I realise that this may not be the most appropriate forum for this topic but there's a lot of telephony expertise here and you might be able to help.

My partner's 95 year old father has had to move to a care home. While the home is very good about getting incoming calls to residents he would like a mobile, mainly to make it easier to keep in touch with his daughter and friends. I'd appreciate your recommedations for both phone and SIM.

Here are the requirements:

Ultra simple to use. He's a complete technophobe.
For phone calls only - he'll never use text etc
Loud ring and speech - he's a bit deaf
Big buttons
No button combinations to unlock
Charging by cradle rather than cable
PAYG rather than contract. Though c£5/month contract might be OK.
Topup online so daughter can monitor usage and top up.
Not too expensive. PAYG at 1p-2p/min would be fine.

There are some flip phone models by Doro that might work well. Just open the clamshell to answer a call, close it to hang up, no need for unlock codes.

Doro do a big button speakerphone. Otherwise, a basic Nokia of some sort.

Cradle charging limits possibilities - there are very few of those.

On pay-as-you-go, Three (needs a 3G handset) is 3p per minute and O2 has one deal at 5p per minute.

"Ken's Tech Tips" website has very comprehensive listings of SIM only contract deals, pay-as-you-go bundles and classic pay-as-you-go.

TTPHONE are another company  that specialises in phones with  large buttons, clear large displays, and loud volume etc.

Might have something suitable.

http://www.ttfone.com/

Or how about a mobile phone in the form of a desk phone. You insert a mobile phone SIM card, connect to the mains power and use as a normal desk phone but the calls are made using the GSM network. Something like this i have seen Big Button ones advertised have a look on ebay.

http://www.gsmdeskphone.co.uk/GSMdeskphones/DPH500-GSM-Desk-Phone-and-GSM-taxi-Phone.html

Note not all phones  take a 3g/4g sim some operate on 2g only. 

Other Pay as you tariffs you could  look at  other then three are  O2 new pay as you go 5p a minute tarriff

http://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-as-you-go/classic-pay-as-you-go


and 1p mobile which runs over EE.

www.1pmobile.co.uk

On the contract front Plusnet Mobile runs on EE currently offers 500 minutes  30 day sim only

www.plus.net/mobile/plans/sim-only/

Or for £4 a month you can get 250 minutes with Carphones IDNET runs over Three.30 day sim only.

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/shop/plans/sim-only-deals?gclid=CKWdj9XH49MCFQoo0wod4VUMYw

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Talkmobile Happy Hour sim lets you talk to mobiles and landlines for up to an hour for 10p.

https://talkmobile.co.uk/payg/payg-charges

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Talk Mobile are only offering  existing customers service. They are no longer taking on new customers. Vodafone are in the process of amalgamating them into the main Vodafone Brand. :