balance of simplicity and functionality that lends itself well to those tired of the complexities of modern technology. The basic processor, limited storage and 3G-only network connectivity are more than adequate for standard calling and texting, and the built-in web browser makes light Internet surfing a possibility, too. At the reasonable price of around $100, the 6520 is a welcoming alternative to the increasingly confusing world of high-tech smartphones.

Looking for a Doro Phone on a plan?

Because of Doro's low-cost nature, it doesn't really make sense to pair the phone with a mobile contract plan. Instead, you can pick it up cheaply and pair it with one of these prepaid mobile plans under $20 per month.

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Doro 6520: Plans | Pricing | Specs

With a flip-phone design, easy-to-press buttons and a raft of accessibility features, the Doro 6520 is a simple alternative to the complexities of modern smartphones Read more…