4G Lte With Tracfone Byop

Use 4G LTE Smartphones with Tracfone BYOP program

This post details the latest on Tracfone BYOP and 4G LTE. We will continue to update it, as well as our main Tracfone BYOP page which also contains a list of compatible phones. 

Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE 

We are excited to share the news that Tracfone has now opened their BYOP agenda to 4G Smartphones! Previously, only Verizon compatible 3G phones were capable of being used with Tracfone BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone). This meant the best phones you could get were the iPhone 4s, Moto G, and other similar types. While these smartphones are great, they are not top of the line.

With 4G LTE now available with Tracfone, you can use the iPhone 6, or a Samsung Galaxy S6, or many other high-end devices and get the fastest data speeds. The only requirement is that it must be able to connect with Verizon 4G service to activate.

We will dive into more details on activating your phone and what kind of requirements there are after we cover the basics of how the Tracfone BYOP agenda works.

UPDATE: Tracfone is now offering Activation Kits for both CDMA and GSM devices. It appears that you can bring GSM devices compatible with AT&T to use with Tracfone BYOP. We will be sharing more details about this in a new post very soon.

How Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE Works

Using a 4G LTE device with Tracfone BYOP works similarly to bringing a 3G device to Tracfone. You will need to have your own smartphone, and it needs to be compatible with Verizon service.

Tracfone contracts with Verizon to use their cell towers for service, but everything goes through Tracfone. If you go outside the coverage of Verizon, you may lose service, or run on lower speeds.

To get started with Tracfone BYOP, you will visit this Tracfone page and check that your phone is compatible by entering your ZIP code and MEID/ESN. Following the steps, you will be prompted to buy an activation kit, which will give you a SIM card and Network Access Code.

Additionally, you can go over to SaveonTracfone.com and buy the Activation kit there. You can choose between the 4G LTE and 3G kits, and it might be a few dollars cheaper.

Most users are reporting a quick and painless process, but you should be prepared if something doesn't work right, and you need to make a phone call to customer service.

Phone Requirements and Activating on Tracfone BYOP

Activation Card for 4G LTE

The requirements for what kind of phone can be activated with 4G service on Tracfone seems a little more straightforward than before. You need a device that is compatible with Verizon 4G LTE, which includes a wide variety of top of the line devices. It also needs a clean ESN, which means it can't be in contract, or stolen.

A 4G LTE device will need a SIM card to connect with Tracfone, and this will come with your activation kit. On a side note, once you have activated a Verizon compatible 4G LTE device, you can take the SIM and move it to many other devices that would not be able to activate on their own. Not all the details are clear on this, but many users are confirming switching between devices.

This could be very convenient for those who want to have a backup device, since you could just buy another phone, and then switch the SIM card to it if you ever needed to.

To activate your phone, make sure you have the 4G LTE activation kit (or start by getting it, which will be mailed to you in about a day) and then proceed through the steps on the Tracfone website or by calling Tracfone.

To review, here are the steps:

1. Get a 4G LTE compatible smartphone that runs on Verizon and has a clean ESN (is not on contract or stolen) and test it on the Tracfone BYOP website.

2. Follow the steps on Tracfone and purchase your Activation kit (SIM card) and Network Access Code. The SIM card will be mailed to you. You can Also purchase this through SaveOnTracfone.com.

3. Activate your 4G device only at Tracfone.com or over the phone.

If you have thoughts or questions on this process, check out the comments below.

Where to Find Phones for Tracfone BYOP

You need a 4G LTE capable device that is for Verizon service (CDMA) to use it with Tracfone BYOP. Fortunately, there are many different phone options, and many different retailers to choose from. Used or new will work, as long as they are not currently under contract.

One of the cheapest and easiest places to find phones is online. You can quickly browse many different options and price points, as well as used, new and refurbished. Follow the links below to get started and see some of the options. Once you have a certain phone in mind, you can search for that device.

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on Amazon

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on eBay

There are many more retailers to search including Newegg, BestBuy and more.

To get some ideas, and for a full list of compatible phones for both 3G and 4G LTE, visit our Tracfone BYOP page.

We hope this covers the exciting news about Tracfone's slow expansion into 4G LTE and hope that they will also add support for 4G on GSM networks.

Please let us know if we missed anything, we strive to provide accurate and helpful information!

If you're interested in other phone options, visit our LG Ultimate 2, which was our pick for the Best Tracfone Smartphone.

We have also created a list of the best Apps for Android with more than 40 great apps, almost all of which are free. I have found Clean Master App to be very handy for keeping my phone running well, and reducing wasted space.

Thanks for Visiting!

How To Buy Only Texts For Your Tracfone Smartphone

How Texting Works with Tracfone and How to Add More

Get Extra Texts with a Text Airtime Card

For many of us, texting is our biggest drain of minutes on our Tracfone smartphone. And up until now, the only way to add more texts was by getting a card for more calling and data as well.

With Tracfone, you buy phones and prepaid minutes to allow you to make calls, send texts and surf the web on data. Tracfone sells a variety of prepaid cards, and each card adds more texts, data and calling minutes at the same time. However, with Android powered devices, your texts, data and calling minutes are split up, so you can run out of data or texts and have to buy more calling minutes to refill your data and texts, even if you don't want any more calling minutes.

But Tracfone has just added a new prepaid card you can purchase to add additional text messages to your phone. (available on the Tracfone site here and in many retail stores, including Walmart and Target)

Now you can buy extra cards for data, or texts without spending more on calling minutes.

This is great news, especially as Tracfone offers more and more smartphones, including through their 4G LTE BYOP program. And remember that these data and text specific cards only work with smartphones.

Let's explain how each of these cards work, and how much it costs.

Buy Only Data or Text Messages for your Tracfone Smartphone

Update: We've just created a Full Comparison of Tracfone Airtime Cards which looks at which airtime card is the best deal, and includes information on text and data only cards.

There are three kinds of prepaid cards you can buy from Tracfone to use with your smartphone:

Airtime Cards - available for all phones
Data Cards - only available with smartphones
Text Cards - only available with smartphones

Text Refill Card available at Target

Airtime cards provide you with a certain number of minutes, as well as service days. Here is the list of card amounts and service days. Remember, all smartphones also receive Triple Minutes, which triples each of these cards when you add them to your phone.

• 60 Minute Card comes with 90 service days (with a smartphone, split into 60 calling minutes, 60 texts, and 60 mb of data) - $20
• 120 Minute Card come with 90 service days - $30
• 200 Minute Card comes with 90 service days - $40
• 450 Minute Card comes with 90 service days - $80
• 400 Minute Card comes with 365 service days - $100
• 1000 Minute Card comes with 365 service days - $160 (online only)
• 1500 Minute Card comes with 365 service days - $200 (online only)
• There are also Smartphone Only airtime cards that offer various amounts of Talk, Text and Data.

Data Cards will give you additional data, but nothing else, no additional service days are added. We would recommend trying to use your home or work WiFi that is free, rather than using data unless you need it. Here are the data cards available.

Please Note - These numbers have changes, and you can now get 1 GB for $10 on the Tracfone website

• 300 MB - $10
• 750 MB - $20
• 2 GB - $50

And finally, Text Cards can be added to give additional text messages to your smartphone. Again, no additional service days are added. There is currently only one option for adding more texts to your phone.

Price reduced to $5 on Tracfone website

• 1000 texts - $10  Now $5!

At first glance, 1000 texts for $5 looks like a good deal, but is it? Let's break it down.

Comparing the Cost Per Text for Airtime and Text Cards

Tracfone Airtime Card

Is it cheaper to buy an Airtime card or a Text card to refill your Texts?

If you buy the 60 Minute Airtime card, you will get 60 texts, which is automatically tripled to 180 on all smartphones (you also get 180 calling minutes, and 180 mb of data, plus 90 days of service) for $20. This works out to just over 11 cents per text - not great.

But if you got the 450 Minute Airtime card you will get 450 texts, tripled to 1350 for $80. This comes to about 6 cents per text, which is better, but not great.

What if you went for the 1500 Minute Airtime card which gives 1500 texts, tripled to 4500 for $200. You would be paying 4.4 cents per text.

And what does the 1000 texts for $5 come to per text? 1/2 cent per text. Let's put all the number together:

60 Minute Card = 11 Cents per Text
450 Minute Card = 6 Cents per Text
1500 Minute Card = 4.4 Cents per Text
1000 Texts Card = 1/2 Cent per Text

As you can clearly see, if you only need text messages for your phone, the special text card is the best deal. But if you need additional calling, data or service days, the 1500 Minute Card is the next best deal.

So what should you do if you need just a few calling and data minutes, plus service days, but go through texts quickly? Try this setup:

Join the Tracfone Family Value Plan which is $10 for the first user, and $6 for each user after that. You get 50 minutes, plus 30 service days each month, and additional users get 40 minutes.

So you would have 150 Calling minutes, 150 mb of data, and 150 texts for $10 per month. Then you can buy the text refill card, which would give you 1000 texts for just $10. You would have a total of 1150 texts per month, for just $20. And other users could do the same.

This is a great option for families with teenagers who will mostly use text messages.

We hope this analysis is help for you if you're comparing airtime cards. Drop us a comment below if you have questions, or additional insight to share.

Be sure to take a look at our 4G LTE devices like the iPhone 6, that you can use with Tracfone.

You may also be interested in our Android Tracfone List which shares a summary of each of the smartphones available from Tracfone.

And don't forget about our Tracfone Promo Code page, even though you can't use them with Android phones, you can still use them for all the other devices.

Thanks for visiting!

Lg Sunset Review - Tracfone Gsm 4G Lte Smartphone

Review of the LG L33L Sunset from Tracfone with 4G LTE

This post shares the latest details on the LG Sunset from Tracfone. The Sunset is the second Android smartphone from Tracfone that uses GSM service. It is the first smartphone that is 4G LTE capable. This review by , while cover the important specs and features, and include a comparison to other devices, and where to buy the phone.

LG Sunset with 4G LTE 

Tracfone has released the first 4G LTE capable device for use with their prepaid service and it is called the LG Sunset (LG L33L). It is also unique being only the second Android device available for use with GSM networks. The LG Sunrise L16G (hopefully we won't get confused), is also a GSM capable device released by Tracfone, but with a smaller screen, lesser specs and no 4G.

Update - It appears that Tracfone is also retailing the LG Destiny (L21G), which is exactly the same as the Sunset as far as we can tell.

For those who might be unfamiliar with Tracfone, they are a wireless prepaid service provider who also offers cell phones to use on their low cost service. Tracfone contracts with major service providers like AT&T and Verizon to use their networks for Tracfone prepaid service.

Tracfone also allows users to bring their own phones to Tracfone, recently adding GSM devices to their list of CDMA smartphones approved for use. Visit our Tracfone BYOP page for more information on that.

Over the last few years Tracfone has steadily closed the gulf that had opened between the phones they offered, and the phones available to consumers on other networks. At first we got very basic Android devices that were seriously lacking. But slowly more CDMA smartphones with better specs appeared.

And now Tracfone takes another step forward in closing the gulf (or, at least, not letting it get wider), but releasing the first 4G LTE capable device.

Tracfone had already been allowing customers to bring 4G LTE capable devices to use with Tracfone BYOP by purchasing an Activation Kit, but the LG Sunset is the first phone available directly through Tracfone.

Well, enough about the background details, let's take a look at this Android smartphone and see how it stacks up.

LG Sunset Features and Specs

Below are the features for the LG Sunset, followed by the technical specifications

LG Sunset Features and Details

• Android 5.0.1 Lollipop
• 4G LTE Connectivity through AT&T GSM Service
• WiFI
• GPS
• Bluetooth 4.1
• 5MP Camera (with Auto-focus and Flash) VGA Front Camera
• Hearing Aid Compatible
• Hands free Speaker
• Triple Minutes for Life
• Access to over a Million apps through Google Play store
• Micro SD Slot for up to 32GB External Memory

LG Sunset Technical Specs List

• Size: 5.11" x 2.55" x 0.43"
• 4.5" Touchscreen (480x854 at 218 DPI)
• 1.2 Ghz Quad Core Processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 GB Internal Memory (about 3-4 GB use-able)
• Battery: 10 hrs Talk Time, 10 Days Standby, 1900 mAh battery

A great list of features and specs for the Sunset, but does it remind you of another phone? It should! It has the same features and specs as the LG Power (L22C) and LG Destiny (L21G) except for the 4G LTE connectivity. In case you were wondering, the 'L' in the Sunset's L33L name is for LTE. (However, the LG L21G is also listed as featuring 4G speed).

Let's get into some of the things we like and dislike about the LG Sunset.

LG Sunset Review - Likes and Dislikes

We will begin with the features we like best.

LG Sunset Likes

LG Sunset front, side and back

The Sunset is a really great device, so it is easy to run down a list of the features we are excited about in this device. The screen size is the same as the LG Power and LG Ultimate 2, at 4.5" which is a convenient size for most people.

Just like the Power, the LG Sunset comes with 1 GB RAM, 8 GB Internal Memory and a 1.2 Ghz Quad Core Processor. These are all very adequate and about the best you can get from Tracfone at this time. The Internal Memory is 8 GB, but closer to half of that is actually use-able. 4 GB is enough space for a variety of apps, but you won't be able to fit your music or video library on the phone without an External Micro SD card.

Android 5.0.1 is another prominent feature of the LG Sunset. If you prefer this newer version of Android, you will be happy to see it on the Sunset.

The biggest feature on the LG Sunset is the ability to connect to 4G LTE service through AT& GSM cell towers. Tracfone has contracted with AT&T to use their existing network of service to run Tracfone devices. With 4G LTE you get faster download speeds when surfing the internet on your phone so less time waiting for a video to load.

Previously, Tracfone only had Android smartphones available on Verizon CDMA networks, limiting consumers who didn't have good Verizon coverage in their area. Now you have another option in AT&T GSM service.

We are very excited about the 4G LTE feature this phone offers, because it is another step forward for Tracfone, getting better and better devices to use on their low cost network.

For a quick comparison of all the Android devices on Tracfone, visit our Android Tracfone List.

Now we will cover a few negatives for the LG Sunset

LG Sunset Dislikes
While there is not a lot we've found about the LG Sunset we don't like, there are a couple of features we would like to see improved.

The rear camera on the Sunset is fairly good with 5MP and autofocus. However the front camera is only 0.3 MP. This is adequate for video chatting, but might be lacking if you started taking photos in challenging lighting. We would want this phone to come with a better camera.

Internal Memory on the LG Sunset is modest, with 8 GB total, but about half of that used by the Operating System. This leaves around 4 GB for storing everything you plan to load on your device. There is an external Micro SD card slot, but not everything can be transferred. Tracfone customers have been longing for a device with better internal memory, and hopefully we will get something with closer to 16 GB in the near future.

Finally, none of the Android devices from Tracfone can be used with Tracfone Promo Codes. You do get Triple Minutes for Life, and minutes are split into text/data/calling, however, promo codes often help many users get enough minutes for their needs.

That covers the main points for the LG Sunset. Remember, you can also check out our Review of the LG Power for additional details and comments, because these phones share many of the same features.

LG Sunset Compared to the LG Ultimate 2, LG Power and BYOP Devices

So how does the Sunset compare to some of the other phones offered by Tracfone?

Well, as you should be aware of, the LG Sunset is basically the same as the LG Power and LG Destiny except for the 4G LTE on GSM networks. If GSM coverage is better in your area, then this phone is your best choice.

Compared to the LG Ultimate 2, the Sunset has slightly better specs, like a quad core processor, but abuot the same amount of internal memory. The only reason to switch from the Ultimate 2 would be if you preferred 4G LTE coverage on GSM networks.

As you can probably tell from this review, the main feature for the Sunset is GSM 4G LTE coverage. So if you would rather have GSM coverage, this phone is one of the best options currently available from Tracfone.

If you're not quite sure about what GSM means, visit our guide to the Difference between GSM and CDMA.

So how does the LG Sunset compare to phones you can bring to Tracfone BYOP's GSM service? Well, as you should expect, bringing your own device to Tracfone allows you to access many more options, and most of them are better than the LG Sunset. The Moto G (2nd Gen), LG U2, Samsung Galaxy S3 and other devices in this range can be found for around $200 and will generally come with better and/or larger screens, more internal memory, and perhaps similar or slightly better other features. But if you want to avoid the possible hassles of finding and activating a device on Tracfone BYOP, the Sunset is a great alternative.

Visit our GSM Activation Kit for Tracfone BYOP if you're ready to give it a try.

Conclusion and Where to Find the LG Sunset

We hope this helps you gain a better idea of how the LG L33L Sunset compares to other devices available. We would recommenced it if you are looking for a new device and prefer GSM coverage. We also expect Tracfone to continue to release new devices for GSM, however we don't know what kind of schedule this will follow, or if the devices will be any better than the Sunset.

Overall the LG Sunset is a good device, and a great option if you are looking to buy a smartphone int he near future. We haven't seen the Sunset available on the Tracfone website, but it is available through several other third party retailers.

The LG Sunset was offered for a limited time on HSN for $130 with a 400 Minute/1 Year card, but the price has increased to $150.

You can also find the LG Sunset with a 1 Year/400 Minute card on eBay for $150

We haven't seen the Sunset anywhere else yet, but will update as more buying options become available.

There are plenty of LG Sunset cases on Amazon, because the Sunset shares the same form as the Destiny, Power, Leon and several more devices.

You can take a look at the Interactive Tutorial for the LG Sunset to learn more about how the phone works.

If you're new to Android, you might find our List of the Best Android Apps a good place to start and see all the different possibilities.

Also take a look at our post on How Minutes Work for Android Tracfone Devices. This informative post shares some of the differences between Android phones and Non Android devices, and what it means for your minutes.

Keep up with the latest information and posts from us by joining over 1100 followers on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting and leave a comment with any questions or thoughts on this new smartphone.

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 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 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 sasaran 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 kegiatan 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 . Happy New Year!

New Phones Available For Tracfone Including Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy S5 and 2 More Phones with 4G LTE Service Now Available from Tracfone

This post contains the latest news on the release of three new phones from Tracfone. Check back soon for more information, and full reviews of each of these devices.

New Samsung Devices with 4G LTE available from Tracfone!

Tracfone has released three new smartphone devices for use on their prepaid network. These three new Android phones are the first to use CDMA 4G LTE service, which will allow users to have faster connectivity speeds on their device.

Until now, users who wanted a 4G LTE capable device had to either use the GSM LG Sunset, or use their own device on the BYOP program. Now users have the option to choose one of these three news smartphones from Tracfone.

The three new phones are the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy E5, and Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. We are going to share a little about each phone, and also include where you can find these devices. We will also be working on our reviews for each of these phones in the near future, so stay tuned for that.

What is really exciting beyond the fact that these new phones use CDMA 4G LTE technology is that these smartphones are some of the most advanced devices, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S5. However, that appears to come at a price.

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S5 Quick Look

Take a look at our full Review of the S5.

The Samsung Galaxy S5, when it was released in April 2014, was one of the best devices available that money could buy. It is in Samsung's flagship lineup and comes with a full list of great features.

Let's take a brief look at some of the Samsung Galaxy S5's features and specs:

• 5.1" Touchscreen made with Gorilla Glass 3 and 1920x1080 resolution
• 16 MP Rear Camera
• 16 GB Internal Memory with 2 GB RAM and Micro SD card slot
• 2.5 Ghz Quad-core processor
• Android 4.4.2
• And more

These are just some of the more notable features that show that this device is a very capable device even though it is almost 2 years old. There isn't a phone currently available from Tracfone that has the same list of impressive specs. But, as we said, it comes at a price, and that price is $499.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 can be found on HSN bundled with 1200 Minutes. We haven't found it anywhere else yet, but expect it to show up in stores, and on the Tracfone website sometime in the near future.

The question we are asking, however, is would it be cheaper to just buy an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S5 and bring it to Tracfone through the BYOP program? You can find a Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S5 on Amazon for just $235 that can work with either GSM or CDMA. That's less than half the price, although you don't get the 1200 minutes. There are also new S5's for a little over $300 on Amazon and eBay.

What is nice about buying a phone that is released by Tracfone versus using the BYOP aktivitas is that you don't have to worry about comparability issues. You can just buy the phone and activate it. However, if you're looking for the cheapest option, it looks like buying your own unlocked Galaxy S5 and then using the BYOP aktivitas is the best bet. The nice thing about Tracfone BYOP is you can choose from many different devices, and find the phone that will fit your needs at the price you want to pay.

So, we are very excited about the Galaxy S5 coming to Tracfone, but the cost is way beyond the typical sub $200 range most phones from Tracfone are released at. If you've been looking for a high end smartphone from Tracfone, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will not disappoint.

Look for our review soon!

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy E5 Quick Look

The Samsung Galaxy E5 is like the younger brother to the S5. It comes with somewhat reduced performance features, but still has 16 GB of internal memory, which is a huge plus. It is also $150 cheaper than the S5.

Let's take a look at some of the Samsung Galaxy E5's features

• 5.0" touchscreen at 720x1280 resolution
• 8 MP Rear Camera
• 16 GB Internal Memory
• 1.2 Ghz Quad-core processor
• Android 4.4
• And more

As you can see, the Galaxy E5 has a slightly smaller screen, a little less processing power, and a smaller resolution rear camera. It doesn't impress as much as the S5, but it is more budget friendly.

However, as with the Samsung Galaxy S5, we can't help but wonder if you could find a phone similar to the Samsung Galaxy E5 on Amazon or eBay and use it with the Tracfone BYOP program.

The Samsung Galaxy E5 is available on HSN for $350 with 1200 minutes.

We will be working on a review for the E5 very soon!

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy Core Prime Quick Look

The third device released by Tracfone is the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. This Android-powered smartphone is more in line with other smartphones currently available from Tracfone, and the price is actually a really great deal.

The Feature and Specs for the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime are below:

• 4.5" Touchscreen with 480x800 resolution
• 5 MP Rear Camera
• 8 GB Internal Memory
• Android 44
• 1.2 Ghz Quad-core processor
• And More

The Galaxy Core Prime actually matches up very similarly to the LG Sunset which has been available with Tracfone for some months now. They both have 1.2 Ghz processores, both come with 8 GB memory, and both allow 4G LTE connectivity. The Galaxy Core Prime uses CDMA while the Sunset uses GSM.

The real news here is that the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime is available on HSN for $99 with 1200 minutes. So you are basically buying a 1 Year/400 Minute Airtime card and getting a very good Android smartphone for free!

We will be sharing our full review for the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime in the near future!

We are expecting several more Samsung smartphones to be released from Tracfone in the near future, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 is probably the best phone we will see from Tracfone for a little while. Stay up to date with the latest news by following us on Facebook.

Let us know what you think about these new devices, and if you will be spending the money to upgrade.

You can take a look at the other smartphones available from Tracfone on our Android Tracfone List.

Also view our recent list of Deals and Discounts for January 2016.

Thanks for visiting!

Tracfone Survey - Share Your Thoughts On Tracfone And The Blog

Take our Survey and Help Improve the Website! (Closed)

Update! We've received lots of great responses to our survey and have closed it. Thanks to everyone who shared their opinion, and look for the results in a future post!

The blog has been around for several years, and we are looking at gathering more information about what our readers are interested in learning. 

Tracfone Survey

When we first started this blog, Tracfone had not released any smartphones, and all phones from Tracfone could accept promo codes. Times have changed a lot since then, with more and more users switching to Tracfone smartphones or even bringing their own devices to Tracfone. We want to learn more about what our reader base is interested in learning from our blog!

We have created a short survey with twenty questions and would like to ask all of our readers to take a few minutes and fill it out.

We created this survey with three general goals:

• Learn some basic information about our readers including some questions about Tracfone Wireless
• Determine the most popular phones among our readers
• Give our readers an opportunity to share ideas for future topics and what they want to read!

We are excited to give you, our readers, the opportunity to help shape the direction and topics of this blog for the future.

So, are you ready to take the survey? (Update - the survey is now closed)

(closed) Click Here to Take the Survey (on Google Forms) 

We will be compiling the responses after a week or two, and share the findings in another post here on the blog! We are looking forward to providing some interesting pieces of information, including which phone is the most popular with our readers!

Remember that you only need to take the survey once, but you can share it with friends and family who also use Tracfone and would like to share their thoughts and opinions!

We will also be posting updates and information on our Facebook page, so be sure to follow us if you haven't already!

If you're looking for more regular Tracfone related content, take a look at our recent list of Tracfone Deals and Discounts or view the Review of the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is the most advanced phone Tracfone has offered.

Thanks for helping make the blog that it is, and if you have any questions about the survey, leave a comment below!

New Lg And Samsung Smartphones Coming To Tracfone

Samsung Galaxy S6 and other New Android Phones on the Horizon for Tracfone

Below are some details from several new phones that will be coming to Tracfone in the near future. If you're unfamiliar with the blog, take a look around, we share lots of information about Tracfone including reviews, news and promotional codes. 

New Tracfone Smartphones are on the Way!

There is a handful of new Android powered smartphones on the horizon for Tracfone and we are excited to be sharing the details on some of these phones below, including the Samsung Galaxy S6.

While some of these devices will be mid-range phones similar to the LG sunset, many appear to use Android 5.0 or newer. There are also several, including the Galaxy S6, that will have more robust features and performance.

Tracfone continues to expand its offering of smartphones as it slowly works to phase out older, non-smartphone devices. While they still sell and support non-Android phones, many customers have already switched to a smartphone. In a recent survey we conducted here on the blog, 65% of the 260 respondents already used a Tracfone Android device, while only 17% still used a non-Android phone. The remaining 18% use a smartphone on Tracfone BYOP.

We are excited to see more smartphones coming as these new phones might make for good options to upgrade to for those with older Android devices. (also take a look at our Android Tracfone List for the full list of Tracfone's smartphone options.)

The time-frame for when these new devices will be released is unknown, and it could be days or months. We're not even sure where they will be offered, as several recent smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime, have only been available from 3rd party retailer HSN.com. We will update as soon as these details become clear.

The question we are wondering is whether we will see a higher-end smartphone at a more reasonable price. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a high-end phone, but it also comes at a high cost, which many users cannot afford.

Let's go through and take a closer look at some of the more interesting phones that will be coming to Tracfone in the near future. (Note - below are just the Samsung and LG phones coming to Tracfone, we will be writing about the new ZTE phones that are also coming in a future post.)

Samsung Galaxy S6 - Samsung S906L - 4G LTE (CDMA)

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy S6

The Galaxy S6 is Samsung's flagship phone from 2015 and the new version of the Galaxy S5 which was released by Tracfone a few months ago.

While the S6 does come with a number of nice upgrades and new features, it still shares a number of similarities with the older S5. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the S5 already had great features, but if you're expecting a significant change, look elsewhere.

A 5.1" touchscreen and 16 MP Camera come with the S6 (same as the S5) but the screen has higher resolution. The Galaxy S6 also runs Android 5.0 and has 3 GB RAM, plus an improved appearance.

When the Samsung Galaxy S5 was released for Tracfone, it started at $499, so we expect the S6 will (unfortunately) be at a similar price.

The Galaxy S6 has been released and is available from HSN. You can also take a look at our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 for more details, including a comparison to the S5.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime - S920L - 4G LTE (CDMA)

Update - The Galaxy Grand Prime is available for $99 from Bestbuy! (currently on sale, retail price is $149).

The Galaxy Grand Prime is like the older brother of the Galaxy Core Prime which Tracfone released along with the Galaxy S5 a few months ago. The Grand Prime is bigger, more powerful, and can handle more. It comes with Android 5.0, a 5.0" touchscreen and an 8 MP Camera - all improvements over the Core Prime.

This phone (along with some of the others below) will make a great option for many Tracfone users to upgrade to from older smartphones.

No word on the release date, but we think it will be released at the same time as the Galaxy S6 (whenever that might be).

View this devices Tutorial from Tracfone for more details.

(LG K4) -LG L43AL/ LGL44VL

There are quite a few new LG phones on the way, and we will start off with the LG 43AL and 44VL. These two devices are exactly the same, except for one important distinction - the AL version uses AT&T 4G LTE networks while the VL uses Verizon 4G LTE networks. This is great as it allows users to choose this phone no matter if they have CDMA or GSM coverage in their area. (For those who might not know, Tracfone contracts with Verizon for their CDMA network, and AT&T for GSM.)

The L43 and 44 appear to be the Tracfone versions of the LG K4, which is a newer phone only just released in January 2016, and comes with a 4.5" screen, Android 5.1.1, 5 MP camera and quad-core processor among other features. This appears to be very similar to the LG Sunset, but maybe a little newer.

As more details come available we will update them here, but for now you can take a look at the Tracfone tutorials for each of the phones:
LG L43AL Tutorial
LG L44VL Tutorial

LG Treasure (LG K7) - LG L51AL/ LG L52VL

Update - The LG K7 (called the LG Treasure) was briefly available on HSN.com, but after selling out, it is no longer available. The LG Treasure is available for $99 on HSN (listed for $129)

The LG L51AL and L52VL upgraded versions of the two LG phones above, and appear to be the Tracfone version of the LG K7.

It looks like Tracfone will be releasing a whole lineup of LG phones - the K4, K7 and K10 (below) which will provide some really great options for consumers.

As with the K4 above, the LG K7 (L51/L52) was released in the beginning of 2016 and sports some nice features like a 5.0" screen and Android 5.1.1. Further details are a little murky, as there are at least two versions of this phone and we're not sure which version Tracfone will use.

We will be sharing more on this phone as things clear up, for now you can view the Tracfone Tutorials for each device, although we're not sure if they are completely accurate at this time.
LG L51AL Tutorial
LG L52VL Tutorial

LG Premier (LG K10) - LG L61AL/ LG L62VL

Now these new LG phones really start to get interesting. The LG Premier (Tracfone version of the K10) comes with a 5.3" touchscreen, Android 5.1.1, and an 8 MP camera.

It looks like the Premier will also have 16 GB internal memory, a quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM, although we're not sure if the Tracfone version will be exactly the same.

The LG Premier looks like it will make for a really nice upgrade from older Android devices, while hopefully coming in at a price below $200, and maybe even closer to $150.

As with the other phones listed, we will add more details as the information becomes available. For now, take a look at the device tutorials, although we're not confident in their accuracy.
LG L61AL Tutorial
LG L62VL Tutorial

LG Stylo 2 - LG L81L/ LG L82L

LG Stylo 2 for Tracfone

The last phone we're going to look at in this post is the LG L81 and L82, which appear to be the LG Stylo 2.

This phone will have a 5.7" touchscreen display, Android 5.1.1 (or perhaps newer), 8 GB internal memory and 1 GB RAM. There is not a lot of additional information available on the Stylo 2, or what the Tracfone version will offer, but it looks like it will be a fairly powerful but still budget friendly device. We expect it to retail somewhere around $200.

This phone offers a good blend of great features, while still keeping the cost somewhat reasonable and we are excited to see what it will have to offer. You can view the tutorials on the Tracfone website, but, as with some of the other phones above, we're not sure how accurate they are, and some of the information might just be placeholders.

LG L81AL tutorial
LG L82VL tutorial 

Update - The LG Stylo 2 is available on HSN.com with minutes bundle for $199.

That concludes our look at some of the phones that Tracfone will be releasing in the near future. Please leave a comment with which phone is most interesting to you, and if you have any questions or thoughts.

We will be also sharing more about several new ZTE phones in a future post.

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook with more than 1800 other followers.

Check out our recent list of the Best Sales, Discounts and Deals for April 2016.

Thanks for visiting!

Iphone 6S Plus And Other Apple Smartphones Coming To Tracfone

List of Apple iPhone Devices coming to Tracfone

Update 9/16 - Tracfone has released the iPhone 5S, 6 and 6 Plus for use on their prepaid network. See the links below to learn more.

For several years now consumers who wanted to use an iPhone with Tracfone had to go through the BYOP program. But that appears to be changing as Tracfone may be releasing several Apple phones in the near future!

Apple iPhones are Coming to Tracfone

A number of new smartphones have shown up on Tracfone's tutorial site where they list interactive tutorials for current and future phones. Among the new phones listed are several Apple iPhones, including the latest and greatest model, the iPhone 6S Plus

We recently shared details on a number of new LG and Samsung Smartphones Coming to Tracfone, which you can check out to learn about those new phones, and Tracfone has already released several of them, including the LG Treasure and Samsung Galaxy S6 (follow the links to see our reviews of these phones).

Along with the Apple iPhones coming to Tracfone, there are a number of other phones from ZTE, Alcatel and Huawei also listed. We've already seen the ZTE ZMAX 2 available on HSN. We'll be working at sharing more information on these phones soon!

Let's take a look at which iPhones will be coming to Tracfone.

Apple iPhone's Coming to Tracfone:

There are at least six iPhones coming to Tracfone and they are the following:

• iPhone 5S - Now Available (learn more)
• iPhone 6 - Now Available (learn more)
• iPhone 6 Plus - Now Available (learn more)
• iPhone 6S
• iPhone 6S Plus
• iPhone SE

Instead of just one or two options, Tracfone appears to be delivering all of Apples smartphones going back to the 5S, which is the oldest model in this list. We are really impressed that Tracfone is going to be offering so many options, and we want to quickly cover some of the differences between the iPhone models listed above.

Size comparison for iPhones

The iPhone 6 brings a number of improvements over the iPhone 5S, most noticeably a screen size of 4.7" while the 5S only has a 4" screen.  When comparing the 6 to the 6S, there are more subtle changes and improvements. The camera on the 6S features 12 MP and can capture 4K video while the 6 is only 8 MP. Both the iPhone 6 and 6S have a 4.7" screen.

The 6 Plus is just about the same as the 6, but with a larger, 5.5" touchscreen that also has a higher resolution. The 6S vs the 6S Plus has the same setup, with the 6S Plus using a 5.5" screen.

 The last phone in the list is the iPhone SE, which was released about the same time as the 6S and shares various parts from the 6S, 6 and 5S. The SE has a 4" touchscreen, the same size as the 5S, but offers better resolution. It comes with the same fingerprint technology as the iPhone 6, but also has the same 12 MP camera as the 6S, which is one of the best in any smartphone.

While the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus may be the most impressive of the new Apple phones, the iPhone SE coming to Tracfone is what we are most excited about. Why? Because it is a 'budget' iPhone with most of the performance and features of the 6S, but with a much lower cost. An iPhone 6S retails for $649 for the 16GB version, while the iPhone SE starts at $399.

Buying one of these new iPhones from Tracfone isn't going to be cheap, and we suggest that those who are on a tight budget, but still want an iPhone with Tracfone, consider buying a refurbished iPhone on eBay and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program. You can currently get a refurbished iPhone 5S for $189 on eBay. (It seems unlikely any of the Tracfone iPhones will retail for less than $200, and the iPhone 6S will be closer to $700)

Not all Tracfone customers are willing to try the BYOP program, which is why it is so exciting that Tracfone is releasing these Apple Smartphones. We know that for many, the BYOP aktivitas is just too confusing, or they don't want to deal with trying to find a compatible phone. Tracfone has made improvements to they BYOP aktivitas over the last year, but there are still occasional issues our readers report about phones that just won't work for one reason or another.

Buying an Apple smartphone directly through Tracfone will likely be much easier, although any long term Tracfone customer knows it is not always easy with Tracfone.

Tracfone is really speeding up their process for introducing new phones to use with their prepaid service, and we will be doing our best to keep you up to date with the latest news.

We hope you found this information useful, and leave a comment with any thoughts or questions.

You can follow us on Facebook where we post news and updates when we get them. We are also on Google+.

We recently posted the results to a survey we conducted, which included a question about our readers biggest complaint about Tracfone, so take a look if you're interested.

Thanks for visiting!

New Zte And Nexus Smartphones Coming To Tracfone

More New Smartphones Coming Soon - Including ZTE, Alcatel and Nexus Brand Devices

Below is the latest news about several smartphones coming to Tracfone in the near future. strives to share the latest news and information bout Tracfone and we hope you find this useful!

New Smartphones coming to Tracfone

Tracfone is getting busy releasing new smartphones for consumers to use on their prepaid service and we are excited by a number of new mid-level phones by ZTE and Alcatel that will be coming to Tracfone.

We've already covered some of the new LG and Samsung phones that are coming soon, and some of these phones are already available such as the LG Treasure, LG Rebel, LG Stylo 2 and others.

Tracfone is also releasing a number of different Apple iPhone devices, including the iPhone 6 and 6S. Follow the link to learn about these high-end smartphones.

Here we will be sharing news and some basic features/specs about a variety of mostly ZTE merk smartphones, but also some new Alcatel and Huawei (Nexus 6P) devices, that Tracfone will be offering to consumers in the near future.

Some of these phones are actually already available, including the ZTE Lever, ZTE Whirl 2, ZTE Stratos and others.

Tracfone is offering these smartphones through several different channels, with some phones only available on the Tracfone website, others through retailers like BestBuy and WalMart, and a number of Devices only available through HSN.com.

ZTE, Alcatel and Huawei are all Chinese mobile phone manufacturers, with each one offering a wide range of devices. Some of the phones below are very inexpensive, but don't have great features. But several devices do look quite good, and come at a reasonable price. Let's take a look.

New ZTE, Alcatel and Huawei Devices Coming to Tracfone - 2016

We will look at each of the new phones, listing some of the key specs and features and information about availability. 

ZTE Scend Z791G

The Scend is a GSM device that comes with a 4.5" screen, Android 4.4 and 4G connectivity. It isn't overly exciting, but should be available for a reasonable price. It appears to only have about 2 GB usable memory, which may be a serious drawback for some.

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Briefly available from various retailers, current availability unknown.

ZTE Citrine Z716G

Featuring only a 4" touchscreen, the Citrine makes up for it with Android 5.1, 4G LTE, quad-core processor and 8 GB internal memory. It uses GSM networks, which will be AT&T through Tracfone.

Compared to the Scend, the Citrine is better in just about every way if you don't mind the smaller screen. It is also currently available for just $29 through Tracfone.

There will also be a CDMA version of this phone, the Z717C.

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Currently available from Walmart for $49 or available from Tracfone for $29. Will likely be available from other retailers as well.

ZTE Lever Z936VL

Here's a phone that caught our attention, the ZTE Lever. It has a large, 6" touchscreen, 16 GB internal memory, an 8 MP camera, and uses CDMA technology. The only drawback is that it appears to run the older, Android 4.4.

The Lever is retailing for $179, which also includes 1200 minutes and other add-ons. If you're looking for a large screen, this has pretty good bang for your buck. The other option might be the LG Stylo 2 which was just released (also on HSN) and has a 5.7" touchscreen.

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Currently available from HSN.com for $179 with minutes bundle.

ZTE Paragon Z753G 

The Paragon comes with a 4" touchscreen, Android 4.4 and a 5MP camera. Most of the features on the Paragon are not overly exciting, and it is similar to the ZTE Scend. The Paragon is the GSM version of the ZTE Zypher, which was released in 2015 and we already reviewed. Go check our review if you want to learn more, the only difference between these phones is which network they will use (CDMA or GSM).

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Currently available on the Tracfone website for $29.99.

ZTE Whirl 2 

Another Budget friendly smartphone, the Whirl 2 comes with Android 4.3, a 3.5" touchscreen, and 3 MP camera. None of these features are all that impressive, but it does have a quad-core 1.2 Ghz processor. This smartphone has one of the smallest screens, but might be a good option for those who just need a phone for making and receiving calls. 

It is hard for us to find a reason to recommend this phone, other than the fact that it is small. So if you really want a small device, this could be an option. But at $40, there are several phones that are slightly better for a similar price (the Paragon listed above), or some phones that are better for a little more money (like the ZTE Stratos below).

Availability: Currently available on the Tracfone website for $40

ZTE Stratos Z819L

The Stratos is a phone we really like, because it has enough 'good' features that will make it very usable for most people, while still available for a good price.

What kind of features? Well it comes with a 5" touchscreen, Android 5.1, and a 5 MP camera. The Stratos also has 8 GB internal memory and has 4G LTE using CDMA networks.

The ZTE Stratos is currently on sale for $79 from HSN and comes with 1200 minutes - worth $100 by itself. If you're really interested in this phone, you should act quickly, as the price will probably go up to $99 soon.

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Currently available from HSN.com with airtime bundle for $79

ZTE ZMAX 2 Z955L

The ZTE ZMAX 2 is another smartphone that comes with some great features. It has a 5.5" touchscreen, Android 5.1 and an 8 MP camera. It uses 4G LTE through GSM networks and has 16 GB internal memory.

It is a bit more expensive than the Stratos, listed at $149 with airtime bundle from HSN, and it is currently out of stock. But it should be for sale again soon.

Link to Tracfone Interactive Tutorial

Availability: Currently out of stock, listed for $149 from HSN

Alcatel Onetouch Pixi Eclipse

The Pixi Eclipse has a 4" touchscreen, Android 4.4 and a 2 MP camera. It is a budget friendly phone that is low on any exciting features. For most people, some of the other more powerful phones listed above, will probably be a better option.

Availability: Currently available on the Tracfone website for $39.

There are several other Alcatel smartphones that appear to be coming sometime in the near future and have better features. We will update as we learn more.

Huawei Nexus 6P (H1511DL)

Here's a phone some Tracfone customers will be very excited about. When we first saw this phone listed on the Tracfone tutorial site, we didn't recognize it because it was listed as the Huawei H1511DL. But after some quick digging we realized it was the Nexus 6P.

You might be asking, so whats so special about the Nexus 6P? Well, it comes with a number of great features, like a 5.7" touchscreen, 12 MP camera, 3 GB RAM, and much more. It is also special because Huawei made the phone in a partnership with Google, and Nexus phones generally come with less pre-installed apps and other annoying things.

All this will likely come at a cost, and we suspect the Nexus 6P from Tracfone will be listed for somewhere around $500. If you really want this phone with Tracfone, but don't want to pay the price they will charge, you might be able to find refurbished options for less, and bring it to Tracfone's BYOP program.

Availability: The Nexus 6P is currently not available from Tracfone, but we will update as soon as more news is available.

That concludes this list of phones coming soon, and already available. We will be working hard to continue updating with the latest news and details.

Check out our recent list of Deals, Discounts and Sales on Tracfone Devices, which also included some great deals on BYOP compatible phones.

Join nearly 2000 others and follow us on Facebook where we are most available for questions and post news, warta and tips.

Thanks for visiting, leave a comment below to share your thoughts on these new smartphones!