Best 5G Phones for Seniors

Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy A54 retails for $449.99, which is technically $20 higher than the Apple iPhone SE (if you choose 64 GB storage). However, the Galaxy A54 has twice the amount of storage, so it offers better value. AT&T also makes it easy to finance the Samsung Galaxy A54 for as little as $5.99 over 36 months. You can also reduce the price even more if you trade in an eligible phone. Taking advantage of trade-in deals is a great way to save on a new phone. We found that AT&T makes it easy to estimate your savings before checkout. All we had to do was plug in our current device information to get an estimate.

For example, we estimated how much we could get by trading in a 3rd Generation Apple iPhone SE (64 GB). It gave us a rough estimate of $95. While this is far less than the resale value of a pre-owned iPhone, it’s still a fast and easy way to knock more than 20 percent off the purchase price of the Samsung Galaxy A54.

Purchasing a phone through AT&T generally locks you into a longer contract with the carrier, especially if you finance your device. Fortunately, AT&T offers an excellent Unlimited 55+ plan for seniors in Florida starting at $60 per month. While we’re disappointed that this plan isn’t available nationwide, you can access AT&T’s standard unlimited 5G plans that start at $65.99 per month in other states.

» Learn More: AT&T cell phone plans for seniors 2024

Battery Life

We tested out the Samsung Galaxy A54 to see how long its battery could last under different levels of usage. When we hardly touched the phone and just made short calls from time to time, the battery lasted for more than 30 hours on a single charge. However, when we used it frequently to browse the internet, check messages, download apps, and stream content, the battery life was closer to 12 hours.

» Related Reading: Best cell phones for seniors

This was a pretty big difference, but we think that most seniors will find a happy middle ground that allows them to enjoy their phone for a full day on one charge. Still, if battery life is really important to you and you don’t mind spending a little more, consider the Motorola EDGE+ from Consumer Cellular.

Camera Quality

Like many seniors, our tech team loves to take photos and videos. The Samsung Galaxy A54 boasts an excellent camera for both selfies and regular photos; it has a 13-megapixel front (selfie) camera and a whopping 50-megapixel rear camera. We were able to take very clear photos and videos in just about any lighting environment. Despite its affordable price, the Samsung Galaxy A54 has a camera that’s just as good (if not better) than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5.

Pricing

While the price may be high at $799, you can finance it for as little as $32 per month with Consumer Cellular. All you have to do is put $31 down at the time of purchase and then make $32 monthly payments (with no interest) for two years. This may not be the best option if you want the freedom to switch between carriers, but Consumer Cellular has simple, affordable, senior-friendly plans, so we think the commitment is worth considering.

» Check Out: Consumer Cellular cell phone plans 2024

Consumer Cellular plans start at $20 per month, which is more affordable than AT&T’s 55+ plan. However, if you want unlimited data, the price jumps to $50 per month. One important thing to consider is that Consumer Cellular offers solid deals on eligible trade-ins. If you have a high-end phone that doesn’t suit your needs, you could get a trade in value of up to $700. That means you can pay just under $100 for a brand-new phone!

» Further Reading: Consumer Cellular review

Battery Life

While testing the Motorola EDGE+, we were most impressed with the superpowered battery. Even with heavy usage, the Motorola EDGE+ lasted for nearly two days on a single charge. This was a huge step up from the Apple iPhone SE, which lasted less than a day with heavy usage. Another thing we loved about the EDGE+ was how quickly it could go from zero to 100 percent battery. It only took about an hour to fully charge.

Camera Quality

Like the Samsung Galaxy A54, the Motorola EDGE+ boasts two powerful camera systems: a 12-megapixel front camera and a 50-megapixel rear camera. After taking dozens of photos and videos with the phone, we could see a huge difference between the quality of the EDGE+ photos and the iPhone SE photos. Indoors or outdoors, day or night, we were able to take some truly amazing photos. We really liked that we didn’t have to switch between different lens settings or adjust for different lighting environments to get great shots — all we had to do was point the camera in the right direction and snap the photo! It took care of the rest.

Pricing

If you’ve ever shopped for an iPhone before, you know that the prices can be steep. Fortunately, the iPhone SE retails for $429, which is about $270 less than the Google Pixel 8 from Visible. If you buy your iPhone SE from Mint Mobile (online or at an Apple Store), you can get zero-interest financing for as little as $22 per month with Affirm.

Even if you don’t purchase your iPhone SE through Mint Mobile, we still think the carrier is a great choice for seniors thanks to its affordable and simple plans. Mint 55+ is Mint Mobile’s senior plan that costs $15 per month ($5 cheaper than Consumer Cellular’s base plan). The caveat is that you have to pay for three months in advance ($45 upfront) and the prices could potentially increase after the first three months.

» Our Comparison: Consumer Cellular vs. Mint Mobile

This plan comes with unlimited talk and text, 5G speeds, and 5 GB of data per month. It also offers free support from MinTech advisers who can help with any questions you have about your service. Mint Mobile will even get on a call with you and your current carrier to help you cancel service. They make switching as easy as possible!

» Dive Deeper: Mint Mobile senior phone plan review

Battery Life

In our experience, the iPhone SE’s battery life is pretty hard to predict. It definitely falls short of the long battery life we experienced with the Motorola EDGE+, but there were major differences in energy consumption based on what we were doing. For example, when we just used the phone for calling, texting, and light web browsing, the battery lasted upward of 24 hours on one charge. Alternatively, if we spent time watching YouTube videos, scrolling through social media apps, or playing games, the battery would drain from 100 percent to about 10 percent in less than 10 hours.

While the iPhone SE’s system is made to be accessible and intuitive, it’s not made to be very energy efficient. If you only plan to use your phone for the basics like talking and texting, however, the battery life should be more than sufficient.

Camera Quality

The camera on the iPhone SE is by no means bad, but it doesn’t compare favorably to other phones on this list, like the powerful Samsung Galaxy A54 or the Google Pixel 8. The 7-megapixel front camera is decent, so you can take adequate selfies. We couldn’t help but notice that the images were grainy and not always in focus, especially in lowlight environments. Even the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, which has a 10-megapixel front camera, took clearer selfies. That said, the 12-megapixel front camera on the iPhone SE is solid, but there are better options out there. If you don’t care about having the highest quality camera and just want to take photos for the memories, it works great!

A photo of a furry friend taken with the iPhone SE

Pricing

While the high price of $1,119.99 may be outside many budgets, the phone’s sleek design and processing power can justify its cost. Plus, you can finance your 5G phone from T-Mobile starting at $46.67 per month, and get even more savings by trading in your old phone at the time of purchase. You’ll also get extra savings and perks with one of the carrier’s 55+ unlimited plans.

» Even More Info: T-Mobile 55+ cell phone plans review

Still, spending more than $1,000 on a phone is no small decision, even if you spread the payments out over time. We only recommend the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 to seniors who have room in their budgets for a top-tier phone and actually want (or need) all the bells and whistles. Plus, it’s important to consider that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is one of the only phones that allows you to enjoy the design of a flip phone and all the perks of a smartphone at the same time. It’s unique!

Battery Life

Considering how much processing power the Flip5 has, it’s no surprise that the battery life is just “OK.” When we tested it out with low-to-moderate usage, we could get almost a full 24 hours on one charge. However, as soon as we started streaming content on the phone or doing anything that required a bit more power, the battery life sank to less than 12 hours. It still outlasted the iPhone SE by about two hours, but the mediocre battery life was a bit disappointing — especially for such a pricey phone.

Camera Quality

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 has a robust rear camera system, with a 50-megapixel main lens, 12-megapixel wide lens, and 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. While it can take some time to learn all the best ways to get the perfect shot, the image quality was incredible. The selfie camera is a bit less impressive with a 10-megapixel lens (that’s slightly inferior to the selfie cameras on the Samsung Galaxy A54 and Motorola EDGE+). However, the selfie image quality was still good and better than what we got with the iPhone SE. If you really want the absolute best photo and video experience that also comes with a lower price tag, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy A54.

Pricing

The Google Pixel 8 costs $699 with a plan from Visible, or you can finance your phone for as little as $19.42 per month. Like Mint Mobile, Visible offers zero-interest financing at checkout via Affirm. The price point of the Google Pixel 8 puts it somewhere between the Samsung Galaxy A54 and the Motorola EDGE+. Fortunately, it has 8 GB of RAM, which means you can get fast speeds while browsing, streaming, or making video calls.

To keep things simple, Visible offers just two 5G plans: Visible ($25 per month) and Visible+ ($45 per month). The basic plan should cover most of your needs. It offers unlimited talk, text, data, and hot-spot use. However, if you want to keep in touch with loved ones living abroad, Visible+ might be worth the upgrade. It offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada, along with calling to over 30 countries and unlimited texting to over 200.

Battery Life

The Google Pixel 8’s battery can go from 0 to 100 percent charged in about an hour and a half, which is pretty fast for a high-powered smartphone. While testing the phone, we could get a full 24 hours out of the Google Pixel 8 before needing to plug it in.

The phone also comes with an adaptive battery feature that learns how you use your phone and helps optimize energy usage over time. For example, if there’s an app running in the background that you rarely use, your phone will deprioritize this app to get a little bit more time out of each charge! This is a great feature for seniors who want to stick with the same phone for a while, as phone batteries tend to degrade over time. The adaptive battery feature can help offset reduced battery life.

Camera Quality

Like the Samsung Galaxy A54, the Google Pixel 8 boasts a 12-megapixel front camera and a 50-megapixel rear camera. Our photos turned out great, but we did notice a bit of a difference between Samsung and Google when it came to image quality. The Google Pixel 8 has a 50-megapixel rear camera, but the final photos are scaled to just 12 megapixels. This meant that if we zoomed in on virtually identical photos from the Samsung Galaxy A54 and the Google Pixel 8, the image from the Samsung phone would look more crisp and detailed.