David Lumb Mobile Reporter
David Lumb is a cellular reporter overlaying how on-the-go devices like telephones, tablets and smartwatches change our lives. Over the final decade, he is reviewed telephones for TechRadar in addition to coated tech, gaming, and tradition for Engadget, Popular Mechanics, NBC Asian America, Increment, Fast Company and others. As a real Californian, he lives for espresso, seashores and burritos.
Expertise smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, telecom business, cellular semiconductors, cellular gaming
Why You Can Trust CNET
Check that you just’re truly saving cash
All the fundamentals at an reasonably priced worth
T-Mobile Essentials 55
For individuals with large information wants
T-Mobile Go5G Plus 55
For individuals over 55 in Florida
Verizon 55 Plus
For seniors in Florida who don’t desire Verizon
AT&T Unlimited 55 Plus
Everyone with a cellphone wants to choose which service and choices they need to go together with, however not everybody’s wants are the identical, together with our older family and friends. When selecting the very best cellphone plan for older adults, there’s a lot to think about.
place to begin is our greatest cellphone plans web page, which breaks down the very best cellphone plans from large US carriers, smaller operators and different suppliers. While some plans would possibly look the identical, a deeper comparability will reveal totally different perks and circumstances which will attraction to you. All commonplace 5G plans provide just about the identical speeds as others, although pace and protection can differ between carriers and by location. But the plans themselves differ of their options. Some provide extra information per 30 days and others provide cellular hotspot information, in addition to bundled extras like subscriptions to streaming companies.
Carriers additionally provide plans that present reductions to individuals aged 55 years previous and older. These choices may even be mixed with different offers and may be useful for these on fastened incomes. Such plans usually have some or all of the identical options as different plans.
Below, we have identified how these plans differ from their commonplace counterparts. For essentially the most half, subscribers should not count on a lot distinction in service. But some of these plans could also be lacking enjoyable perks like bundled streaming companies.
What is the very best cellphone plan for older adults?
T-Mobile’s Essentials 55 plan is a reduced model of the service’s Essentials plan suited to clients over 55 years previous and is notably extra reasonably priced — a high quality we’re prioritizing for readers on restricted budgets. Despite the worth, Essentials 55 nonetheless has 5G connectivity and 50GB of information, which is a beneficiant allotment for a no-frills service with out the additional bells and whistles of pricier plans.
Best senior cellphone plans of 2024
Show much less
For one or two individuals who simply need to keep linked at cheap speeds however do not want quite a bit of additional options (or do not need to pay an excessive amount of), T-Mobile provides a considerably cheaper plan for older adults than opponents with Essentials 55. This plan consists of 5G entry and is $40 per 30 days for one line or $55 per 30 days whole for 2 traces when signed up for autopay. It’s the very best worth for one or two individuals, although they will not be capable to increase to 3 or 4 traces.
The tradeoff is within the advantageous print, with Essentials 55 clients getting decrease speeds after they use over 50GB of information in a month or when T-Mobile’s community is congested from in depth buyer exercise, suggesting these clients are much less prioritized than others. Video high quality additionally “usually” streams at 480p, and tethering maxes out at 3G speeds (or 2G speeds in Mexico and Canada).
Show professional take Show much less
Show much less
T-Mobile additionally provides discounted variations of many of its common plans for purchasers over 55 years previous. For those that need a bit extra performance, information and a few extras like getting a brand new cellphone each couple years, T-Mobile’s barely discounted Go5G Plus 55 is price trying out.
Its Go5G Plus 55 plan is $70 per 30 days for one line or $100 per 30 days for 2 traces (expandable to $150 per 30 days for 3 traces or $200 per 30 days for 4 traces) with autopay enabled. Note that present reductions make this plan price the identical as an ordinary Go5G Plus plan if utilizing autopay, however it’s lower than the common plan if you happen to do not plan on utilizing autopay. The plan consists of the identical perks as T-Mobile’s commonplace plans, like as much as 4K streaming, 50GB of 4G LTE hotspot information and 15GB of high-speed information (relying on the world, it might solely be 4G LTE relatively than 5G speeds) in Mexico and Canada. Plus, it consists of subscriptions to Apple TV Plus and Netflix.
This plan additionally permits subscribers to improve their cellphone each two years, the identical marquee perk that the usual Go5G Plus plan launched with. The solely caveat is that plan house owners might want to repay 50% of their current cellphone by the point they improve, however that should not be an excessive amount of of an issue for many subscribers. Subscribers can even get the identical reductions on units that T-Mobile provides new clients switching from different carriers.
The Go5G Next 55 plan is pricier at $80 per 30 days for one line or $120 per 30 days for 2 traces (additionally expandable as much as 4 traces) and equivalent apart from one factor: Subscribers can improve their telephones utilizing new buyer system provides yearly as an alternative of each two years.
Note that T-Mobile additionally provides Go5G 55, Magenta 55 Plus and Magenta Max 55 Plus plans, that are cheaper than the above plans however provide much less cellular hotspot information, fewer streaming companies and do not embrace two-year cellphone upgrades. If you possibly can stay with out the cellphone upgrades and need to save a couple of bucks each month, go for the Magenta Max 55 Plus plan, which is $65 per 30 days for one line or $90 for 2 traces, has 40GB of hotspot information per 30 days and provides 4K streaming video.
Also, solely the client who signed up for these plans must be 55 years previous or older; anybody on further traces needn’t match that standards.
Show professional take Show much less
Show much less
Mint Mobile’s Mint 55 Plus plan is a modest however reasonably priced plan that may be as low cost as $15 per 30 days per line if signing up for 12 months prematurely, $20 a month for six months or $25 per 30 days for 3 months. New clients can attempt the community for 3 months at a price of $15 a month.
The tradeoff is that the Mint 55 Plus plan solely provides 5GB of information per 30 days, and cellular hotspot utilization attracts from that cap. Mint runs on T-Mobile’s 5G community, offering comparable 5G and 4G LTE service and availability as native T-Mobile clients. The plan does not provide any bundled extras like streaming service subscriptions, however it does present entry to the “MINTech Advisor” for on-call tech help in getting began with the plan, transferring cellphone numbers to the service and troubleshooting points.
Currently, you possibly can’t join Mint 55 Plus on-line — you may must name Mint’s hotline on 833-655-1768 to enroll over a name.
Show professional take Show much less
Show much less
Verizon has discounted plans for individuals aged 55 years and older, however they arrive with an enormous caveat: They’re solely accessible to these dwelling in Florida. If you meet this requirement, you will get discounted plans which can be fairly just like the usual Verizon plans.
Verizon provides its 55 Plus Unlimited plan with one line for $62 per 30 days or $84 for 2 traces when signed up for autopay. New clients switching to Verizon could have a better time signing up; if you happen to’re already a Verizon buyer, you may want to speak to buyer help to get your plan modified to Unlimited 55. The plan consists of 5G Ultra Wideband service with limitless low-speed (600Kbps) cellular hotspot entry, however lacks the bundled extras like streaming companies you possibly can add to traditional Verizon plans.
Show professional take Show much less
Show much less
Verizon is not the one main US service with a particular plan geared toward older adults dwelling in Florida. AT&T has its Unlimited 55 Plus plan for barely cheaper ($60 for one line or $80 for 2 traces). The plan consists of 5G entry in addition to voice and information connectivity in Canada and Mexico. Current AT&T clients might want to go to an AT&T retailer to confirm that they qualify for the plan. AT&T provides further reductions for AARP members in Florida.
Show professional take Show much less
Picking a wi-fi plan and service comes all the way down to what issues most. What works for you or your older member of the family’s wants could also be very totally different from these of your pals or neighbors.
We prioritize affordability and availability in our record, however these is probably not an important components for you. If not, we advocate trying out our extra normal guides for plans, like our greatest cellphone plans and greatest household cellphone plans.
Value for older clients apart, each service differs in service. Even geographically, some areas have higher AT&T protection whereas others work higher with Verizon or T-Mobile’s networks. Our suggestions are based mostly on years of overlaying and evaluating the wi-fi carriers, their choices and their efficiency.
Check that you just’re truly saving cash: Are you getting a greater deal than a service’s commonplace plans and provides? Most seniors-only plans do not present substantial variations, so be sure that it is price pursuing.
Ensure availability: Some are restricted to sure states or restricted in different methods, so it is price checking the advantageous print to find out whether or not you are arbitrarily shut out from an in any other case interesting plan.
Check the protection space: See if customers round you’re pleased with their service and plan. Online boards, social media and even asking across the neighborhood may be useful to find out whether or not you are about to join disappointing speeds and repair. And if you happen to’re changing to a senior plan along with your current service, test to see if opponents provide higher service — here is our information to switching carriers.