GreatCall Announces the All-New Jitterbug Plus - the Easiest and Smartest Jitterbug Yet

SAN DIEGO, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GreatCall, Inc., a leader in wireless services that enables its customers to stay connected, safe and healthy, today announced the national availability of its new Jitterbug® Plus cell phone. The new phone offers a sleek and simple design along with a smart new feature set that includes a stronger battery life and improved speaker, packaged in a lightweight, comfortable handset.  The Jitterbug Plus also features an easy-to-use camera with a thoughtful one-touch photo sharing service that allows users to share their photos with the touch of a button.  The celebrated design that made the Jitterbug the gold standard of simplicity stays the same, including the ability to easily turn features on or off to match your lifestyle, but avoid feature overload.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120702/LA33739)

With one of the longest lasting batteries on the market – up to 25 days of standby time – the Jitterbug Plus provides the luxury of not running out of power frequently. The new handset also retains the simplest menu navigation available, by providing simple "YES" or "NO" buttons, a backlit keypad and big, legible numbers. The improved speaker ensures all conversations are loud and clear.

"For our customers, simple is smart, and we're helping them learn new ways to stay connected and safe by adding easy-to-use features that they'll actually enjoy using,"  said David Inns, CEO of GreatCall. "A few years ago it was simplified text messaging, now it's one-touch photo sharing on Facebook."

Since the original Jitterbug cell phone debuted in 2006, today's mature Americans are looking for additional features to meet their lifestyle needs. The Jitterbug Plus has evolved along with them to include a thoughtful feature set that is never intimidating.

Technology adoption by mature Americans in particular has grown significantly in the past few years. In fact, a June 2012 Pew Research report shows interesting findings that reflect the increase among Boomers and Seniors:

• For the first time, half of adults age 65 and older are online.
• One in three online seniors uses social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Social networking site use among seniors has increased by as much as 150% (from 13% in 2009 to 33% in 2011).
• Seven in ten adults ages 65 and older own a cell phone (up from 57% two years ago)
• Baby Boomers are  increasingly using Facebook—a combined[1] 28 million people over the age of 45 are active on the social network, uploading on average 391-418 photos—just as many as younger users.

The demand for a mobile device that can quickly and easily exchange information is high. With the simplicity of the Jitterbug Plus' new photo sharing capability on Facebook, consumers don't need to worry about computer cords and complicated uploading procedures. At the touch of a button, Jitterbug Plus users can easily capture special moments via the built-in camera and instantly share them with family and friends.

Key Features of the New Jitterbug Plus:

• Modern and sleek handset design by Samsung
• Easy-to-use camera with one-touch photo sharing to social websites, like Facebook
• Easy navigation with "YES" or "NO" buttons, a backlit keypad and big, legible numbers   
• Improved speaker ensures all conversations will be loud and clear
• Battery life of up to 25 days of standby time 
• Bright color screen with large numbers
• Dial "0" to reach a GreatCall Operator who can help manage your Calendar or Phone Book
• Compatible with GreatCall's award-winning, innovative health and medical apps, like 5Star Urgent Response
• Available in two colors – Red or Silver

GreatCall's unwavering commitment to provide wireless services that people can count on means that the award-winning features customers know and love are also offered, including:

• GreatCall will never ask you to sign a contract 
• All features are easy to understand and use
• You can call the operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and be greeted by name
• No long distance or roaming charges

The new Jitterbug Plus will retail for $119 with a limited-time introductory price of $99. To purchase the new Jitterbug Plus, call directly at 1-866-554-4751, online at greatcall.com or at select retailers including Best Buy, Sears, Radio Shack Dealer Franchise, Fry's Electronics and ShopKo.  Visit our store locator online to find a retailer near you.

To learn more about all available GreatCall products and services, please visit: http://www.greatcall.com

To access company logo and high-resolution images and screen shots, please visit: www.greatcall.com/assets

To watch the Jitterbug Plus video and TV ad, please visit:  http://www.youtube.com/greatcallinc

Follow GreatCall on Twitter: @GreatCallInc; and on Facebook: facebook.com/greatcall 

About GreatCall, Inc.

GreatCall is a company of "People You Can Count On" to deliver wireless services that help keep customers connected, safe and healthy™. The company stands apart from other wireless services providers through its simplified, personalized and humanized approach, as well as its commitment to providing a high quality customer service experience. The company has been widely praised for its ability to deliver the benefits of innovation and technology in a meaningful and easy-to-use format. GreatCall has received prominent national media accolades from the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Washington Post and major TV broadcast networks.

GreatCall's services, apps, and cell phone handsets, including  The 5Star™ and The Jitterbug™ are sold nationwide at leading retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears, Radio Shack Dealer Franchise, Fry's Electronics and ShopKo, as well as direct to consumers at 1-866-554-4751 and online at GreatCall.com.  Service coverage includes the U.S. and Canada. GreatCall is located in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit GreatCall.com.

[1] Source: "Facebook Photo Trends [INFOGRAPHIC]," Pixable Blog, February 14, 2011, http://blog.pixable.com/2011/02/14/facebook-photo-trends-infographic/

SOURCE GreatCall, Inc.