Cell phones for seniors are now officially in everyone's hands. Research shows, perhaps unsurprisingly, that more than half of people over 65 now use the internet. And in the last decade, internet use in this age group has grown to more than 80%.
Whether you're thinking about investing in your first smartphone, or you're helping an elderly relative/friend choose one, there's a lot to consider to ensure what you get is convenient and simple to use.
While there are many great flip phones available for seniors who don't want to use smart technology, there are also easy-to-use smartphones available that come with some extremely useful senior assistance features.
Here are our recommendations to help find appropriate cell phones for seniors.
What to look for when buying a cell phone for seniors?
When purchasing a cell phone for seniors, carefully consider the following features:
1) A senior-friendly keyboard
Elderly people may have diminished mental or physical capabilities. That is why it is so important to preset all the conditions that will make using the phone comfortable and convenient.
2) Easy-to-read font
The font for each character should be large and easy to read. In this regard, look for options with a zoom feature to adjust the size of the text on the screen.
3) Integrated voice control
This feature is designed for those seniors who are unable to dial a phone number, or for those who have a real challenge navigating menus.
4) A bright and clear display
The phone has to have a big screen that shows everything on the screen clearly. Additionally, the structure of the icons on the screen must make sense. Remember that everything has to be simplified. Elderly people generally only need to perform two or three actions daily with their phone: calling, receiving calls and setting the alarm clock.
5) Speakerphone
Smartphones for hearing-impaired seniors should include speakerphone capabilities. This feature has to be easy to find, activate and control.
5 Best cell phone models for seniors
Smartphones, for the most part, have opened up cellular technology to seniors and the older generation – their large, intuitive touchscreens have proven to be much more user-friendly to use than older cell phones with buttons.
When looking at cell phones for seniors, we take into account several criteria, such as screen brightness and size, special accessibility features, and modernity. The cell phones listed below should be enough to convince you that smartphone technology isn't that scary.
1. MOTO G7 Power
What is one of the most common drawbacks of getting older? Forgetfulness. If the senior you're considering a smartphone for doesn't have much experience with them, then there's a good chance they'll forget to charge it every night like the rest of us do.
Therefore, a durable battery can be a good feature, which is why the Moto G7 Power can be a good model. However, there's a lot more to it than the 5000mAh battery. The G7 Power has a 6.2-inch screen.
Specifications
- 6.2-inch screen with 720 x 1570 resolution
- 4GB RAM
- 32/64 GB internal storage, expandable
- 5,000mAh battery
- LTE/4G
- Android 10
- Compatible with hearing aids
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 8
There's no reason elderly smartphone users shouldn't get a taste of what a real smart phone is like, just as there's no reason they should pay for the latest phone when something cheaper will do. The award-winning Galaxy Note 8 is a perfect balance and a great choice. It came out in 2017, but it has a big, sharp 6.3-inch, 1440p Super AMOLED display that's still among the brightest on any phone. The fingerprint sensor also makes it much faster to unlock your phone than messing around with patterns or PIN codes.
The Galaxy Note 8's unique feature that might appeal to grandma and grandpa is the included S-Pen stylus, which lets you doodle and write on the screen like you would with a real pen. It has excellent handwriting detection, which learns your handwriting and converts it into text. On a technical level, this is the best smartphone for seniors on this list.
Even a few years later, this is a really powerful, high-quality device that can be easily tweaked for extra accessibility, increased font sizes, and so on.
Its last operating system update was Android 9.0 Pie, which is still quite recent and includes the vast majority of the operating system features you would want in a modern senior cell phone.
Specifications
- 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2960 resolution
- 6GB RAM
- 64GB to 256GB of internal storage
- 12 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
- 3,300 mAh battery
- LTE/4G
- android 9.0
- Compatible with hearing aids
3. Apple iPhone SE
For a tech-savvy veteran, the iPhone SE (2020) could be a great choice as it's an iPhone designed for people who don't need all the cutting-edge features of Apple's newest smartphones.
The second-generation iPhone SE has similar specs to the iPhone 8 in some areas, but with a few tweaks to bring it up to date with trends in 2020. Its screen quality, camera, and design look dated now, but unless the senior for whom If you are buying a phone keep up to date with the latest technology, they won't care.
Seniors with an iPhone can also benefit from the near-seamless transition between an iPhone and iPad whenever they want an even larger screen.
Specifications
- Display: 4.7 inches, 60.9 cm² (65.4% utilization)
- Operating System: iOS 13
- Resolution: 750 x 1334px
- Capacity: 64/128/256GB + 3GB RAM
- Memory Card: No
- Network Technology: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
4. MOTO G8 Power Lite
Motorola's G or E series phones can be great for seniors as they have low prices but sturdy builds and long-lasting batteries, and that's certainly the case with the Moto G8 Power Lite.
This phone has a battery that will last about two days, as well as a large screen and a body that will survive a few drops of water (although there's no harm in using the case provided in the box).
While the Moto G8 Power Lite doesn't have a great processor or amazing cameras, a senior probably won't care about it. The senior cell phone is great for people who don't need high-end specs, especially at this low price.
Specifications:
- Display: 6.39 inches
- Operating System: Android 10
- Resolution: 720 x 1560px
- Capacity: 64GB + 4GB RAM
- Memory Card: Yes, shares the second SIM card drawer
- Network Technology: GSM/HSPA/LTE
5. Samsung Galaxy S10
An easy-to-view operating system can be great for seniors, and Samsung's One UI makes it very easy to see. O Samsung Galaxy S10e It's the budget iteration of its flagship S10 lineup, so it's decently affordable, but there are still some useful features here.
The 5.8-inch screen is large enough to make viewing easy, but small enough to use with one hand. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is also much easier than the on-screen versions for most seniors, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a battery that should get you through a day pretty easily. All of these features would suit a senior citizen very well.
The cell phone for seniors is also very responsive, with a Snapdragon processor 855 cutting edge.
- Processor Speed: 2.7GHz, 2.3GHz, 1.9GHz
- Processor Type: Octa Core
- Size (Main Screen): 146.1mm (5.8″ full rectangle) / 142.7mm (5.6″ rounded corners)
- Resolution (Main Screen): 2280 x 1080 (FHD+)
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