Jitterbug

The first Jitterbug phone was first released almost five years ago, and ever since then, the name Jitterbug has become synonymous with phones that were senior-friendly and the target market of GreatCall, the company behind the Jitterbug phones. The original phones were the Samsung Jitterbug One Touch and the Samsung Jitterbug Dial. Both of these are easy-to-use, large phones, with big buttons, which are great for those who like a really simple phone or the elderly. The One Touch only had three buttons for emergency purposes and the Dial had a regular number keypad. Both of these cell phones were designed to make and receive calls and not much else.
 
Since then, Jitterbug has released a new phone that has a few more features that is just as easy to use in order to entice more than just the elderly. The Samsung Jitterbug J was designed to be "the phone for everyone”. The two most notable additions to the new model were Bluetooth support and the capability to send and receive text messages. The other features stayed pretty much the same as the old Jitterbug phones.
 
The Samsung Jitterbug J is available for $147 and there is also a one-time setup fee of $35 per account that is waived for each additional user. There are no contracts required and rate plans start at $14.99 a month for 50 anytime minutes, all the way to $79.99 a month for unlimited service plans. You can get 24-hour operator assistance by dialing "0."
 
Design wise, the Samsung Jitterbug J looks exactly the same as the Jitterbug Dial with big, rounded clamshell look measuring about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide by 1 inch thick and weighing in at 4.4 ounces. It comes in dark gray, red and white. There is a 1-inch monochrome external display in the front that shows basic information such as the date, time, and caller ID. There is a rubberized volume rocker underneath the display, which seems to be in an odd place since you have to reach behind the phone in order to adjust the volume. The phone feels comfortable when held against the ear thanks to the soft rubber ear cushion surrounding the speaker and it feels very comfortable in the hand as well. According to Jitterbug, the ear cushion was designed to accommodate the use of hearing aids
 
The Jitterbug J has a dial tone when you open it as with the original Jitterbug cell phone which makes it feel like a real landline telephone. The main display has a colorful and bright 2.2-inch display with 65,000 colors and you're immediately greeted with your phone number at the top in addition to a simple scrolling list of options that include voice mail, phone book, text messages, etc. You can select an option by pressing either the Yes or No button in the navigation array. You get 50 phonebook entries and there's no crazy animated menu icons or any fancy wallpapers to select and the navigation is just as simple as can be. In fact the phone is so simple that you can't even customize the display all that much. Just about the only thing that you can customize is to change the colors of the upper and lower borders.
 
The bottom line is that the Samsung Jitterbug J is a great phone for anyone who doesn't want the hassle of modern cell phones and it’s the perfect phone for senior citizens.

Jitterbug Cellphone


You may be asking yourself, what makes the Jitterbug cellphone so different and why should I buy one. Well to start, it doesn’t have all the things that you don’t need or want or in a cell phone. Gone are the web access, typing pads, video cameras and everything else that you don’t need in an easy to operate cell phone. Instead the Jitterbug mobile phone reminds of the era where a cell phone was just a phone with a simple dial-pad and nothing more.
 
Instead of a fancy touchpad, the Jitterbug cellphone has a very large display so that you can see exactly who you’re calling and big bright buttons you will have no problem pressing that are very easy on the eyes. The sound quality of the phone is truly amazing, considering its small size. One of the best features is the fact that you can add preprogrammed numbers into the phone, making calling friends and family very easy. There is a 24 hour operator in the event that you are having problems with your phone, need help placing calls or to look up a number.
 
Jitterbug cellphones also come with a voicemail system that is remarkably easy to use and it can be figured out in a couple minutes, unlike other cell phone providers, who have you go through a maze of confusing options just to retrieve your voicemail. A simple series of yes and no questions easy for anyone to understand will put you right into your voicemail box. Another great thing about this phone is the amazing battery life of over three hours of continuous talk time, which is more than enough time to make or receive any phone calls.
 One of the best things about the Jitterbug cellphones is the fact that there are no contracts that you have to sign. Since you are not locked into any type of contract and can cancel your service at any time, it makes trying it out risk free. There is also an SOS plan which will provide you the ability to contact emergency services in the event of an accident.
 
Selecting a monthly cell phone plan is quite easy as there are a range of plans to fit just about anyone’s needs and budget. The most common plan is the basic $15 a month plan, which provides you up to 50 minutes of talk time all the way up to $80 for unlimited monthly usage. Another great feature is that your unused anytime minutes roll over into the next month and are valid for an additional 60 days. So if you are looking for an affordable and easy to use cell phone you should definitely consider Jitterbug.

Jitterbug Phone Samsung

The Samsung Jitterbug phone is aimed at those that may have impaired vision and at a very specific market that actually remembers that the Jitterbug is a type of swing dance. Yes, we are talking seniors.

Unlike the younger generations that have never even used a rotary phone, a majority of senior citizens have spent the their life using a landline type of telephone with very basic controls. The Samsung Jitterbug is not the most simple mobile phone ever invented but it is very easy to use, does not include complicated advanced features, has a dial tone, designed to accommodate the use of hearing aides and if you dial “0” you can actually access an operator.

Design and Features: The Samsung Jitterbug phone is a clamshell type cell phone with large white lettered black button keys that are very similar to a simple, push-button landline type of phone. Large buttons would also be helpful to those people that find small buttons difficult to use. At 4.4 ounces it is heavier than most cell phones on the market today but has a very comfortable feel to it.

The phone also features a simple external display and a 1.8 inch internal display that is capable of rendering up to 65K colors. This cell phone has a soft, rubber earpiece designed to accommodate the use of hearing aids and the speakerphone can be adjusted to play quite loudly. Those with impaired vision or hearing that aren’t necessarily senior citizens may enjoy using the Jitterbug because of these unique features as well. The phone also includes the ability to voice dial for those seniors that suffer from arthritis, enabling them to place calls more easily.
 
What’s Missing: This phone does not include advanced cell phone features and it is designed to be exceptionally simple. Many wireless phone users nowadays have become accustomed to phone cameras, email or multimedia messaging, playing music or surfing the web that this phone certainly cannot do. This phone can only hold 50 entries in the phonebook and does not have T9 predictive text technology. However, listing everything it lacks is pointless because Samsung never designed Jitterbug phones to compete with more mainstream types of cell phones.

This phone will surely be appreciated if you are if you are a senior, or someone with impaired vision or hearing and would like to have a cell phone for safety or just for staying in touch. However, if you need a more complex and capable cell phone you will need to check out other options.

Jitterbug Cell Phones

Jitterbug cell phones are simple and can be used with very basic telephone skills.  They might be a bit too simple for some people that want more flexibility because they tend to be a bit bulky. Jitterbug is a cell phone service provider that specializes in catering to the needs of senior citizens and users who want to use simple phones with large and easy-to-use controls. They offer simple handsets that are easy to use as well as affordable service plans.

The Jitterbug mobile phone is a clamshell style cell phone that closely resembles a typical land-line wireless phone. It even has a real dial tone when it’s turned on in order to emulate the behaviors of a normal landline phone. Jitterbug cell phones have all of the qualities that a senior would require from a mobile phone. This telephone device has widely spaced buttons on a simple numeric keypad and a large display screen.

The services are affordable and simple to use. You will not find 3G data, music downloads or streaming video services form this service provider.  Instead, Jitterbug is dedicated to providing easy-to-use cell phones, helpful support, and affordable monthly plans with no contract requirements . The handsets and the services provided are a perfect match for senior users.

Jitterbug provides coverage in every state, but individual coverage may vary by location. Limited international roaming is also available for an additional cost. Monthly service rates range from $15 to $80 and the monthly anytime minutes carry over and expire after 60 days. All rate plans require subscribers to pay a one time set up fee of $35. The company also provides a 24-hour customer service representative that will greet the user by name and help them in any way possible by connecting calls, providing directory assistance and changes to the subscriber’s phone contact lists. It is important to know that calls made to the operator are deducted from the subscriber's monthly minutes.

The Jitterbug phone line was listed on the New York Times Top 10 Brilliant Ideas of 2006 list. The reason why is that it was the first line of phones ever designed for the elderly. The only downfall is that the phones and service are slightly more expensive than other prepaid phone plans, even though you get quite a bit more for your money.

Jitterbug Phone

A Jitterbug phone is unlike other cell phones available from other providers. A jitterbug phone is truly unique for a good reason - it’s simplicity. The targeted group for Jitterbug phone plans are senior citizens and simplicity seekers that have pretty specific ease of use requirements. Regarding the convenience, it is a very important fact that Jitterbug phones are large and simple and they act more like a regular phone rather than a cell phone. This is a very important feature for senior citizens and simplicity seekers alike.

The current trend of cell phones getting smaller in size and their functions and features expanding is not always beneficial to older individuals that find those kinds of cell phones very hard to operate. That is the reason why Jitterbug has only two buttons "Yes" and "No" on these cell phones and a 10 digit keypad that makes them very easy to operate. The buttons are bright and big, the volume is crystal clear and the text that appears on the screen is very easy to see. These phones also come with live nurse access that is available for an additional 4 dollars a month and 24 hour live operator assistance for placing calls or adding contacts to a users personalized phone list.

Jitterbug phones come with flexible monthly payment plans that can be switched at any time at no additional cost. Basic monthly service plan starts as low as $14.99 a month for 50 minutes. However, there is the initial $147 cost for the phone. At first, some customers are unhappy about this but most of them find that they get exactly what they need for the price. Why use cheaper cell phone providers if they do not provide practical solutions for people with special needs?

The two types of the Jitterbug phones that are available are the Jitterbug Dial and the Jitterbug J. The second one of the two is the newer model that actually makes up for all disadvantages that the Jitterbug Dial has. The absence of Bluetooth and messaging support were the biggest flops for Jitterbug Dial. Maybe the phone user does not want to use texting on a daily basis, but what if someone wants to send them a quick text message? The fact that they have text messaging, even if they do not plan to use it, makes it much better for everyone.

The new features that have improved the overall functionality of Jitterbug cell phones, as we mentioned before are the addition of Bluetooth and SMS text capabilities. Also, as the new Jitterbug J model was released, the exclusive health tip service of a live nurse became available. Additionally, some of the previously existing services have also been significantly improved such as improvement in coverage and better customer service. In the end, customer's satisfaction is guaranteed by a 30 day or 30 minute talk time return policy of Jitterbug cell phones, whichever comes first.  That shows a lot of confidence in their products.