I would like to know about Mobile Phones.

Old & Healthy

New Member
G'day, This is for Aussies. I do not know if this is the place to ask. If not somebody could please tell me.
I am 79 years old. I have never had a Mobile Phone. My family are complaining that at my age I should have one. Just in case a 20-year-old female Swiss Backpacker tries to rape me. I will be able to call for help. I went to Telstra, the young man was talking in hundreds of dollars for plans etc. I left the shop more confused than I was before. My son has a Mobile with all the Bells & Whistles. If his wife flew to the Moon, he could contact her to find out what was for dinner. What I am looking for is a phone that if I need to phone one of the family. A phone that they can call me. They all live in Australia. Most a stone throw away. I have a camera to take photos. A Note Book in my shirt pocket for things I want to remember. My wife has a smartphone & a tablet. She can tell me what the weather is like in Timbuktu. I can do that on the Net. Please could somebody tell me a cheap phone that I can purchase that will not cost me an arm & a leg that will allow me to do the basics? Many thanks
 

I don't know what is available in Australia, but we have a basic LG phone that I purchased at Walmart 3 or 4 years ago, for about $20. Then, we keep a subscription with TracFone that costs about $7 a month. We have NO need for a fancy smart phone....just want something that we can use when away from the house....in case we have a problem, or one of the kids needs to get in touch. As part of the subscription we get a free 90 minutes, every three months, and right now I have well over 4,000 minutes available. Needless to say, we are not the type of people who wander around all day with their cell phone glued to their face.
 
O&H, I'd suggest a prepaid cell phone. The phones are only around $30 (USD) or so, and then you buy these cards/pre-paid plans for a flat rate that runs upwards from $15 (USD) for 30 days. The price depends on how many hours of phone time and how much texting you figure you'll want every month, so they run as high as $35 or more if you plan to use the phone more.
 

I don't know what is available in Australia, but we have a basic LG phone that I purchased at Walmart 3 or 4 years ago, for about $20. Then, we keep a subscription with TracFone that costs about $7 a month. We have NO need for a fancy smart phone....just want something that we can use when away from the house....in case we have a problem, or one of the kids needs to get in touch. As part of the subscription we get a free 90 minutes, every three months, and right now I have well over 4,000 minutes available. Needless to say, we are not the type of people who wander around all day with their cell phone glued to their face.
That was my alternate suggestion. Thanks, Don.
 
Hello @Old & Healthy I live in South Australia and huz and I have Apple iPhones however I have heard that
if you are new to mobile phones the OPPO brand is very good and this is what I found at The Good Guys
The OPPO A52 64Gb is only $299 but you will need a Telstra Mobile Plan with it
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/oppo-a52-64gb-twilight-black-cph2069au-black
Most Supermarkets and Stores like the Good Guys or Harvey Norman can help you and not blind you with science ;)
 
Don't know about Australia but here in the USA there are still pay as you go wireless phones with service that would do what you need without costing a fortune for what you don't need.
 
Can't you son advise you ? :)...there's plenty basic phones out there for cheap that don't have any fancy bells and whistles.. I don't know which ones but try googling cheap mobile phone .
 
phone1.jpg
Being the novice that you are, it might help to start with something that you are familiar with.


phone2.jpg
After you have got the hang of being truly mobile you could upgrade to your next phone that has the benefit of taking photos.


phone3.jpg
But if all that finger jabbing on a keyboard is not your style, then perhaps the rotary dial is more up your street.
 
Good luck with your search, O&H.
I've managed without mobile phones so far, and though I get badgered and cajoled every week by friends to get one, I just smile politely and say, "I don't want to be available to everyone and anyone any time of day."
It's nice to be free of the so called 'modern' world and I'm glad I've resisted having one. :)
 
I have a cheap Consumer Cellular phone that gives me unlimited phone and texts for $28.00 a month. I don't need a fancy "smart" phone as my daughter gave me a really nice desktop computer a couple of years ago. I use my phone to call only and it works for me. I don't know if its available in your neck of the woods or not.
 
G'day, This is for Aussies. I do not know if this is the place to ask. If not somebody could please tell me.
I am 79 years old. I have never had a Mobile Phone. My family are complaining that at my age I should have one. Just in case a 20-year-old female Swiss Backpacker tries to rape me. I will be able to call for help. I went to Telstra, the young man was talking in hundreds of dollars for plans etc. I left the shop more confused than I was before. My son has a Mobile with all the Bells & Whistles. If his wife flew to the Moon, he could contact her to find out what was for dinner. What I am looking for is a phone that if I need to phone one of the family. A phone that they can call me. They all live in Australia. Most a stone throw away. I have a camera to take photos. A Note Book in my shirt pocket for things I want to remember. My wife has a smartphone & a tablet. She can tell me what the weather is like in Timbuktu. I can do that on the Net. Please could somebody tell me a cheap phone that I can purchase that will not cost me an arm & a leg that will allow me to do the basics? Many thanks

Can't the children point you in the right direction? I have a Samsung Galaxy which does everything but cook dinner! Here try this:

https://www.choice.com.au/electroni.../review-and-compare/mobile-phones-for-seniors
 
G'day, This is for Aussies. I do not know if this is the place to ask. If not somebody could please tell me.
I am 79 years old. I have never had a Mobile Phone.
My question to you would be, do you really want one? If you are being pressured to get a phone, chances are you won't use it much anyway. I'm not being cynical even if it sounds like that. Just think about first, usually for us oldies, the phone is a good way of keeping in touch with each other, you and your wife I mean. That's all my wife and I use our's for, I don't even email friends and family, I still write letters, so make sure that you really want a phone and then go for a basic one that's just voice and text. If you take to that you can easily upgrade it once you have some experience.
 
If you are a novice at these phones do not go expensive. The tracfone idea is a terrific one. It is international. I did this in the beginning and found it suited my means. Check out the tracfone site and take it from there.
 
If ... IF you decide to get a mobile phone (and it doesn't sound like you really want one), be sure to verify that it has good coverage in your area. This is a function of the wireless carrier used (not the brand/model of phone) but is generally predetermined at the time you buy the phone..

We had an inexpensive flip phone (Tracfone) that served our purposes for many years. Then we retired and moved 40 miles away and found that had no reception in our new house. We had to get into the car, drive to the top of a tall hill about a mile away, and stand outside the car to get a dial tone.

Before making a decision talk with a few friends and neighbors and find out which carriers are best for your area.

My current flip phone works fine, cost very little to buy, and service runs under $100 per year
 
I have had a nice little flip phone here in Canada. The thing cost me around $50 CND & it works fine. I pay $13/month Canadian for which I get 50 minutes call time every month. I only make 1 or 2 calls/month but it is good for an emergency which so far I have not had any. I don't belong with everyone else who stares at their phones all day looking for those promised "messages from loved ones" that the phone companies have promised. I use a nice desktop computer & don't need to check my e-mail 150 times each day. Apparently, cell phone addiction is on the rise & recognized as one of the newer addictions. I'm retired & ignore any calls I get on my landline phone that I don't recognize. I love my privacy & don't need to be in touch with the world 24 hours each day.
 
While in Adelaide, I had a basic Nokia phone (I have an updated version now). I didn't have it enabled for internet (still don't). I used it mainly for texting my daughter here in Canada, and the occasional short call.
 
Don't know about Australia but here in the USA there are still pay as you go wireless phones with service that would do what you need without costing a fortune for what you don't need.
Last year my little cell phone wasn't working half the time; dropped calls a lot and sometimes it wouldn't even turn on. I'm on my son's service plan and he told me to take it to the Verizon store and have it looked at. The Verizon guy told me they were going to stop servicing basic cell phones and that other service providers planned to do the same. So I had to get a gol-dern smart phone. I'd have preferred to just forget it and not have a phone, but my son insisted - "What if u get stranded somewhere and we can't find u?"

I hate this phone, though, I really do. I still only use it to text and call people, and not very often. A total waste of my son's money, imo, but he won't have it any other way. I like to believe I'm way more resourceful and less defenseless than he seems to think I am.
 
Last year my little cell phone wasn't working half the time; dropped calls a lot and sometimes it wouldn't even turn on. I'm on my son's service plan and he told me to take it to the Verizon store and have it looked at. The Verizon guy told me they were going to stop servicing basic cell phones and that other service providers planned to do the same. So I had to get a gol-dern smart phone. I'd have preferred to just forget it and not have a phone, but my son insisted - "What if u get stranded somewhere and we can't find u?"

I hate this phone, though, I really do. I still only use it to text and call people, and not very often. A total waste of my son's money, imo, but he won't have it any other way. I like to believe I'm way more resourceful and less defenseless than he seems to think I am.
My daughter keeps wanting to get me a smartphone. I don't want one! I rarely use the tablet she gave me for my birthday - in fact, I gave it to my hubby to use, as his was an old one.

Fortunately for me, I can use my new basic Nokia. The older model was no longer receiving transmission, so I had no choice.
 
My daughter keeps wanting to get me a smartphone. I don't want one! I rarely use the tablet she gave me for my birthday - in fact, I gave it to my hubby to use, as his was an old one.

Fortunately for me, I can use my new basic Nokia. The older model was no longer receiving transmission, so I had no choice.
Hm. Guess I'm not surprised the Verizon guy didn't suggest an un-smart alternative.
 
If Jitterbug phones are available in Australia, you might look at them. They are specifically marketed to old people.
 


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