Choosing the best phones for boomers and seniors

You just want to stay in touch with your loved ones, not race to keep up with technology. Or, maybe you want a phone that doubles as a camera, fitness tracker, and medical alert device.

Cell phones for seniors range from the big-buttoned Jitterbug phone to the latest full-featured smartphone. But, the perfect phone depends on your needs and preferences, so keep this checklist handy while you narrow the field.

Meets your needs

First, decide whether you require some or all of these 5 easy features:

• Easy to hear
• Easy to see
• Easy to the touch
• Easy to use
• Easy on the budget

Appeals to the senses

• Easy to hear:
  • Is the speaker in the right place, lining up comfortably with your ear?
  • Does it have an amplifier or another way to boost the volume?
  • Is the phone compatible with hearing aids?
  • Is the phone HD-voice capable to improve the quality of your calls?
• Easy to see:
  • Does the smartphone let you customize the home screen, like setting it to a lower resolution so the buttons look larger?
  • Does the basic phone have large, physical buttons?
  • Are all of the main features easy to find?
• Easy to the touch:
  • Is the phone lightweight and small enough to fit comfortably in your hand, so you’re less likely to drop it?
  • Does it have a textured surface so it’s easy to hold?
  • Does it have a physical keyboard or can you set up haptic feedback to mimic the feel of typing on a real keyboard?

Offers peace of mind

• Easy to use:
  • Does the phone have a good camera and quick steps to share photos?
  • Are there useful built-in utilities, like a flashlight?
  • Does the instruction manual clearly explain how to set up everything you need, or are there other ways to learn how to use your phone?
  • Does the smartphone come with Easy Mode for easy-to-use icons and features?
• Easy on the budget:
  • Are there good choices for fixed incomes, like low monthly payments on an AT&T Next installment plan?
  • Can you get top-of-the-line phones for less with a program like AT&T Certified Restored smartphones?
  • Does this phone work with a low-priced mobile plan, such as AT&T PREPAID?

More or less

Now that you know what you need, it’s time to compare different types of phones. Are you leaning toward the bare basics, or do you want to the latest and greatest that technology offers?

Sweet and simple

If you’re looking for something like the Jitterbug phone, you’ll discover there are several brands of basic feature phones. Some are simple talk-only phones. Others include safety features, such as a health monitor or voice activation.

Bells and whistles

You can bring your family and friends a little closer with high-res displays, photo sharing, and video calls. Have fun staying active with built-in fitness trackers or wearable devices to help you reach your goals.

Finally, no matter which type of cell phone you prefer, consider HD Voice for higher quality calls. If the person you’re calling has HD Voice, too, and you’re both in an HD Voice coverage area, you can get clearer calls that are easier to hear. That’s a great feature for any age!