Verizon Wireless: Best Family Plan
- More pricey
- Only available to Florida residents
Verizon Wireless delivers the most reliable coverage across the country, and thats a big deal. The downside is, youll likely pay more for Verizon than you would with another provider. Thankfully, you get a pretty sweet discount for you and your partner if youre both over 55 and living in Florida.
Best Tracfone Phones For Seniors In 2022
A few years ago, owning a mobile phone was a luxury. For the majority, the cost of acquiring a phone was the most worrying part. After all, they had cheap landline phone service for seniors before TracFone phones for seniors was introduced. This included prepaid cell phone plans that allow clients to pay for what they use. Currently, Tracfone is among the biggest cell phone carriers after Verizon, T-Mobile, AT& T, and Sprint. For this reason, TracFone is the largest prepaid cell phone plan for new.
The company owns many other mobile networks operates like:
- Total wireless
- StraightTalk
- Page plus cellular
The company focuses on clients who are moderate phone users, usually 55 years and above. Before we go deep into learning more about Tracfone phones for seniors, let us briefly know about why a phone is necessary for seniors .
Tracfone Coverage + Performance
TracFone has a leg up over a lot of other MVNOs: most just use one or two, but TracFone uses 5. That means you should have coverage just about everywhere, because you have your pick of the networks.
But, since TracFone will probably just pick one for you, you may not have great service. For instance, in the TracFone coverage map above, there are considerable white patches throughout the west and midwest regions of the country.
So unless youre lucky enough to be placed on Verizons network, chances are high that your connection in rural areas will suffer.
Add onto that the fact that, as an MVNO, TracFone is essentially leasing space on the networks towers, so you will always be deprioritized first in favor the direct customers of whichever major carrier is facing congestion. Thats not specific to TracFone, though its the price you pay for the cheaper prices of budget carriers.
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Lively: Best Emergency Cell Phone Plan For Seniors
Our dearest seniors want to get the most out of their life and it would be great if theres a cell phone plan that can help seniors achieve that. Luckily, Lively offers just that. This mobile network is probably unheard of, but they are the ones behind Jitterbug phones. Jitterbug phones are specially designed to have large buttons that are dedicated to emergency services. This feature is awesome because the users can closely monitor their health with their slew of phones.
Lively also offers the friendliest cell phone plans for seniors all over the US. Their Value Talk & Text plan is $14.99 per month. This includes 300 minutes of calls and prices each text message at 10 cents. The Unlimited Talk & Text plan, which does not have a call duration restriction, starts at $19.99 per month. The subscriber is required to add data of their chosen amount starting at $2.49 per month. This is if they choose the plan with the Jitterbug Smart3 phone. There are also health service plans that can be availed from the provider.
Smartphone 40 Usd Plan
Main Features:
For individuals who enjoy being out and about without necessarily becoming attracted to video streaming, this plan may be what they seek. This plan comes with mobile hotspot capabilities and 8 GB of data along with unlimited text and talk. This is the highest Tracfone plan for seniors.
This plan also makes customers eligible for identity theft insurance, such as the Experians ID notification. It includes access to about 1 million USD in identity theft insurance, lost wallet services, and identity restoration services. With more than 400 thousand seniors falling victim to identity theft in 2020, it is an excellent offer to offer identity theft protection services to older adults.
Costs
Being the latest Tracfone plan for seniors, this plan costs about 40 USD per month. With an auto-refill, customers can get it for 35 USD. At this rate, it exceeds the consumer cellulars 35 USD plan with about 1 GB of data.
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Orbic Journey V 4g Lte
Orbic Journey V is a flip phone featuring a 2.8-inch screen and big buttons keypad. The ergonomic buttons feel comfortable as you type. It also has backlights to make it even easier to use.
For the battery, a 1,400mAh lithium-ion is set to last long. The phone needs low energy, to begin with. The standby time is about 10 days, while the phone can last 14 hours for phone calls.
Other features available on Orbic Journey V are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Camera. The phone also packs pre-installed apps so you wont need to download anything. You can also add up to a 128GB MicroSD card to the phone.
Specs and Features:
- Features: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HAC
Small Cell Phone Companies On Big Networks
Lesson
Every cell phone company/cellular service provider in the US runs on either the CDMA or GSM networks but not every carrier owns its network. Big carriers like AT& T and Verizon own the towers that broadcast the cellular signals, and smaller carriers rent the use of those networks.
Partially due to not having to maintain large networks of cellular towers, companies outside the large national brands often offer significantly lower prices for the same, or better, plans. Even with service through smaller carriers like some of our best cell phone companies picks, you can get the benefit of the extensive coverage of companies like Sprint, Verizon, AT& T, and T-Mobile.
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Tracfone Unlimited Compared To The Classic Plans
There are seven types of Classic Smartpone Plans with the cheapest only cost you $15 a month.
In term of choices, you will have more selection with Classic Plans. As for the price, if youre looking for the cheapest price, the classic one also wins.
However, you need to take your phone habit as a consideration. A $15 plan might only cost you a little in the beginning. But once you get past the 500 minutes, 500 texts or 500 MB data, youll need an add-on. It will cost you more in the end. In this case, the unlimited service is the wiser option.
Classic Plans win when it comes a yearly plan, which Unlimited Plans doesnt offer. If you rather have a yearly plan than a monthly one, then you can only stick with the Classic Plan.
Between $20 Classic Plan and $20 Unlimited Plan, the later wins. With the same amount of money, you get double amount of data plus endless texts and calls. Meanwhile, youll get only 500 MB with the classic plan, as well as 300 minutes and 1000 texts. They both have the same amount of service days.
What We Dont Like
Less reliable coverage
Consumer Cellular doesnt have its own network. It piggybacks off of both AT& T and T-Mobile networks to give you coverage. Translation: you should have coverage in most places, but watch out in rural areas,
Heres a look at what kind of coverage you can expect with Consumer Cellular. You get coverage in the green areas.
Your coverage wont be quite reliable as a Verizon wireless signal, for example, but you should have no problem picking up a signal in most areas across the country.
Alternative value picks
If you dont love the sound of Consumer Cellular, there are plenty of other carriers that offer senior citizen discounts. Other providers will probably cost more than Consumer Cellular, but you might get better coverage as a result.
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Best Tracfone Plan For Low Data
Mobile data might be very low on many TracFone customers’ priority lists. Still, for many of these people, having some data is good for those times when they want to check email or look up something online, and they cannot connect to Wi-Fi. Here is our pick for the best TracFone plan for low data.
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Tracfone Plans For Seniors In 2022
For over 25 years, Tracfone has been in the business of offering prepaid phone plans for older adults. The options are extensive and made available to all and sundry. Primarily for seniors looking for minimal cellular service, Tracfone is an ideal option. To complement its offers, Tracfone plans for seniors provide a variety of networks such as Verizon, AT & T, and T-Mobile. This provider cuts across the length and breadth of the country.
Although Tracfone provides no discount for seniors, it offers prepaid cell phone plans and phones to meet every seniors budget. With the options available at as low as 5.99 USD per month, Tracfone provides seniors with their phone choice.
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Why Tracfone Phones Are A Great Option For Seniors
Tracfone phones are a great option for seniors as they are built with seniors in mind. For instance, most TracFone phones are designed with a well-lit screen, urgent care connection, hearing aid compatibilities, powerful speakers, simple to use the menu, emergency buttons, and other additional safety features.
Tracfone Vs Straight Talk
Tracfone and Straight Talk are two of the most popular prepaid wireless providers, but they differ in price, data allowances, and rollover abilities.
If you plan to use large amounts of data, then Straight Talk is the better option. If you dont need unlimited data and you want your service allowances to roll over each month, then Tracfone may be the better option.
| Tracfone |
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Comparing Cell Phone Companies For Seniors
Lesson
When comparing cell phone companies make sure you know what kind of features youre looking for in a cell phone and a cell phone plan. For example, are you a heavy smartphone user or do you just use your phone to call and text? If the former, youll need a cell phone plan with a lot of data. A talk and text only plan should yield a significant price decrease.
When shopping for a new cell phone company, consider not only the actual price but what that cost includes.
- Are the calls unlimited in minutes and location, regardless of where you call?
- Do text messages have limits or count against calling time?
- Do plans roll over unused minutes to the next month?
- At what speed can the internet be accessed?
- Do you have to pay for internet if all you want are phone calls?
- Does the plan include medical alert technology?
Many of the most prominent companies do not offer flexible plans and have base plans that require you pay for internet whether you want it or not. Many also no longer have flip phones in their line up of devices.
Our Cell Phone Plan Recommendations
Tracfone has been selling prepaid phone plans for 25 years. Unlike plans and phones from Consumer Cellular, Tracfone’s offerings weren’t designed exclusively for older adults. You won’t find any senior discounts either. Instead, this company provides prepaid plans and phones that meet your budget, no matter how old you are or how small your budget is.
You can choose from 11 different phone plans, with the cheapest starting at just $5.99 per month! Plus, Tracfone lets you bring your own phone, so you can save even more money. From the best plans for seniors to our phone recommendations to money-saving tips, we’ll cover Tracfone in depth below.
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Best Prepaid Phone Plans In 2022
AT& T, T-Mobile and Verizon aren’t your only wireless options.
Eli Blumenthal
Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom and streaming. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
While most Americans subscribe to services directly from AT& T, T-Mobile or Verizon, a number of smaller providers can get you solid service for a cheaper rate. Whereas the main carriers now focus primarily on unlimited plans, these smaller carriers still offer a variety of plans with set allotments of data — or even a better price on unlimited data.
There are a ton of providers, but for the purposes of this story I’m going to focus on just a few: Boost Mobile, Cricket, Mint, Google Fi, Tracfone, Metro by T-Mobile, Verizon Prepaid and AT& T Prepaid. Since these carriers also have so many different plan options, I’m also going to focus on the best options for under 5GB of data, under 10GB of data and unlimited plans.
Read more: Cheap Phone Plans Compared
Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky
The Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky is a wireless smartphone designed for seniors and has features such as a large 5.5-inch HD screen for easier display. The J7 has an Android 6.6 Marshmallow operating system and 4G LTE speeds capability.
The J7 Sky has clear 8MP rear and 5 MP front cameras, Wi-fi capable, and has 4.2 Bluetooth technology with an MP3 player. It has an internal memory of 16 GB which you can extend with a Micro SD memory card or up to 256 GB. It comes with a 2-month or 60 day-plan with 2000 texts, 2 GB data, and 1000 call minutes.
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California Public Utilities Commission Number For Tracfone Wireless Inc: U
California Public Utilities Commission Consumer Affairs Branch 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone Number: 1-800-649-7570* or TDD 1-800-229-6846 www.cpuc.ca.gov
*Please be advised that the 1-800 number is an intrastate toll-free number and will not work from locations outside California.
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The Senior Value Plan From Tracfone
The Senior Value Plan runs $7 per month, and the phone is $20. There are no contracts or termination fees, and no bills.
The Tracfone is a pre-paid plan and even if you run out of minutes, you can still make free 911 calls in case of an emergency. The phone is user-friendly, easy to read, and compatible with most hearing aids.
Along with the cell phone minutes, you will receive a web browser, voicemail, a calendar, alarm clock, and text messaging.
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More Plans To Consider
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Tracfone Flip Phones Walmart
If you cant wait to get a phone on your hand, Walmart is the answer. Not every phone on our list is sold by Walmart. Among the few that are available at their store are Alcatel MyFlip 2, LG Classic Flip, and Nokia 2760 Flip. You can order these two phones online.
Afterwards, you can pick the product yourself at nearby Walmart if available. The store also accepts order through delivery. You can get free shipping too. Another perk of buying through a Walmart store is, its easy to immediately return the product. Should you happen to get a faulty one.
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Is A Flip Phone Or Smartphone Better For Seniors
In our opinion, both flip phones and smartphones are good for seniors. More often than not, smartphones are ideal for seniors who are familiar with the latest technology. However, flip phones for seniors are better than smartphones. This is because flip phones offer simple communication functions that are not complex for seniors. Also, unlike smartphones, flip phones are cheaper, have a longer battery, and are easy to navigate making them better for seniors.
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
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