Jitterbug Phone Review

Prepaid Cell Phone Reviews: Jitterbug

Jitterbug phones are designed to make cell phone use extremely easy for the elderly and those who may have little experience with technology or cell phones.

The phone has a larger, bulbous shape that is easy to grip. Jitterbug phones also have large easy to read buttons that make dialing a phone number easy for people with less tactile control.

A dial tone comes out of the speaker when the phone is open—an easy indicator that the phone is on and ready for use. The screen takes into account weakening eyesight and displays words and names in big type, as well as allowing for easy navigation.

The contact list works with name recognition technology, so the user just has to say the name and the contact info should pop up. There is even the option of calling a live operator and having them put you through to a number on the contact list. Be careful with this option though, as an operator call immediately deducts 5 minutes of talk time.

The even simpler version of the Jitterbug phone has three big buttons that can be programmed with phone numbers of your choice. The phones are designed by Samsung and the service is provided by Dynacall.

Overall, the design of the phone is thoughtful, well designed, and easy to use. The Jitterbug handset costs $147. Then you have to pay for service. If you look at the plans and minutes that are offered, you will see that Jitterbug phone service plans are broken up into three categories. One is for those who only plan to use the phone in emergencies. The second is for light cell phone users—those who may use their phone briefly. And the third is for people who use their phones for a good amount of time in any billing cycle. There is also a $35 activation fee for every plan.

One of the things I notice about Jitterbug is that the minute cycles are 90 days—instead of the normal 60-day cycle you would have on a standard monthly contract cell phone. This means that Jitterbug minutes last for 90 days instead of 60.

In my opinion, the best plans available with the Jitterbug phone is the Simple Plus plan, for which you pay $80 for 800 minutes of talk time to be used over 90 days (3 months). If the person you are purchasing this phone for uses their phone relatively lightly, say around 9 or 10 minutes a day, then this plan is a pretty good deal. Let’s break it down.

Cost of phone: $147

Activation fee: $35

Simple Plus 800 minutes plan: $80 (for 800 minutes talk time over 90 days)

In addition to the $182 you spend for the phone and the activation fee, you pay $26.67 per month for an average of 9 or 10 minutes of talk time per day. This is by far the best Jitterbug option because with this plan you also get free operator services (which otherwise “costs” 5 minutes of talk time), free voicemail (savings of $3 a month), and free simple text.

Now, say you are getting this phone for someone who uses fewer minutes and you sign them up for the Simple 300 plan, which provides 300 minutes over three months and costs $40 per 90 day period. You pay $182 for the phone and the activation fee. For minutes you spend $13.33 per month for an average of 3 or 4 minutes of talk time per day.

But with this plan, there is an extra charge of $3 per month for voicemail services and operator services are not free (each operator call deducts 5 minutes of talk time.) This plan doesn’t make much sense. In my opinion, it is too easy to go over the allotted minutes, and you are not sheltered from extra charges as well as you are with the Simple Plus plan. If you have ever had a cell phone, then you know how quickly extra charges add up.

The real charm of the Jitterbug phone is its ease of use and the elderly-friendly design of the handset.  Purchase a Jitterbug phone at the official site. If you buy today, Jitterbug will give you a complimentary car charger valued at $24 and a 30 day money-back guarantee if for some reason you don’t like the phone or change your mind.

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