The 5 Best Voice-Activated Phones for Seniors

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June 30, 2023 amie-clark Author: Amie Clark | June 30, 2023
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iPhone SE - Best Overall

Overall Rating:

4.6 / 5
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(844) 580-0512
What We Like ↓
Jitterbug Flip2 - Best Flip Phone

Overall Rating:

4.8 / 5
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855-403-6340
What We Like ↓
Moto G Play - Best Android Option

Overall Rating:

4.1 / 5
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iPhone 14 Pro - Best Camera

Overall Rating:

4.0 / 5
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844-418-3523
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Jitterbug Smart3 - Easiest to Use

Overall Rating:

4.8 / 5
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Call for best price:
855-403-6340
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The 5 Best Voice-Activated Phones for Seniors in 2023 What Is a Voice-Activated Phone? How We Chose Best Voice-Activated Phones FAQs

For the uninitiated, smartphones present steep learning curves. These days, however, most smartphones feature voice commands that make it easier than ever to operate your phone. Even some flip phones now have these features.

With a voice-activated phone, you can make calls, dictate text messages, and access other features of your phone solely by using your voice. The following five phones were hand-selected by our experts as the best options for seniors.

Pro Tip: The five phones on this list are useless without a cellular provider. To learn which ones offer  cellular service from $10 per month, check out our rundown of the best phone plans for seniors.

The 5 Best Voice-Activated Phones for Seniors in 2023

What Is a Voice-Activated Phone?

Simply put, a voice-activated phone is one that has features a person can utilize through voice commands. These features might include:

  • Making phone calls
  • Dictating and sending text messages
  • Placing video calls
  • Checking the weather
  • Finding directions
  • Searching the web
  • Opening apps

A voice-activated phone can help seniors (or users of any age) use their smartphones more conveniently.

How We Chose

In composing this list, we’ve evaluated over 30 different cell phones. Here’s what we looked for when creating our rankings:

  • Voice commands: Aside from featuring voice commands, we compared phones based on the variety of commands they offered and how useful we felt those features would be in improving daily life.
  • Call quality: At the end of the day, your phone still needs to make calls. Call quality and the strength of the hardware overall also factored into our list.
  • Ease of use: The point of seeking out voice-activated features is to improve the convenience of your smartphone, so ease of use was a major aspect of our research.
  • Accessibility features: Accessibility includes features that cater to the hard of hearing and seeing as well as those with little technology experience. We took into account not only the features of each phone but how accessible they would be to the average user.

Best Voice-Activated Phones

Apple iPhone SE - Best Overall

Apple Logo
4.6 / 5
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(844) 580-0512
What We Like Most:
  • Siri voice assistant
  • Touch ID support
  • Great battery life
  • Intuitive touch screen controls

Cost: $429.99 from T-Mobile

Overview

Apple’s iPhones are widely known for their built-in voice assistant Siri, with which you can play music, look up information online, and check your voicemail. What many people don’t know is that iPhones also contain a Voice Control mode.

Once Voice Control is on, which you can toggle through the iPhone’s accessibility settings, you can accomplish the following tasks:

  • Dictating text messages
  • Opening apps
  • Changing phone screens
  • Taking screenshots
  • Turning the volume up or down

The number of voice commands is nearly infinite, so much so that you can even ask your iPhone SE to “show voice commands” to provide a comprehensive list.

Beyond voice controls, the iPhone SE has great call quality, a good 12mp camera, and 5G compatibility. Touch ID also simplifies your security and functionality.

The iPhone SE is available for $429.99 through major networks like T-Mobile and Verizon.

Pros
  • Touch ID
  • Versatile voice control features
  • Great camera
  • 5G compatibility
Cons
  • No night mode
Call to order Apple iPhone SE : (844) 580-0512

Jitterbug Flip2 - Best Flip Phone

Lively
4.8 / 5
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855-403-6340
What We Like Most:
  • Simple flip design
  • Low price
  • Medical alert functions
  • Alexa voice assistant

Cost: $74.99 from Lively

Overview

The Jitterbug Flip2 is a fantastic budget pick for seniors looking for maximum accessibility in an old-fashioned package. For $74.99, you get a traditional flip phone design with modern functions like a Medical alert system, complete with an urgent response team and on-call nurses, and Amazon Alexa integration.

When Alexa is active, you can use the phone’s many voice-activated functions such as calling, texting, checking the weather, managing your calendar, and browsing the news, all with your voice. The sound is clear, the buttons are big, and the screen is bright for a flip phone.

In terms of downsides, the Jitterbug Flip2 comes with overage fees on its Verizon-only plan, a hidden activation fee, and a lack of a shared plan. But for budget picks in voice-activated phones, the Jitterbug is hard to beat.

To learn more about this phone, read our full Jitterbug Flip review.

Pros
  • Budget price
  • Medical alert features
  • Alexa integration
  • Accessible design
Cons
  • Overage fees
  • No shared plans
Call to order Jitterbug Flip2: 855-403-6340

Moto G Play - Best Android Option

Motorola Logo
4.1 / 5
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What We Like Most:
  • Google Voice Control
  • Fantastic battery life
  • Android app access
  • Budget price

Cost: $129.99 from Consumer Cellular 

Overview

The Moto G7 Play is the best Android phone we reviewed for accessible voice command functions and overall ease of use. As a bonus, it sports a budget price of $99.99. You can use the Moto G voice commands to write emails and texts, call your contact list, change your settings, set alarms, and more using Google Assistant.

The battery life is great, running in tests for around 15 to 16 hours, and the design is stylish. Unfortunately, the camera isn’t the best, and the performance specs won’t stack up if you plan on playing games on it. But in this price range, a smartphone design with convenient voice-activated features and a modern design are hard to come by.

When purchased from Consumer Cellular, this phone is also eligible for Consumer Cellular’s discounted plans for seniors. To learn more about these plans, read our Consumer Cellular review.

Pros
  • 15+ hour battery life
  • Google Assistant voice commands
  • Low price point
  • Stylish design
Cons
  • Subpar camera
  • Not good for gaming

iPhone 14 Pro - Best Camera

Apple Logo
4.0 / 5
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844-418-3523
What We Like Most:
  • Quick performance
  • Beautiful, high-definition screen
  • Optional safety features
  • Apple iPhone voice commands

Cost: $999

Overview

The iPhone 14 Pro is a top-of-the-line smartphone with a beautiful screen, a fantastic camera, and the best performance in any phone under $1,000. The phone even has features like a proprietary safety service via Apple’s Emergency SOS satellite and a Crash Detection program.

Apple’s Voice Control works through Siri to give you control over dictating texts, creating your schedule, running your apps, and more through easy-to-use voice commands.

When you buy Apple, you’re buying brand prestige in a stainless steel package. The one drawback we noticed is that the battery life isn’t as good as previous phones in this price range. But if you or your grandkids like to watch movies and play video games on your phone, you can’t do better under $1,000 than the iPhone 14 Pro.

Pros
  • Sleek, high-quality build
  • Beautiful screen
  • Unique safety features
  • Ample voice commands
Cons
  • Average battery life
  • High price point
Call to order iPhone 14 Pro: 844-418-3523

Jitterbug Smart3 - Easiest to Use

Lively
4.8 / 5
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855-403-6340
What We Like Most:
  • Accessible interface
  • Numerous safety features
  • Reliable network
  • Affordable price

Cost: $149.99

Overview

If you’re looking for a smartphone simplified for newer users, the Jitterbug Smart3 is tailor-made for seniors in many ways. Its screen is bright and big, with large, easy-to-use buttons and a streamlined menu interface that anyone can handle.

Additionally, the phone comes packaged with safety features like a 24/7 urgent response line as well as health and safety packages that you can buy if that has become a priority for you. The phone is affordable, and so are its plans, but it has issues with overage fees. We also thought it took too long to load simple apps and switch pages.

Using voice dialing and setting schedules by command is also easy with the Jitterbug Smart3. You can’t expect top-of-the-line gaming or video performance on this phone, as even its menus load slowly, but its accessibility and safety features should keep it on your list.

To learn more about this phone, read our full Jitterbug Smart3 review.

Pros
  • Accessible menus
  • Budget price
  • Safety features
  • Easy-to-use voice commands
Cons
  • Slow performance
  • Low specs
Call to order Jitterbug Smart3: 855-403-6340

Frequently Asked Questions

amie-clark
Written By
Amie Clark

Amie has been writing about senior care products and services for the last decade. She is particularly passionate about new technologies that help improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. Seeing her parents and grandparents age made Amie ask herself, “Would this be good enough for my loved ones?” In her spare time, Amie enjoys outdoor adventures and spontaneous road trips. Learn more about Amie here