There is a real arms race going on with smartphones. Apple and Samsung continue to push the edge with each new release of their phones. The phones are getting smarter, thinner, more advanced, more sophisticated and unfortunately, more complicated. All of this is fine for the young folks who live on the cutting edge, but what about the 40 million Americans over the age of 65 who might love a smartphone, but have no interest in tripping on the cutting edge?
Enter the Jitterbug Touch 2 Smartphone from GreatCall
The Jitterbug Touch 2 is an interesting new smartphone from GreatCall geared toward seniors. The idea is to give Grandparents, Moms and Dads a very capable smartphone, that is easy to use, without all the bells and whistles of the high end phones from Apple and Samsung. Throw in the medical assist apps that GreatCall is known for and you have a very interesting sounding product.
Please Watch As We Review the Jitterbug Touch 2 from GreatCall -
If You Like Simple, You Will Love The Jitterbug Touch 2
Honestly, it took a little while to get used to the Jitterbug Touch 2. As an iPhone user I am used to endless screens of apps and constantly adding and trying new apps. Clearly I am not the target audience for the Jitterbug Touch 2, but as I continued to test it out, I realized that 95% of what people really use a smartphone for is easily accessible from the Jitterbug Touch 2 home screen.
As you watch seniors or people with little experience with smartphones try out the Jitterbug Touch 2, you start to see why it makes so much sense. Want to make a call, click where it say “PHONE” in a large font. Need to send a text to the grandkids, yep, click the words “TEXT MESSAGES”. There are icons, but the Jittbug Touch 2 puts the text front and center and makes it very easy to find the apps you will use most.
Don’t Let The Large Fonts Fool You, The Jitterbug Touch 2 is Still An Android Phone
Let’s be clear, the Touch 2 does not have all the technology of the latest phones from Apple and Samsung, but it does have most of what you need. The phone is made by Huawei and runs Android. You have all the basics of a Smartphone – GPS, camera, touch screen, Wi-Fi, etc. We will have the full specs at the end of this article, but here are some of the key features on the Jitterbug Touch 2 –
- A simplified, easier to navigate user interface
- Usage meter allowing you to check minute, text and data usage right on your phone
- New, improved dialer that makes calling easy with a large, legible dial pad
- A sleek, stylish design that fits nicely in a purse or pocket
- A large 4 inch display that makes dialing or texting easy
- A full touchscreen keyboard that makes typing quick and easy
- A 5 mega-pixel camera that can capture sharp images
- A long-lasting battery that ensures your phone will be ready to use whenever you need it
- Pre-loaded GreatCall health & safety apps
The GreatCall Apps Could Save Your Life
While I love Angry Birds as much as the next guy, I don’t really see that app saving many lives (especially if you are a pig). On the other hand, the GreatCall apps absolutely could be a life saver. As we show in the video you get 5Star Urgent Response, MedCoach and Urgent Care preinstalled (there are fees for using the services). In addition, by completing a full profile on your phone one time, with things like emergency contact, vehicle info, meds and allergies the nurses and doctors you reach via the app can have access to all your information.
I could see grown children setting up a full profile on their parent’s phone. This way, even if the parent has memory issues, the medical staff they contacted in an emergency will have access to all their information. If the parent forgets to mention they have an allergy to penicillin, the Doctor can see the allergy listed in the profile on the phone.
Conclusion: The Jitterbug Touch 2 Provides An Easy Smartphone For Seniors
While the Jitterbug Touch 2 is clearly not as fast and feature rich as high end Apple and Samsung phones, it is easy to operate and affordable. At $140 with no service contract needed, and monthly plans starting at $20, the Jitterbug Touch 2 is an inexpensive way to get into smartphones. We do wish the speed of the phone was faster and it ran on a faster network (it is Verizon 3G), but we understand there have to be some compromises to keep the cost so low. If you are looking for a simple to operate touch screen smartphone, the Jitterbug Touch 2 is an excellent choice.
More Information:
Visit GreatCall To Learn More about the Jitterbug Touch 2 and See Pricing Options
Full Specs on the JitterBug Touch 2 -
Dimensions: 4.9” H x 2.5” W x .45” D
Weight (w/battery): 4.9 oz
Main Camera: 5MP, auto-focus
Front-facing Camera: 0.3 MP
Display Size: 4”
Resolution: 800 x 480
External Interface: Standard Micro USB, microSD, Card slot, 3.5 mm headset
External Memory: MicroSD Card (up to 32 GB)
Processor: Qualcomm MSM8625, 1GHz Dual core
Bluetooth Supported: Yes, 3.0
Hearing Aid Compatible: M4/T3
Wi-Fi Enabled: Yes
Headset Jack: Yes
Memory ROM: 4GB
Memory RAM: 512MB
GPS: GPS/AGPS
Battery: 1750mAh Lithium Ion
Standby: Up to 13 days
Talk Time: Up to 5.3 hours
Operating System: Android 4.0
Messaging: SMS, MMS
Email: POP3/IMAP/Exchange
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