Basic Phone For Elderly ?

Hello:

I would appreciate it very much if someone might make a few suggestions as
to a phone I should obtain with new service from Verizon.

Am elderly now, and usage would be minimal; just in case of an emerg., or
perhaps a bit as a convenience when away from house.

Certainly don't need any internet, tunes, downloading capability, etc.

Just something really "basic", but with decent volume and clariey (hearing
is poor).
Also inexpensive.

Suggestions, please ?

BTW: do I want this tri-mode capability ? I do get out into the "boonies"
and away from
the cities quite a bit.

Is tri-mode (still) important, or is most everything digital now, and it's
not important anymore,
even for rural areas ?

Much thanks,
Bob

"Robert11" <rgsros@notme.com> wrote in message
news:ividnZ9tK44GI_TZnZ2dnUVZ_uqdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Hello:
>
> I would appreciate it very much if someone might make a few suggestions as
> to a phone I should obtain with new service from Verizon.
>
> Am elderly now, and usage would be minimal; just in case of an emerg., or
> perhaps a bit as a convenience when away from house.
>
> Certainly don't need any internet, tunes, downloading capability, etc.
>
> Just something really "basic", but with decent volume and clariey (hearing
> is poor).
> Also inexpensive.
>
> Suggestions, please ?
>
> BTW: do I want this tri-mode capability ? I do get out into the
> "boonies" and away from
> the cities quite a bit.
>
> Is tri-mode (still) important, or is most everything digital now, and it's
> not important anymore,
> even for rural areas ?
>
> Much thanks,
> Bob
>

Take a look at the Migo. My 86 y/o mother-in-law packs one in her purse...

Bob,

As it stands, you're pretty much "stuck" with phones which do many more
things than make phone calls. About every phone I'm familiar with will do
text messaging, Internet, download ringtones, and other revenue sources for
the Company. Most have cameras too.

That said, you can get a tri-mode phone such as the Motorola v325, which
seems nice, solid and fairly simple, and simply avoid using the added stuff
you don't need. Motos of late have good reputations for reception, and if I
recall, the buttons are reasonably sized. You should be able to get the
phone for next to nothing with a new activation.

Being somewhat hearing-challenged, you may want to take a look at (or give a
listen to) Bluetooth, which simply means the phone has the capability to
connect to an earpiece without a cord. A Bluetooth headset keeps the sound
in your ear without your having to hold it up there, and some Bluetooth
headsets actually have a "sound funnel" (my name for it) which you place
INTO your ear. To me, that seems ideal for a hearing-impaired person. I'd
strongly suggest trying Bluetooth out at a store, or from a friend who has
one.

As far as tri-mode, I was stubborn for years and refused to give up my
analog. Finally broke down and got a Motorola e815 (no analog) because of
its reputation for excellent reception and Bluetooth feature. I am very
happy with it, BUT----anyone here will tell you that your need for analog
capability depends ENTIRELY on where you go into the "boonies". You might be
surprised to find that someone here is familiar with the exact areas you
travel in/to, and can help you decide. Why don't you post the areas, and see
if someone here may know whether you are in an area where analog really
helps? Your concern may be unfounded---and you may find out that your
"boonies" have excellent digital coverage!!

Hope this helps,
Dean


"Robert11" <rgsros@notme.com> wrote in message
news:ividnZ9tK44GI_TZnZ2dnUVZ_uqdnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Hello:
>
> I would appreciate it very much if someone might make a few suggestions as
> to a phone I should obtain with new service from Verizon.
>
> Am elderly now, and usage would be minimal; just in case of an emerg., or
> perhaps a bit as a convenience when away from house.
>
> Certainly don't need any internet, tunes, downloading capability, etc.
>
> Just something really "basic", but with decent volume and clariey (hearing
> is poor).
> Also inexpensive.
>
> Suggestions, please ?
>
> BTW: do I want this tri-mode capability ? I do get out into the
> "boonies" and away from
> the cities quite a bit.
>
> Is tri-mode (still) important, or is most everything digital now, and it's
> not important anymore,
> even for rural areas ?
>
> Much thanks,
> Bob
>

Robert11 wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I would appreciate it very much if someone might make a few suggestions as
> to a phone I should obtain with new service from Verizon.
>
> Am elderly now, and usage would be minimal; just in case of an emerg., or
> perhaps a bit as a convenience when away from house.
>
> Certainly don't need any internet, tunes, downloading capability, etc.
>
> Just something really "basic", but with decent volume and clariey (hearing
> is poor).
> Also inexpensive.
>
> Suggestions, please ?
>
> BTW: do I want this tri-mode capability ? I do get out into the "boonies"
> and away from
> the cities quite a bit.

You definitely want a tri-mode phone if you travel into the boonies.
Coverage isn't guaranteed even on analog (AMPS), but there is a big
difference in coverage. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and within
a few miles of the urban and suburban core, there are many areas where
the _only_ coverage is on AMPS. GSM users simply have "No Service" in
these areas, as do users of dual mode phones on CDMA.

Get a phone with a speakerphone, most have it these days. I'd advise the
Motorola V325 or V276 phone. These will provide plenty of volume when
needed.

For minimal use, I would _NOT_ go with a regular Verizon account. What I
would do is to use a prepaid service that uses Verizon's network. This
involves some upfront cost, you have to buy a phone, but the monthly
cost will be far less.

I.e., for my pre-teen daughter, I bought her a tri-mode Motorola V276 at
Target ($70) and activated it with PagePlus
(http://www.pagepluswireless.com/) for $7 (includes 100 minutes).
Additional airtime is between 10¢ and 14¢ per minute, and you must add
some airtime every four months ($10 minimum). This is far less than
Verizon's own prepaid account, which charges a 99¢ fee for every day you
use it.

So a Pageplus account, with minimal use, will cost $30 per year. A
Verizon postpaid account with minimal use, would be about $500 per year.
You'd have to be using about 350 minutes per month before postpaid
would be cheaper. With postpaid you do get unlimited nights and weekends
at no extra charge.

I have the e-mail address of the person that sold me the activation kit,
if you go this route.

I switched my mother to T-Mobile prepaid, but she's in an area with very
good T-Mobile coverage. In many areas of the country, this is not the case.