Can a Jitterbug Phone Be Used on Verizon

In our search for the top prison cell phones for seniors, we looked at over a dozen dissimilar carriers, both large and small-scale. Later on comparing prices, phone availability, features seniors desire and need and rankings, we selected our five top picks. Our superlative picks are the Jitterbug Smar2, the Jitterbug Flip, Pure TalkUSA, TracFone Wireless, and GreatCall. These five stood out from the competitors. In this guide, we'll walk y'all through essential cell telephone information for seniors, products and services available, and our detailed look at each of our top picks. We too include answers to frequently asked questions.

Tiptop tips:

Exist sure the visitor you select has coverage in your area.
Buy a phone that you are comfy with. Ask yourself if yous really demand all of those extra features.
Don't buy a bigger programme than you need. It'due south tempting to go with unlimited service plans merely if you don't demand unlimited, don't get it and save on your bill.

Tips for a Wise Cell Phone Buyer

Lesson
GSM networks provide the most freedom with international networks

Cell telephone companies are more accurately cell service providers, although they sell phones produced by other companies besides. These companies sell admission to a wireless cellular network and then your phone can send and receive calls and text messages, and load data to run apps if y'all utilize a smartphone. The critical points to shopping for a cell phone company are how much freedom yous have in selecting a phone or irresolute phones as your needs alter, the service coverage (where yous can brand and receive calls to or from), cost, and customer service.

Jail cell Phone Company Networks

In the US, prison cell service works on two radio frequency systems. These are abbreviated CDMA and GSM. CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access and GSM stands for Global System for Mobiles. Think of information technology as similar to FM and AM on your radio. The vast majority of the residual of the earth operates with GSM frequencies considering European technology laws gave the makers of the GSM arrangement a virtual monopoly. In the U.S., CDMA is however used by some companies considering information technology is less expensive to ready. While in that location are technical differences, what matters to you as a consumer are coverage area and whether or non you can easily swap phones or companies.

Phones sold past your cell phone company will most likely be locked. Locked phones will only work on that carrier'due south network, so if you switch companies, yous will not be able to use your telephone with the new carrier. Whatever GSM network will accept an unlocked GSM service phone. CDMA networks tin can legally refuse to accept whatever phone on the network, and these networks exercise not support all CDMA phones.

Small Cell Telephone Companies on Big Networks

Lesson
Small carriers can offer the same coverage equally big names

Every cell phone visitor/cellular service provider in the US runs on either the CDMA or GSM networks but not every carrier owns its network. Big carriers similar AT&T and Verizon own the towers that circulate the cellular signals, and smaller carriers rent the use of those networks.

Partially due to non having to maintain large networks of cellular towers, companies exterior the large national brands often offer significantly lower prices for the same, or improve, plans. Even with service through smaller carriers similar some of our best jail cell phone companies picks, you tin get the do good of the extensive coverage of companies like Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

Using Cell Phone. Source: Getty

Comparing Cell Phone Companies For Seniors

Lesson
Consider features you lot demand and compare them with features included in the toll

When comparing cell phone companies make sure you know what kind of features you're looking for in a cell phone and a jail cell phone programme. For example, are yous a heavy smartphone user or do you just use your telephone to call and text? If the one-time, y'all'll demand a jail cell phone programme with a lot of data. A talk and text only plan should yield a significant price subtract.

When shopping for a new cell phone company, consider non simply the actual cost merely what that cost includes.

Are the calls unlimited in minutes and location, regardless of where you call?
Do text letters take limits or count against calling time?
Do plans roll over unused minutes to the next calendar month?
At what speed tin the internet be accessed?
Practise you have to pay for cyberspace if all you want are phone calls?
Does the plan include medical alert technology?

Many of the almost prominent companies do non offer flexible plans and have base of operations plans that crave y'all pay for internet whether yous want it or not. Many likewise no longer accept flip phones in their line up of devices.

Cell Phones For Seniors Customer Service Considerations

A big point for consumers looking for a cell telephone visitor is customer service. Being able to communicate well with a service representative saves a lot of frustration when yous need help. Most all companies now contract at least office of their customer service overseas where English is a second language. Be certain to ask virtually call center locations, so call one to see if you are happy with the communication before committing to a cell telephone company.

Many cell phone companies use a live-conversation characteristic for customer service. If yous're on their website, you can chat with a customer service representative who can access your account without having to selection upwards the phone. This is a good culling to calling a client service phone number and maybe being put on hold for a period of fourth dimension.

Our Search For The Best Cell Phone Companies

1. We searched for an all-encompassing list of over a dozen companies

ii. We evaluated cell telephone companies based on our proficient-guided buying criteria: prices, phone availability, features seniors desire and demand, and rankings

3. Nosotros provided y'all the best prison cell phone companies for your review

Cell Phones For Seniors Visitor Reviews

There are dozens of jail cell telephone companies in the market today. However, nosotros've dug through the stacks of data to find the information you need. Our in-depth cell telephone company analysis focuses on each cellular service provider's plans, prices, phones, coverage, service, and much more.

We researched both the large names in cellular coverage and the smaller companies with no long-term contracts. From there we narrowed our list of top picks down to our five choices based on features and topics relevant to seniors to observe the best options.

Later on our evaluation, we chose our top picks for cell phone companies: TracFone Wireless, GreatCall, and Pure TalkUSA . Each of these companies stood out from the competitors in different means.

Pure TalkUSA Review

Screenshot: Pure TalkUSA $20 Plan.

Great Client Service

Pure TalkUSA, founded in 2004, is a veteran-endemic concern based in Covington, Georgia. They currently take a "B" rating with the Better Business organization Agency; nevertheless, the company addressed most of the complaints listed on the BBB site. They are one of the few prison cell phone companies with all of their client service based in the Usa.

Pure Talk does not have a presence in physical shopping locations and then all purchases must be made online or over the phone. A bring-your-ain-phone pick lets y'all purchase an unlocked phone elsewhere and activate it on Pure Talk'due south network. If you select this choice, be sure to confirm with Pure TalkUSA that the phone will piece of work on their network earlier making your purchase. Pure Talk sells several smartphones and 2 flip phones. Every bit of April 2018, all of their phones are hearing assist uniform, making them ideal for seniors. Phones are purchased separately from plans, which is the norm with no contract carriers.

All Pure TalkUSA plans come with unlimited talk & text and varying amounts of data. The cheapest programme starts at $20 with 500 MB of data and their most expensive plan is $45 for 10 GB of information. Pure Talk doesn't accuse overage fees if you go over data. Instead, they will slow your data speed until your plan renews. Notwithstanding, you volition even so be able to access your electronic mail and the internet, just the pages will simply load slower until your plan renewal engagement.

Pure Talk offers up to a twenty percentage discount for the number of lines bundled on one bill.

Read our comprehensive Pure TalkUSA review.

For more than information and to shop for plans, check out PureTalk's Simply Smarter wireless plans.

TracFone Wireless Review

Groovy Concrete Shop Availability

TracFone Wireless is one of the largest no-contract cell phone companies and owns StraightTalk, Net10, Total Wireless, Telcel, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Wal-Mart Family Mobile. Although TracFone owns these companies, services and plans differ betwixt them. Tracfone has an "A+" rating with the Better Business Agency.

Screenshot: No Contracts.

TracFone offers plans for both smartphone and flip phones. They too have more flip phones for auction than the other companies in our top picks with three options for flip phones, including an Android-based telephone that is a hybrid between a smartphone and a flip telephone. Nevertheless, TracFone's hearing assistance compatible listing does not include any flip phones. For a hearing aid compatible phone, consumers need to move to a smartphone.

TracFone plans and phones are available through retailers nationwide such every bit BestBuy and Dollar General and so you can store in person if you adopt that to internet or phone shopping. Phones must be purchased separately from plans, which is typical for no-contract carriers.

Smartphone plans and basic plans for flip phones are available. All TracFone plans have a minute, data, and time restriction. If you sign a yearly contract and use the included minutes before the year is up, y'all have to buy more minutes to utilise the telephone. Addition plans allowing international calls are also bachelor. Plans start as depression equally $9.99 for xxx minutes or 30 days, whichever comes get-go. Their highest programme is $199 for one,500 minutes and 365 service days.

TracFone non but offers roll-over minutes (unused minutes that roll forrad to the next month), they triple minutes purchased on non-smartphone plans and then that 30 minutes comes out to ninety minutes. TracFone uses the 4G LTE CDMA system and so phones brought to the service must be compatible with 4G LTE.

For more information and to view different models, check out Tracfone'due south Amazon store.

GreatCall Review

Great Senior-Friendly Devices

GreatCall is a cell telephone visitor with senior-targeted devices such as the Jitterbug flip phones and emergency medical alert devices, as well as smartphones. They besides offer health-related services for an additional fee such as a medical hotline for health questions. With call centers based inside the United States, GreatCall has an "A+" rating with the Better Concern Agency and a four-star rating with over 800 reviews written in the concluding yr on ConsumerAffairs.

Screenshot: Medical Help.

Phones from GreatCall are available through Wal-Mart and RiteAid stores and are available online through GreatCall, Sears, and Best Buy websites. GreatCall simply uses the Jitterbug smartphones and flip phones and has no bring-your-ain-phone options.

The Jitterbug phones are designed with seniors in mind with large buttons on the flip phone and a simplified menu on the smartphone. Additionally, a medical emergency wearable pendant and wrist wearable are available, such as those you would use with a dedicated medical alert visitor. As with other no-contract carriers, you will pay for phones outright rather than renting or getting a costless phone with an extended contract.

GreatCall offers add-on health monitoring and medical emergency services that work with their bones plan to provide assistance that is particularly helpful to seniors. Plans are set with phone call minutes, separate text subscriptions, and add-on options for the medical monitoring, medicine reminders, doctor hotline, and personal banana services. $14.99 a month gets you 200 minutes. Health and safe plans start at $xix.99 a month with discounted minutes for customers who buy the wellness and safety options.

To learn more than well-nigh GreatCall and to compare models visit their website, or call (888) 679-5457.

Cell Telephone Companies At A Glance

	GreatCall	TracFone	PureTalk
Bring-Your-Own-Phone	No	Yes	Yeah
Smartphones	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flip Phones	Yes	Yes	Yep
Unlimited Data Selection	Yes	No	Yes
U.S.-Merely Service Centers	Yeah	No	Aye

Related Prison cell Phones for Seniors Resource

Readers of this Cell Phone for Seniors guide also institute these related manufactures helpful.

5 All-time Smartphones for Seniors

Some jail cell telephone manufacturers design prison cell phones specifically with seniors in mind. Here are the five best smartphones for seniors.

Oftentimes Asked Questions about Jail cell Phones and Plans for Seniors

Do I need to purchase a phone or will the company give me one?

Jail cell phone companies ofttimes advertise that you get a costless phone with a new contract, but they practise not give away phones. The cost of the contract includes the phone, in pocket-sized amounts per month. No-contract jail cell phone companies such as our peak picks do not hide the cost of the telephone in monthly fees. Customers are required to purchase the phone up forepart.

What happens if I run out of minutes?

While rules vary from company to company, near plans that are limited in minutes offer the option of adding more minutes during the month for an additional fee.

Can I continue my phone number?

Yes, you tin go along your phone number when moving between cell phone companies. The process is called porting, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says that no carrier may reject a request for porting a wireless local phone number. All the same, you are responsible for early cancellation fees on your current cell phone contract if it is still active when you move to a dissimilar carrier.

Tin can I buy a new program earlier my contract runs out?

If you already have a plan with a cell phone visitor, there are probably penalties spelled out in the contract if y'all leave before it expires. Be sure you are prepared to pay the penalty fees for breaking the contract. Prison cell telephone companies run promotions from time to time where they will pay your early on counterfoil fees with another carrier so you can buy their cell phone plan instead. You can call the visitor you desire to do business concern with to ask them if they will pay your penalties for making the switch. Get that agreement in writing before you movement on from your electric current cell provider.

Do I have to pay for long distance or international calls?

While almost all cell phone companies include nationwide calling at the same rate equally local calls, some carriers may accept exceptions. The about mutual restriction on long distance calling is international calling, which may crave an additional plan purchase. Some jail cell telephone companies are starting to include calls to areas outside of the US in their plans, or are offering these calls at a lower charge per unit than they have in the past. Ask about restrictions on calls outside of the state before y'all sign upwards with a cell telephone company if you need to make these calls.

Determination

Bottom Line:
When looking for a senior-friendly prison cell telephone company, consumers should look at phone availability, coverage maps for their expanse, program costs also as what those plans include, and ease of communication with customer service.

Consumers should be certain to confirm that service is available in their area, the window of fourth dimension for returning a phone in case of an unexpected service consequence or defective phone, and the policies for running out of minutes.

While 4 big names in cell phone companies take long ruled the market, at that place are many viable alternatives now, led past the no-contract carriers. By renting service space on the existing nationwide cellular networks, these no-contract carriers lower their costs and pass the savings along to the client. They likewise cull different marketplace segments to focus on, such as seniors, and are flexible plenty to offer more targeted options instead of expensive, ane-size-fits-all plans.

Best Cell Phones for Seniors

	Proficient Review	Visitor
i	Groovy Senior Smartphone	Greatcall Jitterbug Smart2
two	Great Senior Flip Phone	Greatcall Jitterbug Flip
3	Swell Customer Service	Pure TalkUSA
4	Swell Store Availability	TracFone Wireless
5	Great for Individuals	Direct Talk
6	Peachy Basic Plans	Total Wireless
vii	Nifty International Coverage	Simple Mobile

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Source: https://www.retirementliving.com/cell-phones-for-seniors