30 July 2025

emporia's Karin Schaumberger (photo by emporia)

 

emporia, the Austrian pioneer in accessible mobile technology, has launched its 7 Series, a line of affordable, accessible Android smartphones engineered for longevity and ease of‑use. Positioned squarely at the intersection of durability, simplicity, and inclusivity, the new models run Android 15 in a responsive, pocket‑friendly format tailored for those who want technology to serve—never overwhelm.

In an interview with MoveTheNeedle.news, Karin Schaumberger, CSMO at emporia, explained how the 7 Series aligns with the company’s mission: “We want to make digitalization accessible to everyone. It is unacceptable that still, millions of people (especially older people) are excluded from e‑banking, online ticketing or electronic health applications.”

emporia: A Brief Company Background

Founded in 1991 in Linz, Austria, by Albert Fellner, emporia became the first company to design mobile phones specifically for seniors. After Fellner stepped down in 2015, emporia continued under the sole ownership of Eveline Pupeter, who joined in 2003 and now leads the company with a seasoned management team. The firm employs approximately 115 people and maintains offices across Europe—including Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Milan, and Paris—as well as in Shenzhen, China.

emporia have sold over 20 million devices, including both feature phones and smartphones, with annual sales of around 600,000 units. The company is focused on users who value simplicity and safety—but still want smartphone capability.

Central to its design ethos is the marriage of high-tech functionality and intuitive usability. As Schaumberger remarks, “Our great strength lies in combining high‑tech with ease of use. To this end, we collaborate with research institutions, universities and directly with our target groups. We regularly invite focus groups to work with us on the development of new devices and applications.”

The 7 Series: Feature Highlights That Matter

emporia’s new 7 Series smartphones are built around practical, high-impact features:

• A physical “No‑Panic” emergency button, easy to locate by touch even in low light, configurable as a shortcut (e.g. launching Google Gemini voice assistant).
• Flash notification, making it impossible to miss calls or messages.
• Dual interface mode: standard Android or an optimized emporia UI with large panels and text, simplifying calls, emails, and favourite apps.
• The emporiaCoach App, designed to onboard digital newcomers via guided tutorials.
• A patented Smart Cover and a docking cradle for easy charging and accessibility.
• Hearing aid compatibility and accessibility-minded hardware.
• emporia Info Centre, which aggregates notifications—from WhatsApp to voicemail—into a single glance.
• Voice input guidance polished through focus group workshops emphasizing speech recognition to simplify interaction.

Schaumberger highlighted design considerations: “Screen Size: The 7 Series comes in a pocket‑friendly 5.45in format… older people often have limited hand span. A smaller format is helpful…” She also noted tactile volume and panic buttons placed for quick access, and durability features such as user-replaceable batteries, tested for up to 1,000 charging cycles and designed to last with Android upgrade support spanning five generations. Spare parts will remain available for at least seven years.

Addressing the Digital Divide and Its Consequences

In 2019, about 14% of EU adults aged 16–74 reported not having used the internet in the previous 3 months. For ages 65–74, a striking 43% had not used the internet in the prior 3 months in 2019—more than three times the rate of the general adult population. Internet usage is closely linked with smartphone ownership—those who are offline typically lack smartphones too.

While smartphone penetration continues to rise, also among the elderly, this remains an issue as in many countries, a smartphone is often the gateway to essential digital services—e-banking, telehealth, public services, and more. So the consequences of not being digitally savvy extend beyond inconvenience:

• Exclusion from e‑banking, telehealth, and government services face reduced autonomy and increased dependence.
• People may be more vulnerable to fraud, isolation, and missing out on economic and educational opportunities entirely.
• Human rights advocates urge governments to treat inclusive digital access as essential for dignity and participation.

emporia’s products and outreach directly aim to challenge this gap by making smartphones usable, secure, and affordable for all users, including the elderly.

emporia’s Dual Strategy: Retain and Attract

Schaumberger describes a two-pronged market approach:

1. Keeps loyal core users (65+) by preserving the familiar emporia interface, ensuring easy transition to new hardware.
2. Appeals to younger users through modernized features—such as NFC, fingerprint recognition, or using the panic button as a customizable shortcut.

This strategic evolution shows how emporia is balancing continuity for seniors with innovation for broader adoption. “Looking to the future, our focus is on how AI can make our products easier for our users on various levels,” said Schaumberger. “This year and next year, specifically, our focus is on promoting voice control on our devices.”

Putting It All Together: The Significance of the 7 Series

• The 7 Series delivers Android 15 in a simplified form that honours familiarity—while providing modern capabilities.
• Features like the panic button, info centre, and coach app reduce friction and emotional barriers.
• Hardware built to last—with renewable battery access, upgradeable OS, and extended parts support—aligns with sustainable and user-friendly design principles.
• By placing voice and gesture control centerstage, emporia responds to accessibility needs and future-proofs the devices against evolving user comfort patterns.

Integrating these elements underlines emporia’s strategic mission: making digital inclusion not just possible, but meaningful—for seniors across Europe.

Final Thoughts

emporia’s 7 Series meets a real need: in a world where people are increasingly targeted by digital services, making smartphones work for everyone is a social imperative. This isn’t just about the elderly. Many individuals—across age groups—find digital interfaces and app ecosystems intimidating. In surveys, about 9% of non-smartphone users felt smartphones were too complicated or that they lacked the skills to use them. Emporia is showing that user‑centred design—backed by research, focused on voice, safety, and durability—can enable anyone to participate fully in a digital society.