Unlimited Cell Phone Plans
For heavier cell phone users, particularly smartphone users, an unlimited plan is ideal. These plans put no limits on the monthly usage of talk, text, or data. Some of our favorite unlimited plans come from T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, and Cricket Wireless.
With that said, the name Unlimited is often a bit misleading, as most of these plans do place limits on data. However, you wont be charged with overage fees rather, your data speeds will be slowed or throttled.
Helpful Information About Cell Phones For Seniors
Cell phones, specifically smartphones, can be confusing, especially to someone who has never used a phone for anything other than making a call. A modern smartphone has the ability to predict the weather for the rest of the week. It can have a driver come and pick you up wherever you are without you even having to talk to anyone. It can even have groceries delivered to your home . Modern smartphones do so much more than what a regular phone or even a cell phone used to do, that they could easily be intimidating for senior citizens if they are not already tech-savvy. This is where cell phones for seniors come in.
Cell phones for seniors are mobile phones that have been designed with older consumers in mind. Their displays, the keypad numbers, the on-screen text, and the icons are larger than usual, in order to make the phones easier to use for those who have conditions that affect their vision. Some phones also include GPS location services and medical monitoring features, as well as an emergency call button, 24/7 access to registered nurses and doctors, check-in calls, and wellness calls.
Cell Phone Plans For Seniors: How Old Do You Have To Be
Getting older can have its perkslike saving money on your cell phone plan. Recently, many of the larger service providers released plans specifically designed for seniors, aiming to keep things simple and affordable with discounts.
Sprint and T-Mobile offer discounts to anyone at least 55 years old. Both provide two phone lines with unlimited talk, text and data for around $80 a monthan average savings of $40 a month. Verizon also has a 55+ plan limited to seniors living in Florida, and AT& T has the Senior Nation Plan available for anyone over the age of 65.
If you expand your search beyond the big-name wireless carriers, you find additional providers and plans that are great choices for seniors.
Lively, for example, doesnt have a specific age requirement, but offers a number of services and features seniors may find helpful, such as access to virtual urgent care, fall detection technologies and operators who can help call ride services, make phone calls or look up phone numbers.
Meanwhile, AARPs membership benefits include discounts on cellular services. Anyone over age 50 can join AARP.
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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.
Senior Cell Phone Plan Features
- 4G LTE & 5G data speeds: Since MVNOs operate on the big three cellular networks you’ll pay less without sacrificing speed. More and more are adding 5G coverage all the time so you can expect high-speed data.
- Unlimited talk and text messaging: Finding a new unlimited plan has never been easier. Virtually all small carriers include unlimited text and calls in their plan options. Compare cheap talk and text plans with or without data.
- International calls to Canada and Mexico: International calling is a must for many people. Luckily MVNOs offer some of the best international phone plans, with free calling to certain countries like Canada and Mexico, and discounted rates on others.
- Multiline discounts: Low-cost carriers also offer some of the cheapest family cell phone plans, with multi-line discounts.
- Wi-Fi calling: This feature is handy when you’re out of your service area, allowing you to make calls over the internet instead of on your cellular connection.
- Tethering/hotspot data: Many low-cost carriers allow you to use your phone as a hotspot. Pick an MVNO with the best mobile hotspot plans so you can share your mobile hotspot data with other devices.
- HD video streaming: Just like the big guys, some MVNOs offer HD video streaming and some don’t. Read the fine print to find the option you want.
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Benefits Of Cell Phones For Seniors
One Call Away
We spoke with Ava Griffiths, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist based in Georgia, who said she encourages cell phones for senior citizens, especially those without family assistance, enhanced medical alerts, in-home nursing, or home care service. Griffiths, who offers over-the-phone therapy for individuals with anxiety and depression, has provided services to over 200 elderly clients, those in whom, with cell phones, could contact her while away from home or on the go.
Youre More Social than You Think
Senior citizens that have limited mobility or health complications may not be able to leave their homes as often as the average person, limiting their social interactions. While house phones enable them to have conversations, theyre still confined at home and unable to see and engage with others.
Dr. Ariel Cruz, a geriatrician based in Puerto Rico, shared with us the necessity of maintaining some form of social interaction:
The human being is social. We enjoy and need to share with other people. That interaction is very important so that we dont feel alone, but instead feel important and needed within our families and communities. This helps us to manage stress, which is a factor of great importance to maintain our health.
Unlike house phones, cell phones enable us to see our family and loved ones through photos and video chats. We can also interact with and learn from other people through social media, text messages, games, and other apps.
Spectrum Unlimited For All
Cost
Spectrum’s unlimited plan is a great option for all-around use. Starting at $29.99 per month, it’s affordable compared to many other popular unlimited plans.
What you see is what you get with Spectrum’s pricing. There are no senior discounts or deals, but you don’t have to worry about any hidden fees or taxes either. All of it is included in the price you see above. It’s also important to note that this specific plan is prepaid, so you have to pay first to gain access to mobile service.
Plan Features
Spectrum Unlimited is a solid all-around plan for seniors who are actively texting, calling, and using the Internet on their phones. Because Spectrum has partnered with Verizon for its mobile coverage, you get speeds nearly as fast as Verizon’s. But Spectrum is a mobile virtual network provider, meaning it doesn’t provide its own service, so you may experience slower Internet speeds during peak phone-usage times.
Other features and perks you get with Spectrum Unlimited include:
- Up to 5 GB of mobile hotspot at high speeds, and then reduced rates after that.
- Connect to any of Spectrum’s free Wi-Fi points across the country and enjoy unlimited Wi-Fi on the go.
- 2,000 free minutes to Mexico and Canada.
- Unlimited free international texts when texting from the U.S.
- 20 GB of premium data, after which you may experience slow-downs in your data speed.
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Why Lively Is Our Top Pick For The Best Cell Phone Plan For Seniors
Lively combines affordable cell phone plans with varying tiers of service and a choice of medical alert services. Unlimited Talk & Text costs $19.99 per month, but if seniors want to add medical alert services, they will have to opt for data. Livelys data packages start at $2.49 for100 MB of data and increase to $30.00 for unlimited data.
While researching the best cell phone plan for seniors, we considered the cost, service and senior-friendly options. Our top picks are below.
Company and Carrier
$27.50
Unlimited talk, text, and data
T-Mobiles Unlimited 55+ plans are offered in every state, plans include ScamShield for scam protection and T-Mobile offers fast, reliable 5G access
For more information about this product, please read our full product review of Lively.
How To Get The Best Deal With At& t
We’re all about getting the best deal, so let’s take a look at how you can get the most out of your AT& T mobile plan.
- As we mentioned above, AT& T gives perks like discounts and credits to AARP members. Not an AARP member? Head to our AARP guide to learn more.
- If you’re a Florida resident, you could save up to $45 on activation fees and get 15 percent off eligible phone accessories from AT& T. Make sure to ask a representative about these perks.
- Veterans and active military can receive 25 percent off AT& T’s unlimited wireless plan. Visit AT& T’s Signature Program page to see if you’re eligible for the discount.
- Adding multiple lines to your account is a good way to save and add value to your plan. If you have an adult child or grandchild who would benefit from being on your phone plan, you’ll save money since the monthly rate is cheaper the more lines you have on your account.
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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.
Phone Plans With Senior Discounts
Some phone plans offer discounts specifically to people who are over a certain age and/or have an AARP membership. Unfortunately, these plans arent always the best choice, even with the discount. Many plans with senior discounts have very limited minutes, no texting and no data. Still, there is one plan that offers a great senior discount with truly unlimited data.
- Best Unlimited Data Plan for Seniors:T-Mobile Magenta Max 55+
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Who Has The Best Coverage
Nearly all carriers, including the ones on our best cell phone plans for seniors list operate their own network or under a big network. There are essentially three main networks at the moment – Verizon, AT& T, and T-Mobile – and they all have nationwide coverage of varying quality, depending on your location. If you want to see how good coverage will be in your area you can follow these links just below to visit each network’s coverage check pages:
Best Prepaid: Metro By T
The Metro By T-Mobile logo.
For a no-frills solution on prepaid, look to Metro by T-Mobile for a one-stop plan that offers a $40 monthly rate that includes unlimited talk, text, and 5 GB of high-speed data.
Piggybacking off T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, Metro by T-Mobile customers can rest easy knowing that all taxes and regulatory fees are already included in the bill, so $40 is the same rate each and every month.
The most expensive plan$60/monthadds plenty of extras like a Music Unlimited subscription, 15 GB of hotspot data, and an Amazon Prime membership.
As a prepaid carrier, customers do have to purchase the device outright, with prices varying depending on the device, though Metro by T-Mobile does offer a bring-your-own-device solution to skip past the upfront cost of a new phone.
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Best Basic: Consumer Cellular
Geared toward the older crowd, Consumer Cellular is a simplified cellphone reseller that provides an easy-to-understand solution to selecting a cellular provider.
Individual users can start with rates as low as $20 per month for unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of data, while a two-line plan sharing the same data and minutes raises the cost to $40 per month.
As an added bonus, Consumer Cellular has an established relationship with AARP, so there’s a 5 percent discount on monthly service for any existing AARP member.
Another highlight of Consumer Cellular is the opportunity to select a new plan every month, so you can adjust your allotted monthly minutes and data in case you’re traveling, or you find that you’re spending too much or too little for your monthly needs.
Why Do Seniors Need A Cell Phone
A reliable cell phone provides numerous benefits to older adults. They allow seniors to stay connected with friends and family, receive help during an emergency, get some entertainment, capture special moments through photos, and so much more.
Cell phones can also positively impact a persons health and well-being. Older adults may find themselves spending more time alone, which can lead to cognitive decline along with feelings of isolation or depression.2 Cell phones are a fantastic way for seniors to stay social, no matter where theyre located. Today, older adults embrace technology more than ever, with the vast majority of older adults owning a cell phone and more than 60 percent owning a smartphone.3
From the Pros: Our cell phone for seniors buyers guide shares important factors to consider before your big purchase.
When you think about a cell phone or smartphone, your first thought might be that theyre too complicated or expensive. However, more and more cell phone providers are stepping up to the plate to build affordable, senior-friendly phones that allow older adults to enjoy all the perks of a phone without any confusion or frustration. Now, lets get into all the details for this years best senior-friendly cell phones.
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Consumer Cellular Talk Text & Data
Cost: Talk only plan starts at $15 a month, with unlimited talk & text starting at $25 a month
Like Lively, Consumer Cellular is a provider that caters directly to people older than 50. There are also many options to choose from, which are listed below.
FeaturesEither 250 minutes a month or unlimited.You can have data with any minutes package you choose.Data starts from 250 MB all the way to unlimited.
Benefits
Xfinity Mobile Senior Phone Plans At A Glance
Xfinity Mobile doesn’t have any just-for-seniors mobile plans like, say, T-Mobile’s 55+ packages, where you can score an unlimited 4G plan with two lines for $70 per month, no annual contract required. Likewise, you won’t find Lively’s Jitterbug Flip2, our top senior-friendly smartphone of the year, on their BYOP list.
Quick Tip: For the full scoop on the Lively experience, check out our hands-on Lively review.
Xfinity Mobile plans are more select and can be a tad more expensive, but they do offer one perk that practically all the competition can’t: discounted bundles with blazing-fast internet, TV, and telephone service. So if you’re serious about switching to Xfinity, you’ll definitely want to check out Xfinity’s internet plans, too.
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The Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors
If youre a senior whos wondered whats the best cell phone for seniors or is tired of paying too much for cell phone service, youll be pleased to learn there are several options for switching to a cheaper provider without sacrificing service. In fact, some major wireless providers offer affordable plans specifically for people who are 55 and older. But which service offers the best cell phone plan for seniors?
Ive researched more than 70 phone plans to find the best phone plans, prices, key features and discounts on reliable networks that offer talk, text and data. In this article, Ill share my picks for the best cell phone plans for seniors.
- Low prices on limited data plans
- Discounts available for AARP members
- Phones are specifically designed for seniors
- Health and safety packages are available for an additional charge
- Best price for high-speed data that never slows
- 40GB of hotspot data
- Unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data
- Cheapest pre-built plan available
- 35GB data cap before reduced speeds
- Prepay three months in advance when you sign up.
- Although the contract changes, the plan price stays the same after three months.
- Unlimited talk, text and data with 5-12 Mbps speeds
- Unlimited mobile hotspot with 5 Mbps speeds
- One of the cheapest prices for unlimited data
How To Pick The Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors
We found the best cell phone plans for seniors during the course of our research for the best cell phone plans overall. As a result, we’ve learned that there are a few factors to consider when choosing a cell phone plan aimed at seniors. Most of these plans tend to be more affordable with lower data caps, more flexible, and often offer special benefits.
Some brands, such as AT& T and Verizon, offer discounted prices for seniors or packages specifically designed for people over a certain age. However, these can require you to live in the state of Florida. T-Mobile is unique among the major carriers in having no residency requirement for its best cell phone plan for seniors.
If you don’t live in Florida, your best bet is to focus on what you need. Do you need something with a minimal amount of data and low costs? One of the best cell plans for seniors from Mint Mobile, Tello, or Ultra Mobile should be a good fit for you.
Or, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, T-Mobile offers up unlimited data plans. However, these are going to cost you a fair bit of cash to get. Consumer Cellular has an unlimited plan, too, but at $60 a month, it’s one of the pricier options.
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