Best Basic Phones For Seniors 2024

Many elderly and senior family members might be a bit overwhelmed with the spectrum of features that your average modern day smart phone supports. Rather than the latest iPhone generation, the older generation often value a simple phone that makes it easy to take and place calls: Large buttons, clearly labelled, and big characters on the screen. Not too many confusing extras, loud and good call quality, and where needed, compatibility with a hearing aid.

Ruggedness is a plus: In case the phone is dropped occasionally or left outside in the rain, it’s great to know that it will survive this.

Our favorite dumb phone for seniors is definitely the Samsung Jitterbug5, which was specifically designed for elderly users. It comes with a dedicated 5Star support button to quickly contact a trained agent who can help in case of a medical emergency, or really with any other request that you could think of.

The Snapfon ezTWO is a popular runner-up, and while its call quality and battery life aren’t quite as good as the Jitterbug’s, it is significantly cheaper (both to acquire and in monthly service plan fees).

If you prefer a rugged phone, the Convoy 3 is a great choice. Being MILSTD810F compliant, it is resistant to dust, dropping, and humidity. Calls are loud and high quality, but note that this phone is not hearing aid compatible.

 

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Samsung a157 Non-Camera Flip Phone (AT&T)

Phones without a built-in camera are rather hard to come by these days. With all the talk about hacking going on, some may be aiming to ensure their privacy, while others may just wish to go as light as possible on technology with their phone. Whatever your reasons for desiring ...
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Snapfon ezTWO: Simple Phone, Great for Seniors (Unlocked)

The Snapfon ezTWO is a GSM phone designed specifically for senior citizens. It has a red emergency button on the back, that when pressed will connect its user with a trained operator that can alert 911, family members, or other emergency contacts if necessary. The ezTWO comes with big keys that have large numbers ...
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LG Exalt VN360 Simple Flip Phone (Verizon)

The LG Exalt VN360 is a simple, senior-friendly flip phone that's highly reliable, easy to set up, and intuitive to use. It is M4/T4 hearing aid compatible, and its easy-to-read 3" interior screen displays content largely and clearly. Call quality is very good. Keys are large and include a numeric ...
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Samsung Convoy 3 U680 Rugged Flip Phone (Verizon)

The Samsung Convoy 3 is a great, ruggedized flip phone that can handle a lot of harsh treatment. It meets military standard MILSTD810F in terms of resistance to dust and sand, shock, vibration, and humidity. While it doesn't claim to be 100% waterproof (so you'd better not take it for a swim ...

Samsung Jitterbug5: Easy-to-use Flip Phone for Seniors (GreatCall)

Reminiscent of the early 2000's clam shell style phones, the Jitterbug5 is a Samsung flip phone that was specifically designed for the elderly. This phone is available on GreatCall, a MVNO carrier on Verizon's network. The Jitterbug5 is an excellent phone for seniors, with large text on screen, big backlit ...

Compare Technical Specs

Best Dumb Phones For Seniors 2022

PhoneSamsung Jitterbug5Samsung Convoy 3 U680LG Exalt VN360Snapfon ezTWO
Approx. price$100$75$75$80
Battery1780mAh1300mAh900mAh1000mAh
Bluetoothv2.1, EDRv2.1, A2DP3.0Yes
BrowserNoOpera MiniOpera MiniNo
Camera1.3MP3.2 MP2 MPVGA (640x480px)
CarrierGreatCallVerizonVerizonUnlocked
Dimensions2" x 0.8" x 3.9"2" x 0.8" x 4.1"4.4" x 2.1" x 0.6"4.6" x 2.2" x 0.6"
Display (ext)1.3"1.3", 128x128px7x15px1.8" x 1.6", 320x240px
Display (int)2.2"2.4" 240x320px3", 240x400px
E-mail clientNoNoYesNo
FlashlightNoYesYes
Form factorFlipFlipFlipBar
FM RadioNoNo
GamesYesYesNo
GPSYesYesYesNo
Headset jack3.5mmNo3.5mm3.5mm
Hearing aidM4/T4 compatibleM4/T4M3/T3
Memory (RAM)256MB1.26MB
MP3 playerYesYesNo
MP3 ring tonesNoYesNo
RuggedNo810FNoNo
SIM cardNoNoNoYes
SD card (max.)No32GB32GBYes
Speed dialYesYesYes
SpeakerphoneYesYesYesYes
Standby time25 days19 days18 days5 days
Talk time5h6h30m5h30m5h
USBMicroUSBMicroUSB 2.0YesCharge only
Vibration alarmYesYesYesYes
Voice dialYesYesYes
WaterproofNoNot 100%NoNo
Weight (oz)3.83.92.3