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I’ve been using Tello #ad in Central Michigan for two years, and I’ve taken Tello traveling out of state.
My wife and I both use Tello. We brought our old phones and are still using them, even though Tello has great priced unlocked phones for sale, and works with most unlocked phones you might own.
My dad’s Parkinson’s and Dementia have gotten to a point where he’s not using his phone for intense 5G gaming, apps, or internet usage.
Yet with his current mainstream plan, we’re paying over $90 per month.
I’m talking with my mom to see if we couldn’t save our family money month to month by switching over to Tello.
Tello’s cheapest plan with no data, 500 minutes, unlimited text starts at $5 per month.
Tello plans including data, minutes, and text start at $9 per month.
Tello unlimited everything costs $29 per month. What are you paying now?
Looking for a senior plan that works with an old-and-unlocked or new mobile phone? Picking your plan on the Tello website feels alot like playing Wheel of Fortune!
From the horses mouth, “Young is a state of mind, and freedom is a choice”
Tello offers affordable cell phone plans, just $14 per month for unlimited talk and text which is a practical option for seniors who don’t need data.
If the aging person in your life craves that sweet 5G, I stand corrected! I also researched top picks for senior-friendly unlimited data plans.
For the tech-savvy senior, you could hypothetically communicate through apps and the internet 100%, without the need for traditional “Snail Calling” and “Snail Texting”. (Like how email replaced paper mail as mail and turned the old mail into “Snail Mail”.)
For the senior who’s NOT great with tech, talk may be enough. Most seniors like to text these days. Many seniors know Facebook better than their grandkids, but have a ways to go towards understanding Tiktok.
Tello lets you create a custom package any way you want, at any price tier you want, with any phone you want. So getting the right balance ot talk text and data is the reason why I chose Tello for my family in the first place.
“Minutes only plans” mean you don’t get text or data. Which might be right for getting in touch with grandma every Sunday afternoon.”
Amazon shoppers can take their first step with Tello by purchasing a Tello "Bring Your Own Phone" SIM Card online on Amazon #ad. The physical SIM card will ship to your home. Then you'll need to put it inside your unlocked smart phone using the tiny pokey tool enclosed. Then just turn on your phone and follow steps to activate. You can choose the cheapest of the low-cost plans or whatever bundles of phone, text, and data you like.
Tello is an excellent choice when a senior living in the United States keeps in touch with family outside the United States. For families with loved ones in any of “Tello’s Free Call Countries” (more than 60 countries across the globe in every continent).
It’s easy to use the website to check rates for any country. Just go to Tello’s International Calling Page and type in the country. You’ll see exact rates for calls and texts to family members in foreign countries.
The most noteworthy downside is Tello is best for mid to large sized cities. Tello generally works in rural areas of Michigan, can be dodgy when you’re driving in Farmland, Michigan.
If you live in a city the size of Mt. Pleasant or larger, chances are you’ll get excellent reliable signal. You know Tello uses T-Mobile network, right?
On the interstate, Tello’s signal works fine all the time. On smaller freeways good too. But once you get into the 55 MPH “Sticks of Lower Peninsula Michigan”, sometimes the signal cust completely to the point where calls have dropped and data is frozen.
Tello is NOT roping rural Michiganders into a sour deal. Before you buy, they show you coverage strength for your zip code. You can see how strong the coverage is where you live compared to bigger towns and cities around you. If your “home to work area” is in an area not well covered by Tello, Tello tells you before you break out your credit card. Which is a nice thing to do, like a neighbor.
Adoption is a term meaning “when someone starts using something new”.
As a responsible, economical, and caring family member, you could point out that switching to Tello is easier than you think.
I’ll mention a few barriers older folks experience when switching to Tello, and explain some ways Tello uniquely addresses the needs of the aging population.
If the older person you’re considering a phone for is worried Tello is overcomplicated or comes with a steep learning curve… With an eager beaver family member who reads blog posts comparing phone plans for grandpa, I assure you setting up Tello will be easy to do the right way the first time. And you be chattering away.
It’s easier for the younger generation to pick out a telecom gadget based on technical specifications, so adopting a relatively new carrier like Tello might seem daunting to older adults who don’t necessarily want to learn a new thing.
This negative payment experience happened to me one time with Tello.
I suppose the way Tello has it setup makes sense. Limited customers minutes and data roll over if you change plans mid month.
But with Tello, when you upgrade from limited to unlimited, you lose money because the extra minutes or data can no longer roll over onto unlimited. (Because you can’t add minutes onto unlimited minutes.)
The first time I upgraded my plan to include more data, I did so in the middle of my payment calendar month. I think I paid double-time for half the month, and I was surprised to see the data of my recurring payment changed.
You lose a few dollars when upgrade to “Unlimited”. Not a huge loss with Tello’s low prices, but I didn’t like paying extra by accident.
No contract doesn’t necessarily mean you pay as you go. Your preferred payment plan can be achieved with Tello’s best-in-class flexibility and customization.
It means you can cancel anytime without consequences. You’re not locked in to months or years of any network.
You can switch phones whenever you want, to whatever phone you want as long as you pay for it and it works with the Tello network.
If you’re hardcore about not getting a recurring credit card payment, then another viable option for seniors is pay as you go. If you’re used to plans it might sound like a bother, but it’s actually very simple.
Those still skeptical about using their credit card online can buy Tello through America’s most trusted Amazon.com. Click here to see Tello SIM Cards on Amazon.
Tello is known to offer deals and discounts time to time. For seniors, they ran a flash sale to get Grandpa an affordable phone plan for Father’s Day.
Other carriers that use AARP discounts at checkout still come out more expensive than Tello when entering your credit card number. So you can’t get a discount simply by having an ID or proof of senior citizen age status.
You could wait for another Father’s Day or Mother’s Day deal, but why wait when Tello’s prices are already so reasonable?
With the unique needs of seniors in mind, I reviewed inexpensive cell phone plans with unlimited data. Mint Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Lively, Smartfon, and Ultra are considerable alternatives to Tello if you’re just starting your search.
These budget-friendly cell phone providers have simple-to-use flip phones, and some ElderTech assistive phones designed for the elderly to need extra care from their friends and family.
Look to Jitterbug, Snapfon, and Jitterbug for phones and plans exclusively for older people. (Each is more expensive than Tello, I’ll let you know that now.)
Twigby is a new competitor in 2023 without unlimited data, and some cheap offerings. It’s also a sign the future of United States telecom is going to see more Tello lookalikes.
Yes, you can buy a Tello phone for yourself, a family member, or a non-family member all the same.
In the United States, there is no law limiting the number of SIM cards you can buy for yourself or anyone else.
That’s one form of American Freedom. Did you know over 150+ governments have some form of SIM card registration laws? Well, I’m one lonely Michigander who’s happy the U.S. has no such law.
If you like dad jokes, and many of us 30-somethings with old parents now do, then Tello understands your sense of humor. Alongside that 55-and-over Father’s Day coupon I showed you, the Tello team shares stale dad jokes like: “What does a baby computer call his father? Data.”
Tello uses the T-Mobile nationwide network, so they have a technology partner to back up the strength and reliability of their offering. That’s cool too.
Tello is a viable cell phone plan option for seniors due to its low-costs, flexible plans, and ZERO contract policy sneeking in hidden bills to old people. Tello is easy to use, it works with most unlocked phones. You can order Tello SIM cards via Amazon too. Tello covers the same areas as T-Mobile because Tello is powered by T-Mobile. Senior citizens can bring their old number, and bring their old phone, or buy a new simple flip phone or advanced smart phone from Tello’s online shop. Tello has signal issues is very rural areas, and comes highly recommended for Michiganders living in mid to large towns and cities.
