Review Informasi & Smartphone Tips

Showing posts with label Cell Phone Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cell Phone Tips. Show all posts

Thursday 19 May 2016

Tracfone LG Treasure L51AL Review

Review of the LG Treasure (L51AL) from Tracfone Welcome to TracfoneReviewer , a blog with information, reviews and promo codes for Tracfone....
Artikel Cell Phone Reviews, Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel LG Smartphones,

Review of the LG Treasure (L51AL) from Tracfone

Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, a blog with information, reviews and promo codes for Tracfone. Below is our review for the new LG Treasure. We hope you find the information helpful!


LG L51AL tracfone review
Tracfone LG Treasure Review
The LG Treasure is a mid-level (compared to other Tracfone smartphones) Android 5.1 powered phone newly available to Tracfone prepaid customers.

Tracfone is beginning to release phones at a faster pace, with several new devices becoming available over the last month (including the ZTE ZMAX 2, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, and Samsung Galaxy S6). We are excited to be bringing to you today our review for the LG Treasure for use with Tracfone Wireless.

The LG Treasure is basically the Tracfone version of the LG K7, which was just released earlier in 2016. We are expecting several more LG phones to be released from Tracfone, but the time frame is unknown. For more on these other phones, visit our post, New LG/Samsung Phones Coming to Tracfone.

The LG Treasure is a budget smartphone that still comes with a large screen and some great features. Many Tracfone customers are looking for smartphones that fit into the budget phone category and won't break the bank.

The question many users might be wondering is if this phone is worth upgrading to from some of Tracfone's older smartphone options. We'll try to answer that a little further on, but first let's look at the quick facts for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Quick Facts

The Good:
-Android 5.1.1
-5" Touchscreen
-5MP Front and Rear Camera
-Reasonable Price - currently $99 from HSN.com

Not So Good:
-only 4GB useable space
-somewhat smaller processor - 1.1 Ghz

At first glance, this phone appears to deliver some great features for the price, but it does neglect a few things, like internal memory and processing power. But you can't really expect to get a high performance phone for a low cost, unless you buy a used/refurbished phone and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program.

LG is one of the largest companies in South Korea and produces a wide range of products sold across the globe. They are also one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, and have a diverse lineup of phone options, including their new flagship phone the LG G5 which features the latest version of Android, v 6.0.1 marshmallow.

The LG phones released by Tracfone to use with their prepaid service won't have quite the same performance features as LG's flagship, but they also won't cost as much.

Let's take a look at the full list of features and specifications for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Features and Specs

Below are the phone's features, followed by the technical specifications
  • Android 5.1.1 Lolipop
  • 4G LTE service using AT&T's GSM Network
  • 5MP Front and Rear Camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1
  • Access to over 1 Million apps via Google Play store
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • GPS capability
  • 2 Home screens
  • Voicemail, Voice Dialing
  • Handsfree speaker
LG Treasure Specs
  • Size: 5.65" x 2.85" x 0.35" Weight: about 5 oz.
  • 5.0" Touchscreen at 480x852 resolution (196 ppi Pixel Density)
  • 1.1 Ghz Quad-core processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB Memory (about 4GB Useable) MicroSD card slot
  • Battery: 2045 mAh with Talk time 9hrs, Standby 11 days
A quad-core processor combined with 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1 is a very nice collection of features that make the Treasure a desirable option for many people. But what about the 4 GB of usable internal memory, is that too little?

Let's get into our review of the LG Treasure from Tracfone with our pro's and con's for this device, followed by a quick comparison to some of the other similar devices available from Tracfone like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2.

LG Treasure Review - Likes and Dislikes

What we Like about the Treasure
There's quite a bit to like about this phone. After all, it is a newer device built to be budget friendly while still maintaining some great features

lg treasure l51al review
Tracfone LG Treasure front, side and back
We really like the screen size, the dual 5 MP cameras, and that the Treasure runs Android 5.1.1. We also think this phone is a great value at the current price.

The LG Treasure comes with a 5" touchscreen, which is about the average size these days for a smartphone device. The resolution isn't the best, at 480x852 pixels, but LG did a really great job on making this screen bright and clear.

When taking pictures with the LG Treasure, you will notice that it has a 5 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. This gives you fairly good image quality for taking selfies or other photos. The rear camera also has an LED flash, while if you are taking photos with the front camera it has a neat feature that lights up part of the screen to act as a flash in low light situations. It is unusual for a budget smartphone to have such a high resolution front camera, and we hope this trend continues.

The volume and power buttons are located on the back of the phone, which may be more convenient for some users, and keeps the edges of the phone free from any buttons. This is great for those of us who tend to accidentally hit the buttons on the side of phones when trying to hold them.

Tracfone devices, unlike most unlocked phones, do not get Android OS updates (it has something to do with compatibility issues, and Tracfone would have to be involved in making sure the updates worked properly, but they don't currently want to do this) so it is nice to see that the LG Treasure comes with Android 5.1.1, which is a newer version that doesn't have some of the vulnerability issues previous Android versions had.

Finally, we are really happy with the overall value of the LG Treasure as it is currently offered by HSN bundled with an airtime card worth $100, and the whole bundle is going for $99, making the phone free. If you need airtime anyway, you might as well upgrade to this phone. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets look at a couple of concerns we do have.

What we Don't Like about the Treasure
There are two main concerns we have about the LG Treasure and we want to mention to help our readers before they buy this phone.

First, the LG Treasure only comes with 8 GB internal memory, of which, only about 4 GB is actually usable (the other 4 GB is used by the OS and pre-installed apps). For many users, this won't be a big deal because most of Tracfone's other smartphones, like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2, have a similar amount of internal memory. Just keep in mind that you can't load this phone up with too many photos or large applications. Some apps can take up a full GB of space, so you would run out quickly.

The LG Treasure does come with a Micro SD card slot, which allows you to use up to 32 GB of external storage. This is great if you have a lot of music or other files you want to add.

The second concern we have is with the processor performance. The Treasure comes with a 1.1 Ghz quad core processor. This is more than enough power for everyday apps like Facebook, Instagram or calling/texting. But if you want to running larger, resource intense apps like certain games, you may run into performance trouble. The Treasure does have 1 GB RAM, which is average, yet overall we think the average user won't have any issues with performance.

That concludes our likes and dislikes, let us know in the comments if we missed anything, or if there are certain features you like/dislike!

Update - initially it appeared that the LG Treasure would have 1.5 GB RAM, but it urns out to only have 1 GB RAM.

LG Treasrue compared to LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2

The LG Treasure is similar or an improvement over the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2 in almost every way, which makes sense since it is much newer. The improvements, however, are generally only small improvements.

Compared to the LG Ultimate 2, the Treasure comes with a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") a better processor (quad-core vs dual-core) better cameras (5 MP front and rear vs 5 MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front) and more internal memory (8 GB vs 5 GB). The LG Treasure also comes with Android 5.1.1 versus 4.4 which the Ultimate 2 come with. These improvements are noticeable, but not huge. If you are currently using an Ultimate 2 and considering upgrading, the Treasure would probably be a little faster and have a little better performance overall.

One important piece of information to note is that the Ultimate 2 is a  CDMA phone that uses Verizon towers while the Treasure is a GSM phone that uses AT&T service. So be sure to check your coverage before switching.

The differences between the LG Sunset and Treasure are a little less noticeable, but still exist. The LG Treasure has a newer processor but slower speed (1.1 Ghz vs 1.2 Ghz) a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") slightly newer Android OS (5.1.1 vs 5.0.1) and better front camera (5 MP vs 1.3 MP). They both have a quad core processor, 8 GB internal Memory and 4G LTE service using AT&T cell towers.

The LG Treasure is an upgrade over the LG Sunset, but we might only suggest you upgrade if you are also in need of the airtime that comes in the bundle. Otherwise, you might want to want and see what other phones Tracfone releases in the coming months.

Overview and Where to Buy the LG Treasure

The LG Treasure brings great features including a 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1.1 at a very reasonable price making it a great upgrade from older Tracfone smartphones.

It doesn't have the performance to match some of Tracfone's other recent releases, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, but it also is significantly cheaper.

You can find the LG Treasure bundled with a 1 Year/400 Minute airtime card (and other items) on HSN where it is currently on sale for $99.

You can also view Tracfone's Tutorial to learn more about how to use this device.

There is also a CDMA version of this phone which we expect to be released sometime in the near future.

We hope you found this review useful, and if you have any questions or thoughts you can share them in a comment below.

Here are some additional helpful resources we have created for Tracfone Android users:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

And if you want to keep up with the latest news and info, join us on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting!

Review of the LG Treasure (L51AL) from Tracfone

Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, a blog with information, reviews and promo codes for Tracfone. Below is our review for the new LG Treasure. We hope you find the information helpful!


LG L51AL tracfone review
Tracfone LG Treasure Review
The LG Treasure is a mid-level (compared to other Tracfone smartphones) Android 5.1 powered phone newly available to Tracfone prepaid customers.

Tracfone is beginning to release phones at a faster pace, with several new devices becoming available over the last month (including the ZTE ZMAX 2, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, and Samsung Galaxy S6). We are excited to be bringing to you today our review for the LG Treasure for use with Tracfone Wireless.

The LG Treasure is basically the Tracfone version of the LG K7, which was just released earlier in 2016. We are expecting several more LG phones to be released from Tracfone, but the time frame is unknown. For more on these other phones, visit our post, New LG/Samsung Phones Coming to Tracfone.

The LG Treasure is a budget smartphone that still comes with a large screen and some great features. Many Tracfone customers are looking for smartphones that fit into the budget phone category and won't break the bank.

The question many users might be wondering is if this phone is worth upgrading to from some of Tracfone's older smartphone options. We'll try to answer that a little further on, but first let's look at the quick facts for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Quick Facts

The Good:
-Android 5.1.1
-5" Touchscreen
-5MP Front and Rear Camera
-Reasonable Price - currently $99 from HSN.com

Not So Good:
-only 4GB useable space
-somewhat smaller processor - 1.1 Ghz

At first glance, this phone appears to deliver some great features for the price, but it does neglect a few things, like internal memory and processing power. But you can't really expect to get a high performance phone for a low cost, unless you buy a used/refurbished phone and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program.

LG is one of the largest companies in South Korea and produces a wide range of products sold across the globe. They are also one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, and have a diverse lineup of phone options, including their new flagship phone the LG G5 which features the latest version of Android, v 6.0.1 marshmallow.

The LG phones released by Tracfone to use with their prepaid service won't have quite the same performance features as LG's flagship, but they also won't cost as much.

Let's take a look at the full list of features and specifications for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Features and Specs

Below are the phone's features, followed by the technical specifications
  • Android 5.1.1 Lolipop
  • 4G LTE service using AT&T's GSM Network
  • 5MP Front and Rear Camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1
  • Access to over 1 Million apps via Google Play store
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • GPS capability
  • 2 Home screens
  • Voicemail, Voice Dialing
  • Handsfree speaker
LG Treasure Specs
  • Size: 5.65" x 2.85" x 0.35" Weight: about 5 oz.
  • 5.0" Touchscreen at 480x852 resolution (196 ppi Pixel Density)
  • 1.1 Ghz Quad-core processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB Memory (about 4GB Useable) MicroSD card slot
  • Battery: 2045 mAh with Talk time 9hrs, Standby 11 days
A quad-core processor combined with 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1 is a very nice collection of features that make the Treasure a desirable option for many people. But what about the 4 GB of usable internal memory, is that too little?

Let's get into our review of the LG Treasure from Tracfone with our pro's and con's for this device, followed by a quick comparison to some of the other similar devices available from Tracfone like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2.

LG Treasure Review - Likes and Dislikes

What we Like about the Treasure
There's quite a bit to like about this phone. After all, it is a newer device built to be budget friendly while still maintaining some great features

lg treasure l51al review
Tracfone LG Treasure front, side and back
We really like the screen size, the dual 5 MP cameras, and that the Treasure runs Android 5.1.1. We also think this phone is a great value at the current price.

The LG Treasure comes with a 5" touchscreen, which is about the average size these days for a smartphone device. The resolution isn't the best, at 480x852 pixels, but LG did a really great job on making this screen bright and clear.

When taking pictures with the LG Treasure, you will notice that it has a 5 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. This gives you fairly good image quality for taking selfies or other photos. The rear camera also has an LED flash, while if you are taking photos with the front camera it has a neat feature that lights up part of the screen to act as a flash in low light situations. It is unusual for a budget smartphone to have such a high resolution front camera, and we hope this trend continues.

The volume and power buttons are located on the back of the phone, which may be more convenient for some users, and keeps the edges of the phone free from any buttons. This is great for those of us who tend to accidentally hit the buttons on the side of phones when trying to hold them.

Tracfone devices, unlike most unlocked phones, do not get Android OS updates (it has something to do with compatibility issues, and Tracfone would have to be involved in making sure the updates worked properly, but they don't currently want to do this) so it is nice to see that the LG Treasure comes with Android 5.1.1, which is a newer version that doesn't have some of the vulnerability issues previous Android versions had.

Finally, we are really happy with the overall value of the LG Treasure as it is currently offered by HSN bundled with an airtime card worth $100, and the whole bundle is going for $99, making the phone free. If you need airtime anyway, you might as well upgrade to this phone. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets look at a couple of concerns we do have.

What we Don't Like about the Treasure
There are two main concerns we have about the LG Treasure and we want to mention to help our readers before they buy this phone.

First, the LG Treasure only comes with 8 GB internal memory, of which, only about 4 GB is actually usable (the other 4 GB is used by the OS and pre-installed apps). For many users, this won't be a big deal because most of Tracfone's other smartphones, like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2, have a similar amount of internal memory. Just keep in mind that you can't load this phone up with too many photos or large applications. Some apps can take up a full GB of space, so you would run out quickly.

The LG Treasure does come with a Micro SD card slot, which allows you to use up to 32 GB of external storage. This is great if you have a lot of music or other files you want to add.

The second concern we have is with the processor performance. The Treasure comes with a 1.1 Ghz quad core processor. This is more than enough power for everyday apps like Facebook, Instagram or calling/texting. But if you want to running larger, resource intense apps like certain games, you may run into performance trouble. The Treasure does have 1 GB RAM, which is average, yet overall we think the average user won't have any issues with performance.

That concludes our likes and dislikes, let us know in the comments if we missed anything, or if there are certain features you like/dislike!

Update - initially it appeared that the LG Treasure would have 1.5 GB RAM, but it urns out to only have 1 GB RAM.

LG Treasrue compared to LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2

The LG Treasure is similar or an improvement over the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2 in almost every way, which makes sense since it is much newer. The improvements, however, are generally only small improvements.

Compared to the LG Ultimate 2, the Treasure comes with a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") a better processor (quad-core vs dual-core) better cameras (5 MP front and rear vs 5 MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front) and more internal memory (8 GB vs 5 GB). The LG Treasure also comes with Android 5.1.1 versus 4.4 which the Ultimate 2 come with. These improvements are noticeable, but not huge. If you are currently using an Ultimate 2 and considering upgrading, the Treasure would probably be a little faster and have a little better performance overall.

One important piece of information to note is that the Ultimate 2 is a  CDMA phone that uses Verizon towers while the Treasure is a GSM phone that uses AT&T service. So be sure to check your coverage before switching.

The differences between the LG Sunset and Treasure are a little less noticeable, but still exist. The LG Treasure has a newer processor but slower speed (1.1 Ghz vs 1.2 Ghz) a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") slightly newer Android OS (5.1.1 vs 5.0.1) and better front camera (5 MP vs 1.3 MP). They both have a quad core processor, 8 GB internal Memory and 4G LTE service using AT&T cell towers.

The LG Treasure is an upgrade over the LG Sunset, but we might only suggest you upgrade if you are also in need of the airtime that comes in the bundle. Otherwise, you might want to want and see what other phones Tracfone releases in the coming months.

Overview and Where to Buy the LG Treasure

The LG Treasure brings great features including a 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1.1 at a very reasonable price making it a great upgrade from older Tracfone smartphones.

It doesn't have the performance to match some of Tracfone's other recent releases, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, but it also is significantly cheaper.

You can find the LG Treasure bundled with a 1 Year/400 Minute airtime card (and other items) on HSN where it is currently on sale for $99.

You can also view Tracfone's Tutorial to learn more about how to use this device.

There is also a CDMA version of this phone which we expect to be released sometime in the near future.

We hope you found this review useful, and if you have any questions or thoughts you can share them in a comment below.

Here are some additional helpful resources we have created for Tracfone Android users:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

And if you want to keep up with the latest news and info, join us on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting!

Review of the LG Treasure (L51AL) from Tracfone

Welcome to TracfoneReviewer, a blog with information, reviews and promo codes for Tracfone. Below is our review for the new LG Treasure. We hope you find the information helpful!


LG L51AL tracfone review
Tracfone LG Treasure Review
The LG Treasure is a mid-level (compared to other Tracfone smartphones) Android 5.1 powered phone newly available to Tracfone prepaid customers.

Tracfone is beginning to release phones at a faster pace, with several new devices becoming available over the last month (including the ZTE ZMAX 2, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime, and Samsung Galaxy S6). We are excited to be bringing to you today our review for the LG Treasure for use with Tracfone Wireless.

The LG Treasure is basically the Tracfone version of the LG K7, which was just released earlier in 2016. We are expecting several more LG phones to be released from Tracfone, but the time frame is unknown. For more on these other phones, visit our post, New LG/Samsung Phones Coming to Tracfone.

The LG Treasure is a budget smartphone that still comes with a large screen and some great features. Many Tracfone customers are looking for smartphones that fit into the budget phone category and won't break the bank.

The question many users might be wondering is if this phone is worth upgrading to from some of Tracfone's older smartphone options. We'll try to answer that a little further on, but first let's look at the quick facts for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Quick Facts

The Good:
-Android 5.1.1
-5" Touchscreen
-5MP Front and Rear Camera
-Reasonable Price - currently $99 from HSN.com

Not So Good:
-only 4GB useable space
-somewhat smaller processor - 1.1 Ghz

At first glance, this phone appears to deliver some great features for the price, but it does neglect a few things, like internal memory and processing power. But you can't really expect to get a high performance phone for a low cost, unless you buy a used/refurbished phone and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program.

LG is one of the largest companies in South Korea and produces a wide range of products sold across the globe. They are also one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, and have a diverse lineup of phone options, including their new flagship phone the LG G5 which features the latest version of Android, v 6.0.1 marshmallow.

The LG phones released by Tracfone to use with their prepaid service won't have quite the same performance features as LG's flagship, but they also won't cost as much.

Let's take a look at the full list of features and specifications for the LG Treasure.

LG Treasure (L51AL) Features and Specs

Below are the phone's features, followed by the technical specifications
  • Android 5.1.1 Lolipop
  • 4G LTE service using AT&T's GSM Network
  • 5MP Front and Rear Camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1
  • Access to over 1 Million apps via Google Play store
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • GPS capability
  • 2 Home screens
  • Voicemail, Voice Dialing
  • Handsfree speaker
LG Treasure Specs
  • Size: 5.65" x 2.85" x 0.35" Weight: about 5 oz.
  • 5.0" Touchscreen at 480x852 resolution (196 ppi Pixel Density)
  • 1.1 Ghz Quad-core processor
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB Memory (about 4GB Useable) MicroSD card slot
  • Battery: 2045 mAh with Talk time 9hrs, Standby 11 days
A quad-core processor combined with 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1 is a very nice collection of features that make the Treasure a desirable option for many people. But what about the 4 GB of usable internal memory, is that too little?

Let's get into our review of the LG Treasure from Tracfone with our pro's and con's for this device, followed by a quick comparison to some of the other similar devices available from Tracfone like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2.

LG Treasure Review - Likes and Dislikes

What we Like about the Treasure
There's quite a bit to like about this phone. After all, it is a newer device built to be budget friendly while still maintaining some great features

lg treasure l51al review
Tracfone LG Treasure front, side and back
We really like the screen size, the dual 5 MP cameras, and that the Treasure runs Android 5.1.1. We also think this phone is a great value at the current price.

The LG Treasure comes with a 5" touchscreen, which is about the average size these days for a smartphone device. The resolution isn't the best, at 480x852 pixels, but LG did a really great job on making this screen bright and clear.

When taking pictures with the LG Treasure, you will notice that it has a 5 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. This gives you fairly good image quality for taking selfies or other photos. The rear camera also has an LED flash, while if you are taking photos with the front camera it has a neat feature that lights up part of the screen to act as a flash in low light situations. It is unusual for a budget smartphone to have such a high resolution front camera, and we hope this trend continues.

The volume and power buttons are located on the back of the phone, which may be more convenient for some users, and keeps the edges of the phone free from any buttons. This is great for those of us who tend to accidentally hit the buttons on the side of phones when trying to hold them.

Tracfone devices, unlike most unlocked phones, do not get Android OS updates (it has something to do with compatibility issues, and Tracfone would have to be involved in making sure the updates worked properly, but they don't currently want to do this) so it is nice to see that the LG Treasure comes with Android 5.1.1, which is a newer version that doesn't have some of the vulnerability issues previous Android versions had.

Finally, we are really happy with the overall value of the LG Treasure as it is currently offered by HSN bundled with an airtime card worth $100, and the whole bundle is going for $99, making the phone free. If you need airtime anyway, you might as well upgrade to this phone. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets look at a couple of concerns we do have.

What we Don't Like about the Treasure
There are two main concerns we have about the LG Treasure and we want to mention to help our readers before they buy this phone.

First, the LG Treasure only comes with 8 GB internal memory, of which, only about 4 GB is actually usable (the other 4 GB is used by the OS and pre-installed apps). For many users, this won't be a big deal because most of Tracfone's other smartphones, like the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2, have a similar amount of internal memory. Just keep in mind that you can't load this phone up with too many photos or large applications. Some apps can take up a full GB of space, so you would run out quickly.

The LG Treasure does come with a Micro SD card slot, which allows you to use up to 32 GB of external storage. This is great if you have a lot of music or other files you want to add.

The second concern we have is with the processor performance. The Treasure comes with a 1.1 Ghz quad core processor. This is more than enough power for everyday apps like Facebook, Instagram or calling/texting. But if you want to running larger, resource intense apps like certain games, you may run into performance trouble. The Treasure does have 1 GB RAM, which is average, yet overall we think the average user won't have any issues with performance.

That concludes our likes and dislikes, let us know in the comments if we missed anything, or if there are certain features you like/dislike!

Update - initially it appeared that the LG Treasure would have 1.5 GB RAM, but it urns out to only have 1 GB RAM.

LG Treasrue compared to LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2

The LG Treasure is similar or an improvement over the LG Sunset and LG Ultimate 2 in almost every way, which makes sense since it is much newer. The improvements, however, are generally only small improvements.

Compared to the LG Ultimate 2, the Treasure comes with a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") a better processor (quad-core vs dual-core) better cameras (5 MP front and rear vs 5 MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front) and more internal memory (8 GB vs 5 GB). The LG Treasure also comes with Android 5.1.1 versus 4.4 which the Ultimate 2 come with. These improvements are noticeable, but not huge. If you are currently using an Ultimate 2 and considering upgrading, the Treasure would probably be a little faster and have a little better performance overall.

One important piece of information to note is that the Ultimate 2 is a  CDMA phone that uses Verizon towers while the Treasure is a GSM phone that uses AT&T service. So be sure to check your coverage before switching.

The differences between the LG Sunset and Treasure are a little less noticeable, but still exist. The LG Treasure has a newer processor but slower speed (1.1 Ghz vs 1.2 Ghz) a larger screen (5" vs 4.5") slightly newer Android OS (5.1.1 vs 5.0.1) and better front camera (5 MP vs 1.3 MP). They both have a quad core processor, 8 GB internal Memory and 4G LTE service using AT&T cell towers.

The LG Treasure is an upgrade over the LG Sunset, but we might only suggest you upgrade if you are also in need of the airtime that comes in the bundle. Otherwise, you might want to want and see what other phones Tracfone releases in the coming months.

Overview and Where to Buy the LG Treasure

The LG Treasure brings great features including a 5" touchscreen and Android 5.1.1 at a very reasonable price making it a great upgrade from older Tracfone smartphones.

It doesn't have the performance to match some of Tracfone's other recent releases, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, but it also is significantly cheaper.

You can find the LG Treasure bundled with a 1 Year/400 Minute airtime card (and other items) on HSN where it is currently on sale for $99.

You can also view Tracfone's Tutorial to learn more about how to use this device.

There is also a CDMA version of this phone which we expect to be released sometime in the near future.

We hope you found this review useful, and if you have any questions or thoughts you can share them in a comment below.

Here are some additional helpful resources we have created for Tracfone Android users:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

And if you want to keep up with the latest news and info, join us on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting!


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Monday 29 February 2016

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S5 Review

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - Tracfone Android Smartphone Below we share our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5 that is for use with Tracfone prep...
Artikel Cell Phone Reviews, Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel Tracfone Android Smartphones,

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - Tracfone Android Smartphone

Below we share our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5 that is for use with Tracfone prepaid service. TracfoneReviewer is a blog that shares information, reviews and much more about Tracfone Wireless to help consumers save money and find answers to their questions.

samsung tracfone s5 review
Samsung Galaxy S5 Review for Tracfone
If you're looking for a powerful smartphone to use with Tracfone and don't want to try out the BYOP program, the Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone might be the phone for you.

Three new (to Tracfone) phones recently became available including the Samsung Galaxy S5, which was the most notable of the trio for us (the other two are the Samsung Galaxy E5 and Samsung Galaxy Core Prime).

The Samsung Galaxy S5 was first released to the public in April of 2015, making it one of the most recent phones Tracfone has added to their lineup. Many of the phones that Tracfone releases to use with their service are several years old, which is challenging for smartphone users where technology is progressing at a rapid pace. A phone that is a few years old will generally do the basic functions just fine, but will struggle and run slowly when trying to operate with multiple applications running at one time.

The Galaxy S5, however, is a phone that can keep up with multiple programs running at once, or even more resource intensive apps and games, due to its fast, quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.

Before we get too far, let's look at some pro's and con's we've discovered.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Quick Facts

The Good Points:
-Great Camera - 16 MP
-Lots of Memory/Storage - 16 GB
-Large Touchscreen - 5.1"
-4G LTE

The Not so Good:
-Expensive - currently $500 with 1 Year/400 minute airtime card bundle
-Older OS - Android 4.4

The Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone is basically a really great smartphone with a lot of impressive features that users have been desiring for a long time. But, its expensive. Let's dig into the full list of features and phone specifications for the Galaxy S5 to see how this phone is better than any other device offered by Tracfone at this time.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Features and Specs

Below are the features for the Galaxy S5, followed by the phone specifications.

  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • 4G LTE service through Verizon CDMA cell towers
  • 16 MP Rear Camera, 2 MP Front
  • WiFi and Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • NFC
  • 3 Home Screens
  • Access to over 1 Million Apps on Google Play
  • Triple Talk, Text and Data
  • Caller ID, Voice Dialing, Voicemail
  • Hearing Aid Compatible
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • Hadsfree Speaker
  • Heart rate sensor
  • Air Gestures, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause
  • IP67 Certified - Dust and Water Resistant (1 Meter/30 Minutes underwater)

Samsung Galaxy S5 Technical Specs

  • Size: 5.59" x 2.84" x 0.31"
  • 5.1" Touchscreen (capacitive) at 1080x1920 resolution (432 ppi pixel density)
  • 2.5 Ghz Quad core processor
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 GB Internal Memory
  • Battery: 2800 mAh with 29 hrs talk time, 27 days standby (removable)


This phone brings a whole host of features and upgrades that most Tracfone users haven't experienced because no other Tracfone device at this time can compare to the Samsung Galaxy S5 (except, perhaps, the Galaxy E5). The LG Sunset, for example, has 1 GB RAM, 8 GB Internal Memory and  a 5 MP Camera, about half as good on each of those features compared to the Galaxy S5. But the Sunset does have 4G LTE just like the S5.

Let's get into what we like and don't like about this phone, where we will also review many of the great features the Galaxy S5 comes with.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - What we Like (and don't like) About the S5 for Tracfone

What we Like:
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was the flagship phone for Samsung when it was launched, which means it was loaded up with the best tech and newest features. We like a lot of things about this phone, because it comes with a lot. So let's break it down and get into reviewing some of the most exciting features.
Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S5 Front and Back

The first thing you notice about this phone is the screen, which is an impressive 5.1" and has a resolution of 1080x1920, which is better than any other Tracfone smartphone at this time. It also has a pixel density of about 430, making for very crisp, clear viewing on this phone.

Internal memory and RAM are both great features on the S5, which comes with 16 GB for storing apps, photos and other things, and 2 GB for running multiple apps at once. The 2.5 Ghz processor is also very good, and should have no problem keeping up with the latest games and applications you may want to run on your phone.

For Tracfone users who want to do some phone photography, the Galaxy S5 has a very impressive 16 MP rear camera that comes with a host of features all to itself. You also get a 2.1 MP front camera for selfies and video chatting. The rear camera has auto-focus and flash, and will record video at UHD 4K quality. Take a look at some photo samples on flickr to see the quality for yourself.

One additional feature that we're quite impressed by is the Galaxy S5's IP67 rating, which means that it is dust resistant, and water resistant up to 1 meter deep, for 30 minutes. You can watch some of the waterproof tests on YouTube if you're interested. It is never a bad thing to have a phone that won't be ruined because of an accident or a moment of forgetfulness.

Finally the S5 does come with a handful of extra features that may or may not be useful to you, like a heartbeat sensor, gesture controls, smart scrolling and more.

For performance and features, the Galaxy S5 is unmatched by any other Tracfone device at this time, and delivers a full smartphone experience.

It's not all good news though, we do want to share a couple of concerns about the Galaxy S5.

Dislikes for the Samsung Galaxy S5
While there are so many great features with the Samsung Galaxy S5, there are two things we don't like, that might be deal-breakers for some Tracfone users. The first is the price, which is rather steep. The Galaxy S5 is only available through online retailers HSN.com and it is listed for $499 bundled with a 1 Year/ 400 Minute card, and some additional items. The airtime card is worth $100, making the phone cost closer to $399.

Our issue with the price is that you can find an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S5 on Amazon for $325 (and closer to $200 if you're willing to buy a refurbished model). You can then get a SIM card from Tracfone, and use the phone on the BYOP program.

The second negative about the Samsung Galaxy S5 is that it comes with Android 4.4.2, and cannot be updated. If you get the unlocked version, and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program, you will be able to update it to version 5.0.1, but the Tracfone version is locked at Android Kitkat, which has some known security issues. If you are concerned about your phone's security, then look into the BYOP program.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Overview and Additional Resources

If the two negative aspects of the S5 don't worry you, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great buy and a great smartphone to use on Tracfone's low cost prepaid network. You will be getting high performance at low monthly costs.

But if the price and possible security issues are a worry, we strongly recommend looking into the BYOP program from Tracfone which allows consumers to bring a wide variety of devices to use with Tracfone.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available from HSN with a minutes bundle and is listed for $499.

We will update this when we find the phone available from other sources.

View the Galaxy S5's Interactive Tutorial to learn more about how the phone works, or visit Samusng's website for the S5 to read up on what they have for the phone, which includes a user manual.

If you're new to using smartphones with Tracfone, take a look at some of our popular articles we've posted including:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

If you have any further thoughts or questions, leave a comment below. Each comment is reviewed before posting.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and info by joining over 1700 others who follow us on Facebook!

And if you're new to Tracfone, start with our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which explains some of how using Tracfone service works.

Thanks for visiting!

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - Tracfone Android Smartphone

Below we share our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5 that is for use with Tracfone prepaid service. TracfoneReviewer is a blog that shares information, reviews and much more about Tracfone Wireless to help consumers save money and find answers to their questions.

samsung tracfone s5 review
Samsung Galaxy S5 Review for Tracfone
If you're looking for a powerful smartphone to use with Tracfone and don't want to try out the BYOP program, the Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone might be the phone for you.

Three new (to Tracfone) phones recently became available including the Samsung Galaxy S5, which was the most notable of the trio for us (the other two are the Samsung Galaxy E5 and Samsung Galaxy Core Prime).

The Samsung Galaxy S5 was first released to the public in April of 2015, making it one of the most recent phones Tracfone has added to their lineup. Many of the phones that Tracfone releases to use with their service are several years old, which is challenging for smartphone users where technology is progressing at a rapid pace. A phone that is a few years old will generally do the basic functions just fine, but will struggle and run slowly when trying to operate with multiple applications running at one time.

The Galaxy S5, however, is a phone that can keep up with multiple programs running at once, or even more resource intensive apps and games, due to its fast, quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.

Before we get too far, let's look at some pro's and con's we've discovered.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Quick Facts

The Good Points:
-Great Camera - 16 MP
-Lots of Memory/Storage - 16 GB
-Large Touchscreen - 5.1"
-4G LTE

The Not so Good:
-Expensive - currently $500 with 1 Year/400 minute airtime card bundle
-Older OS - Android 4.4

The Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone is basically a really great smartphone with a lot of impressive features that users have been desiring for a long time. But, its expensive. Let's dig into the full list of features and phone specifications for the Galaxy S5 to see how this phone is better than any other device offered by Tracfone at this time.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Features and Specs

Below are the features for the Galaxy S5, followed by the phone specifications.

  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • 4G LTE service through Verizon CDMA cell towers
  • 16 MP Rear Camera, 2 MP Front
  • WiFi and Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • NFC
  • 3 Home Screens
  • Access to over 1 Million Apps on Google Play
  • Triple Talk, Text and Data
  • Caller ID, Voice Dialing, Voicemail
  • Hearing Aid Compatible
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • Hadsfree Speaker
  • Heart rate sensor
  • Air Gestures, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause
  • IP67 Certified - Dust and Water Resistant (1 Meter/30 Minutes underwater)

Samsung Galaxy S5 Technical Specs

  • Size: 5.59" x 2.84" x 0.31"
  • 5.1" Touchscreen (capacitive) at 1080x1920 resolution (432 ppi pixel density)
  • 2.5 Ghz Quad core processor
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 GB Internal Memory
  • Battery: 2800 mAh with 29 hrs talk time, 27 days standby (removable)


This phone brings a whole host of features and upgrades that most Tracfone users haven't experienced because no other Tracfone device at this time can compare to the Samsung Galaxy S5 (except, perhaps, the Galaxy E5). The LG Sunset, for example, has 1 GB RAM, 8 GB Internal Memory and  a 5 MP Camera, about half as good on each of those features compared to the Galaxy S5. But the Sunset does have 4G LTE just like the S5.

Let's get into what we like and don't like about this phone, where we will also review many of the great features the Galaxy S5 comes with.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - What we Like (and don't like) About the S5 for Tracfone

What we Like:
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was the flagship phone for Samsung when it was launched, which means it was loaded up with the best tech and newest features. We like a lot of things about this phone, because it comes with a lot. So let's break it down and get into reviewing some of the most exciting features.
Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S5 Front and Back

The first thing you notice about this phone is the screen, which is an impressive 5.1" and has a resolution of 1080x1920, which is better than any other Tracfone smartphone at this time. It also has a pixel density of about 430, making for very crisp, clear viewing on this phone.

Internal memory and RAM are both great features on the S5, which comes with 16 GB for storing apps, photos and other things, and 2 GB for running multiple apps at once. The 2.5 Ghz processor is also very good, and should have no problem keeping up with the latest games and applications you may want to run on your phone.

For Tracfone users who want to do some phone photography, the Galaxy S5 has a very impressive 16 MP rear camera that comes with a host of features all to itself. You also get a 2.1 MP front camera for selfies and video chatting. The rear camera has auto-focus and flash, and will record video at UHD 4K quality. Take a look at some photo samples on flickr to see the quality for yourself.

One additional feature that we're quite impressed by is the Galaxy S5's IP67 rating, which means that it is dust resistant, and water resistant up to 1 meter deep, for 30 minutes. You can watch some of the waterproof tests on YouTube if you're interested. It is never a bad thing to have a phone that won't be ruined because of an accident or a moment of forgetfulness.

Finally the S5 does come with a handful of extra features that may or may not be useful to you, like a heartbeat sensor, gesture controls, smart scrolling and more.

For performance and features, the Galaxy S5 is unmatched by any other Tracfone device at this time, and delivers a full smartphone experience.

It's not all good news though, we do want to share a couple of concerns about the Galaxy S5.

Dislikes for the Samsung Galaxy S5
While there are so many great features with the Samsung Galaxy S5, there are two things we don't like, that might be deal-breakers for some Tracfone users. The first is the price, which is rather steep. The Galaxy S5 is only available through online retailers HSN.com and it is listed for $499 bundled with a 1 Year/ 400 Minute card, and some additional items. The airtime card is worth $100, making the phone cost closer to $399.

Our issue with the price is that you can find an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S5 on Amazon for $325 (and closer to $200 if you're willing to buy a refurbished model). You can then get a SIM card from Tracfone, and use the phone on the BYOP program.

The second negative about the Samsung Galaxy S5 is that it comes with Android 4.4.2, and cannot be updated. If you get the unlocked version, and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program, you will be able to update it to version 5.0.1, but the Tracfone version is locked at Android Kitkat, which has some known security issues. If you are concerned about your phone's security, then look into the BYOP program.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Overview and Additional Resources

If the two negative aspects of the S5 don't worry you, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great buy and a great smartphone to use on Tracfone's low cost prepaid network. You will be getting high performance at low monthly costs.

But if the price and possible security issues are a worry, we strongly recommend looking into the BYOP program from Tracfone which allows consumers to bring a wide variety of devices to use with Tracfone.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available from HSN with a minutes bundle and is listed for $499.

We will update this when we find the phone available from other sources.

View the Galaxy S5's Interactive Tutorial to learn more about how the phone works, or visit Samusng's website for the S5 to read up on what they have for the phone, which includes a user manual.

If you're new to using smartphones with Tracfone, take a look at some of our popular articles we've posted including:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

If you have any further thoughts or questions, leave a comment below. Each comment is reviewed before posting.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and info by joining over 1700 others who follow us on Facebook!

And if you're new to Tracfone, start with our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which explains some of how using Tracfone service works.

Thanks for visiting!

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - Tracfone Android Smartphone

Below we share our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5 that is for use with Tracfone prepaid service. TracfoneReviewer is a blog that shares information, reviews and much more about Tracfone Wireless to help consumers save money and find answers to their questions.

samsung tracfone s5 review
Samsung Galaxy S5 Review for Tracfone
If you're looking for a powerful smartphone to use with Tracfone and don't want to try out the BYOP program, the Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone might be the phone for you.

Three new (to Tracfone) phones recently became available including the Samsung Galaxy S5, which was the most notable of the trio for us (the other two are the Samsung Galaxy E5 and Samsung Galaxy Core Prime).

The Samsung Galaxy S5 was first released to the public in April of 2015, making it one of the most recent phones Tracfone has added to their lineup. Many of the phones that Tracfone releases to use with their service are several years old, which is challenging for smartphone users where technology is progressing at a rapid pace. A phone that is a few years old will generally do the basic functions just fine, but will struggle and run slowly when trying to operate with multiple applications running at one time.

The Galaxy S5, however, is a phone that can keep up with multiple programs running at once, or even more resource intensive apps and games, due to its fast, quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.

Before we get too far, let's look at some pro's and con's we've discovered.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Quick Facts

The Good Points:
-Great Camera - 16 MP
-Lots of Memory/Storage - 16 GB
-Large Touchscreen - 5.1"
-4G LTE

The Not so Good:
-Expensive - currently $500 with 1 Year/400 minute airtime card bundle
-Older OS - Android 4.4

The Samsung Galaxy S5 from Tracfone is basically a really great smartphone with a lot of impressive features that users have been desiring for a long time. But, its expensive. Let's dig into the full list of features and phone specifications for the Galaxy S5 to see how this phone is better than any other device offered by Tracfone at this time.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Features and Specs

Below are the features for the Galaxy S5, followed by the phone specifications.

  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • 4G LTE service through Verizon CDMA cell towers
  • 16 MP Rear Camera, 2 MP Front
  • WiFi and Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • NFC
  • 3 Home Screens
  • Access to over 1 Million Apps on Google Play
  • Triple Talk, Text and Data
  • Caller ID, Voice Dialing, Voicemail
  • Hearing Aid Compatible
  • Alarm Clock
  • MP3 Player
  • Hadsfree Speaker
  • Heart rate sensor
  • Air Gestures, Smart Scroll and Smart Pause
  • IP67 Certified - Dust and Water Resistant (1 Meter/30 Minutes underwater)

Samsung Galaxy S5 Technical Specs

  • Size: 5.59" x 2.84" x 0.31"
  • 5.1" Touchscreen (capacitive) at 1080x1920 resolution (432 ppi pixel density)
  • 2.5 Ghz Quad core processor
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 GB Internal Memory
  • Battery: 2800 mAh with 29 hrs talk time, 27 days standby (removable)


This phone brings a whole host of features and upgrades that most Tracfone users haven't experienced because no other Tracfone device at this time can compare to the Samsung Galaxy S5 (except, perhaps, the Galaxy E5). The LG Sunset, for example, has 1 GB RAM, 8 GB Internal Memory and  a 5 MP Camera, about half as good on each of those features compared to the Galaxy S5. But the Sunset does have 4G LTE just like the S5.

Let's get into what we like and don't like about this phone, where we will also review many of the great features the Galaxy S5 comes with.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review - What we Like (and don't like) About the S5 for Tracfone

What we Like:
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was the flagship phone for Samsung when it was launched, which means it was loaded up with the best tech and newest features. We like a lot of things about this phone, because it comes with a lot. So let's break it down and get into reviewing some of the most exciting features.
Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S5 Front and Back

The first thing you notice about this phone is the screen, which is an impressive 5.1" and has a resolution of 1080x1920, which is better than any other Tracfone smartphone at this time. It also has a pixel density of about 430, making for very crisp, clear viewing on this phone.

Internal memory and RAM are both great features on the S5, which comes with 16 GB for storing apps, photos and other things, and 2 GB for running multiple apps at once. The 2.5 Ghz processor is also very good, and should have no problem keeping up with the latest games and applications you may want to run on your phone.

For Tracfone users who want to do some phone photography, the Galaxy S5 has a very impressive 16 MP rear camera that comes with a host of features all to itself. You also get a 2.1 MP front camera for selfies and video chatting. The rear camera has auto-focus and flash, and will record video at UHD 4K quality. Take a look at some photo samples on flickr to see the quality for yourself.

One additional feature that we're quite impressed by is the Galaxy S5's IP67 rating, which means that it is dust resistant, and water resistant up to 1 meter deep, for 30 minutes. You can watch some of the waterproof tests on YouTube if you're interested. It is never a bad thing to have a phone that won't be ruined because of an accident or a moment of forgetfulness.

Finally the S5 does come with a handful of extra features that may or may not be useful to you, like a heartbeat sensor, gesture controls, smart scrolling and more.

For performance and features, the Galaxy S5 is unmatched by any other Tracfone device at this time, and delivers a full smartphone experience.

It's not all good news though, we do want to share a couple of concerns about the Galaxy S5.

Dislikes for the Samsung Galaxy S5
While there are so many great features with the Samsung Galaxy S5, there are two things we don't like, that might be deal-breakers for some Tracfone users. The first is the price, which is rather steep. The Galaxy S5 is only available through online retailers HSN.com and it is listed for $499 bundled with a 1 Year/ 400 Minute card, and some additional items. The airtime card is worth $100, making the phone cost closer to $399.

Our issue with the price is that you can find an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S5 on Amazon for $325 (and closer to $200 if you're willing to buy a refurbished model). You can then get a SIM card from Tracfone, and use the phone on the BYOP program.

The second negative about the Samsung Galaxy S5 is that it comes with Android 4.4.2, and cannot be updated. If you get the unlocked version, and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program, you will be able to update it to version 5.0.1, but the Tracfone version is locked at Android Kitkat, which has some known security issues. If you are concerned about your phone's security, then look into the BYOP program.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Overview and Additional Resources

If the two negative aspects of the S5 don't worry you, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great buy and a great smartphone to use on Tracfone's low cost prepaid network. You will be getting high performance at low monthly costs.

But if the price and possible security issues are a worry, we strongly recommend looking into the BYOP program from Tracfone which allows consumers to bring a wide variety of devices to use with Tracfone.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available from HSN with a minutes bundle and is listed for $499.

We will update this when we find the phone available from other sources.

View the Galaxy S5's Interactive Tutorial to learn more about how the phone works, or visit Samusng's website for the S5 to read up on what they have for the phone, which includes a user manual.

If you're new to using smartphones with Tracfone, take a look at some of our popular articles we've posted including:
How to Check your Airtime on Tracfone Android Phones
How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones
How to Buy Only Texts for your Smartphone
Are Data Cards a Good Deal from Tracfone?
Analysis of the New Smartphone Only Airtime Cards from Tracfone

If you have any further thoughts or questions, leave a comment below. Each comment is reviewed before posting.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and info by joining over 1700 others who follow us on Facebook!

And if you're new to Tracfone, start with our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which explains some of how using Tracfone service works.

Thanks for visiting!


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Monday 28 December 2015

The Future of Tracfone in 2016

What to Expect in 2016 with Tracfone and a Look Back at 2015 What does the Future hold for Tracfone in 2016? 2016 is upon us and its time to...
Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel Tracfone News and Updates,

What to Expect in 2016 with Tracfone and a Look Back at 2015

tracfone 2016 smartphones
What does the Future hold for Tracfone in 2016?
2016 is upon us and its time to share our thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in the new year. We will cover what direction we think Tracfone is moving, any changes to the products and services they offer, and some things we hope they will do in the next 12 months.

While TracfoneReviewer is not associated or affiliated with Tracfone in any way, we carefully follow and try to stay up to date on everything going on with Tracfone so that we can share it with our readers and followers on the blog. Below we will give some general opinions and thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in 2016, but remember that these are just educated guesses based on our experiences. Please share your thoughts and expectations in the comments at the end of this post.

Before we jump into 2016, lets review what Tracfone did in 2015, as it has been a year full with new phones, progression and expansion in service from Tracfone, and various other changes.

Tracfone Year in Review - 2015

While plenty has happened with Tracfone in 2015 we want to highlight three particular changes that were greeted with excitement and enthusiasm from consumers. The Three changes were airtime cards for smartphones, expansion of the BYOP program, and new smartphones available from Tracfone.

Data-Only and Text-Only Airtime Cards for Smartphones
When smartphones came to Tracfone in 2013, the airtime added to these phones was changed to split into three categories - Talk, Text and Data. What this meant was that if you ran out of one category, like text messages, you would have to buy more airtime for all three, even if you only need more texts!

A lot of Tracfone users were annoyed that they had an abundance of one or two categories, but were always running low on another category. Thus, when Tracfone released Data-Only Airtime cards and eventually Text-Only cards, many users were very happy to see them.

You can take a look at our post on the Tracfone Data Cards and Text Cards to learn more about them, and if they are a good deal.

Tracfone also released smartphone-only airtime cards that give you specific amounts of Talk time, Texts and Data and do no triple. We Analyzed the New Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards and offered our opinion on what ones are the best deal.

4G LTE BYOP for both GSM and CDMA
4G LTE coverage with Tracfone BYOP was probably the most exciting advance Tracfone made in 2015. They opened the door to a host of much more advanced smartphones that could be used with their service and many users took advantage of this and upgraded. Now you can bring an iPhone 6 or a Samsung Galaxy S6 to use with either GSM or CDMA cell service through Tracfone's prepaid service.

LG Sunset with 4G LTE Service
For all of 2014 Tracfone only offered 3G CDMA smartphones for sale and many consumers who didn't have good CDMA coverage were frustrate that they couldn't upgrade to a smartphone. But in 2015 Tracfone released the LG Sunset, which was the second Android phone from Tracfone that uses GSM coverage, and the first with 4G LTE service.

We hope the Sunset will be the first of many more advanced 4G phones coming to Tracfone.

Now that we've looked back at the year, time to see what's in store with Tracfone for 2016!

What to Expect from Tracfone in 2016

We believe Tracfone will move in two primary directions for 2016; release more low-end smartphones and continue to promote the BYOP program.

Already we have seen significant advertising and promotions for bringing your own phone to Tracfone. They have done a lot to improve the process, including webpages dedicated to checking your phone's compatibility and activating the device. Tracfone has also released a number of smartphone-only airtime cards, that can be used with either BYOP devices or Tracfone smartphones.

It would appear that Tracfone has found a successful niche for themselves in providing pay-as-you-go service to consumers who don't want contracts or don't need unlimited service. The major carriers like Verizon and AT&T don't really compete with Tracfone because they target very different segments of the cell phone market (heavy users vs light users).

Tracfone has the opportunity to release their own smartphones and we hope they will continue to advance and catch up with the kind of phones you can use on the BYOP program. However, Tracfone will likely only offer devices in the $100-200 range that are a few years old. If consumers want a high-end phone to use with Tracfone, they will have to bring their own.

We do expect Tracfone to continue offering non-smartphones, but don't expect they will be offering any new or updated devices. They released very few, if any, non-android phones in 2015, and that Trend will probably continue. You can still buy plenty of 'dumb' phones from Tracfone, so don't worry about that disappearing anytime soon, it is a strong part of their profitability.

One of the weaknesses that Tracfone faces and needs to fix in 2016 is their somewhat complicated airtime structure. For new users, it can be confusing to know what which airtime is best for them to purchase, and exactly how it will be added to their phone. Right now, Tracfone offers both regular airtime cards that triple when added to a smartphone, and also smartphone-only cards that don't triple. There are airtime plans that give you minutes and 30 days of service every month, and there are auto-renewal options that automatically add a new 90 day airtime card to your phone every 3 months. We will have to wait and see if any changes come, but it is a small barrier for new customers.

Finally, we would recommend our readers continue in the direction that best suits them. So if you prefer the features and speed that a higher-end smartphone can give, then buy your own phone on Amazon, eBay or other retailers and bring it to use with Tracfone. You will have a great device and only be paying a small amount each month for service.

If you prefer a more simple device and less hassle in activating it, then go with a Tracfone branded phone. These won't be disappearing anytime soon.

We also suggest looking into some of the value plans Tracfone offers, or at buying the 1 Year/ 400 Minute Airtime card because these are some of the better deals offered by Tracfone and will help save you money if you're currently buying a 60 Minute Card every 3 months or so.

Tracfone looks like they are growing and pushing their BYOP program and we think they will continue in 2016 as the leaders of pay-as-you-go service.

We hope this post was help and gives you some perspective and ideas on where Tracfone may be heading in the coming months. Please leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts from this post.

If you are still looking for gift ideas, or have a gift card to spend, take a look at our Top 10 List of Tracfone Gift Ideas which includes many fun ideas for Tracfone users.

Thanks for vising and for another great year here at TracfoneReviewer. Happy New Year!

What to Expect in 2016 with Tracfone and a Look Back at 2015

tracfone 2016 smartphones
What does the Future hold for Tracfone in 2016?
2016 is upon us and its time to share our thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in the new year. We will cover what direction we think Tracfone is moving, any changes to the products and services they offer, and some things we hope they will do in the next 12 months.

While TracfoneReviewer is not associated or affiliated with Tracfone in any way, we carefully follow and try to stay up to date on everything going on with Tracfone so that we can share it with our readers and followers on the blog. Below we will give some general opinions and thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in 2016, but remember that these are just educated guesses based on our experiences. Please share your thoughts and expectations in the comments at the end of this post.

Before we jump into 2016, lets review what Tracfone did in 2015, as it has been a year full with new phones, progression and expansion in service from Tracfone, and various other changes.

Tracfone Year in Review - 2015

While plenty has happened with Tracfone in 2015 we want to highlight three particular changes that were greeted with excitement and enthusiasm from consumers. The Three changes were airtime cards for smartphones, expansion of the BYOP program, and new smartphones available from Tracfone.

Data-Only and Text-Only Airtime Cards for Smartphones
When smartphones came to Tracfone in 2013, the airtime added to these phones was changed to split into three categories - Talk, Text and Data. What this meant was that if you ran out of one category, like text messages, you would have to buy more airtime for all three, even if you only need more texts!

A lot of Tracfone users were annoyed that they had an abundance of one or two categories, but were always running low on another category. Thus, when Tracfone released Data-Only Airtime cards and eventually Text-Only cards, many users were very happy to see them.

You can take a look at our post on the Tracfone Data Cards and Text Cards to learn more about them, and if they are a good deal.

Tracfone also released smartphone-only airtime cards that give you specific amounts of Talk time, Texts and Data and do no triple. We Analyzed the New Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards and offered our opinion on what ones are the best deal.

4G LTE BYOP for both GSM and CDMA
4G LTE coverage with Tracfone BYOP was probably the most exciting advance Tracfone made in 2015. They opened the door to a host of much more advanced smartphones that could be used with their service and many users took advantage of this and upgraded. Now you can bring an iPhone 6 or a Samsung Galaxy S6 to use with either GSM or CDMA cell service through Tracfone's prepaid service.

LG Sunset with 4G LTE Service
For all of 2014 Tracfone only offered 3G CDMA smartphones for sale and many consumers who didn't have good CDMA coverage were frustrate that they couldn't upgrade to a smartphone. But in 2015 Tracfone released the LG Sunset, which was the second Android phone from Tracfone that uses GSM coverage, and the first with 4G LTE service.

We hope the Sunset will be the first of many more advanced 4G phones coming to Tracfone.

Now that we've looked back at the year, time to see what's in store with Tracfone for 2016!

What to Expect from Tracfone in 2016

We believe Tracfone will move in two primary directions for 2016; release more low-end smartphones and continue to promote the BYOP program.

Already we have seen significant advertising and promotions for bringing your own phone to Tracfone. They have done a lot to improve the process, including webpages dedicated to checking your phone's compatibility and activating the device. Tracfone has also released a number of smartphone-only airtime cards, that can be used with either BYOP devices or Tracfone smartphones.

It would appear that Tracfone has found a successful niche for themselves in providing pay-as-you-go service to consumers who don't want contracts or don't need unlimited service. The major carriers like Verizon and AT&T don't really compete with Tracfone because they target very different segments of the cell phone market (heavy users vs light users).

Tracfone has the opportunity to release their own smartphones and we hope they will continue to advance and catch up with the kind of phones you can use on the BYOP program. However, Tracfone will likely only offer devices in the $100-200 range that are a few years old. If consumers want a high-end phone to use with Tracfone, they will have to bring their own.

We do expect Tracfone to continue offering non-smartphones, but don't expect they will be offering any new or updated devices. They released very few, if any, non-android phones in 2015, and that Trend will probably continue. You can still buy plenty of 'dumb' phones from Tracfone, so don't worry about that disappearing anytime soon, it is a strong part of their profitability.

One of the weaknesses that Tracfone faces and needs to fix in 2016 is their somewhat complicated airtime structure. For new users, it can be confusing to know what which airtime is best for them to purchase, and exactly how it will be added to their phone. Right now, Tracfone offers both regular airtime cards that triple when added to a smartphone, and also smartphone-only cards that don't triple. There are airtime plans that give you minutes and 30 days of service every month, and there are auto-renewal options that automatically add a new 90 day airtime card to your phone every 3 months. We will have to wait and see if any changes come, but it is a small barrier for new customers.

Finally, we would recommend our readers continue in the direction that best suits them. So if you prefer the features and speed that a higher-end smartphone can give, then buy your own phone on Amazon, eBay or other retailers and bring it to use with Tracfone. You will have a great device and only be paying a small amount each month for service.

If you prefer a more simple device and less hassle in activating it, then go with a Tracfone branded phone. These won't be disappearing anytime soon.

We also suggest looking into some of the value plans Tracfone offers, or at buying the 1 Year/ 400 Minute Airtime card because these are some of the better deals offered by Tracfone and will help save you money if you're currently buying a 60 Minute Card every 3 months or so.

Tracfone looks like they are growing and pushing their BYOP program and we think they will continue in 2016 as the leaders of pay-as-you-go service.

We hope this post was help and gives you some perspective and ideas on where Tracfone may be heading in the coming months. Please leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts from this post.

If you are still looking for gift ideas, or have a gift card to spend, take a look at our Top 10 List of Tracfone Gift Ideas which includes many fun ideas for Tracfone users.

Thanks for vising and for another great year here at TracfoneReviewer. Happy New Year!

What to Expect in 2016 with Tracfone and a Look Back at 2015

tracfone 2016 smartphones
What does the Future hold for Tracfone in 2016?
2016 is upon us and its time to share our thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in the new year. We will cover what direction we think Tracfone is moving, any changes to the products and services they offer, and some things we hope they will do in the next 12 months.

While TracfoneReviewer is not associated or affiliated with Tracfone in any way, we carefully follow and try to stay up to date on everything going on with Tracfone so that we can share it with our readers and followers on the blog. Below we will give some general opinions and thoughts on what to expect from Tracfone in 2016, but remember that these are just educated guesses based on our experiences. Please share your thoughts and expectations in the comments at the end of this post.

Before we jump into 2016, lets review what Tracfone did in 2015, as it has been a year full with new phones, progression and expansion in service from Tracfone, and various other changes.

Tracfone Year in Review - 2015

While plenty has happened with Tracfone in 2015 we want to highlight three particular changes that were greeted with excitement and enthusiasm from consumers. The Three changes were airtime cards for smartphones, expansion of the BYOP program, and new smartphones available from Tracfone.

Data-Only and Text-Only Airtime Cards for Smartphones
When smartphones came to Tracfone in 2013, the airtime added to these phones was changed to split into three categories - Talk, Text and Data. What this meant was that if you ran out of one category, like text messages, you would have to buy more airtime for all three, even if you only need more texts!

A lot of Tracfone users were annoyed that they had an abundance of one or two categories, but were always running low on another category. Thus, when Tracfone released Data-Only Airtime cards and eventually Text-Only cards, many users were very happy to see them.

You can take a look at our post on the Tracfone Data Cards and Text Cards to learn more about them, and if they are a good deal.

Tracfone also released smartphone-only airtime cards that give you specific amounts of Talk time, Texts and Data and do no triple. We Analyzed the New Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards and offered our opinion on what ones are the best deal.

4G LTE BYOP for both GSM and CDMA
4G LTE coverage with Tracfone BYOP was probably the most exciting advance Tracfone made in 2015. They opened the door to a host of much more advanced smartphones that could be used with their service and many users took advantage of this and upgraded. Now you can bring an iPhone 6 or a Samsung Galaxy S6 to use with either GSM or CDMA cell service through Tracfone's prepaid service.

LG Sunset with 4G LTE Service
For all of 2014 Tracfone only offered 3G CDMA smartphones for sale and many consumers who didn't have good CDMA coverage were frustrate that they couldn't upgrade to a smartphone. But in 2015 Tracfone released the LG Sunset, which was the second Android phone from Tracfone that uses GSM coverage, and the first with 4G LTE service.

We hope the Sunset will be the first of many more advanced 4G phones coming to Tracfone.

Now that we've looked back at the year, time to see what's in store with Tracfone for 2016!

What to Expect from Tracfone in 2016

We believe Tracfone will move in two primary directions for 2016; release more low-end smartphones and continue to promote the BYOP program.

Already we have seen significant advertising and promotions for bringing your own phone to Tracfone. They have done a lot to improve the process, including webpages dedicated to checking your phone's compatibility and activating the device. Tracfone has also released a number of smartphone-only airtime cards, that can be used with either BYOP devices or Tracfone smartphones.

It would appear that Tracfone has found a successful niche for themselves in providing pay-as-you-go service to consumers who don't want contracts or don't need unlimited service. The major carriers like Verizon and AT&T don't really compete with Tracfone because they target very different segments of the cell phone market (heavy users vs light users).

Tracfone has the opportunity to release their own smartphones and we hope they will continue to advance and catch up with the kind of phones you can use on the BYOP program. However, Tracfone will likely only offer devices in the $100-200 range that are a few years old. If consumers want a high-end phone to use with Tracfone, they will have to bring their own.

We do expect Tracfone to continue offering non-smartphones, but don't expect they will be offering any new or updated devices. They released very few, if any, non-android phones in 2015, and that Trend will probably continue. You can still buy plenty of 'dumb' phones from Tracfone, so don't worry about that disappearing anytime soon, it is a strong part of their profitability.

One of the weaknesses that Tracfone faces and needs to fix in 2016 is their somewhat complicated airtime structure. For new users, it can be confusing to know what which airtime is best for them to purchase, and exactly how it will be added to their phone. Right now, Tracfone offers both regular airtime cards that triple when added to a smartphone, and also smartphone-only cards that don't triple. There are airtime plans that give you minutes and 30 days of service every month, and there are auto-renewal options that automatically add a new 90 day airtime card to your phone every 3 months. We will have to wait and see if any changes come, but it is a small barrier for new customers.

Finally, we would recommend our readers continue in the direction that best suits them. So if you prefer the features and speed that a higher-end smartphone can give, then buy your own phone on Amazon, eBay or other retailers and bring it to use with Tracfone. You will have a great device and only be paying a small amount each month for service.

If you prefer a more simple device and less hassle in activating it, then go with a Tracfone branded phone. These won't be disappearing anytime soon.

We also suggest looking into some of the value plans Tracfone offers, or at buying the 1 Year/ 400 Minute Airtime card because these are some of the better deals offered by Tracfone and will help save you money if you're currently buying a 60 Minute Card every 3 months or so.

Tracfone looks like they are growing and pushing their BYOP program and we think they will continue in 2016 as the leaders of pay-as-you-go service.

We hope this post was help and gives you some perspective and ideas on where Tracfone may be heading in the coming months. Please leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts from this post.

If you are still looking for gift ideas, or have a gift card to spend, take a look at our Top 10 List of Tracfone Gift Ideas which includes many fun ideas for Tracfone users.

Thanks for vising and for another great year here at TracfoneReviewer. Happy New Year!


Tag : , ,

Sunday 20 December 2015

New Smartphone Airtime Cards from Tracfone - Are They A Good Deal?

We Compare the New Smartphone Airtime Cards with the Regular Airtime Cards from Tracfone Tracfone recently added several new options for buy...
Artikel Cell Phone Money Saving Tips, Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel Tracfone Android Smartphones,

We Compare the New Smartphone Airtime Cards with the Regular Airtime Cards from Tracfone

Tracfone recently added several new options for buying airtime for your smartphone. These new cards are only for smartphone users on Tracfone, and add specific amounts of talk time, texts and data that does not triple when you top off your phone. Are these new cards a good deal? Are you better off buying the older cards? We are going to answer those questions right here for you!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless phone company that provides both cell phones, and service to use the phones on. Over the last few years Tracfone has offered many different Android powered smartphones to use with their service, as well as making it possible to bring your own smartphone device to use with their service (called the BYOP program).

All smartphones on Tracfone automatically split airtime cards into three separate categories - talk time, texts and data. All smartphones also automatically triple airtime you add to the phone, which is a nice bonus.

With these new airtime cards that can only be used with smartphones, the airtime is not tripled when you add it to your smartphone, and the cards come with specific amounts for talk time, texts and data.

For example, the new 2000 Minute Card comes with 2000 minutes talk time, 3000 text messages, and 1 GB data. Each of the new cards also comes with 90 service days.

So are these new airtime cards a good deal for Tracfone users? Let's take a look.

Comparison of Smartphone Airtime Cards Vs. Regular Airtime Cards

We are going to go through a couple of tables to analyze the different cards and try to determine which cards are a better value. We will do our best to explain each of the tables as we go through them. Please be sure to leave a comment if you don't understand how we came to our conclusions, or if you have a better way of explaining this.

Let's start with the first table that shows the two categories of airtime cards, how many minutes you get for each card, and what the price per minute is for each card. We also include text and data costs. Also note that we tripled each of the 'old' airtime cards, because they are automatically tripled when adding them to a smartphone.
smartphone cards tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Cards vs Regular Airtime Cards - Which One is Better?
As you can see from the table above, with a 450 minute card you will get 1350 minutes for talking, 1350 texts, and 1350 MB of data (1.35 GB).

Notice the 3000 minute smartphone only card. With this card you get 3000 minutes for talking, 3000 texts, but only 1500 MB data (1.5 GB).

Then take a look at the 200 minute smartphone card, you get 2000 minutes for talking but 3000 texts! And also 1000 MB data (1 GB).

So, as you can see, the new smartphone cards don't give even amounts of talk/text/data, but rather give a varying amount of each. The general trend for these smartphone only cards is that they give more talk time, a lot more texts, but less data than the regular airtime cards. This is generally very good, because many smartphone users go though their texts the fastest.

Now let's take a look at the second half of the table above, the part about price per minute, text and MB (data).

The general trend we can see is that the larger the airtime card, the better deal you get (you get more for your money when you buy more).

What we really want to take a look at is the cost (or price) per airtime amount. The smartphone only cards are cheaper for both talk time and texts, but a little more expensive for the data. The 'average' cost shows that the smartphone only cards are a little cheaper, mostly because they give you a lot more texts compared to the regular airtime cards.

Let's take a look at this next table which explains how many minutes you get per dollar.
are new airtime cards a good deal tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards - Minutes per Dollar
The table above shows how many minutes you get for each dollar spent on an airtime card. So for the 450 Minute Card, you get just under 20 minutes talk time, 20 texts, and 20 MB for one dollar. You can see that this is the best deal for the 'old' cards.

Now look at the 2000 minute smartphone only card. For one dollar you get almost 27 talking minutes, 40 texts, and about 13 MB data. So, compared to the 450 Minute card, you get a better deal on talk time, twice as many texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

How do the regular airtime cards compare to the new smartphone airtime cards?

The smartphone only cards are a better deal for talking, and MUCH better deal on texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

So, if you use your smartphone primarily for texting, these new smartphone cards are a great value for you. You should especially consider the 2000 and 1000 minute cards, because both of these give you 40 texts per dollar, the best deal of any of the cards.

But if you use more data than anything else, you may want to stick with the old airtime cards, or just buy data only cards. You could also consider the 400 Minute/1 Year card, which we did not include in the table, but is a similar value to the 450 Minute Card.

For many, buying the 500 Minute Smartphone only card is a better value than the regular 200 Minute Airtime card because you get almost twice as many texts, with slightly less talk and data time.

Take a moment to consider your own needs, and which airtime card you usually buy, and see if there is a better option on the tables above.

We hope this analysis has been helpful, and understandable. Let us know in the comments what you thought, and which airtime card you will be choosing.

We have several other posts relating to buying airtime with Tracfone. Take a look at How to Buy Only Texts, How Data Works on Tracfone, and How Do Minutes work on Tracfone Smartphones?

Join our growing community on Facebook where we post news, updates and other information.

And see our TOP 10 Gift Ideas for Tracfone Users!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!

We Compare the New Smartphone Airtime Cards with the Regular Airtime Cards from Tracfone

Tracfone recently added several new options for buying airtime for your smartphone. These new cards are only for smartphone users on Tracfone, and add specific amounts of talk time, texts and data that does not triple when you top off your phone. Are these new cards a good deal? Are you better off buying the older cards? We are going to answer those questions right here for you!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless phone company that provides both cell phones, and service to use the phones on. Over the last few years Tracfone has offered many different Android powered smartphones to use with their service, as well as making it possible to bring your own smartphone device to use with their service (called the BYOP program).

All smartphones on Tracfone automatically split airtime cards into three separate categories - talk time, texts and data. All smartphones also automatically triple airtime you add to the phone, which is a nice bonus.

With these new airtime cards that can only be used with smartphones, the airtime is not tripled when you add it to your smartphone, and the cards come with specific amounts for talk time, texts and data.

For example, the new 2000 Minute Card comes with 2000 minutes talk time, 3000 text messages, and 1 GB data. Each of the new cards also comes with 90 service days.

So are these new airtime cards a good deal for Tracfone users? Let's take a look.

Comparison of Smartphone Airtime Cards Vs. Regular Airtime Cards

We are going to go through a couple of tables to analyze the different cards and try to determine which cards are a better value. We will do our best to explain each of the tables as we go through them. Please be sure to leave a comment if you don't understand how we came to our conclusions, or if you have a better way of explaining this.

Let's start with the first table that shows the two categories of airtime cards, how many minutes you get for each card, and what the price per minute is for each card. We also include text and data costs. Also note that we tripled each of the 'old' airtime cards, because they are automatically tripled when adding them to a smartphone.
smartphone cards tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Cards vs Regular Airtime Cards - Which One is Better?
As you can see from the table above, with a 450 minute card you will get 1350 minutes for talking, 1350 texts, and 1350 MB of data (1.35 GB).

Notice the 3000 minute smartphone only card. With this card you get 3000 minutes for talking, 3000 texts, but only 1500 MB data (1.5 GB).

Then take a look at the 200 minute smartphone card, you get 2000 minutes for talking but 3000 texts! And also 1000 MB data (1 GB).

So, as you can see, the new smartphone cards don't give even amounts of talk/text/data, but rather give a varying amount of each. The general trend for these smartphone only cards is that they give more talk time, a lot more texts, but less data than the regular airtime cards. This is generally very good, because many smartphone users go though their texts the fastest.

Now let's take a look at the second half of the table above, the part about price per minute, text and MB (data).

The general trend we can see is that the larger the airtime card, the better deal you get (you get more for your money when you buy more).

What we really want to take a look at is the cost (or price) per airtime amount. The smartphone only cards are cheaper for both talk time and texts, but a little more expensive for the data. The 'average' cost shows that the smartphone only cards are a little cheaper, mostly because they give you a lot more texts compared to the regular airtime cards.

Let's take a look at this next table which explains how many minutes you get per dollar.
are new airtime cards a good deal tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards - Minutes per Dollar
The table above shows how many minutes you get for each dollar spent on an airtime card. So for the 450 Minute Card, you get just under 20 minutes talk time, 20 texts, and 20 MB for one dollar. You can see that this is the best deal for the 'old' cards.

Now look at the 2000 minute smartphone only card. For one dollar you get almost 27 talking minutes, 40 texts, and about 13 MB data. So, compared to the 450 Minute card, you get a better deal on talk time, twice as many texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

How do the regular airtime cards compare to the new smartphone airtime cards?

The smartphone only cards are a better deal for talking, and MUCH better deal on texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

So, if you use your smartphone primarily for texting, these new smartphone cards are a great value for you. You should especially consider the 2000 and 1000 minute cards, because both of these give you 40 texts per dollar, the best deal of any of the cards.

But if you use more data than anything else, you may want to stick with the old airtime cards, or just buy data only cards. You could also consider the 400 Minute/1 Year card, which we did not include in the table, but is a similar value to the 450 Minute Card.

For many, buying the 500 Minute Smartphone only card is a better value than the regular 200 Minute Airtime card because you get almost twice as many texts, with slightly less talk and data time.

Take a moment to consider your own needs, and which airtime card you usually buy, and see if there is a better option on the tables above.

We hope this analysis has been helpful, and understandable. Let us know in the comments what you thought, and which airtime card you will be choosing.

We have several other posts relating to buying airtime with Tracfone. Take a look at How to Buy Only Texts, How Data Works on Tracfone, and How Do Minutes work on Tracfone Smartphones?

Join our growing community on Facebook where we post news, updates and other information.

And see our TOP 10 Gift Ideas for Tracfone Users!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!

We Compare the New Smartphone Airtime Cards with the Regular Airtime Cards from Tracfone

Tracfone recently added several new options for buying airtime for your smartphone. These new cards are only for smartphone users on Tracfone, and add specific amounts of talk time, texts and data that does not triple when you top off your phone. Are these new cards a good deal? Are you better off buying the older cards? We are going to answer those questions right here for you!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless phone company that provides both cell phones, and service to use the phones on. Over the last few years Tracfone has offered many different Android powered smartphones to use with their service, as well as making it possible to bring your own smartphone device to use with their service (called the BYOP program).

All smartphones on Tracfone automatically split airtime cards into three separate categories - talk time, texts and data. All smartphones also automatically triple airtime you add to the phone, which is a nice bonus.

With these new airtime cards that can only be used with smartphones, the airtime is not tripled when you add it to your smartphone, and the cards come with specific amounts for talk time, texts and data.

For example, the new 2000 Minute Card comes with 2000 minutes talk time, 3000 text messages, and 1 GB data. Each of the new cards also comes with 90 service days.

So are these new airtime cards a good deal for Tracfone users? Let's take a look.

Comparison of Smartphone Airtime Cards Vs. Regular Airtime Cards

We are going to go through a couple of tables to analyze the different cards and try to determine which cards are a better value. We will do our best to explain each of the tables as we go through them. Please be sure to leave a comment if you don't understand how we came to our conclusions, or if you have a better way of explaining this.

Let's start with the first table that shows the two categories of airtime cards, how many minutes you get for each card, and what the price per minute is for each card. We also include text and data costs. Also note that we tripled each of the 'old' airtime cards, because they are automatically tripled when adding them to a smartphone.
smartphone cards tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Cards vs Regular Airtime Cards - Which One is Better?
As you can see from the table above, with a 450 minute card you will get 1350 minutes for talking, 1350 texts, and 1350 MB of data (1.35 GB).

Notice the 3000 minute smartphone only card. With this card you get 3000 minutes for talking, 3000 texts, but only 1500 MB data (1.5 GB).

Then take a look at the 200 minute smartphone card, you get 2000 minutes for talking but 3000 texts! And also 1000 MB data (1 GB).

So, as you can see, the new smartphone cards don't give even amounts of talk/text/data, but rather give a varying amount of each. The general trend for these smartphone only cards is that they give more talk time, a lot more texts, but less data than the regular airtime cards. This is generally very good, because many smartphone users go though their texts the fastest.

Now let's take a look at the second half of the table above, the part about price per minute, text and MB (data).

The general trend we can see is that the larger the airtime card, the better deal you get (you get more for your money when you buy more).

What we really want to take a look at is the cost (or price) per airtime amount. The smartphone only cards are cheaper for both talk time and texts, but a little more expensive for the data. The 'average' cost shows that the smartphone only cards are a little cheaper, mostly because they give you a lot more texts compared to the regular airtime cards.

Let's take a look at this next table which explains how many minutes you get per dollar.
are new airtime cards a good deal tracfone
Tracfone Smartphone Airtime Cards - Minutes per Dollar
The table above shows how many minutes you get for each dollar spent on an airtime card. So for the 450 Minute Card, you get just under 20 minutes talk time, 20 texts, and 20 MB for one dollar. You can see that this is the best deal for the 'old' cards.

Now look at the 2000 minute smartphone only card. For one dollar you get almost 27 talking minutes, 40 texts, and about 13 MB data. So, compared to the 450 Minute card, you get a better deal on talk time, twice as many texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

How do the regular airtime cards compare to the new smartphone airtime cards?

The smartphone only cards are a better deal for talking, and MUCH better deal on texts, and a slightly worse deal on data.

So, if you use your smartphone primarily for texting, these new smartphone cards are a great value for you. You should especially consider the 2000 and 1000 minute cards, because both of these give you 40 texts per dollar, the best deal of any of the cards.

But if you use more data than anything else, you may want to stick with the old airtime cards, or just buy data only cards. You could also consider the 400 Minute/1 Year card, which we did not include in the table, but is a similar value to the 450 Minute Card.

For many, buying the 500 Minute Smartphone only card is a better value than the regular 200 Minute Airtime card because you get almost twice as many texts, with slightly less talk and data time.

Take a moment to consider your own needs, and which airtime card you usually buy, and see if there is a better option on the tables above.

We hope this analysis has been helpful, and understandable. Let us know in the comments what you thought, and which airtime card you will be choosing.

We have several other posts relating to buying airtime with Tracfone. Take a look at How to Buy Only Texts, How Data Works on Tracfone, and How Do Minutes work on Tracfone Smartphones?

Join our growing community on Facebook where we post news, updates and other information.

And see our TOP 10 Gift Ideas for Tracfone Users!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!


Tag : , , ,

Monday 14 December 2015

Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Tracfone Users

Tracfone Gift Guide 2015 - 10 Ideas for Christmas Gifts A collection of phones, accessories and other gift ideas for Tracfone users. We hope...
Artikel Cell Phone Money Saving Tips, Artikel Cell Phone Tips,

Tracfone Gift Guide 2015 - 10 Ideas for Christmas Gifts

A collection of phones, accessories and other gift ideas for Tracfone users. We hope this gift guide helps with your holiday shopping and TracfoneReviewer wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

top 10 tracfone gifts
TracfoneReviewer's 2015 Tracfone Gift Guide
As the holidays quickly draw near, it can sometimes be a challenge to find gifts for every person on your list. We all can use some ideas and inspiration to help find a gift for that person that seems to have everything.

We're here to help! With our annual Christmas Gift Guide that collects and shares some of the latest phones and accessories to use with Tracfone, along with plenty of extra suggestions.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that offers both airtime, and cell phones, at very budget friendly prices. Consumers can also bring certain devices to use with Tracfone, including most top of the line smartphones available today.

Christmas is a great time to surprise someone with a new phone, or upgrade them to a smartphone. But there are plenty of other ideas beyond phones in our list, in fact, we've created a list of 10 different Christmas gift ideas, so let's take a look!

1. Find a New Phone, or Upgrade from an Old Device

Tracfone has a good number of options when choosing a cell phone, from non-android flip phones, to 5.5" touchscreen smartphones. We will share some different ideas for each of the options.

Tracfone's can make a great first phone for many kids/teenagers because it is relatively inexpensive, and helps them to keep track of their use of the phone, so they don't run out of minutes too quickly.

Tracfone devices are also handy for many other uses as well, including an emergency or backup phone.

If you, or the person your shopping for, isn't very familiar with Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone to get started.

Now let's start with the some of the latest and greatest smartphones available from Tracfone at this time:

LG Sunset/LG Power/LG Destiny 
tracfone christmas gifts
LG Sunset
These phones are each almost exactly the same except that the Sunset (and Destiny) use GSM 4G LTE, and the LG Power has CDMA 3G service. These devices come with Android 5.0, and a 4.5" touchscreen.

You should choose which of these three  LG phone to get based on whether your area has better CDMA or GSM coverage. If you're unfamiliar with those terms, take a look at our GSM vs CDMA post and how to choose which is right for you.

The Sunset(link to our review) and Power(link to our review) are both widely available from online retailers like Amazon and eBay and usually cost around $100. We've only found the LG Destiny listed on the Tracfone website.

Find the LG Sunset on Amazon at $89

Also available on eBay for $89

We've found the LG Power on Amazon for $69

And available on eBay for $70

ZTE Quartz
If you're looking for screen size, the Quartz is your answer, with a huge 5.5" touchscreen that is the largest phone currently available from Tracfone. The Quartz runs on 3G CDMA network and uses Android 4.3.

Take a look at our review of the ZTE Quartz to learn more about this phone.

You can find the Quartz on many online retail websites and also on the Tracfone site for about $100-130.

View the ZTE Quartz on Amazon for $89 , on eBay for $69

LG Ultimate 2
While the Ultimate 2 has been available for over a year, it is still a good smartphone option and is now available at some nice prices, especially bundled with minutes.

When the Ultimate 2 came out it was very popular, and for good reason. It had a combination of features and specs, like the 4.5" touchscreen, Android 4.4 and 5 GB Internal Memory, that made for an enjoyable smartphone experience. Visit our review of the Ultimate 2 to see more info, and lots of comments from users.

The Ultimate 2 can be found many places online, and sometimes in stores, for $80-100 (but we have found some better deals)

View the Ultimate 2 on Amazon (view the 'New' phones for sale, best price is $69)

If you would like to view all the smartphone options from Tracfone, visit our Tracfone Android List.

If you're not interested in a smartphone, there are a few other options to choose from.

LG 441G Flip Phone
This simple yet tried and true device doesn't do anything fancy, but it does work great as a phone, especially if you're looking for a backup or in case of emergencies. The LG 441G is the slightly newer version of the LG 440G, which you can view our review of to learn more.

You can find the LG 441G in many stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

LG 306G/305C
The 306G is a popular non-android touchscreen device. The 306G uses GSM service, while the 305C uses CDMA, so you can choose which one will have the best service in your area.

These phones aren't the most fancy, but they are some of the most advanced from Tracfone that don't use Android OS. You can learn more about this phone on our Review of the LG 306G.

Find the LG 306G and 305C in stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

Now we will share some phone ideas that can be used with the BYOP program from Tracfone.

2. Bring Your Own Phone to Tracfone

Tracfone BYOP, where you bring your own smartphone to use with Tracfone, has continued to grow in popularity and accessibility for Tracfone customers. These days there are many different phones that can be used on the program, which is both GSM and CDMA compatible.

You can find a full list of phones, and resources for how to activate your phone with Tracfone on our Tracfone BYOP page. Below we will share some of the most popular and best value smartphones.

Some of the more popular BYOP phones are:

iPhone 6 and 6s
top 10 christmas gifts
iPhone 6s Plus - 128 GB
iPhone's have been a popular choice for smartphone users for many years because of their high quality, performance, operating system and plenty of other reasons. If you can afford it, the iPhone 6 and slightly newer, 6s, are some of the best and most advanced phones that can also be used with Tracfone BYOP.

This iPhone 6s 64GB unlocked phone from Amazon can be used on GSM 4G LTE networks, so it will work with Tracfone BYOP.

An iPhone 6, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are also good options if you're looking to save a little money by going with an older model.

If you know someone who already has an iPhone, perhaps they might be interested in some iPhone accessories to add to the functionality of their device.

Moto G
The Motorola Moto G is a phone that provides great value for the money and many Tracfone users have chosen to use it for this reason. It is widely available and retails for just $179 for the latest version. The Moto G is now in its 3rd generation, with each new generation bringing improvements and advances from the last, so be sure to pay attention to which generation you are buying, although they will all work with Tracfone BYOP.

Here is 3rd Generation Moto G with 8GB memory that uses GSM 4G LTE coverage for just $179 on Amazon.

If you interested in more information, check out our post on Using the Moto G with Tracfone BYOP.

LG G2/G3/G4
The LG G series (2, 3 and 4) smartphones are also popular on Tracfone BYOP for their great value. The G2 and G3 were released a few years ago, but still have great performance and can be found at prices under $200 on eBay.

Take a look at the LG G2 on Amazon for just $199, or the LG G4 for $420

Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/S5
Like the LG G series, the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones are high performing Android devices with many different options available online. If you're looking for good value for the money, the Samsung Galaxy S3 can be found for about $200. There are versions available for both CDMA and GSM, so choose the option that best suits your needs.

A handful of other ideas include the Nexus 5 and 6, Sony Xperia devices and Moto X. We have found eBay to be a great place to look for a smartphone if you're willing to search through and find exactly what you want.

Be sure to check the IMEI code (usually on the battery of the phone) on the Tracfone website to ensure it will be compatible, then pick up a sim kit from Tracfone, or you can also find it on Amazon.

3. Tracfone Prepaid Minutes

Everyone who uses Tracfone knows how nice it is to get some extra airtime to boost their minutes and service days.

An airtime card can be a nice way to help friends or family stay in contact and there are many options to choose from, ranging in cost from $20 to $100. Tracfone Prepaid Airtime cards can be purchased and easily given as a gift, and used at any time.

You can find Tracfone airtime cards in many stores like WalMart, Target, Dollar General, and most convenience stores as well as online.

Learn more about How Minutes Work on Android Tracfone Devices.

4. Gift Cards for Apps, Games, and Accessories

Smartphones open the door to a wide variety of applications and games that can be downloaded and installed on your smartphone device. Some of these apps charge a (small) fee for users to purchase the app. This generally allows the apps creators to offer a higher quality product that may even be ad free which is always nice.

holiday gift ideas list
Amazon Gift Card
Some games on Android phones also cost a few dollars to purchase, such as (list top games that cost money). These games can offer hours of fun, but require an initial purchase.

Check out our List of the Best Android Apps for more ideas on apps.

Google Play Store, which is where you can download apps and games for Android, has gift cards available to purchase that allows consumers to load their gift card amount, and spend it on whatever they choose. It is a handy way to buy that game or app someones been wanting, without requiring you to get on their device and enter your credit card details.

You can find Google Play gift cards on Amazon in various amounts.

Plenty of retail stores, both online and brick and mortar, offer gift cards that can be used to buy accessories, airtime ,or even phones.

Some other top retailer gift cards that also sell Tracfone items include:
-Walmart
-Target
-Amazon - Buy gift cards for almost any value, and have them delivered anywhere!
-eBay

5. External Battery Pack

For those who are on the go often, or forget to charge their phone, number 5 on our Christmas Gift Guide is the solution!

Know someone who seems to always be forgetting about charging their phone? Or perhaps they like to live out of the house 24/7? An external battery pack can really come in handy when you're phone dies away from a charger. You can simply plug the battery pack into your phone, and charge it through that!

There are many options for battery packs, and most are about the same size as a phone, but can hold several phones's worth of charge.

View some of the options currently available on Amazon, we particularly like the Anker batteries because they have good reliability and performance, plus lots of positive reviews.

External battery packs can also be found in many retail stores.

6. Phone Accessories for your Car

Many of us spend a fair amount of time in the car and sometimes it is convenient to be able to mount your phone, or charge it, while on the go.

Here are some popular on the go accessories:

Car Charger
Use a car charger to give your phone some juice while on the go. There are plenty of car chargers out there, just make sure you have the correct connection for the phone you want to charge.

View popular car chargers on Amazon.

Phone Mount for your Car
If you use your phone as a GPS, adding a mount to hold it is a must. It helps make it easy to follow it, and make changes if necessary. A car mount for your phone can also be helpful for lots of other tasks, such as watching movies (for the passengers) or just a secure place to keep the device.

View popular mounts on Amazon

Bluetooth headset for Hands-free Talking
Many states have made it illegal to chat on your phone while driving, so do the safe thing and use a simple Bluetooth headset!

Easy to set up, and lots of options available. Take a look at some of the options on Amazon.

7. Extra Phone Storage - Micro SD Card

tracfone gift ideas
32 GB Micro SD Card
One of the deficiencies of Tracfone smartphones is that they do not usually have a lot of internal memory for storing apps and other data. A 16 or 32 GB Micro SD card is a quick and easy solution for loading more pictures, music, videos or almost anything else, onto a device.

Almost all smartphones accept Micro SD cards up to 32 GB, so these might make a great stocking-stuffer gift.

You can find several options on Amazon and eBay, or visit any electronics store.

If you're not sure what to get, the SanDisk Ultra 32 GB card is a popular choice.

8. Phone Case or Cover

Every phone, and especially smartphones, should really have some kind of case or cover for it to protect it from everyday use, and the possibility of dropping it. Cases come in a wide range of options, from something that just protects the outside from scratches, to fully waterproof and shockproof.

You can also choose form many styles and colors, to find one that really suits that person you are shopping for. Some of the best places to find phone cases and covers are online retail stores like Amazon and eBay that offer plenty of different sellers.

To find a case or cover for a specific phone, simple visit Amazon or eBay and type into the search bar the name of the phone you have, followed by the kind of case or cover you're looking for. There are usually a plethora of options available.

For more on finding cases or covers for your phone, visit our list of smartphone covers an cases.

9. Headphones and Speakers

Headphones are great for minimizing noise from a device, while speakers are ready to maximize. Be sure you know which way you want to adjust the noise before shopping for these items!

Bluetooth speakers are very popular and convenient because they allows users to quickly sync whatever they are listening to on their smartphone, with the speaker, thus amplifying the sound for everyone to enjoy. Most speakers are very portable and some come with rechargeable batteries to allow you to bring it anywhere.

Shop for speakers at any electronics store, or also online at Amazon.

There are about as many different options for headphones as their are fish in the sea, but we have a couple of top picks to give you some ideas.

The Panasonic In-Ear headphones are surprisingly comfortable and snug, and the sound is fantastic. They are also the most popular ear buds on Amazon, and we recommend them. Plus they are unbeatable at their current price.

If you want over the ear comfort and style, Sennheiser makes a simple, but high quality headphone set that is very reasonably priced as well.

Visit any electronics store for plenty of other options as well.

10. The Selfie Stick

Last but not least (OK, maybe it is least...), is the selfie stick. These slightly hated tools let the users extend the hand-holding range of their phone to maximize their selfie photos.

There are plenty of varieties of selfie sticks on Amazon and eBay.

That's it! We hope you've enjoyed TracfoneReviewer's list of 10 Tracfone Gift Ideas! Drop a comment below with any additional ideas or questions.

Don't miss out on following us on Facebook where more than 1500 get a variety of updates and news related to Tracfone.

Visit our Tracfone Promo Codes page to find a code for free bonus minutes when adding airtime to your phone!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!

Tracfone Gift Guide 2015 - 10 Ideas for Christmas Gifts

A collection of phones, accessories and other gift ideas for Tracfone users. We hope this gift guide helps with your holiday shopping and TracfoneReviewer wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

top 10 tracfone gifts
TracfoneReviewer's 2015 Tracfone Gift Guide
As the holidays quickly draw near, it can sometimes be a challenge to find gifts for every person on your list. We all can use some ideas and inspiration to help find a gift for that person that seems to have everything.

We're here to help! With our annual Christmas Gift Guide that collects and shares some of the latest phones and accessories to use with Tracfone, along with plenty of extra suggestions.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that offers both airtime, and cell phones, at very budget friendly prices. Consumers can also bring certain devices to use with Tracfone, including most top of the line smartphones available today.

Christmas is a great time to surprise someone with a new phone, or upgrade them to a smartphone. But there are plenty of other ideas beyond phones in our list, in fact, we've created a list of 10 different Christmas gift ideas, so let's take a look!

1. Find a New Phone, or Upgrade from an Old Device

Tracfone has a good number of options when choosing a cell phone, from non-android flip phones, to 5.5" touchscreen smartphones. We will share some different ideas for each of the options.

Tracfone's can make a great first phone for many kids/teenagers because it is relatively inexpensive, and helps them to keep track of their use of the phone, so they don't run out of minutes too quickly.

Tracfone devices are also handy for many other uses as well, including an emergency or backup phone.

If you, or the person your shopping for, isn't very familiar with Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone to get started.

Now let's start with the some of the latest and greatest smartphones available from Tracfone at this time:

LG Sunset/LG Power/LG Destiny 
tracfone christmas gifts
LG Sunset
These phones are each almost exactly the same except that the Sunset (and Destiny) use GSM 4G LTE, and the LG Power has CDMA 3G service. These devices come with Android 5.0, and a 4.5" touchscreen.

You should choose which of these three  LG phone to get based on whether your area has better CDMA or GSM coverage. If you're unfamiliar with those terms, take a look at our GSM vs CDMA post and how to choose which is right for you.

The Sunset(link to our review) and Power(link to our review) are both widely available from online retailers like Amazon and eBay and usually cost around $100. We've only found the LG Destiny listed on the Tracfone website.

Find the LG Sunset on Amazon at $89

Also available on eBay for $89

We've found the LG Power on Amazon for $69

And available on eBay for $70

ZTE Quartz
If you're looking for screen size, the Quartz is your answer, with a huge 5.5" touchscreen that is the largest phone currently available from Tracfone. The Quartz runs on 3G CDMA network and uses Android 4.3.

Take a look at our review of the ZTE Quartz to learn more about this phone.

You can find the Quartz on many online retail websites and also on the Tracfone site for about $100-130.

View the ZTE Quartz on Amazon for $89 , on eBay for $69

LG Ultimate 2
While the Ultimate 2 has been available for over a year, it is still a good smartphone option and is now available at some nice prices, especially bundled with minutes.

When the Ultimate 2 came out it was very popular, and for good reason. It had a combination of features and specs, like the 4.5" touchscreen, Android 4.4 and 5 GB Internal Memory, that made for an enjoyable smartphone experience. Visit our review of the Ultimate 2 to see more info, and lots of comments from users.

The Ultimate 2 can be found many places online, and sometimes in stores, for $80-100 (but we have found some better deals)

View the Ultimate 2 on Amazon (view the 'New' phones for sale, best price is $69)

If you would like to view all the smartphone options from Tracfone, visit our Tracfone Android List.

If you're not interested in a smartphone, there are a few other options to choose from.

LG 441G Flip Phone
This simple yet tried and true device doesn't do anything fancy, but it does work great as a phone, especially if you're looking for a backup or in case of emergencies. The LG 441G is the slightly newer version of the LG 440G, which you can view our review of to learn more.

You can find the LG 441G in many stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

LG 306G/305C
The 306G is a popular non-android touchscreen device. The 306G uses GSM service, while the 305C uses CDMA, so you can choose which one will have the best service in your area.

These phones aren't the most fancy, but they are some of the most advanced from Tracfone that don't use Android OS. You can learn more about this phone on our Review of the LG 306G.

Find the LG 306G and 305C in stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

Now we will share some phone ideas that can be used with the BYOP program from Tracfone.

2. Bring Your Own Phone to Tracfone

Tracfone BYOP, where you bring your own smartphone to use with Tracfone, has continued to grow in popularity and accessibility for Tracfone customers. These days there are many different phones that can be used on the program, which is both GSM and CDMA compatible.

You can find a full list of phones, and resources for how to activate your phone with Tracfone on our Tracfone BYOP page. Below we will share some of the most popular and best value smartphones.

Some of the more popular BYOP phones are:

iPhone 6 and 6s
top 10 christmas gifts
iPhone 6s Plus - 128 GB
iPhone's have been a popular choice for smartphone users for many years because of their high quality, performance, operating system and plenty of other reasons. If you can afford it, the iPhone 6 and slightly newer, 6s, are some of the best and most advanced phones that can also be used with Tracfone BYOP.

This iPhone 6s 64GB unlocked phone from Amazon can be used on GSM 4G LTE networks, so it will work with Tracfone BYOP.

An iPhone 6, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are also good options if you're looking to save a little money by going with an older model.

If you know someone who already has an iPhone, perhaps they might be interested in some iPhone accessories to add to the functionality of their device.

Moto G
The Motorola Moto G is a phone that provides great value for the money and many Tracfone users have chosen to use it for this reason. It is widely available and retails for just $179 for the latest version. The Moto G is now in its 3rd generation, with each new generation bringing improvements and advances from the last, so be sure to pay attention to which generation you are buying, although they will all work with Tracfone BYOP.

Here is 3rd Generation Moto G with 8GB memory that uses GSM 4G LTE coverage for just $179 on Amazon.

If you interested in more information, check out our post on Using the Moto G with Tracfone BYOP.

LG G2/G3/G4
The LG G series (2, 3 and 4) smartphones are also popular on Tracfone BYOP for their great value. The G2 and G3 were released a few years ago, but still have great performance and can be found at prices under $200 on eBay.

Take a look at the LG G2 on Amazon for just $199, or the LG G4 for $420

Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/S5
Like the LG G series, the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones are high performing Android devices with many different options available online. If you're looking for good value for the money, the Samsung Galaxy S3 can be found for about $200. There are versions available for both CDMA and GSM, so choose the option that best suits your needs.

A handful of other ideas include the Nexus 5 and 6, Sony Xperia devices and Moto X. We have found eBay to be a great place to look for a smartphone if you're willing to search through and find exactly what you want.

Be sure to check the IMEI code (usually on the battery of the phone) on the Tracfone website to ensure it will be compatible, then pick up a sim kit from Tracfone, or you can also find it on Amazon.

3. Tracfone Prepaid Minutes

Everyone who uses Tracfone knows how nice it is to get some extra airtime to boost their minutes and service days.

An airtime card can be a nice way to help friends or family stay in contact and there are many options to choose from, ranging in cost from $20 to $100. Tracfone Prepaid Airtime cards can be purchased and easily given as a gift, and used at any time.

You can find Tracfone airtime cards in many stores like WalMart, Target, Dollar General, and most convenience stores as well as online.

Learn more about How Minutes Work on Android Tracfone Devices.

4. Gift Cards for Apps, Games, and Accessories

Smartphones open the door to a wide variety of applications and games that can be downloaded and installed on your smartphone device. Some of these apps charge a (small) fee for users to purchase the app. This generally allows the apps creators to offer a higher quality product that may even be ad free which is always nice.

holiday gift ideas list
Amazon Gift Card
Some games on Android phones also cost a few dollars to purchase, such as (list top games that cost money). These games can offer hours of fun, but require an initial purchase.

Check out our List of the Best Android Apps for more ideas on apps.

Google Play Store, which is where you can download apps and games for Android, has gift cards available to purchase that allows consumers to load their gift card amount, and spend it on whatever they choose. It is a handy way to buy that game or app someones been wanting, without requiring you to get on their device and enter your credit card details.

You can find Google Play gift cards on Amazon in various amounts.

Plenty of retail stores, both online and brick and mortar, offer gift cards that can be used to buy accessories, airtime ,or even phones.

Some other top retailer gift cards that also sell Tracfone items include:
-Walmart
-Target
-Amazon - Buy gift cards for almost any value, and have them delivered anywhere!
-eBay

5. External Battery Pack

For those who are on the go often, or forget to charge their phone, number 5 on our Christmas Gift Guide is the solution!

Know someone who seems to always be forgetting about charging their phone? Or perhaps they like to live out of the house 24/7? An external battery pack can really come in handy when you're phone dies away from a charger. You can simply plug the battery pack into your phone, and charge it through that!

There are many options for battery packs, and most are about the same size as a phone, but can hold several phones's worth of charge.

View some of the options currently available on Amazon, we particularly like the Anker batteries because they have good reliability and performance, plus lots of positive reviews.

External battery packs can also be found in many retail stores.

6. Phone Accessories for your Car

Many of us spend a fair amount of time in the car and sometimes it is convenient to be able to mount your phone, or charge it, while on the go.

Here are some popular on the go accessories:

Car Charger
Use a car charger to give your phone some juice while on the go. There are plenty of car chargers out there, just make sure you have the correct connection for the phone you want to charge.

View popular car chargers on Amazon.

Phone Mount for your Car
If you use your phone as a GPS, adding a mount to hold it is a must. It helps make it easy to follow it, and make changes if necessary. A car mount for your phone can also be helpful for lots of other tasks, such as watching movies (for the passengers) or just a secure place to keep the device.

View popular mounts on Amazon

Bluetooth headset for Hands-free Talking
Many states have made it illegal to chat on your phone while driving, so do the safe thing and use a simple Bluetooth headset!

Easy to set up, and lots of options available. Take a look at some of the options on Amazon.

7. Extra Phone Storage - Micro SD Card

tracfone gift ideas
32 GB Micro SD Card
One of the deficiencies of Tracfone smartphones is that they do not usually have a lot of internal memory for storing apps and other data. A 16 or 32 GB Micro SD card is a quick and easy solution for loading more pictures, music, videos or almost anything else, onto a device.

Almost all smartphones accept Micro SD cards up to 32 GB, so these might make a great stocking-stuffer gift.

You can find several options on Amazon and eBay, or visit any electronics store.

If you're not sure what to get, the SanDisk Ultra 32 GB card is a popular choice.

8. Phone Case or Cover

Every phone, and especially smartphones, should really have some kind of case or cover for it to protect it from everyday use, and the possibility of dropping it. Cases come in a wide range of options, from something that just protects the outside from scratches, to fully waterproof and shockproof.

You can also choose form many styles and colors, to find one that really suits that person you are shopping for. Some of the best places to find phone cases and covers are online retail stores like Amazon and eBay that offer plenty of different sellers.

To find a case or cover for a specific phone, simple visit Amazon or eBay and type into the search bar the name of the phone you have, followed by the kind of case or cover you're looking for. There are usually a plethora of options available.

For more on finding cases or covers for your phone, visit our list of smartphone covers an cases.

9. Headphones and Speakers

Headphones are great for minimizing noise from a device, while speakers are ready to maximize. Be sure you know which way you want to adjust the noise before shopping for these items!

Bluetooth speakers are very popular and convenient because they allows users to quickly sync whatever they are listening to on their smartphone, with the speaker, thus amplifying the sound for everyone to enjoy. Most speakers are very portable and some come with rechargeable batteries to allow you to bring it anywhere.

Shop for speakers at any electronics store, or also online at Amazon.

There are about as many different options for headphones as their are fish in the sea, but we have a couple of top picks to give you some ideas.

The Panasonic In-Ear headphones are surprisingly comfortable and snug, and the sound is fantastic. They are also the most popular ear buds on Amazon, and we recommend them. Plus they are unbeatable at their current price.

If you want over the ear comfort and style, Sennheiser makes a simple, but high quality headphone set that is very reasonably priced as well.

Visit any electronics store for plenty of other options as well.

10. The Selfie Stick

Last but not least (OK, maybe it is least...), is the selfie stick. These slightly hated tools let the users extend the hand-holding range of their phone to maximize their selfie photos.

There are plenty of varieties of selfie sticks on Amazon and eBay.

That's it! We hope you've enjoyed TracfoneReviewer's list of 10 Tracfone Gift Ideas! Drop a comment below with any additional ideas or questions.

Don't miss out on following us on Facebook where more than 1500 get a variety of updates and news related to Tracfone.

Visit our Tracfone Promo Codes page to find a code for free bonus minutes when adding airtime to your phone!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!

Tracfone Gift Guide 2015 - 10 Ideas for Christmas Gifts

A collection of phones, accessories and other gift ideas for Tracfone users. We hope this gift guide helps with your holiday shopping and TracfoneReviewer wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

top 10 tracfone gifts
TracfoneReviewer's 2015 Tracfone Gift Guide
As the holidays quickly draw near, it can sometimes be a challenge to find gifts for every person on your list. We all can use some ideas and inspiration to help find a gift for that person that seems to have everything.

We're here to help! With our annual Christmas Gift Guide that collects and shares some of the latest phones and accessories to use with Tracfone, along with plenty of extra suggestions.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that offers both airtime, and cell phones, at very budget friendly prices. Consumers can also bring certain devices to use with Tracfone, including most top of the line smartphones available today.

Christmas is a great time to surprise someone with a new phone, or upgrade them to a smartphone. But there are plenty of other ideas beyond phones in our list, in fact, we've created a list of 10 different Christmas gift ideas, so let's take a look!

1. Find a New Phone, or Upgrade from an Old Device

Tracfone has a good number of options when choosing a cell phone, from non-android flip phones, to 5.5" touchscreen smartphones. We will share some different ideas for each of the options.

Tracfone's can make a great first phone for many kids/teenagers because it is relatively inexpensive, and helps them to keep track of their use of the phone, so they don't run out of minutes too quickly.

Tracfone devices are also handy for many other uses as well, including an emergency or backup phone.

If you, or the person your shopping for, isn't very familiar with Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone to get started.

Now let's start with the some of the latest and greatest smartphones available from Tracfone at this time:

LG Sunset/LG Power/LG Destiny 
tracfone christmas gifts
LG Sunset
These phones are each almost exactly the same except that the Sunset (and Destiny) use GSM 4G LTE, and the LG Power has CDMA 3G service. These devices come with Android 5.0, and a 4.5" touchscreen.

You should choose which of these three  LG phone to get based on whether your area has better CDMA or GSM coverage. If you're unfamiliar with those terms, take a look at our GSM vs CDMA post and how to choose which is right for you.

The Sunset(link to our review) and Power(link to our review) are both widely available from online retailers like Amazon and eBay and usually cost around $100. We've only found the LG Destiny listed on the Tracfone website.

Find the LG Sunset on Amazon at $89

Also available on eBay for $89

We've found the LG Power on Amazon for $69

And available on eBay for $70

ZTE Quartz
If you're looking for screen size, the Quartz is your answer, with a huge 5.5" touchscreen that is the largest phone currently available from Tracfone. The Quartz runs on 3G CDMA network and uses Android 4.3.

Take a look at our review of the ZTE Quartz to learn more about this phone.

You can find the Quartz on many online retail websites and also on the Tracfone site for about $100-130.

View the ZTE Quartz on Amazon for $89 , on eBay for $69

LG Ultimate 2
While the Ultimate 2 has been available for over a year, it is still a good smartphone option and is now available at some nice prices, especially bundled with minutes.

When the Ultimate 2 came out it was very popular, and for good reason. It had a combination of features and specs, like the 4.5" touchscreen, Android 4.4 and 5 GB Internal Memory, that made for an enjoyable smartphone experience. Visit our review of the Ultimate 2 to see more info, and lots of comments from users.

The Ultimate 2 can be found many places online, and sometimes in stores, for $80-100 (but we have found some better deals)

View the Ultimate 2 on Amazon (view the 'New' phones for sale, best price is $69)

If you would like to view all the smartphone options from Tracfone, visit our Tracfone Android List.

If you're not interested in a smartphone, there are a few other options to choose from.

LG 441G Flip Phone
This simple yet tried and true device doesn't do anything fancy, but it does work great as a phone, especially if you're looking for a backup or in case of emergencies. The LG 441G is the slightly newer version of the LG 440G, which you can view our review of to learn more.

You can find the LG 441G in many stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

LG 306G/305C
The 306G is a popular non-android touchscreen device. The 306G uses GSM service, while the 305C uses CDMA, so you can choose which one will have the best service in your area.

These phones aren't the most fancy, but they are some of the most advanced from Tracfone that don't use Android OS. You can learn more about this phone on our Review of the LG 306G.

Find the LG 306G and 305C in stores, online and on the Tracfone website.

Now we will share some phone ideas that can be used with the BYOP program from Tracfone.

2. Bring Your Own Phone to Tracfone

Tracfone BYOP, where you bring your own smartphone to use with Tracfone, has continued to grow in popularity and accessibility for Tracfone customers. These days there are many different phones that can be used on the program, which is both GSM and CDMA compatible.

You can find a full list of phones, and resources for how to activate your phone with Tracfone on our Tracfone BYOP page. Below we will share some of the most popular and best value smartphones.

Some of the more popular BYOP phones are:

iPhone 6 and 6s
top 10 christmas gifts
iPhone 6s Plus - 128 GB
iPhone's have been a popular choice for smartphone users for many years because of their high quality, performance, operating system and plenty of other reasons. If you can afford it, the iPhone 6 and slightly newer, 6s, are some of the best and most advanced phones that can also be used with Tracfone BYOP.

This iPhone 6s 64GB unlocked phone from Amazon can be used on GSM 4G LTE networks, so it will work with Tracfone BYOP.

An iPhone 6, iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c are also good options if you're looking to save a little money by going with an older model.

If you know someone who already has an iPhone, perhaps they might be interested in some iPhone accessories to add to the functionality of their device.

Moto G
The Motorola Moto G is a phone that provides great value for the money and many Tracfone users have chosen to use it for this reason. It is widely available and retails for just $179 for the latest version. The Moto G is now in its 3rd generation, with each new generation bringing improvements and advances from the last, so be sure to pay attention to which generation you are buying, although they will all work with Tracfone BYOP.

Here is 3rd Generation Moto G with 8GB memory that uses GSM 4G LTE coverage for just $179 on Amazon.

If you interested in more information, check out our post on Using the Moto G with Tracfone BYOP.

LG G2/G3/G4
The LG G series (2, 3 and 4) smartphones are also popular on Tracfone BYOP for their great value. The G2 and G3 were released a few years ago, but still have great performance and can be found at prices under $200 on eBay.

Take a look at the LG G2 on Amazon for just $199, or the LG G4 for $420

Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/S5
Like the LG G series, the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones are high performing Android devices with many different options available online. If you're looking for good value for the money, the Samsung Galaxy S3 can be found for about $200. There are versions available for both CDMA and GSM, so choose the option that best suits your needs.

A handful of other ideas include the Nexus 5 and 6, Sony Xperia devices and Moto X. We have found eBay to be a great place to look for a smartphone if you're willing to search through and find exactly what you want.

Be sure to check the IMEI code (usually on the battery of the phone) on the Tracfone website to ensure it will be compatible, then pick up a sim kit from Tracfone, or you can also find it on Amazon.

3. Tracfone Prepaid Minutes

Everyone who uses Tracfone knows how nice it is to get some extra airtime to boost their minutes and service days.

An airtime card can be a nice way to help friends or family stay in contact and there are many options to choose from, ranging in cost from $20 to $100. Tracfone Prepaid Airtime cards can be purchased and easily given as a gift, and used at any time.

You can find Tracfone airtime cards in many stores like WalMart, Target, Dollar General, and most convenience stores as well as online.

Learn more about How Minutes Work on Android Tracfone Devices.

4. Gift Cards for Apps, Games, and Accessories

Smartphones open the door to a wide variety of applications and games that can be downloaded and installed on your smartphone device. Some of these apps charge a (small) fee for users to purchase the app. This generally allows the apps creators to offer a higher quality product that may even be ad free which is always nice.

holiday gift ideas list
Amazon Gift Card
Some games on Android phones also cost a few dollars to purchase, such as (list top games that cost money). These games can offer hours of fun, but require an initial purchase.

Check out our List of the Best Android Apps for more ideas on apps.

Google Play Store, which is where you can download apps and games for Android, has gift cards available to purchase that allows consumers to load their gift card amount, and spend it on whatever they choose. It is a handy way to buy that game or app someones been wanting, without requiring you to get on their device and enter your credit card details.

You can find Google Play gift cards on Amazon in various amounts.

Plenty of retail stores, both online and brick and mortar, offer gift cards that can be used to buy accessories, airtime ,or even phones.

Some other top retailer gift cards that also sell Tracfone items include:
-Walmart
-Target
-Amazon - Buy gift cards for almost any value, and have them delivered anywhere!
-eBay

5. External Battery Pack

For those who are on the go often, or forget to charge their phone, number 5 on our Christmas Gift Guide is the solution!

Know someone who seems to always be forgetting about charging their phone? Or perhaps they like to live out of the house 24/7? An external battery pack can really come in handy when you're phone dies away from a charger. You can simply plug the battery pack into your phone, and charge it through that!

There are many options for battery packs, and most are about the same size as a phone, but can hold several phones's worth of charge.

View some of the options currently available on Amazon, we particularly like the Anker batteries because they have good reliability and performance, plus lots of positive reviews.

External battery packs can also be found in many retail stores.

6. Phone Accessories for your Car

Many of us spend a fair amount of time in the car and sometimes it is convenient to be able to mount your phone, or charge it, while on the go.

Here are some popular on the go accessories:

Car Charger
Use a car charger to give your phone some juice while on the go. There are plenty of car chargers out there, just make sure you have the correct connection for the phone you want to charge.

View popular car chargers on Amazon.

Phone Mount for your Car
If you use your phone as a GPS, adding a mount to hold it is a must. It helps make it easy to follow it, and make changes if necessary. A car mount for your phone can also be helpful for lots of other tasks, such as watching movies (for the passengers) or just a secure place to keep the device.

View popular mounts on Amazon

Bluetooth headset for Hands-free Talking
Many states have made it illegal to chat on your phone while driving, so do the safe thing and use a simple Bluetooth headset!

Easy to set up, and lots of options available. Take a look at some of the options on Amazon.

7. Extra Phone Storage - Micro SD Card

tracfone gift ideas
32 GB Micro SD Card
One of the deficiencies of Tracfone smartphones is that they do not usually have a lot of internal memory for storing apps and other data. A 16 or 32 GB Micro SD card is a quick and easy solution for loading more pictures, music, videos or almost anything else, onto a device.

Almost all smartphones accept Micro SD cards up to 32 GB, so these might make a great stocking-stuffer gift.

You can find several options on Amazon and eBay, or visit any electronics store.

If you're not sure what to get, the SanDisk Ultra 32 GB card is a popular choice.

8. Phone Case or Cover

Every phone, and especially smartphones, should really have some kind of case or cover for it to protect it from everyday use, and the possibility of dropping it. Cases come in a wide range of options, from something that just protects the outside from scratches, to fully waterproof and shockproof.

You can also choose form many styles and colors, to find one that really suits that person you are shopping for. Some of the best places to find phone cases and covers are online retail stores like Amazon and eBay that offer plenty of different sellers.

To find a case or cover for a specific phone, simple visit Amazon or eBay and type into the search bar the name of the phone you have, followed by the kind of case or cover you're looking for. There are usually a plethora of options available.

For more on finding cases or covers for your phone, visit our list of smartphone covers an cases.

9. Headphones and Speakers

Headphones are great for minimizing noise from a device, while speakers are ready to maximize. Be sure you know which way you want to adjust the noise before shopping for these items!

Bluetooth speakers are very popular and convenient because they allows users to quickly sync whatever they are listening to on their smartphone, with the speaker, thus amplifying the sound for everyone to enjoy. Most speakers are very portable and some come with rechargeable batteries to allow you to bring it anywhere.

Shop for speakers at any electronics store, or also online at Amazon.

There are about as many different options for headphones as their are fish in the sea, but we have a couple of top picks to give you some ideas.

The Panasonic In-Ear headphones are surprisingly comfortable and snug, and the sound is fantastic. They are also the most popular ear buds on Amazon, and we recommend them. Plus they are unbeatable at their current price.

If you want over the ear comfort and style, Sennheiser makes a simple, but high quality headphone set that is very reasonably priced as well.

Visit any electronics store for plenty of other options as well.

10. The Selfie Stick

Last but not least (OK, maybe it is least...), is the selfie stick. These slightly hated tools let the users extend the hand-holding range of their phone to maximize their selfie photos.

There are plenty of varieties of selfie sticks on Amazon and eBay.

That's it! We hope you've enjoyed TracfoneReviewer's list of 10 Tracfone Gift Ideas! Drop a comment below with any additional ideas or questions.

Don't miss out on following us on Facebook where more than 1500 get a variety of updates and news related to Tracfone.

Visit our Tracfone Promo Codes page to find a code for free bonus minutes when adding airtime to your phone!

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!


Tag : , ,

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Tracfone Match & Win - What Is It?

How to Play the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone In this post by TracfoneReviewer we share information on a contest offered by Tracfone...
Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel Tracfone Discounts and Deals,

How to Play the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

In this post by TracfoneReviewer we share information on a contest offered by Tracfone between October and November of 2015. We hope this information will be useful and help you win some prizes!

win prizes tracfone
Learn about the Tracfone Match and Win Contest here!
Towards the end of October I received a text to my Tracfone cell phone promoting a contest and sharing a link to click for more details.

I immediately thought it might be a scam and didn't click the link, and soon forgot about it. Then a few days ago I was on the Tracfone website and noticed a promotion for the Tracfone Match & Win contest there.

Following the steps I quickly learned that it was a legitimate contest from Tracfone offering the chance to win prizes for Tracfone users. The text I had received about the contest looked like something that followed the general scam pattern - 'Win something great, just click this link/give us your information'. I'm confident in confirming now that it is not a scam, and is a real contest form Tracfone, in case anyone was concerned about that.

But what is this contest, how does it work, and how long will it be available? We'll share our answers to these questions and more below!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a low cost cell phone carrier that contracts with other major carriers like AT&T and Verizon to use their cell towers for providing prepaid coverage. Tracfone is great for consumers who would prefer to be charged based on how much they use their cell phone, rather than a flat fee.

Tracfone offers a variety of cell phones to use with their prepaid service, and you can visit our Cell Phone Reviews page to see many of them reviewed by us. You can also bring your own phone to Tracfone with their BYOP program. Follow the link to learn about which phones will work.

Now let's start sharing details on what this Tracfone contest is all about.

What is the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

The Match & Win contest is a promotion sponsored by Tracfone that runs from October 8th, 2015 through November 25th, 2015.

This contest is put together by HelloWorld Inc, a company that specializes in social media and web marketing.

To be eligible to win prizes, contestants must be at least 18 years old, and live in the United States. You will also need to have a Tracfone account.

You can take a look at the full contest details in this PDF.

Prize List
There are quite a few prizes for this contest, although many of them are of lower value.

  • Grand Prize - 14 winners get a $100 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • First Prize - 200 winners get a magazine subscription of winners choice, selected from a list of options 
  • Second Prize - 125 winners get a $25 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • Third Prize - 313 winners get a $10 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options
  • Fourth Prize - 250 winners get a $5 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options

There's almost $15,000 worth of gift cards and magazine subscriptions available for contestants to win, but there is a limit of only once prize per person.

For those who are already Tracfone customers, it doesn't cost anything to play this contest once a day, and possibly win a gift card, even if it is only worth $5.

How to Enter the Match & Win Contest

To enter the contest simply visit the Match & Win website and start from there. You will be required to register the first time you play the contest, by entering your first and last name, the email address connected to your Tracfone account, and your Tracfone telephone number.

Each time you return and play (which you can do once every day) you will have to confirm your phone number.

So if you don't have an account with Tracfone already, you will need one for this Contest. Obviously, if you don't have a Tracfone phone number, you can't play.

No purchase is necessary for this contest, and you can return to the contest page everyday for a chance to win until the contest closes.

Once you are registered and logged in, you will be directed to a page with three options to click, and you get to choose one.

So far in our testing, if you have multiple phones under one account, you only get one play for the entire account.

Let us know if you win! We want to hear if anyone wins anything, and if so, what did you win. We've played three times, and won nothing so far.

Is the Match and Win Contest Rigged?

One user posted on the Tracfone forums their concern about the contest possibly being rigged.

tracfone coupon prizes
'rigged' contest' forum post - click to enlarge
Take a look at the forum post here, or see the image of the post on the right.

The user took a look at the source code for the contest page, and pointed out that it has already determined he hasn't won, before he selected anything.

This could suggest that, either no winners will be allowed at all and this contest is rigged, or that a winner is determined when the page loads, not when one of the three options is selected.

It would seem more likely to us that the second theory is correct, but we don't have any proof, nor are we experts in coding. What may occur is, every so often, the page loads a 'winning' page, giving contestants the chance to win, while the majority of the time it is just loading pages with no winners.

The interesting thing about this is, you can check before you select an option, whether any of the options are winners if you know what to look for in the source code. We're not suggesting you try this, or that it will work, it's just an observation.

We'd really love some input from those of you who might have experience with coding, and can confirm/explain what is going on here. Also, if we do start getting comments from people who are winning, that would confirm the contest is working properly, and assuage most concerns.

When the contest concludes, there is supposed to be a list of winners published.

Check back, as we will be updating this as we learn more.

If you're new to Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which will walk you through some of the basics of how Tracfone works, and what options you have for using them.

We share lots of information about Tracfone on this blog, so don't be afraid to browse the homepage, or use the search box on the right.

You can also join over 1400 followers on Facebook where we share news, promo codes, and each new post.

Thanks for visiting!

How to Play the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

In this post by TracfoneReviewer we share information on a contest offered by Tracfone between October and November of 2015. We hope this information will be useful and help you win some prizes!

win prizes tracfone
Learn about the Tracfone Match and Win Contest here!
Towards the end of October I received a text to my Tracfone cell phone promoting a contest and sharing a link to click for more details.

I immediately thought it might be a scam and didn't click the link, and soon forgot about it. Then a few days ago I was on the Tracfone website and noticed a promotion for the Tracfone Match & Win contest there.

Following the steps I quickly learned that it was a legitimate contest from Tracfone offering the chance to win prizes for Tracfone users. The text I had received about the contest looked like something that followed the general scam pattern - 'Win something great, just click this link/give us your information'. I'm confident in confirming now that it is not a scam, and is a real contest form Tracfone, in case anyone was concerned about that.

But what is this contest, how does it work, and how long will it be available? We'll share our answers to these questions and more below!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a low cost cell phone carrier that contracts with other major carriers like AT&T and Verizon to use their cell towers for providing prepaid coverage. Tracfone is great for consumers who would prefer to be charged based on how much they use their cell phone, rather than a flat fee.

Tracfone offers a variety of cell phones to use with their prepaid service, and you can visit our Cell Phone Reviews page to see many of them reviewed by us. You can also bring your own phone to Tracfone with their BYOP program. Follow the link to learn about which phones will work.

Now let's start sharing details on what this Tracfone contest is all about.

What is the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

The Match & Win contest is a promotion sponsored by Tracfone that runs from October 8th, 2015 through November 25th, 2015.

This contest is put together by HelloWorld Inc, a company that specializes in social media and web marketing.

To be eligible to win prizes, contestants must be at least 18 years old, and live in the United States. You will also need to have a Tracfone account.

You can take a look at the full contest details in this PDF.

Prize List
There are quite a few prizes for this contest, although many of them are of lower value.

  • Grand Prize - 14 winners get a $100 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • First Prize - 200 winners get a magazine subscription of winners choice, selected from a list of options 
  • Second Prize - 125 winners get a $25 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • Third Prize - 313 winners get a $10 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options
  • Fourth Prize - 250 winners get a $5 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options

There's almost $15,000 worth of gift cards and magazine subscriptions available for contestants to win, but there is a limit of only once prize per person.

For those who are already Tracfone customers, it doesn't cost anything to play this contest once a day, and possibly win a gift card, even if it is only worth $5.

How to Enter the Match & Win Contest

To enter the contest simply visit the Match & Win website and start from there. You will be required to register the first time you play the contest, by entering your first and last name, the email address connected to your Tracfone account, and your Tracfone telephone number.

Each time you return and play (which you can do once every day) you will have to confirm your phone number.

So if you don't have an account with Tracfone already, you will need one for this Contest. Obviously, if you don't have a Tracfone phone number, you can't play.

No purchase is necessary for this contest, and you can return to the contest page everyday for a chance to win until the contest closes.

Once you are registered and logged in, you will be directed to a page with three options to click, and you get to choose one.

So far in our testing, if you have multiple phones under one account, you only get one play for the entire account.

Let us know if you win! We want to hear if anyone wins anything, and if so, what did you win. We've played three times, and won nothing so far.

Is the Match and Win Contest Rigged?

One user posted on the Tracfone forums their concern about the contest possibly being rigged.

tracfone coupon prizes
'rigged' contest' forum post - click to enlarge
Take a look at the forum post here, or see the image of the post on the right.

The user took a look at the source code for the contest page, and pointed out that it has already determined he hasn't won, before he selected anything.

This could suggest that, either no winners will be allowed at all and this contest is rigged, or that a winner is determined when the page loads, not when one of the three options is selected.

It would seem more likely to us that the second theory is correct, but we don't have any proof, nor are we experts in coding. What may occur is, every so often, the page loads a 'winning' page, giving contestants the chance to win, while the majority of the time it is just loading pages with no winners.

The interesting thing about this is, you can check before you select an option, whether any of the options are winners if you know what to look for in the source code. We're not suggesting you try this, or that it will work, it's just an observation.

We'd really love some input from those of you who might have experience with coding, and can confirm/explain what is going on here. Also, if we do start getting comments from people who are winning, that would confirm the contest is working properly, and assuage most concerns.

When the contest concludes, there is supposed to be a list of winners published.

Check back, as we will be updating this as we learn more.

If you're new to Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which will walk you through some of the basics of how Tracfone works, and what options you have for using them.

We share lots of information about Tracfone on this blog, so don't be afraid to browse the homepage, or use the search box on the right.

You can also join over 1400 followers on Facebook where we share news, promo codes, and each new post.

Thanks for visiting!

How to Play the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

In this post by TracfoneReviewer we share information on a contest offered by Tracfone between October and November of 2015. We hope this information will be useful and help you win some prizes!

win prizes tracfone
Learn about the Tracfone Match and Win Contest here!
Towards the end of October I received a text to my Tracfone cell phone promoting a contest and sharing a link to click for more details.

I immediately thought it might be a scam and didn't click the link, and soon forgot about it. Then a few days ago I was on the Tracfone website and noticed a promotion for the Tracfone Match & Win contest there.

Following the steps I quickly learned that it was a legitimate contest from Tracfone offering the chance to win prizes for Tracfone users. The text I had received about the contest looked like something that followed the general scam pattern - 'Win something great, just click this link/give us your information'. I'm confident in confirming now that it is not a scam, and is a real contest form Tracfone, in case anyone was concerned about that.

But what is this contest, how does it work, and how long will it be available? We'll share our answers to these questions and more below!

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a low cost cell phone carrier that contracts with other major carriers like AT&T and Verizon to use their cell towers for providing prepaid coverage. Tracfone is great for consumers who would prefer to be charged based on how much they use their cell phone, rather than a flat fee.

Tracfone offers a variety of cell phones to use with their prepaid service, and you can visit our Cell Phone Reviews page to see many of them reviewed by us. You can also bring your own phone to Tracfone with their BYOP program. Follow the link to learn about which phones will work.

Now let's start sharing details on what this Tracfone contest is all about.

What is the Match & Win Contest from Tracfone

The Match & Win contest is a promotion sponsored by Tracfone that runs from October 8th, 2015 through November 25th, 2015.

This contest is put together by HelloWorld Inc, a company that specializes in social media and web marketing.

To be eligible to win prizes, contestants must be at least 18 years old, and live in the United States. You will also need to have a Tracfone account.

You can take a look at the full contest details in this PDF.

Prize List
There are quite a few prizes for this contest, although many of them are of lower value.

  • Grand Prize - 14 winners get a $100 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • First Prize - 200 winners get a magazine subscription of winners choice, selected from a list of options 
  • Second Prize - 125 winners get a $25 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected from a list of options
  • Third Prize - 313 winners get a $10 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options
  • Fourth Prize - 250 winners get a $5 gift card to retailers of winners choice, selected form a list of options

There's almost $15,000 worth of gift cards and magazine subscriptions available for contestants to win, but there is a limit of only once prize per person.

For those who are already Tracfone customers, it doesn't cost anything to play this contest once a day, and possibly win a gift card, even if it is only worth $5.

How to Enter the Match & Win Contest

To enter the contest simply visit the Match & Win website and start from there. You will be required to register the first time you play the contest, by entering your first and last name, the email address connected to your Tracfone account, and your Tracfone telephone number.

Each time you return and play (which you can do once every day) you will have to confirm your phone number.

So if you don't have an account with Tracfone already, you will need one for this Contest. Obviously, if you don't have a Tracfone phone number, you can't play.

No purchase is necessary for this contest, and you can return to the contest page everyday for a chance to win until the contest closes.

Once you are registered and logged in, you will be directed to a page with three options to click, and you get to choose one.

So far in our testing, if you have multiple phones under one account, you only get one play for the entire account.

Let us know if you win! We want to hear if anyone wins anything, and if so, what did you win. We've played three times, and won nothing so far.

Is the Match and Win Contest Rigged?

One user posted on the Tracfone forums their concern about the contest possibly being rigged.

tracfone coupon prizes
'rigged' contest' forum post - click to enlarge
Take a look at the forum post here, or see the image of the post on the right.

The user took a look at the source code for the contest page, and pointed out that it has already determined he hasn't won, before he selected anything.

This could suggest that, either no winners will be allowed at all and this contest is rigged, or that a winner is determined when the page loads, not when one of the three options is selected.

It would seem more likely to us that the second theory is correct, but we don't have any proof, nor are we experts in coding. What may occur is, every so often, the page loads a 'winning' page, giving contestants the chance to win, while the majority of the time it is just loading pages with no winners.

The interesting thing about this is, you can check before you select an option, whether any of the options are winners if you know what to look for in the source code. We're not suggesting you try this, or that it will work, it's just an observation.

We'd really love some input from those of you who might have experience with coding, and can confirm/explain what is going on here. Also, if we do start getting comments from people who are winning, that would confirm the contest is working properly, and assuage most concerns.

When the contest concludes, there is supposed to be a list of winners published.

Check back, as we will be updating this as we learn more.

If you're new to Tracfone, take a look at our Beginners Guide to Tracfone which will walk you through some of the basics of how Tracfone works, and what options you have for using them.

We share lots of information about Tracfone on this blog, so don't be afraid to browse the homepage, or use the search box on the right.

You can also join over 1400 followers on Facebook where we share news, promo codes, and each new post.

Thanks for visiting!


Tag : , ,

Thursday 22 October 2015

Worst Tracfone Cell Phones

List of the Worst Devices from Tracfone This post is created by TracfoneReviewer and shares some of the phones we wouldn't recommend fo...
Artikel Cell Phone Money Saving Tips, Artikel Cell Phone Reviews, Artikel Cell Phone Tips,

List of the Worst Devices from Tracfone

This post is created by TracfoneReviewer and shares some of the phones we wouldn't recommend for most Tracfone users. 

bad tracfone cell phones
Worst Tracfone Cell Phone - photo from PicJumbo.com
Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that provides low cost phones and cell coverage. The phones they offer are usually a few years behind the latest technology, and sometimes have some serious drawbacks.

Here at TracfoneReviewer we provide lots of cell phone reviews, and are generally very excited about the new phones Tracfone releases, because we like the value (cost vs benefits) Tracfone provides and the new phones bring.

However, over the years there have been several phones released by Tracfone that have really been pretty poor, especially as we've had time to look at user reviews and compare them to other devices.

So which Tracfone cell phones are the worst? We're going to share our pick below!

Before we get to our pick, we want to clarify a few things first.

What Makes a Phone 'Bad'

We want to quickly clarify how we are defining a 'bad' phone. Basically any phone that either:

  • Has issues that the majority of users experience - thus not a case of one defective phone, but all phones being defective.
  • Or lacks proper features/specs to make the phone usable for the majority of people (and there are other phones available that do).

Both of these points are sometimes hard to recognize in a newly released phone because we either don't have enough input from user reviews, or we don't have other phones to compare the new device to.

Over time we are able to gain a better picture of whether a phone is 'good' or 'bad' based on how it is performing, and how it compares to other phones available.

This brings us to an important point:

'Bad' Phones can Still be 'Good' for Some People

Let's be clear, each person has different needs and expectations for a phone, and so some phones may not meet the needs/expectations of the majority of people, but for a few people it may perfectly meet their need.

Some Tracfone users prefer a smaller touchscreen and don't want the features that come with an Android powered smartphone.

So while we will be highlighting a few phones and designating them as 'bad' phones, they may still be a good choice for some people.

Drop a comment below if you want to add your thoughts on 'good' and 'bad' phones, or if we weren't clear in defining this.

Now, let's get to our picks for the worst Tracfone cell phones.

The Worst Tracfone Cell Phone

There are three phones that rise to the top of the list for worst cell phone from Tracfone. Number two and three are the ZTE Valet and the LG Optimus Dynamic. These two phones are basically tied for second worst phones from Tracfone.

The LG Optimus Dynamic, when it was released, had some of the best and most advanced features for a Tracfone device yet. It came with Android version 2.3 which allowed users access to thousands of apps on Google Play. Until the Optimus Dynamic, Tracfone users had not had access to a true smartphone.

When the LG Optimus Dynamic was only about $20, I picked one up and enjoyed using it for a while.

However, the Dynamic had a major flaw which brings it onto our list - very little internal memory for installing apps (the phone has 1 GB internal memory, but less than 200 MB that is actually usable)

One of the major strengths of a smartphone is the ability to install applications that can do many different things. So when the Optimus Dynamic could only hold a small handful of apps, it was defeating the purpose of being a smartphone. Some users were able to move apps to the external SD card, but not all users were interested in trying this, and were left with a phone that would often have 'memory full' messages pop up.

If you're looking for new apps, take a look at our List of the Best Apps for Android which may contain some new ideas for you!

The ZTE Valet came after the Optimus Dynamic, and improved on it in a few ways, such as a newer OS, Android 4.1. However the quality of the Valet was soon brought into question as many users noticed both poor sound quality when making phone calls, and poor WiFi reception in their home.

unimax maxpatriot worst cell phone
The Worst Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot
These issues were prevalent for the majority of Valet users and caused many to look for a new phone soon after getting the Valet. The new and improved LG Optimus Dynamic II was a popular choice. Let's hope the issues with the ZTE Valet are cleared up for the more recently released ZTE Quartz.

And finally, the worst phone released by Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Unlike the ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic, the MaxPatriot was an inferior phone from the start. When it was released there were several other phones from Tracfone that were significantly better (specifically, the LG Ultimate 2). Plus, user comments and reviews quickly outlined a number of quality issues with the phone, and the phone manufacturer.

It is the only phone that we couldn't recommend for anyone, because there were phones that were both better and cheaper available at the same time. But some people still decided to try out the Unimax, and here are some of their comments:

bad tracfone reviews
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot
unimax MaxPatriot worst phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot


And finally this user was clearly unhappy with the Unimax phone:

worst tracfone cell phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot








Other comments were more restrained and merely read, "ditto on all the bad reviews."

To be fair, there were some comments from users who actually liked the phone, or at least weren't unhappy with it.

While there are other phones from Tracfone that do have their issues, none (as far as we know) were as bad as the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Let us know in the comments what your choice for the worst Tracfone would be, or if you have had a good experience with any of the phones in our list.

If you're looking for a new phone, we recommend taking a look at our Tracfone BYOP page where you can learn all about bringing your own phone to Tracfone. This includes a wide variety of GSM and CDMA phones, and even 4G LTE devices. You can find a list of compatible phones on that page as well.

We also recently reviewed the Call Detector App, which you can use on Android devices to block unwanted calls.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and information by following us on Facebook! As Black Friday and Christmas approach, Tracfone has traditionally released new phones or great deals, and we will share them both on the Facebook page, and here on the blog as we find them.

Thanks for visiting and we hope this post was useful and informative!

List of the Worst Devices from Tracfone

This post is created by TracfoneReviewer and shares some of the phones we wouldn't recommend for most Tracfone users. 

bad tracfone cell phones
Worst Tracfone Cell Phone - photo from PicJumbo.com
Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that provides low cost phones and cell coverage. The phones they offer are usually a few years behind the latest technology, and sometimes have some serious drawbacks.

Here at TracfoneReviewer we provide lots of cell phone reviews, and are generally very excited about the new phones Tracfone releases, because we like the value (cost vs benefits) Tracfone provides and the new phones bring.

However, over the years there have been several phones released by Tracfone that have really been pretty poor, especially as we've had time to look at user reviews and compare them to other devices.

So which Tracfone cell phones are the worst? We're going to share our pick below!

Before we get to our pick, we want to clarify a few things first.

What Makes a Phone 'Bad'

We want to quickly clarify how we are defining a 'bad' phone. Basically any phone that either:

  • Has issues that the majority of users experience - thus not a case of one defective phone, but all phones being defective.
  • Or lacks proper features/specs to make the phone usable for the majority of people (and there are other phones available that do).

Both of these points are sometimes hard to recognize in a newly released phone because we either don't have enough input from user reviews, or we don't have other phones to compare the new device to.

Over time we are able to gain a better picture of whether a phone is 'good' or 'bad' based on how it is performing, and how it compares to other phones available.

This brings us to an important point:

'Bad' Phones can Still be 'Good' for Some People

Let's be clear, each person has different needs and expectations for a phone, and so some phones may not meet the needs/expectations of the majority of people, but for a few people it may perfectly meet their need.

Some Tracfone users prefer a smaller touchscreen and don't want the features that come with an Android powered smartphone.

So while we will be highlighting a few phones and designating them as 'bad' phones, they may still be a good choice for some people.

Drop a comment below if you want to add your thoughts on 'good' and 'bad' phones, or if we weren't clear in defining this.

Now, let's get to our picks for the worst Tracfone cell phones.

The Worst Tracfone Cell Phone

There are three phones that rise to the top of the list for worst cell phone from Tracfone. Number two and three are the ZTE Valet and the LG Optimus Dynamic. These two phones are basically tied for second worst phones from Tracfone.

The LG Optimus Dynamic, when it was released, had some of the best and most advanced features for a Tracfone device yet. It came with Android version 2.3 which allowed users access to thousands of apps on Google Play. Until the Optimus Dynamic, Tracfone users had not had access to a true smartphone.

When the LG Optimus Dynamic was only about $20, I picked one up and enjoyed using it for a while.

However, the Dynamic had a major flaw which brings it onto our list - very little internal memory for installing apps (the phone has 1 GB internal memory, but less than 200 MB that is actually usable)

One of the major strengths of a smartphone is the ability to install applications that can do many different things. So when the Optimus Dynamic could only hold a small handful of apps, it was defeating the purpose of being a smartphone. Some users were able to move apps to the external SD card, but not all users were interested in trying this, and were left with a phone that would often have 'memory full' messages pop up.

If you're looking for new apps, take a look at our List of the Best Apps for Android which may contain some new ideas for you!

The ZTE Valet came after the Optimus Dynamic, and improved on it in a few ways, such as a newer OS, Android 4.1. However the quality of the Valet was soon brought into question as many users noticed both poor sound quality when making phone calls, and poor WiFi reception in their home.

unimax maxpatriot worst cell phone
The Worst Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot
These issues were prevalent for the majority of Valet users and caused many to look for a new phone soon after getting the Valet. The new and improved LG Optimus Dynamic II was a popular choice. Let's hope the issues with the ZTE Valet are cleared up for the more recently released ZTE Quartz.

And finally, the worst phone released by Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Unlike the ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic, the MaxPatriot was an inferior phone from the start. When it was released there were several other phones from Tracfone that were significantly better (specifically, the LG Ultimate 2). Plus, user comments and reviews quickly outlined a number of quality issues with the phone, and the phone manufacturer.

It is the only phone that we couldn't recommend for anyone, because there were phones that were both better and cheaper available at the same time. But some people still decided to try out the Unimax, and here are some of their comments:

bad tracfone reviews
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot
unimax MaxPatriot worst phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot


And finally this user was clearly unhappy with the Unimax phone:

worst tracfone cell phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot








Other comments were more restrained and merely read, "ditto on all the bad reviews."

To be fair, there were some comments from users who actually liked the phone, or at least weren't unhappy with it.

While there are other phones from Tracfone that do have their issues, none (as far as we know) were as bad as the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Let us know in the comments what your choice for the worst Tracfone would be, or if you have had a good experience with any of the phones in our list.

If you're looking for a new phone, we recommend taking a look at our Tracfone BYOP page where you can learn all about bringing your own phone to Tracfone. This includes a wide variety of GSM and CDMA phones, and even 4G LTE devices. You can find a list of compatible phones on that page as well.

We also recently reviewed the Call Detector App, which you can use on Android devices to block unwanted calls.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and information by following us on Facebook! As Black Friday and Christmas approach, Tracfone has traditionally released new phones or great deals, and we will share them both on the Facebook page, and here on the blog as we find them.

Thanks for visiting and we hope this post was useful and informative!

List of the Worst Devices from Tracfone

This post is created by TracfoneReviewer and shares some of the phones we wouldn't recommend for most Tracfone users. 

bad tracfone cell phones
Worst Tracfone Cell Phone - photo from PicJumbo.com
Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company that provides low cost phones and cell coverage. The phones they offer are usually a few years behind the latest technology, and sometimes have some serious drawbacks.

Here at TracfoneReviewer we provide lots of cell phone reviews, and are generally very excited about the new phones Tracfone releases, because we like the value (cost vs benefits) Tracfone provides and the new phones bring.

However, over the years there have been several phones released by Tracfone that have really been pretty poor, especially as we've had time to look at user reviews and compare them to other devices.

So which Tracfone cell phones are the worst? We're going to share our pick below!

Before we get to our pick, we want to clarify a few things first.

What Makes a Phone 'Bad'

We want to quickly clarify how we are defining a 'bad' phone. Basically any phone that either:

  • Has issues that the majority of users experience - thus not a case of one defective phone, but all phones being defective.
  • Or lacks proper features/specs to make the phone usable for the majority of people (and there are other phones available that do).

Both of these points are sometimes hard to recognize in a newly released phone because we either don't have enough input from user reviews, or we don't have other phones to compare the new device to.

Over time we are able to gain a better picture of whether a phone is 'good' or 'bad' based on how it is performing, and how it compares to other phones available.

This brings us to an important point:

'Bad' Phones can Still be 'Good' for Some People

Let's be clear, each person has different needs and expectations for a phone, and so some phones may not meet the needs/expectations of the majority of people, but for a few people it may perfectly meet their need.

Some Tracfone users prefer a smaller touchscreen and don't want the features that come with an Android powered smartphone.

So while we will be highlighting a few phones and designating them as 'bad' phones, they may still be a good choice for some people.

Drop a comment below if you want to add your thoughts on 'good' and 'bad' phones, or if we weren't clear in defining this.

Now, let's get to our picks for the worst Tracfone cell phones.

The Worst Tracfone Cell Phone

There are three phones that rise to the top of the list for worst cell phone from Tracfone. Number two and three are the ZTE Valet and the LG Optimus Dynamic. These two phones are basically tied for second worst phones from Tracfone.

The LG Optimus Dynamic, when it was released, had some of the best and most advanced features for a Tracfone device yet. It came with Android version 2.3 which allowed users access to thousands of apps on Google Play. Until the Optimus Dynamic, Tracfone users had not had access to a true smartphone.

When the LG Optimus Dynamic was only about $20, I picked one up and enjoyed using it for a while.

However, the Dynamic had a major flaw which brings it onto our list - very little internal memory for installing apps (the phone has 1 GB internal memory, but less than 200 MB that is actually usable)

One of the major strengths of a smartphone is the ability to install applications that can do many different things. So when the Optimus Dynamic could only hold a small handful of apps, it was defeating the purpose of being a smartphone. Some users were able to move apps to the external SD card, but not all users were interested in trying this, and were left with a phone that would often have 'memory full' messages pop up.

If you're looking for new apps, take a look at our List of the Best Apps for Android which may contain some new ideas for you!

The ZTE Valet came after the Optimus Dynamic, and improved on it in a few ways, such as a newer OS, Android 4.1. However the quality of the Valet was soon brought into question as many users noticed both poor sound quality when making phone calls, and poor WiFi reception in their home.

unimax maxpatriot worst cell phone
The Worst Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot
These issues were prevalent for the majority of Valet users and caused many to look for a new phone soon after getting the Valet. The new and improved LG Optimus Dynamic II was a popular choice. Let's hope the issues with the ZTE Valet are cleared up for the more recently released ZTE Quartz.

And finally, the worst phone released by Tracfone is the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Unlike the ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic, the MaxPatriot was an inferior phone from the start. When it was released there were several other phones from Tracfone that were significantly better (specifically, the LG Ultimate 2). Plus, user comments and reviews quickly outlined a number of quality issues with the phone, and the phone manufacturer.

It is the only phone that we couldn't recommend for anyone, because there were phones that were both better and cheaper available at the same time. But some people still decided to try out the Unimax, and here are some of their comments:

bad tracfone reviews
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot
unimax MaxPatriot worst phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot


And finally this user was clearly unhappy with the Unimax phone:

worst tracfone cell phone
Comment on the Unimax MaxPatriot








Other comments were more restrained and merely read, "ditto on all the bad reviews."

To be fair, there were some comments from users who actually liked the phone, or at least weren't unhappy with it.

While there are other phones from Tracfone that do have their issues, none (as far as we know) were as bad as the Unimax MaxPatriot.

Let us know in the comments what your choice for the worst Tracfone would be, or if you have had a good experience with any of the phones in our list.

If you're looking for a new phone, we recommend taking a look at our Tracfone BYOP page where you can learn all about bringing your own phone to Tracfone. This includes a wide variety of GSM and CDMA phones, and even 4G LTE devices. You can find a list of compatible phones on that page as well.

We also recently reviewed the Call Detector App, which you can use on Android devices to block unwanted calls.

Stay up to date with the latest Tracfone news and information by following us on Facebook! As Black Friday and Christmas approach, Tracfone has traditionally released new phones or great deals, and we will share them both on the Facebook page, and here on the blog as we find them.

Thanks for visiting and we hope this post was useful and informative!


Tag : , , ,

Wednesday 14 October 2015

How to Block Unwanted Calls and Texts on Tracfone - The Call Detector App

Block Telemarketing Calls on your Smartphone with Call Detector App Below we review and discuss an app available for Android users that can ...
Artikel Cell Phone Tips, Artikel Tracfone Android Smartphones,

Block Telemarketing Calls on your Smartphone with Call Detector App

Below we review and discuss an app available for Android users that can block unwanted calls. TracfoneReviewer is a blog dedicated to providing resources and information about Tracfone, and we share lots of different things from cell phone reviews to promotional codes. So have a look around if you want to learn more about Tracfone!

block phone number tracfone
How to Block Unwanted Phone Calls
Many Tracfone users find it even more annoying than the average person when they receive a telemarketing or other unwanted call because it costs airtime. Even if you answer, then then hang up moments later, it will still deduct minutes form your Tracfone account.


The only way to combat this for many users was to try and pay close attention to who was calling, and then simply try to avoid answering it. But this isn't always possible, and sometimes we answer the phone without thinking.

Unwanted texts are also another way we lose valuable minutes. And on Android phones, there isn't a way to choose which texts you open (and pay for) and which you don't. So any text you receive on an Android phone reduces your remaining text balance.

Well Tracfone must have noticed consumers dissatisfaction with this, because they recently started promoting a free App for Android phones that says it will, "block any unwanted phone calls as well as automatically block all known scam callers."

So does this app work and will it block those annoying telemarketers? We're here to test it and find out, and then share the results with you below.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company. They offer both cell phones, and prepaid airtime that allows users to pay for only what they plan to use. You can learn more about Tracfone by reading our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.

What is the Call Detector App?

The Call Detector App makes it possible to select numbers from your contact list or recent callers and choose to block their number. This is really great if you tend to get a lot of unwanted calls form the same number.

Call Detector offers several more features as well:

  • Automatically block known scammers
  • Identify incoming telemarketing and debt collection calls
  • block all incoming private or blocked numbers
  • Easily report telemarketers/debt collectors through the app
  • Caller ID (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)
  • Reverse number lookup (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)

The app is free to download, but does offer a premium upgrade that removes ads, and allows users to have unlimited Caller ID and Reverse number lookup, among other bonuses.

The Call Detector App says it was specifically created for Tracfone and Tracfone's other companies like Straight Talk and Net10.

Now we want to share what we thought of the app in our review of the Call Detector app.

Call Detector App Review - Testing the App

how to block calls on tracfone
Call Detector App Homescreen
We tested the Call Detector app on an LG Ultimate 2 active with Tracfone service and had no trouble downloading the app from Google Play, and quickly loading it up onto our homescreen. (we also tried downloading it on a Moto G 1st Gen that isn't active on any network, and the app wouldn't connect.)

The app takes up about 9 MB of space on the internal memory, which isn't very much, and not a problem for the Ultimate 2 that comes with around 4 GB internal memory, but for some of the older Android phones you may not have much room to work with.

When loading up the app you will have to give Call Detector access to a number of different things on your phone, but this is what allows the app to automatically block calls, and select numbers to block from your list of received calls.

The home screen is simple, and we were able to quickly view either a list of our contacts, or recently received calls and choose from these lists any phone numbers we wanted to block. You can also choose to view the apps activity (what phone calls it has blocked), file a complaint through the app, look up a number, or purchase the full version.

We selected a few numbers to block, and then tested the app by using those numbers to call the phone. When a blocked number calls, you briefly see the call screen flash on the smartphone's screen, and then the call is disconnected. In the app's activity section, you get to see who called and what time they called.

We also tested blocking text messages, which we can't tell if this app is supposed to block. It does track both the number of calls blocked and texts, but in our test the text message was not blocked. We're going to continue testing this.

Looking up numbers is also a convenient feature on the Call Detector app and sometimes we would get the name of the caller, other times just the location of where they were calling from. With the free version of the app you only have a certain number of numbers you can look up.

We were not able to test the app's claim that it automatically blocks known scammers, or can automatically notify you if the caller is a telemarketer or debt collector - we just haven't received any calls like this yet. But if you test this out, let us know in the comments how the app functions for you.

Does the Call Detector App Work?

Well, yes, it does seem to work well at blocking numbers you choose for it to block. This is very handy if there are certain callers who keep bothering you. Will it block text messages or automatically block telemarketers? We couldn't quite determine this and will continue to investigate.

Overall we found this app was well designed, looked good and functioned as expected. On Google Play it is rated 4.2 stars out of 5, which is a good rating. It also has more than 100,000 downloads and will work on Android versions 2.3 or higher.

There are a variety of other call blocking apps available on Google Play, but none of them seemed any better than Call Detector.

If you're tired of getting sales calls, or just want to block a few numbers, Call Detector is a great app for doing that.

You can read more about Call Detector, and download it for yourself, on Google Play.

We hope this information is helpful for you! Leave a comment if you have any questions, or want to share your experience using this app.

If you're interested in what Android phones Tracfone has to offer, take a look at our recently updated List of Tracfone Android phones. You can see all the smartphones available from Tracfone, and quickly compare some of the key features from each phone.

You may also be interested in the Tracfone BYOP program, which allows consumers to bring their own smartphone to use with Tracfone, including both GSM and CDMA 4G LTE devices.

Thanks for Visiting, and don't forget to join us on Facebook!

Block Telemarketing Calls on your Smartphone with Call Detector App

Below we review and discuss an app available for Android users that can block unwanted calls. TracfoneReviewer is a blog dedicated to providing resources and information about Tracfone, and we share lots of different things from cell phone reviews to promotional codes. So have a look around if you want to learn more about Tracfone!

block phone number tracfone
How to Block Unwanted Phone Calls
Many Tracfone users find it even more annoying than the average person when they receive a telemarketing or other unwanted call because it costs airtime. Even if you answer, then then hang up moments later, it will still deduct minutes form your Tracfone account.


The only way to combat this for many users was to try and pay close attention to who was calling, and then simply try to avoid answering it. But this isn't always possible, and sometimes we answer the phone without thinking.

Unwanted texts are also another way we lose valuable minutes. And on Android phones, there isn't a way to choose which texts you open (and pay for) and which you don't. So any text you receive on an Android phone reduces your remaining text balance.

Well Tracfone must have noticed consumers dissatisfaction with this, because they recently started promoting a free App for Android phones that says it will, "block any unwanted phone calls as well as automatically block all known scam callers."

So does this app work and will it block those annoying telemarketers? We're here to test it and find out, and then share the results with you below.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company. They offer both cell phones, and prepaid airtime that allows users to pay for only what they plan to use. You can learn more about Tracfone by reading our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.

What is the Call Detector App?

The Call Detector App makes it possible to select numbers from your contact list or recent callers and choose to block their number. This is really great if you tend to get a lot of unwanted calls form the same number.

Call Detector offers several more features as well:

  • Automatically block known scammers
  • Identify incoming telemarketing and debt collection calls
  • block all incoming private or blocked numbers
  • Easily report telemarketers/debt collectors through the app
  • Caller ID (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)
  • Reverse number lookup (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)

The app is free to download, but does offer a premium upgrade that removes ads, and allows users to have unlimited Caller ID and Reverse number lookup, among other bonuses.

The Call Detector App says it was specifically created for Tracfone and Tracfone's other companies like Straight Talk and Net10.

Now we want to share what we thought of the app in our review of the Call Detector app.

Call Detector App Review - Testing the App

how to block calls on tracfone
Call Detector App Homescreen
We tested the Call Detector app on an LG Ultimate 2 active with Tracfone service and had no trouble downloading the app from Google Play, and quickly loading it up onto our homescreen. (we also tried downloading it on a Moto G 1st Gen that isn't active on any network, and the app wouldn't connect.)

The app takes up about 9 MB of space on the internal memory, which isn't very much, and not a problem for the Ultimate 2 that comes with around 4 GB internal memory, but for some of the older Android phones you may not have much room to work with.

When loading up the app you will have to give Call Detector access to a number of different things on your phone, but this is what allows the app to automatically block calls, and select numbers to block from your list of received calls.

The home screen is simple, and we were able to quickly view either a list of our contacts, or recently received calls and choose from these lists any phone numbers we wanted to block. You can also choose to view the apps activity (what phone calls it has blocked), file a complaint through the app, look up a number, or purchase the full version.

We selected a few numbers to block, and then tested the app by using those numbers to call the phone. When a blocked number calls, you briefly see the call screen flash on the smartphone's screen, and then the call is disconnected. In the app's activity section, you get to see who called and what time they called.

We also tested blocking text messages, which we can't tell if this app is supposed to block. It does track both the number of calls blocked and texts, but in our test the text message was not blocked. We're going to continue testing this.

Looking up numbers is also a convenient feature on the Call Detector app and sometimes we would get the name of the caller, other times just the location of where they were calling from. With the free version of the app you only have a certain number of numbers you can look up.

We were not able to test the app's claim that it automatically blocks known scammers, or can automatically notify you if the caller is a telemarketer or debt collector - we just haven't received any calls like this yet. But if you test this out, let us know in the comments how the app functions for you.

Does the Call Detector App Work?

Well, yes, it does seem to work well at blocking numbers you choose for it to block. This is very handy if there are certain callers who keep bothering you. Will it block text messages or automatically block telemarketers? We couldn't quite determine this and will continue to investigate.

Overall we found this app was well designed, looked good and functioned as expected. On Google Play it is rated 4.2 stars out of 5, which is a good rating. It also has more than 100,000 downloads and will work on Android versions 2.3 or higher.

There are a variety of other call blocking apps available on Google Play, but none of them seemed any better than Call Detector.

If you're tired of getting sales calls, or just want to block a few numbers, Call Detector is a great app for doing that.

You can read more about Call Detector, and download it for yourself, on Google Play.

We hope this information is helpful for you! Leave a comment if you have any questions, or want to share your experience using this app.

If you're interested in what Android phones Tracfone has to offer, take a look at our recently updated List of Tracfone Android phones. You can see all the smartphones available from Tracfone, and quickly compare some of the key features from each phone.

You may also be interested in the Tracfone BYOP program, which allows consumers to bring their own smartphone to use with Tracfone, including both GSM and CDMA 4G LTE devices.

Thanks for Visiting, and don't forget to join us on Facebook!

Block Telemarketing Calls on your Smartphone with Call Detector App

Below we review and discuss an app available for Android users that can block unwanted calls. TracfoneReviewer is a blog dedicated to providing resources and information about Tracfone, and we share lots of different things from cell phone reviews to promotional codes. So have a look around if you want to learn more about Tracfone!

block phone number tracfone
How to Block Unwanted Phone Calls
Many Tracfone users find it even more annoying than the average person when they receive a telemarketing or other unwanted call because it costs airtime. Even if you answer, then then hang up moments later, it will still deduct minutes form your Tracfone account.


The only way to combat this for many users was to try and pay close attention to who was calling, and then simply try to avoid answering it. But this isn't always possible, and sometimes we answer the phone without thinking.

Unwanted texts are also another way we lose valuable minutes. And on Android phones, there isn't a way to choose which texts you open (and pay for) and which you don't. So any text you receive on an Android phone reduces your remaining text balance.

Well Tracfone must have noticed consumers dissatisfaction with this, because they recently started promoting a free App for Android phones that says it will, "block any unwanted phone calls as well as automatically block all known scam callers."

So does this app work and will it block those annoying telemarketers? We're here to test it and find out, and then share the results with you below.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a prepaid wireless cell phone company. They offer both cell phones, and prepaid airtime that allows users to pay for only what they plan to use. You can learn more about Tracfone by reading our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.

What is the Call Detector App?

The Call Detector App makes it possible to select numbers from your contact list or recent callers and choose to block their number. This is really great if you tend to get a lot of unwanted calls form the same number.

Call Detector offers several more features as well:

  • Automatically block known scammers
  • Identify incoming telemarketing and debt collection calls
  • block all incoming private or blocked numbers
  • Easily report telemarketers/debt collectors through the app
  • Caller ID (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)
  • Reverse number lookup (only limited number of uses on free version of the app)

The app is free to download, but does offer a premium upgrade that removes ads, and allows users to have unlimited Caller ID and Reverse number lookup, among other bonuses.

The Call Detector App says it was specifically created for Tracfone and Tracfone's other companies like Straight Talk and Net10.

Now we want to share what we thought of the app in our review of the Call Detector app.

Call Detector App Review - Testing the App

how to block calls on tracfone
Call Detector App Homescreen
We tested the Call Detector app on an LG Ultimate 2 active with Tracfone service and had no trouble downloading the app from Google Play, and quickly loading it up onto our homescreen. (we also tried downloading it on a Moto G 1st Gen that isn't active on any network, and the app wouldn't connect.)

The app takes up about 9 MB of space on the internal memory, which isn't very much, and not a problem for the Ultimate 2 that comes with around 4 GB internal memory, but for some of the older Android phones you may not have much room to work with.

When loading up the app you will have to give Call Detector access to a number of different things on your phone, but this is what allows the app to automatically block calls, and select numbers to block from your list of received calls.

The home screen is simple, and we were able to quickly view either a list of our contacts, or recently received calls and choose from these lists any phone numbers we wanted to block. You can also choose to view the apps activity (what phone calls it has blocked), file a complaint through the app, look up a number, or purchase the full version.

We selected a few numbers to block, and then tested the app by using those numbers to call the phone. When a blocked number calls, you briefly see the call screen flash on the smartphone's screen, and then the call is disconnected. In the app's activity section, you get to see who called and what time they called.

We also tested blocking text messages, which we can't tell if this app is supposed to block. It does track both the number of calls blocked and texts, but in our test the text message was not blocked. We're going to continue testing this.

Looking up numbers is also a convenient feature on the Call Detector app and sometimes we would get the name of the caller, other times just the location of where they were calling from. With the free version of the app you only have a certain number of numbers you can look up.

We were not able to test the app's claim that it automatically blocks known scammers, or can automatically notify you if the caller is a telemarketer or debt collector - we just haven't received any calls like this yet. But if you test this out, let us know in the comments how the app functions for you.

Does the Call Detector App Work?

Well, yes, it does seem to work well at blocking numbers you choose for it to block. This is very handy if there are certain callers who keep bothering you. Will it block text messages or automatically block telemarketers? We couldn't quite determine this and will continue to investigate.

Overall we found this app was well designed, looked good and functioned as expected. On Google Play it is rated 4.2 stars out of 5, which is a good rating. It also has more than 100,000 downloads and will work on Android versions 2.3 or higher.

There are a variety of other call blocking apps available on Google Play, but none of them seemed any better than Call Detector.

If you're tired of getting sales calls, or just want to block a few numbers, Call Detector is a great app for doing that.

You can read more about Call Detector, and download it for yourself, on Google Play.

We hope this information is helpful for you! Leave a comment if you have any questions, or want to share your experience using this app.

If you're interested in what Android phones Tracfone has to offer, take a look at our recently updated List of Tracfone Android phones. You can see all the smartphones available from Tracfone, and quickly compare some of the key features from each phone.

You may also be interested in the Tracfone BYOP program, which allows consumers to bring their own smartphone to use with Tracfone, including both GSM and CDMA 4G LTE devices.

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