The Best Phones for Seniors

How to Choose the Right Mobile Phone

Simple Phones for Every Age

Everyone needs to be connected. Seniors, who may be isolated from their families or have specific health needs, shouldn’t be left out. While the smartphone industry, by and large, isn’t thinking about the particular needs of the senior market, if you pay attention you can find carriers, phones, and services that are tailored to folks who prefer a streamlined, easy-to-use, simple phone experience.

Being a senior citizen, in this case, isn’t about chronological age. It’s about a set of preferences, faculties, and, in some cases, lifestyle. Those in the “senior market” may have declining eyesight and hearing, may not feel like keeping up with the latest tech features, or may be on a limited income. There are 95-year-olds with laser-sharp vision who would rather just browse our list of best cell phones overall, and there are 50-year-olds who may benefit from the phones we outline here.

Sonim XP3

Our list includes some voice phones and some general-purpose smartphones. The Galaxy S20+, Galaxy Note 10/10+, iPhone 11, iPhone SE, Moto G7 Power, and Pixel 3a XL are all available unlocked, so they can be paired with any compatible carrier; the others are typically sold in carrier-specific versions.

Senior-Specific Carriers

Two wireless carriers specialize in the senior market: GreatCall, which markets its phones as Jitterbug, and Consumer Cellular. GreatCall uses the Verizon network, and Consumer Cellular uses the AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Of the two, GreatCall has more specialized features for those who need health monitoring: an urgent response button, 24/7 access to nurses, and connected medical alert devices.

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GreatCall hasn’t updated its flip phone, the Jitterbug Flip, since 2016, and the company (now part of Best Buy) doesn’t give an impression of great vigor—its last press release was a year ago, and the company CEO hasn’t Tweeted since last November. In our annual Readers’ Choice poll, there are so few GreatCall users that the brand doesn’t even chart. We can no longer recommend GreatCall because we don’t have faith in the brand as a reliable business into the future.

On the other hand, we recommend Consumer Cellular highly. Consumer Cellular has a marketing arrangement with AARP and doesn’t offer specialized services, but has received high marks in the past for customer service. The carrier has won our Readers’ Choice award seven years running, largely on the strength of its customer service rating. It sells several phones from our list. 

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Alcatel Go Flip 3

Senior Phones on Standard Carriers

Many seniors want voice-only devices, and the major wireless carriers still have some simple phones. You need to be smart about which simple phones you pick up, though, because of major changes coming in the carriers’ networks. All four of the major carriers have focused their energies on building 4G LTE networks. Verizon will turn off its old 2G/3G network at the end of 2020, AT&T will turn its off at the end of 2021, and T-Mobile will likely follow suit. So go with a voice phone that supports voice over 4G LTE, also known as “VoLTE.”

There are other benefits, as well. 4G LTE basic phones have HD Voice, or high-quality voice calling, when calling other people on the same network (or between Verizon and AT&T). Those higher-quality calls can be easier on old ears. As for 5G, you won’t need to worry about it for years as long as you have a capable 4G LTE phone.

Seniors looking for smartphones may prefer large, affordable devices with lower-resolution screens, so icons and touch targets are larger and easier to hit. There, we like the Google Pixel 3a series and the Moto G7, which is available in various forms on various carriers. Those phones feature big screens, affordable prices, and solid battery life.

Samsung phones also have an Easy Mode with fewer obvious options, that’s available on handsets from the low-cost A01 up to the high-end Galaxy S20+ and Note 10. Folks who still remember using pen and paper will enjoy taking notes with the Note 10’s or Note 10+’s S Pen stylus. Samsung smartphones are available on every major carrier.

Apple iPhone 11

Prepaid Carriers for Senior Phones

Seniors on fixed incomes may want to check out our story on The Best Cheap Phone Plans, which features a lot of low-cost virtual carriers—prepaid carriers that use the major carriers’ networks, but tend to charge a lot less per month for basic service than the major carriers do. If you’re looking for limited, voice-only plans, you can get them on a range of carrier networks for around $10 per month.

Those plans usually require that you bring your own unlocked, compatible phone. That may involve buying a used phone, for instance. There are not currently any good, unlocked voice phones that support 4G voice calling, but you can use smartphones on voice-only plans as well; they just won’t be able to reach the internet without Wi-Fi.

For advice on how to pick the right carrier for you, head over to our story on the Fastest Mobile Networks.

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