Even Your Grandmother Can Use It - Making Cell Phones Simple

Finding a cell phone that fits your lifestyle and disposition can sometimes be challenging. The elderly, in particular, can sometimes have difficulty adapting to constantly-changing technology, even when it comes to something as relatively simple as a cell phone. Fortunately, many cell phone companies have taken steps to make technology easier for the elderly -- or anyone who isn't at home with technology -- easier to use.

Several cell phones on the market are already geared towards the elderly -- the Jitterbug, for example, or even simple, low-end phones like LG's VX4700. A particularly exciting entry into this market is the new Verizon Coupe, a cell phone that actually earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for its simplicity and ease of use.

Verizon

The Verizon Coupe

The Verizon Coupe's main draw its its simplicity -- no bewildering feature set, no complicated user interface. The Coupe's clamshell design features three large red buttons right below the display
that spell out "ICE" -- short for In Case of Emergency. These easy-to-find buttons make dialing 911 or other emergency numbers quick and easy, making it an ideal cell phone for the elderly. In addition, the Verizon Coupe has one very useful advanced feature -- voice recognition dialing.

In keeping with the "ease of use" philosophy, the Coupe's menu features large font and a simple navigation scheme. This cell phone has no Bluetooth, no camera, and no GPS, but it does come with a 500-contact phone book and a built in speakerphone -- more than adequate for the simple needs of anyone who just wants a simple cell phone. Best of all, the Coupe is a whopping with a new Verizon Wireless plan.

The Verizon 65 Plus Cell Phone Plan

To complement their new cell phone, Verizon is pushing an entirely new wireless plan geared towards the elderly. Formally known as America's Choice 65 Plus, this wireless plan comes in one of two basic forms: The 65 Plus Single Line Plan, which is 200 anytime minutes and 500 night & weekend minutes for .99 a month; and the 65 Plus Two Line Plan, which features 450 anytime minutes and 1000 night & weekend minutes, (shared between two lines) for .99 a month. Both allow unlimited calling within the Verizon network.

Like the Coupe itself, Verizon's cell phone plan is basic, no-frills, and designed to make life easy for anyone who wants a cell phone without a lot of hassle. If you have a grandparent who's still using their Eisenhower-era phone, or even just a technophobic friend who quails in terror at anything more complicated than a toaster oven, this might be a great opportunity to bring them into the twenty-first century.

Even Your Grandmother Can Use It - Making Cell Phones Simple