Best phone for seniors 2023 

If you have found this article because you want a smartphone, please don’t be offended by this phone. It is made by Doro, a company that only produces tech products aimed at seniors. You may want an iPhone or Android phone and many of those are listed below!

But should you do want a simple phone if you struggle with modern tech then this Doro 6880 is great for calls and texts, and it uses 4G networks meaning you can be assured it will continue to work despite mobile carriers turning off old 2G and 3G networks.

It has an easy to read screen and large, colour contrasted buttons that are simple to read and press. The phone has a loud, clear earpiece that’s hearing aid compatible so you can hear callers without an issue.

It also has an assistance button, a clever addition. You set up a numbered list of people you would want to contact in an emergency, then if the button is pressed and held for three seconds it calls everyone starting with the first person in the list until someone answers. All recipients are also sent a text message so you can get help fast.

Hopefully you aren’t patronised by these features aimed at the elderly – but if this phone is too simple for your needs, then read on.

Our pick of Apple’s iPhone range for seniors is the iPhone 13. If you don’t mind not having the old style home button and can get used to Apple’s swipe gestures to go home and flick between apps you will be fine.

The iPhone 13 came out in 2021 but is practically the same as the iPhone 14 while costing £100/$100 less. There’s no reason to spend more.

The iPhone 13 has a large 6.1in screen despite – for a modern smartphone at least – being relatively pocketable. We’ve picked this model as it has a large enough screen to change the font to a larger size should you need it, but not crowd the screen with text like can happen when you boost the size on smaller phones.

You also get Apple’s excellent accessibility features such as VoiceOver screen reader, AssistiveTouch it you have trouble with touchscreens or suffer from arthritis, and other perks that you won’t get for a more basic phone.

With long software support and tons of case options, the iPhone 13 is an easy to use smartphone that should last several years.

If you want the largest iPhone possible then go for the iPhone 14 Plus, or the iPhone 14 Pro Max if you want the best cameras and money is no object.

If a smartphone isn’t for you and all you want is a phone for calls and texts, we recommend this flip phone from Nokia. It really does only make and receive calls and send and receive SMS messages, so there are no apps here like you would get on an iPhone or Android phone.

The phone is a tiny bit smarter than the flip phones of the 2000s though. It also has 4G and an emergency button to quickly contact friends and family.

In the box you get a microUSB wall charger, a removable battery, and wired headphones to plug into the headphone jack to listen to the built-in FM radio. There’s also 128MB on board storage if you want to load on some MP3 music files (and a microSD card to expand the storage should you wish).

It’s as close as you’ll get to the simplicity of old mobile phones before the smartphone revolution, but with the technology to still work today – unlike that old flip phone in your drawer that won’t work anymore as 2G networks are closed down.

If you’re in the US there’s a slightly different version of the phone available called the Nokia 2780 Flip.

Another solid pick from the familiar Nokia brand is the Nokia G60. As its full name suggests, it has 5G and despite its low price is a thoroughly modern and impressive smartphone.

The phone is made from 60% recycled plastic and has a nice mottled grippy feel to keep it slipping out your hand. Its 120Hz smooth display looks great for the price, and the battery can last for two days if you don’t use it too much.

At under £250 it’s a solid deal, but you can also buy the G60 on Nokia’s interesting Circular subscription plan. It costs just £12.50 a month with a £30 upfront payment, then you can keep the phone as long as you want (you’ll have to buy your own SIM separately).

It’s not available in the US, but you can still buy the older Nokia G50 stateside.

If you want a smartphone, there are many reasons you might prefer an Android phone over an iPhone. You prefer the design, you find it easier to use, you simply don’t want an Apple phone. Get whatever you want!

A great Android phone for seniors is the Google Pixel 7a, mainly due to the simplicity of its Android software. We’re not saying you can’t handle other brands, but Google keeps Android simple out of the box and easy to use and understand. It also has a simplified mode that enlarges home screen icons.

The Pixel 7a costs about the same as the iPhone SE but has a better camera – so if sending photos to your friends and family is important then it’s a superb choice. Google also offers software support of a few years to keep this phone up to date.

The large screen is easy to read, and you can easily boost the text size if needed. Add to that Google’s excellent Live Caption feature that automatically plays subtitles over videos you’re watching to easier follow along and you’ve got a flexible smartphone that keeps it simple if you wish.

Designed specifically for older generations, this sub-£100 phone from European manufacturer Emporia is as close to a landline phone you can get in a mobile phone.

It comes with a mains charging cradle so you cn keep it charging in the same place at all times like you would a cordless landline, and then you can pick it up and take it out with you when you need it.

The phone has a nice-feeling rubberised casing and three assignable contact buttons to speed dial your most contacted friends and family. You can of course store many more numbers in the phone’s memory.

Though it can send and receive texts, the screen is very small, so this is not the best choice for texting but is an exemplary voice phone with easy to press buttons and 4G connectivity.

Another great Android phone for seniors that’s available in the US, UK, and Europe, is the Samsung Galaxy A54. It’s a very good midrange smartphone with a great screen, superb cameras, a slick design, and five years of software support to keep its software secure until at least 2028.

It has solid battery life, is waterproof, and can download any app you can think of, just like the iPhones and other Android phones on this list.

At under $449/£449 it is superb value for money particularly given it has 128GB storage with a microSD card slot to have more if you wish. Compared to the Pixel 6a and the iPhones on this list, the A54 has a 120Hz screen, which means it looks smoother when scrolling through apps than those phones.

Its stereo speakers are plenty loud for watching videos or talking on speakerphone, and you can enlarge the text easily if needed.

If you want a solid affordable smartphone with a headphone jack, this is our pick for UK readers. (Motorola makes excellent smartphones but it frustratingly doesn’t sell the same models worldwide – bear with us for international suggestions).

The G62 is a good deal for £199. It has an attractive plastic build, a large 120Hz screen, 5G connectivity, and very good battery life – cheaper, less powerful phones than say an iPhone 13 will have better battery life.

The cameras aren’t the best, but they are fine for quick photos or using for video calls with friends and family. However, it isn’t fully waterproof, so you will have to spend more if you want peace of mind near the pool or bath.

The Doro 8100 does something not many smartphones currently do: it runs the ‘Go’ version of Android with the Google Play Store that presents you with a simplified version of Android to help you easier navigate the basic functions of the phone.

The home screen can be set to have larger icons to easier and quicker find things like the camera or text message app, and it has an assistance button that connects to Doro’s Response app that’s specifically designed as a failsafe emergency app for elderly users to get in contact with friends and family if urgent need arises. It’s also hearing aid compatible.

The phone is well made and comes bundled with a charging cradle so you can keep it fully charged like you might a cordless landline phone. At a reasonable £200, you also get triple cameras for taking photos and videos, and a front facing camera for use on video calling apps.