Make the most of your phone plan with an Unlimited 55+ plan from T-Mobile.
Make the most of your phone plan with an Unlimited 55+ plan from T-Mobile.
SeniorLiving.org is compensated when you click on the provider links listed on this page. This compensation does not impact our ratings or reviews.
Image from Freepik.com
It’s official: Seniors have joined the smartphone revolution.1 But that doesn’t mean the “smart” transition is a piece of cake. There’s plenty to get used to, like emailing, video chatting, and making appointments by phone. Settings aren’t always easy to find. And for high-end models that have the gadgetry older folks want these days, prices can be prohibitive.
Going with an Android cell phone will solve most of those problems for seniors. Android phones are generally easy to use and have price points for practically every budget (from $35 to $399), which is a big plus for golden-agers on fixed incomes. Even if you’re not totally on board with the idea of using a smartphone yet, Androids come in a bunch of basic models that keep the tricky stuff to a minimum.
And that’s the only catch. Because there are so many Android phones out there, finding the one that will make you happy isn’t as easy as using an Android! Our Android buyer’s guide will be a big help in that direction, with quick breakdowns of the top Android cell phones for seniors, their standout features, and the best carriers to pair them with.
FYI: Taking your first steps in the cell phone market? Our seniors cell phone buyer’s guide offers an inside look at the best cell phones and cell phone plans for seniors around.
Our Top 5 Android Phones for Seniors
Our list starts at the tech-savvy end of the spectrum and makes its way down to more basic models. So if you’re looking for something really simple and practical, start with Consumer Cellular’s Link II at the bottom of our list.
Did You Know? Androids aren’t the only cell phones seniors are using. Plenty of older folks swear by Apple’s stylish but generally more pricey iPhones. Check out our guide to the best iPhones for seniors for tips on finding an iPhone to fit your budget.
Samsung Galaxy A11 Front
The $180 Samsung Galaxy A11 is the ideal Android cell phone for seniors who want the full smart experience without breaking the bank. The Galaxy is also comfy (with a mammoth 6.4-inch screen), and its 4,000-mAh cell battery gives you a day or more of browsing, talking, and video chatting.
But we really recommend the Galaxy A11 for seniors who are already comfortable with Android apps (Gmail, Hangouts, Drive, Maps). The Galaxy A11 comes with those apps and more; not all senior smartphones on this list do.
Senior Smartphone Tip: Android phones generally keep their interfaces simple. But if you want something even more basic, check out the free (and ad-free) Simple Launcher. It’s got large icons and letters and an SOS button for your emergency contact.
The Samsung also has a handy fingerprint sensor (say goodbye to PIN unlock!) and a capable 13-megapixel camera for high-quality family and vacation photos. Finally, even though the Galaxy A11 was released back in 2017, it runs Android 11 (launched in 2020), so it won’t slow you down.
We’re crazy about T-Mobile’s Unlimited 55+ senior cell phone plans and recommend pairing your Samsung Galaxy A11 with one. All of them are contract-free and offer unlimited talk, text, and data for as little as $27.50 per month.
If you want a bargain-basement prepaid plan, we’d also recommend checking out newcomer Mint Mobile. Mint’s no-nonsense cellular packages start at $15 per month.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 isn’t just our No. 1 Android pick for older adults who want the freedom to choose their own apps — it’s one of our top cell phone picks of 2023. The $180 A11 also has a very large screen, in case you want to magnify your text, and all modern accessibility features. You can take your Galaxy anywhere, but pairing it with a tried-and-tested T-Mobile senior plan is your best bet in our book. For a closer look at those plans, check out our hands-on T-Mobile Unlimited 55+ review.
Verve Snap
The Consumer Cellular Verve Snap is the most stripped-down cell phone on our list, making it a good choice for older folks just starting out with cell phones. At $62 (or $2 per month with financing), it’s also our cheapest option. You do get a very basic 5MP front-facing camera to capture videos and photos. But what you’re mostly paying for with the Cellular Verve Snap is a device that allows you to talk and text with friends and family without any of the hassles you might run into with a smartphone.
It’s true, the Cellular Verve Snap is only available through Consumer Cellular. But for older adults on a budget, this might be a boon in disguise. When we reviewed Consumer Cellular’s senior plans, we found budget talk and text options starting at $15 per month. (Take another 5 percent off if you’re an AARP member.) And there are no contracts or cancellation fees. If you want to make your Cellular Verve Snap price tag all but disappear, consider financing. You can grab a Verve Snap for as little as $2 per month.
FYI: Can’t live without Wi-Fi? Consumer Cellular also sells Wi-Fi-ready tablets. The GrandPad ($149) is the perfect companion to your Cellular Verve Snap cell phone with its extra-big screen for watching and shooting family videos and pics. Check out our Consumer Cellular review above for more details.
You aren’t going to be shooting videos for National Geographic with your Consumer Cellular Verve Snap, but you are going to get a cheap, reliable entry-level cell phone without any smart gadgetry to put the whammy on you. Of course, all voice calling and texting will be manual. (There’s no Amazon Alexa hiding out inside your Cellular Verve Snap!) So be prepared to exercise your fingers. If you’re already an AARP member, you can save an additional 5 percent on your monthly Consumer Cellular talk and text plan.
Jitterbug Smart3 Front
Lively’s Jitterbug Smart3 is a great all-around starter cell phone for seniors ready to take the smartphone plunge. It’s got an even bigger screen (6.2 inches) than the Smart2, for easy reading. It allows for voice typing and video chat. It also comes with map, email, and browsing apps, along with Lively’s trademark Urgent Response button for medical emergencies.
One of the handiest features we found when testing the Jitterbug Smart3 is its list-based menu, which means you won’t have to go searching anywhere for the apps you use every day. The internet is 4G LTE with great nationwide coverage, courtesy of Verizon, and the Smart3 is fully compatible with hearing aids. In fact, it’s one our top cell phone picks for seniors with hearing loss.
Senior Savings Tip: Lively runs seasonal promotions throughout the year to help you save even more. Keep your eyes peeled for these deals as you shop!
Budgetwise, at $149.99, the Smart3 has a nice price tag. You can make your savings go even further when you pair your Smart3 with a Lively Talk & Text plan, which starts at $14.99 per month.
If you choose a Jitterbug Smart3, you can’t use it with, say, AT&T. You’ll have to pair it with a Lively plan. Is this a problem? We don’t think so. Like T-Mobile, Lively’s senior cellular plans are truly aimed at older folks on fixed incomes. If 300 minutes of talk time per month is enough, you can get started for as little as $14.99 per month. For just $5 more, you can take advantage of Lively’s Unlimited Talk & Text plan.
Senior Safety Tip: You don’t need to be housebound to benefit from a medical alert button on your phone. In fact, many active older adults use medical alert buttons too. Check out our complete guide to medical alert systems to learn more about how medical alerts work and how much the top brands cost.
Many older folks these days are also looking for cell phone plans with data to stay connected to friends and family, especially since the pandemic has made face-to-face meetings impossible for a lot of seniors.2 Lively is a good bargain here too, with data packages starting at $2.49 per month.
In many ways, the Lively Smart3 is the perfect first smartphone for older adults. It combines the best exclusively senior features — big screen, easy interface, hearing aid compatibility, and medical alert button — with basic Android apps to help you stay connected with loved ones. The $149.99 price tag is competitive, and Lively Talk & Text plans are among the cheapest on the market, even if you add on 500 MB of data per month.
Sonim XP5s
At $339, the Sonim XP5s is a premium brick-style phone for older adults whose idea of a cell phone is a rugged workhorse minus the gadgetry. And the XP5s is a workhorse. You can drop this phone, spill liquid on it, or cover it in sand, and it will literally keep on ticking, making it a great companion for older folks with a house full of chocolate-coated grandkids or for loved ones with unstable grips.
Ruggedness aside, the Sonim XP5s also has exceptional HD calling quality and excellent coverage — via AT&T, Sprint, or even a discount Consumer Cellular plan (more on that below) — and comes with a generous three-year warranty.
You can use your Sonim XP5s with most major cellular carriers, but we recommend pairing yours with one of AT&T’s senior-friendly plans. If you are 55+ and living in Florida, you can sign up for the AT&T Unlimited 55+ plan, starting at $40 per line with two lines. If you don’t live in Florida but still need data to stay connected, a basic AT&T Unlimited Starter plan is $35 per month.
Senior Tech Tip: You might not be able to do much browsing on your Sonim XP5s, but you can use your Sonim to connect up to 10 devices (including laptops and tablets) to the internet using its mobile hotspot technology.
The Sonim XP5s is a tank of a phone that you wouldn’t be able to break if you tried (but don’t try). That durability comes with a higher price tag ($399 upfront) than your average flip phone, but it also means your Sonim should last you longer. The XP5s doesn’t have the app variety or screen size of a Samsung Galaxy A11, so this phone is primarily for talking and messaging, but not necessarily surfing the web (even though you can). The sound quality is exceptionally good, and the coverage is way above average, even in rural areas.
Jitterbug Flip2 Gray
Smartphones aren’t for everyone. If you’re ditching the touch screen for the big buttons, now you can at least do it in style with the Jitterbug Flip2. At $99.99, the affordable Flip2 keeps things easy with a convenient list-based menu, large screen, and magnifier for enlarging text. Voice calling and texting with Amazon Alexa will also be a serious relief for older folks whose fingers and eyes tire easily. And fear not, the Flip2 does have a basic camera for family snapshots and a heavy-duty speaker catered to older ears. To learn more about the Flip2’s accessibility features, check out our complete Jitterbug Flip2 review.
Did You Know? About 36 million older Americans (65 and over) suffer a fall every year, and 20 percent of those falls are serious.3 Safety features like Lively’s Urgent Response button can provide the help you need after a fall or other emergency.
Importantly, the Flip2 doubles as a medical emergency device. Press the red Urgent Response button at the bottom and you’re connected instantly to Lively’s board-certified medical staff at any hour of the day. Just keep in mind that this is an extra service with its own $19.99 monthly fee.
While you don’t get the leeway to choose your carrier for the Lively Jitterbug Flip2 like you would with a Sonim XP5s or a Samsung Galaxy A11, you do get the benefit of an affordable monthly bill and a bargain phone made for seniors. To put that into context, the Jitterbug Flip2 is only $99.99. Lively senior plans start at $14.99 per month. Not bad at all.
The Jitterbug Flip2 is one of the easiest cell phones we’ve tested, and it didn’t get that way by accident. A lot of thought went into the Flip2’s easy-to-use menu and buttons. For older adults who live with chronic medical conditions, the Flip2’s Urgent Response button can literally be a lifesaver, giving instant access to certified healthcare professionals 24/7. When you consider its $99.99 price tag, you can see why this is one of the most popular phones on the market today for those 65 and over who want to keep things simple.
We didn’t pick our top Android cell phones out of a hat. We were looking for specific criteria.
Generally speaking, yes, Android phones are cheaper than iPhones.
No, you can’t. Jitterbugs come with fixed apps. If you want to be able to download apps, check out the Samsung Galaxy A11 (No. 1 on our list).
Not if staying connected just means talking and texting for you. But if you plan on doing a lot of video chatting, taking pictures, checking email, or surfing online, a Wi-Fi-ready smartphone is probably your best bet.
Yes, with most carriers, you can bring your current phone number with you when you sign up.
Ordering online may save you money, especially during promotions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
For over five years, Taylor has been writing, editing, and researching products and services covering topics such as senior care and technology, internet and the digital divide, TV and entertainment, and education. Her work has been cited by publications such as Forbes,… Learn More About Taylor Shuman
AARP. (2020). Older Adults Keep Pace on Tech Usage.
AARP. (2021). Personal Tech and the Pandemic: Older Adults Are Upgrading for a Better Online Experience.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Injury Prevention and Control: Keep on Your Feet.
