# Help me choose a cell phone for my dad **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687 "2018-06-08T15:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687/1 "2018-06-08T15:25:25Z")
My 77 year old father is looking to upgrade from his flip phone. He only wants one upgrade: Bluetooth capability so he can talk hands free in his truck. And he wants to keep paying for network the same way he does now, with pay as you go Verizon cards purchased at the store. So thats his only requirements: Bluetooth and pay as you go. He doesnt care about texting, internet connection, etc, etc. If his flip phone could connect to the bluetooth he would not need another phone. I can order on Amazon ASAP, but I dont know which one to pick? Any help, folks? ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687/2 "2018-06-09T13:44:30Z")
[Samsung Gusto 3, Royal Navy Blue (Verizon Wireless Prepaid)](https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Gusto-Verizon-Wireless-Prepaid/dp/B00JYR6GGM/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1528551754&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_eleven_browse-bin%3A14674881011%2C14674882011%2Cp_n_feature_ten_browse-bin%3A3299087011) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687/3 "2018-06-09T20:11:41Z")
My mom decided to upgrade from a flip phone. She insisted on a small phone. I bought the Sony Xperia XZ1 compact. > **[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact - Factory Unlocked Phone - 4.6" Screen - 32GB - Black...](https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Xperia-XZ1-Compact-Unlocked/dp/B074P5FMGC)** > > Buy Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact - Factory Unlocked Phone - 4.6" Screen - 32GB - Black (U.S. Warranty) at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision! They also sell the Xperia in a full size screen version. > **[Sony Xperia XA2 Factory Unlocked Phone - 5.2" Screen - 32GB - Black (U.S....](https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Xperia-Factory-Unlocked-Phone/dp/B077ZKFB2D)** > > Buy Sony Xperia XA2 Factory Unlocked Phone - 5.2" Screen - 32GB - Black (U.S. Warranty) at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision! There’s a budget model at a significantly lower price. > **[Amazon.com: Sony Xperia XA1 - Unlocked Smartphone - 32GB - Black (US Warranty) :...](https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Xperia-XA1-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B06WVZ4T7Y)** > > Amazon.com: Sony Xperia XA1 - Unlocked Smartphone - 32GB - Black (US Warranty) : Everything Else ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687/4 "2018-06-16T20:04:55Z")
I have the phone Turble linked to. I bought it at Walmart for about $20. I pay with Verizon phone cards, $35 per month. Sometimes Target puts the phone cards on sale, usually for 10% off. One problem I had with the phone is the camera button and volume controls (on the outside edges) will activate in my pocket. Even disabling the buttons in the phone’s settings didn’t stop this. I hope they fixed this in the intervening few years since I bought mine. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-choose-a-cell-phone-for-my-dad/815687/5 "2018-06-16T22:41:52Z")
Get him an iPhone SE. I have this, with Verizon’s pay as you go service. It has the same internals as an iPhone 6s and it runs the latest version of iOS. It’s smaller than the other iPhones, I don’t know how he’ll feel about that. For me, it’s a feature. It’s only $150, which is a steal, imo. I’m sure your father will be happy in Apple’s walled garden approach. It does all the phone things you could want. The iPhone itself has been solid as a rock. I couldn’t be happier with it. Oh, it’s got Bluetooth. [https://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid/smartphones/apple-iphone-se-silver-prepaid/](https://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid/smartphones/apple-iphone-se-silver-prepaid/)