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At this point, a phone is now something you can’t/ shouldn’t live without. And in this article, we’re going to look at some of the free cell phones for hearing impaired that you can communicate without interference or missing any words.
Of course, the handset necessarily doesn’t have to be yours. Hearing loss is one of the conditions that can get us at any age- either naturally at birth/ old age or from working in a very loud environment. So, this phone could also be for your kid, parents, or a friend who really needs one.
What’s The Best Free Cell Phone for Hearing Impaired?
Basically, the right cell phone for the hearing impaired varies with the condition. If it’s permanent deafness, a good device will be the one you can at least communicate with through texting seamlessly and on time. Then, in the case of partial hearing loss, you’ll need a device that will work with hearing aids or have other built-in assistive technologies.
Anyway, the seven best free phones for hearing impaired are:
- Verizon Apple iPhone 12 Mini
- Verizon Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G,
- T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy A32G
- Cricket Motorola Moto G Power
- Metro by T-Mobile Alcatel GO FLIP 4
- Hamilton CapTel 2400i Caption Phone
- T-Mobile Access CapTel 840i Caption Phone
The 6 Crucial Features in a Phone for Hearing impaired
First up, many of the latest phones now come with various hearing assistive technologies. These pieces of tech can be in the form of built-in accessibility features that will help you make the most of your cell phone with your impairment. Or a whole augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that can be talking with/ for you in cases of complete hearing loss.
A good example of an AAC device is the CapTel 840 Plus that we mentioned when looking at the various free phones for hard-hearing seniors. However, today you’ll mostly find the CapTel 840i or the more advanced CapTel 2400i with a larger display for captions and capacitive interface.
In any case, the six features that are crucial in phones for hearing impaired include:
- Hearing Aid Compatibility: the hearing aid compliance (HAC) feature helps ensure you can pair with the regular or telecoil hearing aids, thereby allowing you to make calls with less to no signal interferences.
- TTY Calling Compatibility: the teletype (TTY) feature is pretty common in cell phones today. Its main purpose’s to enable text-to-speech calling, which happens through a third-party relay service. And the best part is that you can use it with either partial or complete hearing loss.
- RTT Call Option: the real-time text or RTT feature is an upgrade of the TTY functionality. It’s more like a hybrid of the standard texting and calling, whereby you can see the other phone user type the message instead of waiting for him to complete writing and sending it.
- Sound Amplification: this usually offers the ability to adjust the volume of the call or ringer tune to a level you can hear well. So, it’s applicable for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.
- Real-Time Captions: Typically, this feature is most common on the dedicated caption phones, whereby you can hear and also read captions of your caller’s call. However, various relay service providers have mobile apps that you can install on your iOS or Android smartphones and see every word from the caller.
- Text Readability: indeed, a good phone for hearing impairment should be able to deliver clear texts that are easy to read. That means the display should have a perfect contract balance and also the option to enlarge the font sizes.
Note: a phone with visual signalers and vibrating alerts can also be handy in cases of hearing impairment. It can make it easier to detect an incoming call, as well as alert of the new unread messages.
How To Get A Free Cell Phone For Hearing Impaired
Overall, there are two main ways to get a free phone for the hearing impaired. The first one is through the telephone access program which provides specialized phones for those who can’t use the regular makes. Some examples include TAP in Missouri, CTAP for Californians, ATAP in Alabama, TED for Washington residents, and so on.
And please, don’t confuse these telephone access programs with the free government cell phones from the Lifeline benefits. Yes, of course, the government finances both programs. But the eligibility requirement here varies, whereby you even have to prove your hearing impediment through a licensed physician, audiologist, or speech pathologist.
Sadly, however, these specialized phones for hearing loss are mostly landline telephones (either corded or cordless). So, for free cell phones for hearing impaired, you’ll have to go for the second option. And that’s by taking advantage of the promo deals from carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, Metro, or Cricket Wireless.
More on that, let’s go through the various cell phone options we mentioned earlier and outline how you can get them for free.
An Overview of the Various Free Phones for Hearing Impaired
| Free Cell Phone Brand | Provider/ Where to Apply | Supported Networks | Best Hearing Loss Support Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 12 Mini | Verizon | 5G & 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M3/ T4 HAC Rating |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Verizon | 5G & 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M4/ T3 HAC Rating |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | T-Mobile | 5G & 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M3/ T3 HAC Rating |
| Motorola Moto One 5G Ace | T-Mobile | 5G & 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M3/ T3 HAC Rating |
| Motorola Moto G Power | Cricket Wireless | 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M3/ T3 HAC Rating |
| Motorola Moto G Stylus | Metro by T-Mobile | 4G LTE | RTT, TTY, & M3/ T3 HAC Rating |
| Alcatel GO FLIP 4 | Metro by T-Mobile | 4G LTE | TTY & M4/ T4 HAC Rating |
| CapTel 2400i Caption Phone | Hamilton | Landline | Amplification, HAC rating, & Real-Time Captioning |
| CapTel 840i Caption Phone | T-Mobile Accessibility | Landline | Amplification, HAC rating, & Real-Time Captioning |
| CapTel 840 Analog Phone | Hamilton | Landline | Amplification, HAC rating, & Real-Time Captioning |
| Clarity Professional XLC3.4 Cordless Phone | California Phones | Landline | Visual Signalers, HAC rated, & Amplification |
Verizon Apple iPhone 12 Mini
The iPhone 12 Mini is one of the Apple devices that you can get from Verizon for $0. It’s a nice brand if you’re looking for a cell phone with built-in accessibility features that support hearing loss. Not only does it have crystal HD voice calling, but also you can enable real-time text and teletype features.
Furthermore, the iPhone has M3/ M4 HAC rating. So, you. get the sharpest signal with the telecoil hearing aids and the second-best compatibility with the acoustic devices.
As for the eligibility, you can get the free iPhone 12 Mini with Verizon by adding a new line to your account. No trade-in is required.
Verizon Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Samsung smartphone is another device you can get from Verizon for free. It’s also easy to use even with hearing loss, thanks to the HD voice calling, plus the built-in teletype and real-time texting features.
Even better, the android device has M4/ T3 HAC rating, thereby giving you the highest level of compatibility with the acoustic hearing aids and the second-best on the telecoil devices.
For you to get the free Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Verizon requires you to add a new line to your new or existing account. Then, activate it on either of the unlimited plans.
T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
T-Mobile is another wireless carrier with free phones both to the new and existing customers. The Samsung Galaxy here is one of the phones in the promo offer, and a perfect choice if you’d like to upgrade to a 5G-capable device with hearing loss support.
At M3/ T3 HAC rating, the device can work with both the acoustic and telecoil hearing aids at the second-highest compatibility levels. Then, it also has both the teletype and real-time texting functions for cases of complete hearing loss.
As for the eligibility, you can get the free Samsung Galaxy A32G after adding and activating a new line on any T-Mobile rate plan.
Cricket Motorola Moto G Power
The Moto G Power is one of the over a dozen free smartphones that Cricket Wireless is offering to both the new and existing customers. It’s also a great alternative if you have partial or profound hearing loss. Not only can you enable the TTY and RTT features, but also it has third-level compatibility with acoustic and telecoil hearing aids. So, you can make your calls with minimal to no signal interference.
To get the Free Motorola Moto G Power Smartphone, Cricket requires you to switch a line to their network. Then, you activate that line on the $60 unlimited rate plan.
Key Takeaway: Free Specialized Phones For Hearing Impaired
As we’ve just mentioned, you can also get a specialized phone for the hearing impaired at no cost. However, the models available from most of the government-funded programs are the landline versions that you can get in either corded or cordless design.
Some of the free specialized phones for hearing loss include:
- Hamilton CapTel 2400i Caption Phone
- T-Mobile Access CapTel 840i Caption Phone
- Clarity Professional XLC3.4 Cordless Phone
Common Related Questions:
How Can I Get A Free Hearing Impaired Phone?
The two easy ways you can get a free hearing impaired phone is by applying through your local specialized telephone access program. Or else take advantage of the limited-time phone deals from your favorite wireless carrier.
Is There A Special Phone For The Hearing Impaired?
In general, many of the latest regular phones have various accessibility features to support users with impaired vision, mobility, and hearing. However, there’s also a special phone for the hearing impaired that you can get for free through CTAP and other Telephone Access programs.
Does Verizon Have Phones For The Hearing Impaired?
Yes, indeed, Verizon has cell phones for the hearing impaired that you can get for free through the promo offers, purchase upfront, or finance in small monthly plans. Two of these phones are the latest Apple iPhone 12 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, both of which have built-in RTT, TTY, and hearing aid compliance.
However, Verizon doesn’t have the specialized phones for hearing loss, and neither does the regular T-Mobile we know. However, there’s a separate T-Mobile Accessibility program that offers relay service and assistive phones for the hearing impaired.
To Conclude:
Disability is certainly not inability. Unlike in the past, you can now keep in touch with the rest of the world through a phone when you even have impaired vision, mobility, cognitive, or even hearing.
In our article, we’ve covered some of the free cell phones for the hearing impaired, as well as the secret on how to get them. All the wireless devices have most of the accessibility features, specifically RTT, TTY, and Hearing Aid support. So, you can call any phone number directly or indirectly, be it you have mild, moderate, or profound hearing loss.
As for visual alerts, smartphones rarely come with a built-in signaler. However, there are various cool apps for that, such as Flash Notification On Call, that you can install so you never miss any call.