If you are shopping for a new cell phone for an older person, finding a suitable one can be time consuming. If you are frustrated by complicated devices and tiny buttons, then you’ll want a phone that feels simple but is still reliable for calling, texting, and staying in touch with family. Here, I will compare my top three choices and share my number 1 recommendation.
Evaluation Criteria
Here are the criteria that I used when reviewing cell phone models.
- Making phone calls – clarity, reliability
- Reliable video calls with family – good front camera, smooth connection, understandable image/audio
- Sending texts – ease of keyboard, legibility, minimal frustrations
- Occasionally browsing the internet – decent screen, performance
Top Choices At-a-Glance
- Apple iPhone 16e — best all-around choice: excellent call and video call quality (FaceTime), strong accessibility, emergency features (SOS via satellite, Crash Detection), and long software support. Ideal if budget allows.
- Samsung Galaxy A16 (5G) — best budget value: large clear screen, solid battery life, decent front camera for video calls, and Samsung’s “Easy Mode” for larger icons. Great if you want something affordable but still capable.
- Motorola Moto G 5G — best low-cost, straightforward option: very good battery life and basic 5G performance. Works fine for calls, texts, and light video calls, but screen sharpness and camera quality are more modest.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature / Priority | iPhone 16e | Samsung Galaxy A16 5G | Motorola Moto G 5G |
| Make phone calls (voice quality / reliability) | Very high. Premium components, consistent network support, excellent audio/speaker performance. | Very good. Should be reliable; hardware solid. Speaker / call-audio likely quite good though possibly not quite as rich or nuanced as high-end phones. | Adequate. Works well for basic calling; less refinement (microphones, speaker clarity) compared to iPhone or higher-end Samsung, especially in poor conditions. |
| Video calls with family | Excellent. Strong front camera, good processing, very good display makes video look sharp; really smooth performance. | Good to very good. The 13 MP front camera + AMOLED display will offer nice image quality; smoother display also helps. Low light will still be weaker than top phones but much better than low-end LCDs. | Acceptable. Front camera less powerful (lower resolution), display resolution lower. In good lighting the video is fine; but less sharp, less premium feel. |
| Texting (keyboard, readability, speed) | Excellent. High resolution & clarity, strong keyboard experience (iOS), many accessibility/text options. | Very good: large screen, sharp enough display, can enlarge text; super AMOLED helps with contrast making reading easier. | Good. Screen is big enough; text size adjustable. Resolution limits sharpness; might be less crisp on very small text. Typing speed ok. |
| Occasional internet browsing | Very good. Fast chip, high-quality display, good browser performance, long software support. | Good: displays, RAM/storage are sufficient for light to moderate browsing. May occasionally lag on very heavy pages or many open tabs. | Lower tier: browsing works, but pages heavy with media may load slower; scrolling less smooth; lower resolution means web content might look a little fuzzier. |
| Screen size / readability | 6.1-inch OLED, high pixel density (~460 ppi), sharp and bright. Very good for readability. | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED, 90Hz refresh; 2340 × 1080 px; ~385-396 ppi. Nice contrast, good brightness. | 6.6-inch screen as well, but lower resolution (≈ 1612×720 in some versions); ppi lower (~267 ppi) so text & images less sharp. Brightness/display quality slightly lower. |
| Front camera for video calls | Very good. Strong specs, good processing, sharp and reliable. | Decent. 13 MP front cam—good for video calls under decent lighting. | More basic. Lower MP, less advanced optics/sensors; works, but quality less premium. |
| Battery / endurance | Good. Battery life strong for its class; display and performance efficient. | Very good: 5000 mAh + efficient chip + display refinements → solid daily use, probably more “forgiving” over long days. | Also strong battery; similar size; likely similar real-world usage though heavier load (video, browsing) will reduce that. |
| Emergency / safety / accessibility features | Top-tier. iOS has many built-in accessibility tools (large text, VoiceOver, etc.), emergency SOS, crash detection, good update support. | Strong: Samsung’s 6-year OS/security updates is a big plus; decent accessibility feature set; water/splash resistance (IP54) helps. | Basic. Has typical Android accessibility; emergency calling works; less likely to have advanced features such as built-in SOS via satellite, etc. Software update periods tend to be shorter. |
| Price / value | Highest cost among the three. But holds its value, premium quality & long lifespan. | Much more affordable. Excellent value for screen, battery, and features. | Cheapest of the group in many cases; best if budget is tight. But you’ll trade off some clarity/performance. |
My Recommendation
If you can afford the extra money and want the smoothest, clearest video calls, best emergency/safety features, plus long-term support, go with the iPhone 16e. It gives the best combination of clarity, reliability, and accessibility, especially for someone who wants to mainly call, video-call family, text, and occasionally browse. The sharp screen, good front camera, safety/emergency features (satellite SOS, etc.), make it worth the extra cost.
If you want to save money and are willing to accept a little less polish, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is a strong second choice. It offers a large, clear screen, decent video-call performance, good battery life, and satisfactory texting experience, for much less money. It’s a very reasonable trade-off.
The Moto G 5G is more of a budget compromise. It works, and for many use cases it’s “good enough,” especially for calls, texts, and light video calls. If your budget is constrained, it’s viable, but you’ll lose some sharpness, speed, and premium features.