The "silver economy" — everything designed for people over 60 — is one of the fastest-growing markets on the planet.
By 2030, the global spending power of consumers aged 60+ will exceed $15 trillion annually (Oxford Economics, 2023). In Europe alone, the 65+ population will reach 30 % of the total by 2050 (Eurostat, 2024).
Japan already has more than 36 million people over 65 — 29 % of its population (Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs, September 2025). These are not bedridden pensioners: 72 % of Europeans aged 65–74 use the internet daily (Eurostat Digital Economy and Society Index 2025), and in the U.S. 61 % of adults over 70 own a smartphone (Pew Research, Q3 2025).
Yet when it comes to the most important everyday device — the smartphone — the industry offers only two extremes:
- “Dumb” feature phones with huge buttons and no apps (market share in the 65+ segment fell from 42 % in 2018 to 11 % in 2024, Counterpoint Research).
- Full-fledged flagship or mid-range Android/iOS devices that require the same digital dexterity as a 25-year-old TikTok creator.
There is nothing in between. No modern, secure, app-capable “babkofon” that respects both the capabilities and the limitations of older users. The gap is glaring.
Why the middle ground disappeared
Ten years ago the market was different. Brands like Doro (Sweden), Emporia (Austria), and even Nokia sold simplified smartphones with physical home buttons, pre-installed grandkid-approved apps, and hearing-aid compatibility. Peak sales came in 2016–2018: Doro reached almost 2 million units annually in Europe alone. Then the tide turned.
Apple and Google relentlessly stripped physical buttons and simplified gestures to the point where even tech-savvy users sometimes struggle. Component prices for custom large-button keypads rose while standard touchscreens became cheaper.
Most damagingly, carriers and retailers discovered that seniors who buy a €900 iPhone generate far higher ARPU than (Average Revenue Per User) than someone stuck on a €79 feature phone. The incentive structure flipped: why sell a €250 senior phone once when you can sell a €800 flagship every two years plus expensive data plans?
Result: almost every dedicated senior-phone brand either went bankrupt, pivoted to medical alert devices, or was absorbed into low-end Android makers in China that quietly dropped the “easy mode” features. By 2024, Counterpoint Research could identify only 1.3 million dedicated senior smartphones sold worldwide — less than 0.1 % of the total market.
What seniors actually need in 2025
Research paints a clear picture of the compromise device that does not exist:
- 84 % of users over 65 want WhatsApp/Telegram/Viber to stay in touch with family (AARP Technology Survey 2025).
- 67 % want a decent camera to photograph grandchildren and documents (Silver Voices UK, 2024).
- 58 % use mobile banking or government services at least monthly (Eurobarometer 2025).
- At the same time, 73 % report accidental clicks, 61 % fear scams, and 49 % say the phone “does things by itself” (University of Madrid usability study, 2024).
The ideal “babkofon” would therefore combine:
- Large 6.5–7.0" high-brightness screen with optional high-contrast “super-simple” mode.
- Three or four physical buttons (Call Grandchild #1, Camera, SOS, Home) that cannot be reprogrammed accidentally.
- Curated app store limited to 30–40 vetted applications (banking, pharmacy, taxi, video calls, news, weather, magnifying glass, medication reminders).
- NFC disabled by default (to prevent skimming), Bluetooth restricted to hearing aids and medical devices only.
- Built-in scam protection that blocks known fraud numbers and flags suspicious messages in real time (Israel’s Bank Hapoalim reduced senior fraud losses 68 % with similar tech in 2024).
- One-click “Grandchild Setup Mode” that lets a younger relative lock down features, enlarge everything, and whitelist contacts in under two minutes.
- 6,000–7,000 mAh battery for 4–5 days of typical senior usage (Jitterbug Smart3 in the U.S. already proved demand for this; its successor sold out repeatedly in 2024 despite costing $499).
Who tried and why they failed
- Switzerland’s Swissvoice tried in 2022 with the C50 — a €379 Android phone with physical buttons and a simplified launcher. Sold fewer than 40,000 units and was discontinued in 2024.
- Japan’s Fujitsu Arrows Senior Smartphone line (2020–2023) had excellent hardware but was tied to Docomo contracts and never exported.
- RAZ Mobility (U.S.) launched the Memory Phone in 2023 with extreme simplification, but priced it at $409 + mandatory $40/month plan — too expensive for mass adoption.
All suffered from the same problems: tiny marketing budgets, no carrier subsidies, and the perception that “real” smartphones are a status symbol even for 80-year-olds.
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The opportunity is enormous
If a credible brand launched a proper 2026 babkofon at €299–€399 with carrier partnerships, analysts estimate first-year sales of 8–12 million units globally (Canalys Senior Devices Forecast, October 2025 preliminary). That would instantly create a new device category larger than foldables. Add government subsidies (France already reimburses up to €200 for “digital inclusion” devices for low-income seniors) and the numbers become even more attractive.
The silver wave is coming. Hearing aids, walking frames, and retirement villages all have billion-dollar industries built around them. The smartphone — the single object seniors interact with more than any other — remains the last major category that treats older users as an afterthought. Someone, somewhere, is going to build the babkofon. The only question is who gets there first and whether they will call it that.
