Best Doro Phones for Seniors in Australia: Simple Buying Guide

Doro is a Swedish company that has made phones for older people for more than forty years, and it shows. Where a normal phone makes you hunt for the setting to enlarge the text, a Doro arrives that way. The buttons are big, the menus are short, and there is an emergency button on the back. For someone who finds an ordinary phone fiddly, that thoughtful design is the whole appeal. For the full range of choices, see our guide to the best smartphone for seniors in Australia.

This guide explains the Doro range you can buy in Australia, how the flip phones, bar phones and easy smartphones differ, and which suits whom. We do not quote exact prices, since they change. We point you to where to check.

How the Doro range compares

What they want	Better fit
The newest models, launched in 2026	Doro Leva feature phones or Doro Aurora easy smartphones
The simplest phone, opens to answer and closes to hang up	Doro 6820 or 6880 flip phone
A flip phone, but with WhatsApp and Facebook too	Doro 7030 flip phone
A traditional shape with buttons, not a flip	Doro 5860 bar phone
Apps and video calls, but kept simple	Doro 8050 or 8100 smartphone

What makes a Doro different

Big buttons and clear menus

Every Doro is built around large, finger-sized buttons and a short, plain menu. There is no clutter to get lost in and little to tap by accident. For someone who finds a touchscreen fiddly or the print on a normal phone too small, this is the point of the whole phone.

The assistance button

On the back of every Doro is a dedicated SOS button. Held down, it sends an alert, with the person’s location, to a list of family contacts you set up first. It is reassuring without being a fuss. Just remember it alerts your family, not a monitoring centre, so for someone living alone who needs a guaranteed response, pair it with a proper alarm. Our medical alarms guide explains the difference.

Loud, hearing aid friendly sound

Doro phones are made with older ears in mind. The sound is loud and clear, and the models are hearing aid compatible, which matters if normal phones have become hard to hear. If hearing is the main issue, our phones for hearing difficulties guide is worth a read alongside this.

It must be a 4G model

This is the one real trap with Doro. The company has been around a long time, and some older models, such as the Doro 623 and 6520, are 3G phones. Australia’s 3G networks have closed, so those will not make calls here. The current 4G models are the ones to buy. Always confirm 4G before you pay.

The best Doro phones in Australia

Doro 6820 and 6880, the simple flip phones

These are the heart of the Doro range and the right answer for most people who just want calls and texts. They are 4G flip phones with large buttons, a clear screen, the SOS button and hearing aid compatibility. The 6880 adds clearer caller identification, so the person can see who is ringing before they answer. The appeal is the shape. Opening the phone answers a call and closing it hangs up, which feels natural to anyone who grew up with a landline.

May suit someone who

Wants a phone purely for calls and texts, finds a touchscreen fiddly, and likes the familiar feel of a flip.

Things to check

Set up the SOS contacts and test the button. Save family numbers as the speed-dial favourites so calling is quick.

Plain-English verdict

The simplest, most reassuring phones Doro makes. For a calls-and-texts user, hard to beat.

Doro 7030, the flip with messaging

The 7030 is a 4G flip phone that keeps the simple shape but adds WhatsApp and Facebook, so the person can join the family group chat without moving to a full smartphone. It still has the big buttons, loud sound, torch and SOS button. For someone who wants to see the grandchildren’s messages and photos but does not want a touchscreen phone, it is a clever middle ground.

May suit someone who

Loves the flip shape but wants to keep up with family on WhatsApp or Facebook.

Things to check

The messaging apps work on the smaller keypad, so set realistic expectations. It is for reading and short replies, not long typing.

Plain-English verdict

A neat halfway house. The flip simplicity, with just enough messaging to stay in the loop.

Doro 5860, the bar phone

Not everyone likes a flip. The 5860 is a 4G bar phone, the traditional shape with the screen above and the keypad below, all in one piece. It has the same large buttons, loud sound and SOS button. Some people simply prefer this familiar layout to opening and closing a phone.

May suit someone who

Wants a simple button phone in the classic shape rather than a flip.

Things to check

As with the flips, set up the SOS contacts and save family as favourites before handing it over.

Plain-English verdict

The same Doro simplicity in the traditional shape. Choose it over the flips purely on which feel the person prefers.

Doro 8050 and 8100, the easy smartphones

When the person does want apps, video calls and a proper camera, but kept simple, the Doro smartphones are the answer. The 8050 and 8100 run Android underneath but lay it out with a large, clear, step-by-step menu designed for older users, plus the SOS button. You get the family video call and the banking app, without the cluttered home screen of a normal smartphone. They cost more than a basic Samsung for similar hardware, and that premium buys the simpler layout.

May suit someone who

Wants the things a smartphone does, but finds a normal one overwhelming and would rather have it laid out simply.

Things to check

Weigh the price against a Samsung Galaxy A-series in Easy Mode, which can do a similar job for less. The Doro wins on simplicity, the Samsung on price and local support.

Plain-English verdict

A genuine smartphone with the confusion taken out. The best Doro for someone ready to do a little more than calls and texts.

The newer ranges: Doro Aurora and Doro Leva (2026)

In 2026 Doro added two brand new ranges, so it is worth knowing the names before you shop. The Doro Aurora line is a set of easy smartphones: the Aurora A10 is a compact model, the Aurora A20 adds a fold-down number keypad over the screen for people who miss physical keys, and the Aurora A30 has a larger display for easier reading. All run a simplified Android layout in the Doro style, with the familiar SOS button.

The Doro Leva line, the Leva L10, L20 and L30, is the opposite end of the range: simple 4G feature phones for calls and texts, with large tactile keys that speak aloud to confirm each press, and an SOS button that can alert up to five family contacts at once. If a spoken keypad or a guaranteed physical button matters, the Leva phones are the ones to look at.

These ranges began rolling out through 2026, so Australian stock and pricing are still settling in. Check current availability with Doro Australia and the usual senior-phone retailers, and confirm the model is a 4G one, exactly as with the rest of the range.

Where to buy a Doro in Australia

Doro phones are not usually stocked by the big chains here. They are sold through Doro Australia (doroaustralia.com.au) and online retailers like Amazon Australia and eBay, which ship throughout Australia. Because you cannot usually try one in a shop first, check the return policy and warranty before you buy, and confirm the exact model is a current 4G one. If you would rather buy a phone you can hold in a store, a Samsung Galaxy in Easy Mode is the mainstream alternative.

Buying online does not leave you unprotected. The Australian Consumer Law still applies when you buy from a business in Australia, so a Doro must be of acceptable quality and do what it is meant to. If it arrives faulty or fails too soon, you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund from the seller, on top of any warranty. Keep the receipt and buy from an established Australian seller rather than an overseas listing, so any claim is straightforward.

Best overall Doro phone

For most people, a Doro 6820 or 6880 flip phone is the sweet spot: simple, reassuring, and built for exactly this. Choose the 7030 if you want WhatsApp and Facebook in a flip, the 5860 if you prefer the bar shape, and the 8100 if you want a simple smartphone. Whichever you pick, set up the SOS button and family contacts before handing it over, and double-check it is a 4G model.

Next steps

If you are not sure a Doro is the right path, our guide on how to choose a phone for an older parent compares the options. For the simplest phones generally, see our simple phones for seniors guide, and for flips specifically, our flip phones guide. All of our phone advice lives on the phones for seniors hub.