Best Cell Phones for Seniors With Hearing Loss

SeniorLiving.org Rating 4.5

Ease of use	Equipment	Service & Response	Features & Tech	Pricing
excellent	excellent	excellent	excellent	excellent

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Overview

Want to stay in touch with your loved ones without worrying about complicated smartphone technology? The Jitterbug Flip2 is a great option to consider! It’s reasonably priced, easy to use, and comes with many health and safety features.

» Dive Deeper: Jitterbug Flip2 Review

During testing, I found that the Jitterbug Flip2 has a simple and practical design. In addition to useful features, the flip phone doubles as a medical alert device. Lively has a team of agents who can send help after a fall or emergency 24/7. All I had to do was press the large Urgent Response button on the keyboard. After about 15 seconds, I was connected to a helpful agent. People with hearing loss are at higher risk of falling, so medical alert features like this are important.

That’s just one of the many health and safety features the Jitterbug Flip2 offers. There are also on-call nurses, concierge services, and caregiver tracking through the Lively mobile app. The features are unique; you won’t find them with the other carriers on our list. You’ll also find them only with Lively’s Preferred and Premium phone plans.

The Lively Flip keypad and Urgent Response button

Even if you’re not the most tech-savvy person, you’ll be able to use the Jitterbug Flip2 with ease. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a smartphone like the iPhone 13, but that’s kind of the point. Unlike the TCL FLIP Go, the Jitterbug Flip2 is specifically designed to meet the needs of seniors.

Hearing-Aid Compatibility

The Jitterbug Flip2 has M4/T4 hearing-aid compatibility, which is the highest possible rating. That means you can use virtually any Bluetooth-ready hearing aid with the device. The Jitterbug Flip2 is one of the only phones with an M4/T4 rating on our list (along with the TCL FLIP Go). That makes it an excellent choice for people who use the telecoil settings on their hearing aids or prefer using their phone in microphone mode.

I tested the Jitterbug Flip2 with MDHearing’s Neo XS hearing aids, and it performed admirably. The simple list-style menu made it easy to set up the hearing aids via Bluetooth. My grandma was impressed that the sound came through without any problems. I liked that, unlike the iPhone SE and iPhone 13, the Jitterbug Flip2 has a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, which means I could listen to music using wireless hearing aids or wired headphones.

» Related Reading: MDHearing Review

Speaker Quality and Sound Customization

The speaker on the Jitterbug Flip2 is definitely loud, but we experienced issues with clipping. My grandma complained that the audio would often sound muffled or distorted when things got too loud. She had to adjust the volume level constantly to hear things clearly. Fortunately, adjusting the volume is as easy as clicking the up and down arrows on the keypad. The sound distortion didn’t usually occur when we did test calls with “normal” volume levels. It happened when there was a lot of background noise or I tried to speak more loudly on the call.

The Jitterbug Flip2 has built-in RTT support, but you’ll need a separate device if you want to enjoy TTY features. I could easily use voice-to-text and text-to-voice communication, but I couldn’t enjoy live captions, transcriptions, or other features that can be extremely useful for hearing-impaired seniors.

Pricing

The Jitterbug Flip2 retails for $99.99, plus shipping and activation fees. Lively’s talk and text plans start at $19.99 for unlimited minutes and texts. You can upgrade to a plan with more health and safety features, with prices ranging from $39.99 to $49.99 per month.

Lively highly recommends adding one of those plans because it allows older adults to use the medical alert feature, which covers you in emergencies when you may need to call for medical help. The health and safety features gave me peace of mind, knowing my grandma would quickly receive help after a fall or other emergency.

Check out the video below to learn more about our experience with the Jitterbug Flip2.

Hearing-Aid Compatibility

The Jitterbug Smart4 has M3/T4 hearing-aid compatibility, which is a small step down from the Jitterbug Flip2’s M4/T4 rating. I was disappointed to see that, since it’s essentially a more enhanced version of the Flip2. Nonetheless, as long as your hearing aids are Bluetooth-ready, they will likely work with the Smart4. Even if you have basic hearing aids that are not Bluetooth-enabled, there’s a chance you can connect them to the Smart4 and other smartphones. You’ll just need to contact the manufacturer to learn how.

My grandma and I tested the Jitterbug Smart4’s hearing-aid compatibility with Jabra Enhance and MDHearing devices. Since the Jitterbug Smart4 runs on Android operating systems, you can download apps to help you connect your hearing aids via the Google Play Store. You can also try to connect your hearing aids directly via the Bluetooth settings. We found both options pretty straightforward, and the sound quality was great with both hearing-aid models.

» Also Check Out: Best Android-Compatible Hearing Aids

Speaker Quality and Sound Customization

The front-facing speaker on the Jitterbug Smart4 is very loud and clear. The sound isn’t quite as clear as the iPhone 13’s speakers, but it still has ample volume and crisp audio. That made it easier for my grandma to enjoy calls and music, with or without her hearing aids.

One downside to the Jitterbug Smart4 is the lack of audio-customization options. Unlike the iPhones on this list, the Smart4 doesn’t have the option to identify familiar sounds in your environment or ensure the right and left speakers deliver the same sound. Like the Jitterbug Flip2, it also lacks built-in TTY support. It has live captioning, however, which is a great way for deaf or hearing-impaired seniors to get audio-to-text captioning while making calls or watching videos.

My grandma making a call on the Jitterbug Smart4

Pricing

The Jitterbug Smart4 costs $149.99, plus monthly plan and activation fees. Monthly costs will vary depending on the plan you choose. Lively’s phone plans range from $19.99 to $49.99 per month. You must also add a data plan, which starts at $5 per month for 1 GB and goes up to $30 per month for unlimited data. All in all, Lively’s plan pricing is pretty budget-friendly.

If you want all the features the Smart4 has to offer plus unlimited data, things get pricey at $79.99 per month. For comparison, AT&T’s Unlimited 55+ plan starts at $60 for one line. You’ll receive unlimited talk, text, and data with AT&T’s plan, but it doesn’t offer any health and safety features like Lively does. Along with assessing your budget, you’ll need to decide which features are most important to you.

Hearing-Aid Compatibility

The iPhone SE has M3/T4 hearing-aid compatibility. That means it’s compatible with most hearing aids in microphone mode, and virtually all industry-standard hearing aids in telecoil mode. The iPhone SE will work with the majority of hearing aids with minimal interference.

» Useful Resource: Best Hearing Aids in 2024

I tested the iPhone SE with a pair of Jabra Enhance hearing aids. The entire Jabra Enhance line of hearing aids is MFi. I found the devices easy to set up with the iPhone SE, and the sound was crystal clear. I tried the phone’s unique Hearing Aid Compatibility feature with the hearing aids. The feature theoretically improves sound quality when connected to MFi devices, but I didn’t notice a major difference when the setting was turned on.

Speaker Quality and Sound Customization

My grandma was really happy with the sound quality of the iPhone SE. She initially assumed the speaker wouldn’t be all that powerful, because the device was much smaller than other smartphones she’d used. She was pleasantly surprised at how loud the speaker worked when we did a test call with the speaker mode enabled. We did notice some minor “clipping” when I spoke loudly into the phone. Clipping happens when the sound input is too loud for the receiving phone’s speaker and ends up getting distorted. We didn’t have that issue with the more robust iPhone 13.

The iPhone SE has many built-in features for optimizing audio. Some of the most useful accessibility features for the hearing impaired include RTT/TTY support and live captions. To enable those features, I clicked the Settings icon, selected Accessibility, and scrolled down to the Hearing section for various options.

One feature I really liked was Sound Recognition. It enables the iPhone SE to constantly listen for recognizable sounds in your environment, such as a person speaking or an alarm going off. The only downside is that it drains the battery pretty quickly, since it constantly runs in the background when enabled.

Using the iPhone’s accessibility features for those with hearing impairments

Those features are not completely unique to the iPhone SE, since any iPhone that can run iOS 16 or later has live captions, RTT/TTY support, and various sound-control features for the hearing impaired. Still, the features were easy to use and very helpful!

Pricing

Consumer Cellular’s plans and iPhone prices are flexible and affordable. A new 64 GB iPhone SE costs $429. You can also spread out your costs with $17 monthly installments. Most Consumer Cellular plans are cheaper than the country’s largest providers, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Mint Mobile.

Consumer Cellular’s plans are affordable, starting at $20 for 1 GB of data and unlimited talk and text. Plans range up to $50 for an unlimited talk, text, and data plan. Lively’s Basic unlimited plan costs $49.99 with the Jitterbug Smart4, so the two carriers are pretty comparable. There are four data plans to choose from, so you can find one that meets your needs and budget. I appreciate this variety of options!

» Learn more: Consumer Cellular Review

SeniorLiving.org Rating 4.7

Ease of use	Equipment	Service & Response	Features & Tech	Pricing
excellent	above average	excellent	average	excellent

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TCL Flip

Overview

The TCL Flip Go from T-Mobile is one of my top picks for people with hearing loss who want an affordable, easy-to-use cell phone. At just $96, it’s one of the most inexpensive phones with an M4/T4 rating I’ve seen. It also has minimal extra fees and affordable monthly financing options. It’s a good choice even if you’re on a tight budget.

Along with the budget-friendly price, the TCL Flip Go is easy to use. It has a large keypad, a simple menu, and shortcuts to your favorite mobile apps. It’s also Bluetooth-compatible if you use Bluetooth hearing aids. Overall, the T-Mobile TCL Flip Go is a good option for people with hearing loss who are on a budget.

» Related Reading: The Best Bluetooth Hearing Aids

Hearing-Aid Compatibility

I’m a big fan of the TCL Flip Go’s M4/T4 rating. It’s the highest possible rating for hearing aid–compatible phones. The only other phone on our list with that rating is the Jitterbug Flip2. Whether you have mild or severe hearing loss, the phone should suit your needs. I tested it with compatible hearing aids and had zero problems with the setup or overall sound quality. Like the Flip2, the TCL Flip Go has a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, making it easier for seniors with hearing issues — but not necessarily hearing aids — to enjoy clearer audio through wired headphones.

Speaker Quality and Sound Customization

When it comes to budget-friendly phones, you often have to make some sacrifices. The TCL Flip Go is a great all-around phone. It’s perfect for seniors with hearing aids, but the speaker quality is not stellar. You can turn up the volume very high in the settings (not as convenient as the up and down arrows on the Jitterbug Flip2), but I experienced issues with clipping while testing the speaker.

It’s a pretty basic flip phone, so you don’t get much in the way of sound customization. You can change the volume, and that’s about it. The TCL Flip Go has built-in RTT support, however, so you can enjoy text communications during calls. If you need TTY or more enhanced audio capabilities, it may not be the best phone for you.

Pricing

The TCL Flip Go costs just $96 if you pay for the phone up front. If you’re on a tight budget, T-Mobile also offers monthly financing options starting at $4 per month, which should be affordable for most users. T-Mobile also limits the up-front costs, so you won’t have a ton of extra fees tacked on. T-Mobile’s plan pricing is competitive, offering three affordable 55-plus Unlimited plans that are packed with perks. I really enjoy the plans’ in-flight Wi-Fi and coverage abroad, which is perfect for seniors who love to travel. Prices start at $45 per month for those plans. That’s $5 cheaper than Consumer Cellular’s prices for an unlimited talk, text, and data plan.

» You Might Like: T-Mobile 55+ Plan Review

Hearing-Aid Compatibility

Like the iPhone SE, the iPhone 13 has an M3/T4 hearing-aid compatibility rating. You can connect your hearing aids via Bluetooth or, in some cases, via the manufacturer’s mobile app. Either way, the iPhone 13 is a solid choice if you already have Bluetooth hearing aids and want a phone that will work with most models.

We tested the iPhone 13 with hearing aids from Jabra Enhance and MDHearing. My grandma and I were very pleased with the experience of setting up the hearing aids and testing the sound quality. The process was easy, since it can be done straight from the settings menu, just like with the iPhone SE. My grandma never had any issues with the sound or connection quality.

Speaker Quality and Sound Customization

The iPhone 13’s speakers are excellent. It features two separate speakers — one on the top front and one on the side bottom. I could hear the speaker well from virtually every angle. I could also do a lot of customization with the iPhone 13 by enabling RTT/TTY, live captions, headphone accommodations, background noise masking, mono audio, closed captions, and audio transcriptions. The features are all conveniently located in the iPhone’s Accessibility settings. I tapped the Settings icon, and then scrolled down and tapped the Accessibility button. I then scrolled to the Hearing section, where all the features were clearly listed.

Using the iPhone’s RTT/TTY settings

The one downside to the iPhone 13, iPhone SE, or any recent iPhone model is the lack of a headphone jack. You can still connect headphones via Bluetooth, but there’s no option for wired headphones. If you’re a fan of traditional wired headphones or you use a separate TTY device, it’s something to consider.

Pricing

The iPhone 13 retails for $599 for 128 GB of storage or $899 for the 512 GB model. Data and phone plan pricing will vary depending on which carrier you choose. You can purchase the iPhone 13 from your local Apple store, Apple’s website, Best Buy, or carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. If you have an eligible phone to trade in, you may be able to get a reduced price on your new iPhone.

I appreciate the flexibility of being available from multiple carriers. The Jitterbug phones on our list, for comparison, are compatible only with Lively’s phone plans. That locks you into one carrier. If you already have a carrier you love, you can purchase an iPhone without switching plans.

The iPhone 13 is a high-tech smartphone with a stunning design. I love that it has plenty of accessibility features, but it doesn’t come at the expense of usability. It’s easy to use and has a great speaker for people with hearing loss. Just keep in mind that it comes at a much higher price point than the Jitterbug Smart4 or iPhone SE.

There are several newer iPhone models on the market, but I prefer to purchase slightly older versions like the SE or 13. They still offer all the accessibility features people with hearing loss need, but at a more affordable price point. The phone is still advanced, and it doesn’t feel outdated.