The Jitterbug has a friend. Clarity, which has previously made land-line phones and accessories for the elderly and hearing-impaired, announced its first cell phone for the elderly at the CTIA trade show.

The ClarityLife is a large slider phone with big keys, a simple interface, and a big, black-and-white screen. The phone book can be remotely programmed via SMS, so children can set up the phone for their parents.

The phone is amplified by up to 20 decibels, and it's fully hearing-aid compatible. For the hearing-impaired, there's a strong vibrating motor and flashing LED that goes on when the phone is ringing.

On the back of the phone, the ClarityLife has a red "heart" button for emergencies. It cycles between five emergency contacts, calling and sending text messages to each until one of them picks up the phone.

The ClarityLife will sell for $249, unlocked, through specialty retailers that sell to special-needs folks, company representatives said. As a dual-band GSM phone, it works with T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S.

In the future, Clarity will sell its own cellular subscriptions as a virtual mobile operator, much like GreatCall does today with the Jitterbug, reps said.