New Cell Phones for Seniors: Jitterbug Plus for Great Call

The Jitterbug has been a major force in the cell phones for seniors and a new one is about to enter the fray. Samsung has revealed the next-generation Jitterbug before GreatCall has a chance to formally announced it.

It appears that the phone will be called the Jitterbug Plus or Samsung SCH-R220.

A look at the phone indicates that it will sport the traditional Jitterbug look with its clamshell design and large buttons on its keypad.

Here are a few images of this new cell phone for seniors to give you a batter look:

As you can see, its simplified design makes it ideal for the use of elderly mobile phone consumers.
The features offered by this device include a 2.2 inch color display (240x320 Pixels) inside and an external color screen that measures 1.3 inches (128x128 Pixels). This cell phone for baby boomers is also equipped with a 1.3MP camera.

Here are the rest of the features and specs for the Jitterbug Plus for Great Call:

• speakerphone
• voice dialing
• messaging
• phone book
• hearing aid compatible (HAC): MT/T4
• internal memory::1GB (EFS) + 512MB (RAM)
• battery with up to 25 days standby time and up to 3.1 hours continuous usage time
• 5-Star service
• Dimensions (inches): 3.86 x 2.01 x 0.77
• Weight (ounces): 2.86 oz.
• Frequencies and Data Type: 800/1900MHz

GreatCall has not yet announced this phone so pricing and availability are still unknown. It will be available in red and silver.

What do you think of this phone? Is it worthy of being the next Jitterbug cell phone for the elderly?

Accessories for the Just5 Cell Phone for Senior Citizens

Hello everyone. I have been checking out the different websites that sell mobile phones for the elderly to check if there are new handsets, plans, or service for the elderly. I explored Just 5's US website and found that they have new accessories for their handset for grandparents.

The website previously just offered a SIM card on their accessories page but the site has finally decided to expand their offerings and provide more products.

Let me provide some of the new accessories for the Just5 cell phone that are available for seniors.

First we have a wall charger that allows users to charge up their phones by plugging it into a power outlet. I thin it's a very useful accessory as we need power to use our phones (duh!). However, the charger that comes in the box with our phone are often the first gadgets to stop working or get lost so having the option a buying a new one for your handset is good. If you need this device then you can get it for $9.99.

Next we have another type of charger for the Just 5 mobile phone for baby boomers. This one is ideal for the elders who are often on the go. It allows one to get power for your cell phone even if you do not have easy access to a power outlet. One simply need to plug into the power adaptor in your car and you can rely on it keep your phone charged on the way to seeing your children or grand kids. This accessory is available for $9.99.

Then there's the lanyard for folks who want to keep their phones close without having it in your hands. This accessory allows users to hang their phones around their neck so they are free to use their hands while having a phone at a convenient location. This accessory is also a great tool for users who often find themselves forgetting where they have placed their phones. This product is available for $7.99.

These are just a few of new accessories for the Just5 phone. Check out the handset's website if you want to check out more of these devices.

If you are unfamiliar with the Just 5, then you should know that it is one of the best options for consumers whoa re looking for a cell phone that is fit for the needs of the elderly. here's a video that will help you to get to know this phone:

Stay tuned as we feature more accessories, plans, and cell phones for senior citizens.

Samsung S125G: A new Tracfone Cell Phone for Seniors?

Tracfone is one of the best prepaid for senior citizens. It offers the Senior Value Cell Phone, which is one of the best handsets for the elderly (I'm sure SVC fans who frequently comment in this blog will agree). However, the SVC phone is not the only device that is suited for seniors among Tracfone's line-up. Here's an upcoming device that may also be ideal for the need of baby boomers.

This device was revealed by Samsung as headed for Tracfone's line of prepaid phone. That means that the pricing and availability of this phone have not been disclosed but I'm sure that it will be a cheap cell phone. The Samsung S125G is a bar style design that is design to "make your life easy". Let's go over the features of this mobile phone for grandparents.

Here are the highlights of this cell phone for seniors as touted by its page at Samsung's official website:

• Easy-to-use interface makes dialing, texting and navigating easy-to-do
• Keeps you connected to family and friends
• Shortcut keys help to navigate and adjust settings in a snap
• Easily manage calls with call waiting, Caller ID and alerts

A closer look at the features and specs for this phone reveals the elements that make this a goo phone for
the elderly. Here are the senior-friendly features of the Samsung S125G:

• 1.52 inch color display with 128 x 128 pixels (a bit small and should be 2 inches or larger)
• built-in speakerphone that let users talk hands-free
• 1000mAh Lithium Ion battery with 12.5 days standby and 6 hours usage
• Voicemail and TTY

 The specs sheet does not indicate the hearing-aid compatibility of the phone but perhaps that is due to this being a new device that has not been launched yet. The details on the site might be incomplete.

And here are some images to help you see how this phone can be a great device for senior citizens:

What do you thin of this phone? Is it worthy to be in the hands of an elderly consumer?

Verizon Wireless Cell Phones for Seniors in the First Half of 2012

Verizon Wireless offers a very impressive line-up that includes the most popular and powerful smartphones in the US. However, this carrier also offer simple and affordable cell phones that are suitable for elderly users. These devices are designed to be cheap and easy-to-use for consumers who only want the basic features on their phones.

Now, carriers change their line-ups regularly to add new phones and retire handsets that need to be replaced to make way for new handsets. Currently, Verizon Wireless offers a few cell phones that we consider to be fit for senior citizens. We have featured them in our blog but we want to present an updated list of senior-friendly phones that are currently available on Verizon's line-up.

Here are the mobile phones for seniors that Verizon Wireless classify under "Basic Phones":

• Samsung Gusto 2: $79.99 
• LG Revere: $79.99 
• Samsung Convoy 2:   $119.99
• LG Cosmos 2: Free
• Motorola Barrage: Free (temporarily out of stock)

The prices for these phones are the current offers as this article was published. There are more phones in Verizon's Basic Phones line-up but they are meant for messaging and entertainment.

The phones listed above are linked to our featured blogpost where we take a closer look at the features and attributes that make them ideal for seniors.

Verizon Wireless already offers a senior-friendly cell phone plan (65Plus), which would work well when paired with any of these devices.

So what do you think about the list? Should Verizon offer more simple phones in its line-up? Should it offer the phones at a cheaper price?

US Cellular Phone for Seniors: Samsung Chrono 2

We looked at the Samsung Chrono from Cricket and US Cellular about a year ago. Well, I'm happy to report to readers who like the phone that an improved version of the handset has already been available from sometime and it comes with a nice price.

US Cellular is currently offering the Samsung Chrono 2 for free for new activations and 0.01 after Instant Rebate for current customers who are eligible to upgrade.

So is this device a good cell phone for senior citizens? Is it as simple and easy-to-use as the original Chrono from Samsung? Let's go over the details of this phone to find out.

Like its, predecessor, the Chrono 2 sports a clamshell design that is slim and sleek. We would have wanted it to be sturdier as a device for the elderly but thin phones are the trend nowadays. It sports a 2.2 inch QVGA TFT display which is a bit bigger the the original Chrono which sported a 2 inch main screen.It also has a smaller 1.3 inch displays which shows relevant information without the need to open the phone.

This phone sports a nice keypad with large numbers printed on the buttons. The keys are separated with one another and raised slightly above the surface so dialing can be done without any difficulty.  The
four-way navigational keypad and softkeys also allows users to quickly access phone features.

The  Samsung Chrono 2 also offers a  Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M4/T4 making it ideal for folks who are hard of hearing. The 1000mAh Lithium Ion can keep the phone going for up to 25 day on standby so it has decent lasting power.

Here are some images of this mobile phone for seniors:

And here are the bonus features you get with this phone(nice but not priorities for seniors):

• 1.3 MP Camera
• Social Networking and E-Mail Capabilities
• Integrated Web Browser
• Bluetooth 2.1 
• Multiple Messaging Options w/Predictive Text
• GPS

 That's it for this quick look of a cheap cell phone for seniors. Stay with us every week for new device features and other related topics.

Talking with Grandparents via Cell Phones

We have featured a number of cell phones for the elderly in this blog so we figured its time for a post that will warm your hearts. I ran into a few videos while looking for new phones to feature so I thought I should post them here.

These clips feature cute videos of grandchildren trying to communicate with their grandparents via a mobile phone. I know that talking with grand kids and other family members is one of the most enjoyable moments for a senior citizen. So here are the videos showing cute kids talking with their beloved grandmas and grandads on the cell phone. I hope you enjoy them:

Here is baby Ella gets a call on speakerphone from her proud Sheets Grandparents from South Carolina:

And here's a video of young Annabelle talking on the cell phone to her grandmother in Lancaster, CA:

Enjoy this clip of another young girl giving grandpa a call:

Here is a young boy calling Grandma Bea on a BlackBerry:

We hope you enjoy these videos. You can find plenty of them on YouTube and other video websites.

Stay tuned to this blog every week as we feature more phones and other topics related to mobile phones for grandparents.

T-Mobile 665: A Cell Phone for Seniors that Excels in Making Calls

The folks at Cnet described the T-Mobile 665 as a phone that "makes calls and not much else." That label sounds like a negative description of a phone where super powerful smartphones are being launched every month.

However, this description is fitting for a device that can fit the needs of the elderly. Senior citizens require a phone that can make phone and not much else. These consumers need phones that are simple and uncomplicated. Plus a phone that focuses on making calls is usually a cheap device that fits into the lifestyle of folks who are 65 years or older. This prepaid phone from T-Mobile is currently available for $49.

Every year, US carrier's and cell phone manufacturers release phone that just comes with the basics. These phones are headed for markets that include teens, new cell phone users, and seniors. The T-Mobile 665 falls into this category. It's features are limited but it's focused on the essentials. Flashy features and capabilities such as Wi-Fi, mobile TV, 4G LTE, and others are cool but they lose their value to consumers who are only after the most basic of features and the lowest of price.

The  665 comes in a clamshell design with a 1.7-inch, 262,000-color display. This cell phone for seniors also comes with an extra-large keypad that is designed for easy dialing and texting.

Here are some images of this mobile phone:

 

 The other features for this phone include:

• 2-megapixel camera
• Bluetooth
• FM radio
• speakerphone
• a microSD slot for cards up to 8GB
• included Accessories: battery, wall charger, and user guide

What do you think of this cheap phone? Can the T-Mobile 665 serve as a cell phone for the elderly?

Stay tuned as we look at more devices and help you to see if they are suitable cell phones for seniors.

The ClearSounds AC100 ClearDigital Amplified Cell Phone for the Elderly

After combing the web for another cell phone that can help elderly users, I found another device that might be able to fit the requirements of senior citizens. The ClearSounds AC100 ClearDigital is an amplified cell phone that makes it ideal for seniors with hearing difficulties. But what other features does it have that can cover the remaining needs of folks who are 65 or older? Let's take a close look at this device to find out.

The AC100 is a simple phone. One can easily surmise that by just looking at it. It's a good device for folks who find modern cell phone technology daunting. Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, mobile GPS are all great features but they are wasted on a cell phone for seniors. That's because they can be too complicated and are on the bottom end of a senior's priorities when buying a phone. These features also come with added cost that might burden folks who have retired and no longer have a steady source of income.

This amplified cell phone for seniors comes with a backlit screen with adjustable contrast and large text size for users who have difficulty with seeing fine print. The simple design of this phone also include an easy-to-read backlit keypad with big buttons for easy dialing. The buttons have large numbers so they can be clearly seen by users with poor vision.

As mentioned before, this handset is suitable for hearing impaired users. It can amplify sounds up to 25 decibels and features tone amplification up to 10 decibels gain. It also has a flashing visual ringer and a strong vibrating ringer to alert a user of an incoming call.

Like other great mobile phones for the elderly, the ClearSounds AC100 ClearDigital Amplified Cell Phone comes with features that help to deal with emergencies. It comes with a large one-touch emergency dial button that can instantly contact a trusted friend or family member in an emergency. There are also 4 one-touch memory dial buttons that allows users to call quickly.

Here are the rest of the features that can be helpful toward senior users:

• Hands-free speakerphone
• Built-in Flashlight
• Automatic redialing
• 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty 

Here's some pictures that gives you a closer look on this handset:

Unfortunately, this phone is a bit pricey. it is being offered for $149.95, which is a lot more expensive than most cell phones for the elderly.

That's it for this post. Stay tuned as we feature more phones for the elderly.

The Affordable LG101 from Virgin Mobile

Phones from prepaid carriers like Virgin Mobile are often ideal for senior citizens because they are usually simple devices with easy-to-reaches price tags. We have featured a few phones from Virgin Mobile and it's about time to look at  another cheap prepaid phone from this company.

This time we will examine a bar style phone called the LG 101. We have looked at a number of flip style phones and a different design should provide a bit of variation for folks who are trying to find a phone that will fit their tastes.

First let us look at the price for this phone and see if it is indeed accessible for the elderly who have limited source of income. At the time this post was published, the LG101 cost $14.99 without any contracts. This price includes free shipping, free activation and a 30 day guarantee.

So what about the plans? Well,. Virgin mobile has plenty of cheap ones with enough minutes that can cover a senior's normal monthly consumption. For example, the $20 talk plan provides 400 minutes per month.

Now let's take a closer look at the device itself. We'll begin with the design. The LG 101 sports a candy bar-shaped body with glossy and black plastics. Admittedly, the color screen is a bit small at just 1.5-inches with 128-by-128-pixel resolution. with an affordable price its hard to put too much expectation on this phone specs-wise.

Fortunately, the navigation features of this phone makes up for its lack of display size. It offers a five-way control pad with six raised function keys and rectangular, raised plastic number buttons on its keypad. The design makes it easy to dial numbers and users can make a call quickly using one hand.

Some of the senior-friendly features offered by this phone include a speakerphone and a 800mAh battery with decent life. Voice quality on this device was also decent. The features are very limited but that's part of the simplicity that makes it ideal for seniors.

Here are some videos and images of this device to give you a closer look:

 

 

That's it for this post on a Virgin Mobile phone for seniors. Visit us regularly for more phones that are ideal for the elderly.

Low-Tech Cell Phones for Seniors

Mobile phones are becoming more advanced every year. That is the trend of technology and mobile telecommunications is no different. manufacturers attempt to cram as many features into a handset that should be slim enough to appeal to users. A new launched cell phone would usually have a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, GPS, email, web browsing, and 3G. However, the most technologically advanced devices are not fit for seniors. There are discussions of smartphone for seniors but the fact remains that low-tech devices are the best fit for the elderly.

Why? Well, I think it is due to the fact that seniors want the simplest devices because they are easy-to-use and cheap. The elderly can learn how to use low-tech cell phones in a matter of minutes. Basic phones specialize in making calls and usually come with keypads that feature large buttons. The best ones also come with emergency buttons that provide one click access to persons that can provide immediate help.

Price is also a major issue that can be solved by low-tech phones. Since these devices only provide the essentials, they are offered at a price that is reachable for senior citizens. Folks who are 65 or older do not have a steady source of income so they may not be able to spend hundreds of dollars on a telephone.

Advanced features like touchscreens, Wi-Fi, HD cameras, NFC, 4G LTE and GPS add to the cost of a phone. Seniors also do not have these advanced features in their priority so simple mobile phones with basic technology is the way to go. It does not make sense to pay for features that you do not use so handset with low technology are best suited for grandparents.

These complex features also make a phone more difficult to use and navigate. A phone that can make calls in a few steps is the best device for the elderly because they are much simpler.

Here is a list of several  low-tech cell phones that are ideal for seniors. These handsets have already been featured in this blog so click on them if you want  more information:

• Nokia 103
• Just5 Cell Phone
• Tracfone SVC
•  LG1500
•  Motorola WX345

Can you think of other low-tech mobile phones for seniors? Do you agree that they are ideal for the elderly?