Best Cell Phone Plan For Seniors 2021

The Best Overall Phone Plan For Seniors: T

T-Mobile has the best overall senior cell plan offerings. With their 55+ plans, you get an affordable unlimited plan with the service and support of a major carrier.

They have three tiers to choose from, all three of which offer 5G access, texting abroad, scam protection, data in Mexico and Canada, and access to the weekly T-Mobile Tuesday deals.

Best Cell Phone Plan Discounts For Seniors

Are you looking for AARP discounts or help with paying your monthly cell phone plan? Heres a quick look at some senior cell phone plan subsidies and discounts available to you:

• Many cell phone companies offer discounts to AARP membersyou can join AARP here.
• Certain cell phone companies like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT& T offer discounts for active-duty military and veterans.
• The federal Lifeline program might subsidize your cell phone bill if you meet one or more of the following requirements:
• Your income falls at or below 135% of the federal poverty guideline.
• Youre part of one of the following government programs:
• Supplemental Rental Assistance
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Veterans pension and survivors benefit programs

Top Flexible Cell Phone Plans For Seniors

Flexible plans you can build with certain features. A great alternative to traditional pay-as-you-go services. Your payment will be based on usage.

1. US Mobile

Only pay for what you use, text-only options are available. Change your plan every month.

• Plan name: US Mobile Custom Plan
• Monthly Price: $2/month + select number of minutes, text, and date.
• Usage is divided into levels

2. Ting

Only pay for usage, can change every month.

• Plan name: Ting Single Line
• Monthly Price: $6/month + minutes/data/texts billed separately
• Usage is divided into levels, only pay for what level you reach

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Family Packages For Seniors

These packages allow families to be brought together under one operator and one invoice. They are ideal for family savings.

Many operators provide this type of service. Bell, Rogers and Telus, Canadas three telecommunications giants, offer plans to share up to three lines with an average of 10GB of shareable cellular data. This option also allows for the aggregation of fees on a single invoice and allows Seniors to be included in a family plan or allows Seniors to include their family on their plan. In many cases, this turns out to be the most economical option for families.

Summary of the offers :

• Rogers : Infinite package, 65$ per month, 20 GB of shareable cellular data, unlimited calls and texts.
• Telus : Family package, $70 per month, 45 GB of shareable cellular data, unlimited calls and texts.
• Bell : Family data sharing plan, $65 per month, 20 GB of shareable cellular data, unlimited calls and texts.

Best Cell Phones For Seniors

• Audio and display features designed for seniors
• One-touch SOS button

Lively‘s Jitterbug Smart3 is the best cell phone for seniors because it was designed with them in mind. This simple smartphone has a large menu with only the essentials like maps and directions, a camera, email, and an internet browser.

Even the phones service plans have senior-friendly features like on-call conferencing with a doctor or nurse and an SOS button that turns your cell phone into a simple medical alert system. Plus, each Lively cell phone plan is contract-free, so you can cancel service at any time.

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Senior Cell Phone Faq

With a large screen and uncluttered list-style menu, the Jitterbug Smart3 is the easiest cell phone for seniors to use.

The Jitterbug phone can’t be purchased or serviced through Verizon Wireless. You have to go through Lively to activate and use the Jitterbug phone.

Our top senior cell phone picks include the Jitterbug Smart3, Apple iPhone 8, Alcatel Go Flip 3, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and the Palm Phone. The best cell phone for you will match your budget, provide all of the features you enjoy, and be easy to use.

Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors In 2023

According to Pew Research, 97 percent of people 50 and older own a cell phone. Among this group, a large majority own a smartphone however, service for these devices can be expensive, costing upwards of $70 per month.

The best phone for seniorsis meaningless without an equally useful cell phone plan, so we found 11 senior cell phone plans that offer affordable service for older adults.

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The True Cost Of Mobile Devices

When shopping around, many sites and stores will list two prices for the phone.

The lower price is often a monthly payment plan which typically requiresa credit check and allows you to pay off the device over 2 years.

While this is great for getting a newer phone without impacting your budget upfront, it also means you must maintain service with thatcarrier for the next two years as well.

The window to get a refund orcancel your contract is only 14 days.

If you choose to go with this type of deal, be sure to use your new phone often to uncover any concerns or questions you might have before youre locked into the contract.

Paying for your phone upfront often removes this contract requirement. If the phone is also unlocked, you can switch between carriers if you do not like the service you receive.

If you pay for your device in full and it isnt already unlocked, most carriers will unlock the phone for a small fee once you meet their requirements.

For more information on the benefits of buying an unlocked phone, consultour guide.

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Best Phone Plans 202: 5g Coverage From $30/month

4.55

• Verizon network coverage

45

• T-Mobile network coverage

4.55

• Best coverage + amazing perks

Searching for a new phone plan to go along with your shiny new iPhone 14 or Google Pixel 7? You’ve come to right place, as we’ve pored over the market and picked out the very best ones, from Visible’s $45/month unlimited plan to Mint’s $30/month unlimited offering. We’ve also picked out can’t-miss phone plans from the bigger carriersthat is, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT& Twhich offer certain advantages like entertainment perks and hotspot allowances.

Best cell phone plans 2023

New phone deals: 2023

Here at WhistleOut, we have our ears to the ground for any new . Here’s what’s new as of November:

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At& t 65+ Seniors Plan

For those who are in the 65+ range one of Americas biggest telecom services offers an amazing deal. Being one of the industry leaders their coverage is almost unbeatable and service being top notch.

The AT& T 65+ seniors plan gives users 200 minutes of talking time, unlimited calling to other AT& T customers and 500 minutes of calling time allocated for nighttime and weekend use. Now unfortunately this plan does not offer internet data or text messaging but it can be a simple add on still making it a low budget plan for most seniors.

In fact those if youre looking for data and more service perhaps the Unlimited & More plan will be the perfect match. If youre an AARP member you get additional benefits!4

The AT& T senior plan comes in at $29.99 per month where as the added data plans will bring the monthly fees to around $40 per month. If you have a phone already then AT& T can help you save money but if you require a new phone then AT& T can become more pricier.

Senior Cell Phones: Do You Need One

A senior cell phone plan will give you extra discounts and savings from major wireless carriers if youre over the age of 55. And with an AARP membership, you can also save on phone plans if youre over 50 years old.

If youre unsure whether a senior cell phone plan is right for you or are too young to qualify, there are plenty of other affordable cell phone plans that can still give you the features you need at the price you wanteven if they arent designed specifically for seniors.

Understanding whats important to you and how you use your cell phone will get you one step closer to choosing the best phone plan for you.

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Top 7 Questions To Consider When Choosing A Senior Phone Plan

How We Chose The Best Cell Phones For Seniors

Each phone on our list was ranked using over 30 metrics, including price, senior-friendly features, battery life, durability, sound quality, appearance, ease of use, and provider perks. The three most influential metrics in our evaluation were:

• Senior-friendly features: All phones that made the cut have features that meet seniors specific needs and lifestyles. While these features vary by phone, they include things like big buttons or icons, bright screens, loud and adjustable speakers, hearing aid compatibility, and an easy-to-grip design
• No long-term contracts: Cell phone plans that lock you in for years are a thing of the past. All of the cell phone models and carriers on our list offer month-to-month options, so you can cancel your service at any time without hassle.
• Price vs. quality: We know that every budget is different. While some of the cell phones on our list are more expensive than others, weve only included phones where we believe the quality matches or exceeds the price. Weve made sure to include budget-friendly cell phones on our list, along with somewhat pricier high-tech devices, so you can find the phone thats right for both your wallet and your needs

Using the above criteria, along with our research, testing, and rankings, we created this years best cell phone list to help you choose the best senior-friendly cell phone.

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Light Cell Phone User

The Motorola moto g is a straight-forward Android phone that is great for seniors to consider due to its excellent battery life, 6.5-inch HD+ display so you can read everything clearly, water-repellent design to protect your phone, and high quality camera. It is also has a talk back feature and it is M3/T3 hearing aid compatible. Just enough features to keep you updated on the latest.

Figure Out Your Needs

Phones come in all shapes and sizes with different features and different prices. The first step is to assess your specific needs, says Ramon T. Llamas, research director for devices and displays at IDC, a research firm based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

“For example, what are you going to use the phone for? Do you need all the new bells and whistles, like 5G and augmented reality, or are the tried-and-true features enough for you, such as phone calls, texting and a camera? Llamas asks.

If you don’t need the latest iPhone or souped-up Android device and are simply looking at an emergency communication device to keep in your glove compartment, then a regular cellphone may be right for you.

The same can be said for budget: If you have only a few hundred dollars to spend, it will rule out the latest premium devices, such as iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, both starting at $799. More affordable devices exist, says Siddharth Lal, vice president of customer acquisition marketing at T-Mobile.

“For example, there’s the well-loved Samsung Galaxy A32 5G or the OnePlus Nord N200, which features a large display with triple rear cameras and a front-facing camera, he says.

In addition to the cost of the phone itself, consider your budget for monthly service costs for voice calls, text messages and data, he says. You use data for web browsing, accessing email, downloading apps and other online activity.

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Flaws But Not Dealbreakers

Coverage at Verizon and AT& T remains more comprehensive than T-Mobilesas I saw on country roads in the Southeast while doing drive testing for PCMagbut the past few years of improvement in T-Mobiles network means youll have to get into fairly rural areas to notice this difference. You will have to decide if your likely travel patterns are more apt to make this an ongoing problem.

Although T-Mobiles international roaming costs much less than AT& T and Verizons international options, you may have to pay those charges if you buy your phone from T-Mobile on an installment payment plan, as this carrier keeps those handsets locked until you pay off your balanceor conclude the term on a free-upgrade deal such as those its offering on the iPhone 13.

T-Mobile also has a history of data breaches, with its most recent and largest happening in August and affecting some 40 million customers.

Finally, T-Mobile offers fewer affinity and group discounts, instead limiting discounts to customers 55 years and older, military and veterans, and first responders.

Other Plans To Consider

While senior-specific phone plans and senior discounts are great, they arent your only options. If youre looking for the absolute cheapest mobile phone plan available, youll want to check out Tello Mobile. Mint Mobile also offers incredibly low prices, including the cheapest option for an unlimited phone plan. And Visible offers four lines for $100 per month.

In addition to senior phone plans and senior discounts, here are three other plans to consider:

Tello Mobile offers the cheapest cell phone plans Ive found, and it runs on T-Mobiles reliable network. You can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data for $10 monthly. If you dont need the 1GB of data, you can get an even cheaper plan with unlimited talk and text for just $8 per month. You can also bring your own phone to Tello if its eligible.

To learn more about Tello, be sure to check out our review. You can also visit Tellos website to begin building your perfect cheap cell phone plan.

If youre looking for another cheap prepaid phone plan on T-Mobiles network, also be sure to check out T-Mobile Connect. They also begin at $10 per month for 1GB of data.

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How We Chose The Best Senior Cell Phone Plans

When picking out the best senior cell phone plans, we evaluated each provider on the following criteria:

• Fair pricing: Between hidden fees, setup charges, and other unexpected costs, working with a cellular provider can induce quite the headache. All of the providers on this list feature straightforward pricing so you can avoid any surprises on your monthly bill.
• Reliable coverage: It goes without saying that a cell phone should be able to function just about anywhere, so we looked for providers with the widest nationwide coverage.
• Ample minutes, messages, and data: With many people ditching their landline service altogether, youll likely need a good amount of usage included with your plan. All of the plans listed here offer affordable unlimited plans that wont saddle you with costly overage charges.
• Senior-specific features: No matter ones age, we all want a phone for communication purposes. With that said, some providers like Lively have senior-specific features such as urgent response buttons and hearing-aid-compatible devices.
• Device options: While its tempting to assume that all seniors want the same big-button flip phones, we know that everyone is different. We looked for providers that offer a range of devices, including providers that allow you to bring your own phone and keep your current number.

Should You Buy Postpaid Prepaid Or Resold Service

If you want unlimited calls and texts, more attentive customer service, and phone financing through your carrier, you should stick with a traditional postpaid plan, where you get a bill for service after you use it. Postpaid costs a bit more and requires decent credit to qualify, but it offers you every phone the carrier sells, usually with no-interest financing, and the service you get should match what you see in the carriers ads.

However, switching to prepaid, where you pay for service before you use it, can be an easy way to save $10 to $20 a month or more. Many prepaid services are provided by smaller companies that simply resell service from one of the big carriers, so they offer coverage similar to that of the major carriers at a lower price. But for resellers to undersell the major carriers while using the same networks, they need to make some trade-offs similarly, the major carriers own prepaid plans tend to involve restrictions that their postpaid plans lack. We dont recommend switching to prepaid unless you meet most of these criteria:

Switching to prepaid, where you pay for service before you use it, can be an easy way to save $10 to $20 a month or more.

The wireless services some cable operators offer, based on resold network capacity from one of the big three carriers, represent their own special case. They offer some serious bargains but also require you to use that cable firms broadband to get the advertised pricing.

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