Trouble hearing your cell phone ring? Fret not. Now, a cell phone with a 100 decibel ring tone, as loud as a South African vuvuzela, has hit the markets.
And for the hard of hearing, the earpiece can easily be set a notch higher - 110 decibels.
Designed with large, clear buttons and a lack of complicated features, the makers of the Amplicom M6000 say it is the ideal phone for the elderly or anyone with hearing loss, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
While it is compatible with hearing aids, product manager David Youngs, who has hearing difficulties himself, says many people like to be able to make calls without wearing theirs.
"I can make a call and even if I haven't got my hearing aid on I can just push the volume up and hear the conversation perfectly. The ring tone is also extremely loud - put it this way, if it went off in a restaurant on the highest setting, you'd probably get thrown out!" he said.
The phone was designed for those with hearing difficulties, but the simple, uncluttered design is expected to prove popular with anyone who feels the range of often unnecessary functions on modern phones is just too much.
"To those who want simplicity, talk of megapixel cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and music files is extremely off-putting," said Mr. Youngs.
The standard earpiece volume of the M6000 goes up to 30dB, but a 'boost' function enables it to be increased right up to 110dB - louder than a motorbike or average thunderclap, and almost as noisy as being at a rock concert.
In addition to its ear-splitting volume, the phone features a large, clear keypad and a screen with displays text messages in extra-large type.
And while it has no camera, there are extra functions, including an SOS button on the back which can be set to ring a relative in an emergency. There is also a motion sensor which can be set to automatically ring 999 or an emergency contact if the user falls over.
The handset is priced at 119.99 pounds.
