Verizon Easy to Use Cell Phones for Seniors
Everyone needs to be connected. Seniors, who may be isolated from their families or have specific health needs, shouldn't be left out. The smartphone industry, by and large, isn't thinking about the particular needs of the senior market, but, if you pay attention, you can find carriers and phones that offer a streamlined and accommodating phone experience.
Being in what phone manufacturers think of as the "senior market" isn't about chronological age so much as faculties, preferences, and lifestyle. Many of these phones accommodate reduced eyesight and hearing, plus are affordable. Others have high-end features designed to make your life easier.
The Sonim XP3plus is a perfectly simple voice phone (Photo: Sascha Segan)
Our list includes some voice phones and some general-purpose smartphones. Most of the phones on this list are available unlocked, so they can be paired with any compatible carrier; the others are typically sold in carrier-specific versions.
The Best Voice Phones
We regularly get emails from readers who are frustrated because they want simple, high-quality voice phones, and they don't feel like there are enough options.
Many voice phone owners are using older phones and are concerned about the upcoming 3G shutdown. They look at the current lineup of voice phones and see them as a step back, not a step up, from what they're used to.
They're right. The hardware demands of 4G LTE voice calling mean inexpensive voice phones are slower and less reliable than they used to be. We tested several recently, and the one we most recommend, the Sunbeam F1, costs $195. Other high-quality voice phones from Sonim and Kyocera tend to be in the $200 to $300 range. The Nokia 225 4G, a cheaper option, is small and reliable and costs only $49.99, but it only works well on T-Mobile's network. Voice phones under $100 are generally a mediocre experience.
There are a bunch of flip phones kicking around the cell phone aisle at Walgreens and Walmart from carrier brands like Tracfone and Net10. We don't review them, but some appear to be older, decent-quality LG models. If your budget is tight, try one of those. Avoid phones where the carrier appears to be the phone maker; those are typically rebadged phones from low-rent manufacturers.
Features to Consider
Icons and touch targets on large, affordable devices with lower-resolution screens are easier to hit. On that front, we like the Moto G Power, which is available in various forms on various carriers. It has a big screen, a good price, and solid battery life. A flagship phone can also be a good choice for a big screen, especially if you want to use it for looking at photos and videos.
If the default abundance of options on a smartphone feels too cluttered or confusing, try Samsung's Easy mode. It's available on handsets from the low-cost A32 up to the high-end Galaxy S22 series.
Fans of pen and paper should enjoy using Samsung's S Pen stylus on the S22 Ultra or the stylus on Motorola's Moto G Stylus. You can also use a third-party stylus for many iPhones.
The iPhone SE is a small, affordable iPhone that still has a fingerprint sensor (Photo: Molly Flores)
Finally, if you're depending on a tech-savvy person in your life for smartphone tech support, you may want to get the same type of phone they have (either one that runs Android or an iPhone). The two main phone operating systems (Android and iOS) are very different, and someone who is used to one may not be able to answer questions about the other. There are a lot of iPhones out there; here's how to choose the best iPhone.
The Best Senior-Specific Phone Carriers
Two wireless carriers specialize in the senior market: GreatCall and Consumer Cellular. GreatCall uses the Verizon network, while 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.
Now owned by Best Buy, GreatCall sells first-party hardware. Its flip phone, the Lively Flip, supports Alexa voice commands and has a special set of services for seniors. It lets you order Lyft rides by speaking to an operator rather than using an app, it has a panic button, and it lets younger relatives monitor the use of that panic button to make sure whoever pressed it is safe. We haven't reviewed it, so we don't have conclusions or recommendations about it.
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 several years running, largely on the strength of its customer service rating. It sells several phones from our list.
Using Senior Phones on Standard Carriers
Many seniors are more comfortable with older phones, but some older phones will stop working soon. You need to make sure your phone supports 4G LTE networks, which will remain active until at least 2030. AT&T is in the process of turning its 3G off right now. T-Mobile will do so this summer, and Verizon at the end of the year. So go with a voice phone that supports voice over 4G LTE, also known as VoLTE.
There are other benefits to 4G as well. 4G LTE basic phones support HD Voice; that means you can conduct high-quality voice calls with anyone else that has an HD Voice-capable mobile phone. 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.
The major carriers have senior discount plans for smartphone users. T-Mobile has special plans(Opens in a new window) for people over age 55 with deep discounts. AT&T(Opens in a new window) and Verizon(Opens in a new window) have much more limited offers that are available only to people who live in Florida.
The Best 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. The Nokia 225 4G (for T-Mobile-based networks) and the Sunbeam F1 (for Verizon-based networks) are our top choices for simple unlocked phones.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-phones-for-seniors
0 Response to "Verizon Easy to Use Cell Phones for Seniors"
Enregistrer un commentaire