Jump to: Side-by-Side Comparison | Buying Options
If you are shopping for a new cell phone for an older person or someone who likes simplicity, finding a suitable one can not only be time consuming, but very confusing given the myriad of models now available. 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, we will compare our top three choices and share our number one recommendation.
Evaluation Criteria
Here are the criteria that we 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. | Very good and reliable; hardware solid. | Adequate. Works well for basic calling. |
| Video calls with family | Excellent. Strong front camera. | Good to very good. The MP front camera will offer nice image quality. | Acceptable. In good lighting the video is fine. |
| Texting (keyboard, readability, speed) | Excellent. High resolution & clarity, strong keyboard experience. | Very good: large screen, sharp display. | Good. Screen is big enough; text size adjustable. |
| Occasional internet browsing | Very good. Fast chip, good browser performance. | Good: displays, RAM/storage are sufficient for light to moderate browsing. | Lower tier: browsing works, but pages heavy with media may load slower. |
| Screen size / readability | 6.1-inch OLED, high pixel density, sharp and bright. Very good for readability. | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED. Nice contrast, good brightness. | 6.6-inch screen but lower resolution. Text & images less dharp. |
| 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, works, but quality lower than premium. |
| Battery / endurance | Good. Battery life strong for its class; display and performance efficient. | Very good: solid for daily use, more “forgiving” over long days. | Also strong battery; heavier load (video, browsing) will reduce performance. |
| Emergency / safety / accessibility features | Top-tier. iOS has many built-in accessibility tools. | Strong: Samsung’s 6-year OS/security updates is a big plus. | Basic. Has typical Android accessibility. |
| 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. |
Our Recommendation and Buying Options
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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.