Is Consumer Cellulars Link Ii For Me
If you or your loved one is new to the cell phone game, the Consumer Cellular Link II is an excellent option. It is an easy-to-use device that provides all of the essential functions older adults may need. Overall, its our pick for those who dont need internet access but still want to use Bluetooth to connect to hands-free devices or hearing aids.
Buyers Tip: Want to save five percent on Consumer Cellulars monthly service and usage charges and 30 percent on accessories? Our AARP guide has the details.
Are you interested in learning more about Consumer Cellulars Link II flip phone? Visit our hands-on Consumer Cellular review.
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.
Faqs About Cell Phones For Seniors
How old do I have to be to purchase a senior phone?
While you do not have to be a certain age to have a senior-focused cell phone, certain cell phone plans do have age requirements for discounts. For example, Sprints Unlimited55+ and Verizons 55+ Plan both offer unlimited data use and discounts on extra lines added on the plan. Also, some carriers offer discounts for AARP members, in which all people ages 50 and up are eligible for full membership.
Do cell phone companies offer senior discounts?
Cell phones labeled “for seniors are designed to be easy-to-use for anyone with mobility, vision, or cognitive difficulties that make it difficult to use a regular cell phone. Because of this, many of these cell phones feature larger buttons, an emergency alert to quickly call medical services, hands-free operation, and simpler controls than an average cell phone.
How are senior cellphones different from regular cellphones?
Cell phones labeled as senior cell phones are designed to be easily used by anyone who has trouble using a regular cellphone due to mobility, eyesight, or cognitive difficulties. Because of this, many of these cell phones feature larger buttons, an emergency alert to call medical services with one-touch, hands-free operation, and simpler controls than the regular touchscreen smartphone.
What safety features do senior cellphones have?
Do I have to be a certain age to have a senior phone and plan?
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Our Top Picks: Cell Phones For Seniors Reviews
According to a recent study, only 42% of consumers in the U.S. over 65 years of age own a smartphone. This number drops to 17% when only those over 80 years of age are considered. These numbers raise an interesting question: why are older consumers so reluctant to buy smartphones?
To answer this question, we reached out to dozens of anonymous consumers, being either a senior citizen or someone who purchased a cell phone for an elderly relative, for their experience and input. When asked what their major concerns were when using a cell phone, 76% of our respondents stated: not understanding how to use it.
Cell phones for seniors are available in different styles: flip phones, smartphones, bar phones, and tablet-phones. The selection for cell phones for seniors is just as varied as regular phones when it comes to features and styles and we looked at all of them for you to determine which are the best in the industry.
Prepaid Cell Phone Plans For Seniors
A prepaid cell phone plan allows you to pay upfront for what you need each month, usually at an affordable price. These plans are ideal if you want to cut down on cost without sacrificing quality and coverageas well as reduce the risk of having any surprises on a bill at the end of the month. The numerous prepaid plan options on the market range from basic talk and text options to unlimited prepaid data plans.
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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 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.
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Why It Made Our List
Livelys products offer features that cater to the needs of older adults, including medical alert capabilities, which is why the Jitterbug Flip2 made the cut. This phone offers medical alert features and a simple flip phone design at an affordable price point, so you can stay safe and connected without putting a dent in your wallet. With the Jitterbug Flip2, seniors have options to connect to Urgent Response staff in an emergency and even speak with a registered nurse or doctor and order prescriptions over the phone. Talk about quality customer service!
The phone is designed with big buttons and a large screen, perfect for older hands and eyes. It has an 8MP camera, which provides clearer photos than other flip phones with 2MP cameras. Lively has also teamed up with Lyft to make it convenient to get a ride to any location, such as the grocery store, doctors office, or to visit friends and family.
Jitterbug Flip2
- Extra fee for Health & Safety Packages
Which Cell Phone Company Has The Best Coverage
For seniors in particular, being able to count on staying connected with loved ones, especially should an emergency arise, is often paramount. It may be worth paying more for what experts agree is Verizon’s best-in-class nationwide coverage, although it depends on your particular area. About 70% of the country has 4G coverage from Verizon. Perhaps not surprisingly, Lively, which touts health and medical-alert services to seniors along with its cell phone plans, uses Verizon’s network. AT& T has extended its 4G service to nearly 68% of the contiguous United States, and T-Mobile covers 62% of the country, according to cellular-service comparison site WhistleOut. Consumer Cellular uses both the AT& T and T-Mobile networks. When it comes to the emerging 5G service, T-Mobile leads the pack with 37% coverage, while AT& T and Verizon lag with 16% and 11% coverage, respectively, according to WhistleOut.
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Cityfone Zoomer Wireless And Simplyconnect
Under the Rogers Wireless umbrella, three carriersSimplyConnect, Cityfone, and Zoomer Wirelessare essentially different brands offering the same quality of mobile service, with the same phones, plans and prices targeted to the growing senior market. Better prices can be found by shopping around with other carriers, but where they excel is simplifying the purchasing process including a phone, plan and price into one neat package through dedicated live customer service over the phone.
Their best deals offer two phones on a shared smartphone or talk and text plan. Snowbirds can also choose a Canada/US plan, which lets you take your phone, number and plan with you when you fly south for the winter.
If you sign up with Zoomer Wireless through your CARP membership, you’ll receive 10% off your monthly plan, free annual CARP membership, free Zoomer Magazine subscription, and $5 donated to your local CARP chapter each year that you’re a member.
Raz Memory Cell Phone
- Designed for users with Alzheimers or dementia
- Simple picture-based menu
- Online portal for caregivers
Cost: $309 for MiniVision2 Phone and Memory Phone additional plan not included
The MiniVision2 features large buttons and a classic cell phone design, making it simple to operate, and its braille features make it completely accessible to blind people. Alternatively, the RAZ memory phone is a take on a smartphone. Great for users with dementia, this phone presents photos of each contact, making it easier to place calls. This phone also has a dedicated 911 button for emergencies.
Both phones from RAZ cost a one-time $309, and to use these phones, you must also purchase a plan from a compatible network such as T-Mobile, AT& T, or Mint Mobile. Currently, the purchase of a RAZ phone gives you three months of free service with Mint.
To learn more about this provider, read our Raz Memory Cell Phone review.
Pros
- No messages, apps, or internet access
- Relatively costly
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Important Questions To Ask As You Decide Between Prepaid And Postpaid Plans
Let us help you figure out what plan makes sense for you. Ask yourself the questions below to see which type of plan fits your situation.
How Much Data Do You Think Youll Use?
Data makes up the bulk of a cell phone plans costs these days. Most postpaid plans include large amounts of data or even unlimited data. Prepaid plans let you pay for as few as 25 MB of data a month. If youre not sure how much data youll use, ask your family how much they use. Odds are, youll use less than they do.
Also, consider what you like to do online. If you just want to send a few emails and check Facebook, you wont need a ton of data. If youre going to stream videos or music, use GPS navigation, or be on the internet every day, youll probably want at least a few gigs.
Will You Be Getting a Single Phone or a Family Plan?
Some prepaid and postpaid plans offer discounts if theyre used as family plans. Ask your family what phone plan they have. Adding your phone to their plan whichever kind it is might be your most affordable option. If you want your own plan, prepaid plans may be better, as they give the lowest rates to single users.
Pro Tip: Still having trouble deciding what type of phone or plan you want? Visit our cell phone buyers guide for more important topics to consider!
Do You Travel a Lot?
If you travel a lot internationally, even just to Canada and Mexico, postpaid plans are great. Many providers offer free international texting and calling.
Do You Need a New Phone?
The Five Cheapest Verizon Plans
As we age, our cell phone usage tends to change. We may make fewer calls and texts, and use less data than we did when we were younger. This can be a problem if youre on a traditional cell phone plan, where youre paying for a certain amount of minutes, texts, and data that you may not be using.
However, there are some great Verizon plans designed specifically for seniors that can help save you money. Here are the five cheapest Verizon plans available:
1. The Verizon 55+ Unlimited Plan: This plan is available to customers age 55 and up . It offers unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data for just $60/month . Thats a savings of $20/month compared to the regular unlimited plan price.
2. The Verizon Go Unlimited Plan: This is one of Verizons most popular unlimited plans, and its perfect for seniors who still want access to all the features theyre used to . The monthly price is $75 , but account holders get discounts on things like device upgrades and accessories purchases.
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Emergency Cell Phone Plan For Seniors
Lively cell phone plans are specifically for seniors. The Jitterbug, Livelys signature phone, features big buttons, a loud speaker and a bright screen with large display text. The prepaid carrier also allows you to add health services to your plan, such as the ability to speak with a live nurse or doctor the help of a personal operator to make phone calls or add appointments to your calendar and, at the push of a button, the aid of an Urgent Response agent who can assist you in an emergency.
Best Individual: Google Fi
With a base rate of $20 per month for unlimited U.S. calls and texts, Google Fi is an inexpensive option with plenty of highlights. Unlike the more traditional carrier model that offers set plans, Google Fi’s Flexible plan bills you $10 per GB used at the end of the month, so you’re paying only for the data you use. It’s easy to calculate your bill right from the start, so expectations are comfortable, and budgeting is a breeze.
If you want an unlimited plan, Google Fi’s Simply Unlimited tier starts at $50 per month for one line, $40 for two lines, $25 for three lines, and $20 for four to six lines. The Unlimited Plus offering, which adds perks like free international data, starts at $65 per line for one line, $55 for two lines, $45 for three lines, and $40 per line for four to six lines.
There’s only a small selection of Android-based phones available, so iPhone fans are out of luck, but if you’re OK with the device selection, Google Fi runs on both the Sprint and T-Mobile networks for nationwide 4G LTE and 5G coverage.
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Best Phone Plans For Seniors: Recap
As you can see, theres no shortage of options for seniors looking for an economical way to stay in touch with family and friends. Of course, to find the best cell phone plan for you, youll want to take into account your own budget and particular habits and preferenceswhether youre a smartphone aficionado or barely give your phone a second glance.
. Heres a quick reminder of our top picks for seniors in the market for a new phone plan:
- Best bang for your buck plan:SimplyConnect 6GB Plan, which offers unlimited talk and text and just enough data to hop online without worry
- Best plan for super-light users:Cityfone Talk & Text gives you free Canada-wide calling and unlimited texts at the cheapest price youll find across the country.
- Best plan for snowbirds: Telus Peace of Mind Connect Canada-US lets you jaunt across borders without having to change or update your phone plan, or pay insane roaming fees.
- Best multi-line plan: Rogers Infinite Unlimited Plan provides a huge amount of high-speed data for the entire family to share, including with elderly parents that dont live with you .
- Best plan for emergency use: 7-Eleven SpeakOut $25 Voucher keeps you connected when you need it most at a fraction of the usual cost, and it lasts for a full year.
Picking the Best Senior Phone Plans
How do our editors choose which phone plans are the best for seniors like you? Heres how we put our list together.
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Cheapest Cell Phone Plans For Seniors
Price: $3/month
Whats included: 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 100MB 4G LTE data.
Additional usage cost: Once you reach 100, additional minutes are just 3 cents each, texts are 1 cent each and data is 3 cents per MB.
Add-ons: 1-day or 7-day Data Pass or Voice Pass for extra mileage.
This cell phone plan is as cheap as it gets. For just $3/month, your senior can be covered for short check-ins or emergency calls. And with 100 minutes, 100 texts and 100MB of data, its not that basic either. A best choice for seniors who dont need the bells and whistles.
Whats included: Unlimited talk and text.
Additional usage cost: N/A
Add-ons: Data Add-On $5/GB.
Ting Flex is an amazing deal for your senior. Youll get unlimited talk and text for just $10/month. It doesnt get any cheaper for unlimited minutes. They also have a nice add-on for data, if you want to pay as you go for data.
Price: $12/month
Whats included: Unlimited talk and text, plus 1GB of data.
Add-ons: Build your own plan as needed. If you want 5GB of data instead of 1GB, the cost is $15/month.
US Mobiles Build-Your-Own-Plan is just awesome. The unlimited talk and text plan starts at $10/month, while the plan with 1G is only $12/month. If you want some data, but not a whole lot, this is an affordable choice. US Mobiles also known for high speeds and some perks for unlimited plans .
Whats included: Unlimited talk and text.
Additional usage cost: N/A
Add-ons: Data Add-On $5/GB.
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