There is an all-too-common misconception that older people are not particularly tech-savvy. That may have been true as far as previous generations were concerned, but seniors nowadays certainly know their way around technology.
According to the Pew Research Center, a whopping 85% of people aged 65 and above own a cell phone, and 46% use a smartphone! Not too bad for a generation that spent most of its adult life chatting on landlines, eh?
However, even if you are among those 85%, as the years go by, you may find that your needs are changing and your trusted old cell phone is no longer that great of a match for you. If so, it might be a good idea to replace it with a cell phone for seniors. And no, these gadgets are neither boring nor necessarily low tech.
Here are eight reasons cell phones for seniors make for an excellent investment. (Here is the link to our products.)
1. They Can Save Your Life in a Medical Emergency
Most cell phones for seniors come with built-in, one-touch medical alert systems and prominent SOS buttons. These features could quite literally save your life in a medical emergency — especially if you live on your own. You also get handy add-ons such as reminder apps that never let you forget about your doctor’s appointments and drug prescriptions, as well as fitness trackers to help you keep fit.
2. They Are Easier on Your Eyes
Smartphones for seniors come with larger screens, bigger fonts and icons, and less visual clutter than their regular counterparts. These are great for those with failing eyesight, people who may not be very confident around new technology, or just about anyone who can appreciate a cleaner, sleeker interface.
3. The Battery Lasts *Much* Longer
Fancy twenty-first-century phones are so packed with functions, apps, and features that their batteries can barely catch a breath. In contrast, the simpler a phone is, the longer its battery will last.
Here is where cell phones for seniors come in. Simpler devices such as candy bar or flip phones come with fewer unnecessary functions, which makes them highly energy-efficient. Some models can go for days on end on a single charge, making them an ideal fit for seniors who often forget to charge their phone or keep an eye on the remaining battery life.
4. They Are Impact-Proof
Perhaps the best thing about cell phones for seniors is that they are as impact resistant as they come. And no wonder: age often takes a toll on our hands and fingers, causing them to become stiffer, weaker, and less nimble. We tend to lose our grip and drop objects — which can be fatal for your run-of-the-mill delicate smartphone.
Not so with cell phones for seniors. They are pretty robust and can survive many a drop, especially when paired with an impact-resistant phone case. Just don’t take that as permission to not look after your phone. It may be hardy, but it is still an electronic gadget.
5. You Will Finally Be Able to Read the Fine Print
Gone are the days when you had to put on your reading glasses or use a magnifying glass to read the food labels in the grocery store or inspect minuscule objects.
Many cell phones for seniors are equipped with cameras with a special zoom feature. All you have to do is turn on the camera, point it at the text you want to read, and voila — it will magnify it for you. For best results, you can also use the built-in flashlight to shine some extra light on whatever it is that you are inspecting.
6. They Are Great for People Who Are Hard of Hearing
If your hearing is not quite what it used to be, you will certainly appreciate this feature. Many cell phones for older people have higher volume levels automatically enabled. What’s more, many models support Bluetooth functionality that allows you to connect them to your hearing aids.
Here’s a helpful tip: before making your first call on your brand-new cell phone for seniors, be sure to dial the volume down halfway — especially if you do not have problems with your hearing. Otherwise, you might be in for quite the initial shock!
7. You Can Go As High Tech As You Want
Just because you are getting older doesn’t mean you should compromise on the quality and functionality of your electronics. Smartphones for seniors come with just about the same features as most regular smartphones on the market, from Bluetooth and high-resolution cameras to fingerprint and face recognition, voice control, and connectivity to a wide array of IoT devices.
However, if you’d rather use the more basic functions only, you can! With a simple flip or candy bar phone, you can make calls, send texts, browse the Internet, and play your favorite games without having to learn to navigate the more complex operating systems of smartphones.
8. They Support Voice Control Functions
Anyone who’s ever tried to text with arthritic fingers knows how hard — or downright impossible — that can be. What’s more, many older men have large and often callused hands that can make it even more challenging to use a touch screen or push tiny buttons. Enter voice commands and talk-to-text. With these, you can set reminders, dictate text messages, have text read out loud, Google search queries, and more.
The Bottom Line
A cell phone is more than just another gadget that may or may not add value to your life. With the right cell phone for seniors for your needs, you can call or video chat with your kids and grandkids and spend more quality time with your loved ones than you normally would. And that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?