What Should You Look For in a Budget Cell Phone
Naturally, if you’re looking for a phone on the cheaper side, then you’ll have to give up some of the more advanced features of the most modern handsets. Unfortunately, the phones on this list won’t support facial recognition, nor will they produce professional-quality photos.
With that said, you’d be surprised by the quality of these affordable phones, all of which cost under $200. Some of them have touchscreens, some of them are waterproof, and several of these phones even have some smart features like video calling and voice commands.
Here’s what we looked for when it came to budget phones for seniors.
- Call Quality: Although many high-tech smartphones might have you thinking otherwise, for most of us, a phone should first and foremost be a phone. So we looked for devices that delivered crisp and clear audio in our test calls. Bonus points went to handsets with hearing aid compatibility.
- Senior Features: The percentage of seniors with cell phones grows each year, and companies meet this demand with devices tailored to the older set. The phones on this list feature large text, big buttons, and intuitive menus. Some of them even have advanced medical alert capabilities.
- Battery Life: Each of the phones on this list had a battery that lasted for at least 24 hours on a single charge. Several of them last significantly longer.
- Durability: Your savings will be for naught if the phone only lasts for a year. For this reason, we looked for phones that could withstand water and drops, in addition to general wear and tear.
- Simple Service Plans: Over a year, a service plan will likely end up costing more than your phone. With this in mind, we looked for phones that worked with affordable plans that cater to seniors.
The Cheapest Cellular Provider For Seniors
With all the options out there, it can be a bit confusing to figure out which cellular provider gives the best bang for your buck. In terms of major providers, our current favorite is T-Mobile, whose trio of 55+ Unlimited Plans start at $27.50 per line per month and give you unlimited talk, text, and data.
Still, for the user looking to make calls and send text messages only, Lively and Consumer Cellular offer custom plans. With these providers, you can select the number of minutes, number of messages, and amount of data you anticipate using each month. Especially for those of us who don’t use our phones too heavily, these providers can offer significant savings.
The Cheapest Cell Phones For Seniors
After extensive research and testing, we’ve narrowed the list of options down to five phones. While some of them are significantly more affordable than others, we’ve concluded that each of the following phones gives you a tremendous bang for your buck.
Without further ado, here is the list of the best budget phones for seniors.