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! 

The Future Of Tracfone In 2018

New Phones, Changes, and Predictions for Tracfone in 2018

Welcome to . We share news, reviews and other information about Tracfone!

The Future of Tracfone in 2018

A New Year is upon us and whether last year was a good year, a bad year, or just another year, it is coming to a close with the opportunity for next year to be something new.

With 2018 here, we are sharing our expectations and predictions for what Tracfone will do in the near year, what we hope Tracfone will do, and also a look back at what went on in 2017 and the major changes and new phones.

Each year we share our predictions and expectations, and you can look back at our post from last year to see how we did.

Remember that this site () is not affiliated with Tracfone in any way. But we are passionate about learning and sharing information, and while our predictions are based on years of experience, they may not always be accurate and so we cannot guarantee any of our predictions.

Let's begin with some of the highlights of 2017.

Looking back at 2017 - Major News and Changes

Tracfone made some significant changes in 2017, and also released several popular phones. Here are the highlights.

• Tracfone Ends Triple Minutes for Life - This was probably the biggest news story from Tracfone from 2017.
• Expended iPhone options including the iPhone 5S, 6 ad 6S and iPhone SE
• Tracfone releases several smartphones with large screens and 16 GB memory/2 GB RAM at under $200 (LG Fiesta 2/Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro)
• Tracfone Expands Brick and Mortar Stores

Although Tracfone released some great phones, they did not help their customer satisfaction level by ending the popular Tripe Minutes for Life program.

Most Popular Phones in 2017
We looked at which of our Tracfone cell phone reviews had the most hits, and created our list from there. This is somewhat unofficial, but we still found it interesting and wanted to share it.

1. Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro
2. LG Fiesta 2 (and LG Fiesta)
3. Samsung Galaxy J3 Luna Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Sky Pro was the most popular phone from last year which comes at no surprise, considering it offers some of the best features and specs of any budget Tracfone to date.

Now that we've looked back at last year, let's get into our predictions and expectations for Tracfone in 2018.

What to Expect From Tracfone in 2018

The Future Phones from Tracfone
We expect Tracfone to release several new phones in the next few months that will be modest upgrades to the current smartphones such as the LG Fiesta 2 and Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro.

In 2017 we saw Tracfone release several popular budget phones from major brands (LG and Samsung), and we predict they will offer updated versions of these phones, or similar offerings.

Tracfone will likely also continue to offer older high end phones at a discount, such as the iPhone SE that they offered in 2017. Could we see the iPhone 8 or other popular high end smartphones? Perhaps, but they will come at a high cost which is .

The Future of Tracfone BYOP
Tracfone's 'Bring Your Own Phone' aktivitas has grown in popularity as they ironed out issues and made most phones compatible. We will have noticed users running into issues activating certain phones, but with enough patience this can usually be overcome. In many cases it is even possible to simply swap the SIM card from one phone to another, effectively switching service to a new phone at any time with no other effort involved.

We expect Tracfone to maintain the GSM or CDMA device to use with Tracfone.

The Future of Airtime
Tracfone will continue to encourage customers to use the smartphone cards instead of the regular airtime cards. For many users, the smartphone cards are a better deal because they offer more data and texts compared to regular cards. But for those who don't use their data or texts, it still doesn't make sense to use smartphone only cards.

A major change from 2017 was when Tracfone stopped including new phones with Triple Minutes for Life. The obvious aim with this is to encourage (force) users to buy the smartphone only cards instead of regular airtime cards (because without triple minutes, the regular airtime cards are not a very god deal).

We don't expect any major changes to Tracfone going forward into 2018 and see them working at streamlining their product offerings to make it more simple, and more attractive to potential customers.

What we Want from Tracfone in 2018

Here are some of the things we want Tracfone to do in 2018 (just in case someone from Tracfone reads this)

Add Triple Minutes for Life Back to New Phones.
While we understand why Tracfone ended triple minutes (to move users to the smartphone only cards) we think they should add triple minutes back to new phones because of the large number of unhappy customers. We noticed numerous comments stating dissatisfaction in Tracfone for changing this from loyal customers. While we hope Tracfone changes this, we don't expect they will.

Improve Customer Service and Fix Lingering Issues with BYOP Compatibility.
Small steps were taken by Tracfone in 2017 to improve customer service by opening several physical stores. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement and we hope they will make customer service more of a priority.

Tracfone also has some lingering issues with the BYOP aktivitas as a number of customers have run into issues trying to activate certain unlocked smartphones. Tracfone needs to fix this immediately.

Add More Budget Smartphones at Reasonable Prices
What we really want from Tracfone are more budget phones with good performance at under $200. Devices with 32 GB of memory and at least 2 GB RAM are generally necessary for an everyday device for most users. There are a number of unlocked devices in the sub $200 range that some consumers are already buying to use with the BYOP aktivitas (such as the Moto E4 Plus) but we want Tracfone to offer them directly for greater availability.

That concludes our Tracfone predictions, expectations and hopes for 2018!

Share your own thoughts in the comments below! What should Tracfone change in 2018?

Join us on Facebook with our growing community of Tracfone users where we share the latest news and information!

If you are new to Tracfone, start with our convenient Beginners Guide to Tracfone which will share the basics of how it all works.

And we also have a Tracfone Airtime comparison for those trying to find the best deal on Tracfone airtime.

Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year!

Tracfone Ends Triple Minutes For Life- What You Need To Know (Updated)

Facts about Tracfone's Triple Minutes for Life Changes

Updated March 2018

Tracfone Triple Minutes for Life

Tracfone has decided to end the Triple Minutes for Life (TMFL) aktivitas that gave all smartphones (both Tracfone branded and unlocked) as well as many feature phones triple the minutes when adding the regular airtime cards. (When adding the 60 minute card, for example, you would get 180 minutes, plus any bonus airtime).

There has been a lot of speculation and questions about whether phones will keep Triple Minutes for Life, if new phones will have it, and if Tracfone is really removing a very popular feature from their phones.

We've gathered information about the changes and contacted Tracfone directly, and now want to try and clear things up and provide the facts for everyone concerned about this.

First off, none of the Smartphone only cards would triple anyway, so these cards are completely unaffected, and if these are the cards you usually get, you are unaffected. In general, the smartphone cards are a better deal (especially for texts and data)l, and you can take a look at our Tracfone Airtime Comparison to learn more about which cards are the best deal for different situations.

But many Tracfone customers still use the regular airtime cards, especially the 60 minute card and 1 Year/400 Minute card. Plus, most bonus codes are for the regular airtime cards.

So what exactly is changing, and how will it affect you? Let's take a look (but first, here is an update!).

**Update!** All New Phone Activations May Come with Triple Minutes Now!

We wanted to add an update to the information here as Tracfone has made some changes, and may continue to adjust the Triple Minutes program.

Triple Minutes appears to be Back

Tracfone appears to be offering Triple Minutes as a promotion for any new phone activation. So if you activate a new phone, it seems that Tracfone is giving everyone Triple Minutes as a 'bonus'. We have not confirmed if this is occurring for every new phone activation, or just certain phones. See the information from Tracfone in the screen capture to the right:

We have received feedback from several readers who activated a new, LG Rebel 3 with airtime bundle (1500 talk, text and data) and received 4500 talk, text and data!

Let us know in the comments below your experiences, and if this happened for you.

 Tracfone had a very poor year in 2017, losing a number of customers, and so they may be trying to backtrack and reinstate the popular triple minutes program, at least for now. We will continue to update as needed.

**Update!**

Tracfone Triple Minutes for Life Changes - The Facts

Here are the facts about Tracfone's changes to TMFL program.

• NOTE: See the update above - Tracfone now appears to be offering triple minutes to all new phone activations (after Dec 5th 2017)
• All phones that already have Triple Minutes for Life will continue to have it.
• New Smartphone releases will not include Triple Minutes for Life (Phones released after April 2017 and with Android 6.0 or newer will not come with TMFL, although some Android 6.0 and Android 7.0 smartphones do come with Triple Minutes)
• SIM cards for BYOP phones will no longer include TMFL
• All your airtime will transfer if you switch from a phone with TMFL to one without (Unless you are switching to a non-smartphone).
• Regular airtime cards can still be added to non-TMFL smartphones, but only the face value will be given. (a 60 minute card will give 60 talk, 60 texts, and 60 MB data.)

The important information here is that no phone that already has triple minutes will lose that feature. But newer phones released by Tracfone will likely not include triple minutes.

This is a significant shift that Tracfone is making, and may drive away some long time customers. Why would they do this? Here is their response from the FAQ section on their website:

Why Tracfone is Making the Change to Triple Minutes for Life:

"As technology continues to improve, we found that more people were using smartphones and smartphone plans. People are especially using more data. So, we wanted to accommodate you by providing higher data plans with greater value." - Tracfone FAQ

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense as to why they need to get rid of TMFL, but it is true that the regular airtime cards are not a very good deal for data or texts.

Tracfone also cited 'technical compatibility' as another reason for the end of triple minutes, but that isn't very likely either.

Whatever the reason, Triple Minutes for Life will no longer come with new phones, but all existing triple minute phones will continue to keep it.

Tracfone Smartphones that Do Not have Triple Minutes

Here are phones that we have confirmed do not include triple minutes, although with Tracfone recently offering triple minutes to new phone activations, it may be possible to get triple minutes with these phones.

• Samsung Galaxy Luna J3 Pro
• ZTE Zfive2
• ZTE Majesty Pro
• LG Rebel 2

There may be more devices, and many of the newly released phones will likely not include triple minutes.

Share your thoughts or questions about these changes below, and if you have additional information or corrections please also let us know.

Continue the discussion on our Facebook page where we post the latest news and informasi with our growing community.

Catch up on some of our recent posts including 10 Tips for Improving your Cell Signal and How WiFi calling Works.

We also updated our list of the Best Android Apps which includes a variety of the most popular and most helpful apps to have on your smartphone.

Don't forget to visit our Cell Phone Reviews page if you're shopping for a new phone, or the BYOP page to learn about bringing an unlocked phone to Tracfone.

Thanks for visiting!

Motorola G6 (Unlocked) - Features And Specs

New Motorola G6 Features, Specs and Where to Buy

Motorola G6 Coming Soon!

The next Generation in the Motorola Moto G line is here now and may also be coming to Tracfone in the near future.

UPDATE: The Moto G6 is now available directly from Tracfone. Visit our Tracfone Moto G6 Review to learn more and find out where to buy with airtime bundle.

Motorola announced the Moto G6 (and several variants) on April 19th, 2018. It is the newest phone in the Moto G lineup which is well known for offering great smartphone features at an affordable price.

The G6 has a 5.7" full HD touchscreen, 1.8 Ghz Octa-core processor, Dual rear camera, and runs Android 8.0 Oreo. It also comes with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage.

The Moto G6 is available to purchase:

View the Moto G6 (unlocked) on Amazon (Currently exclusively for Prime Members)
View the Moto G6 (unlocked) on BestBuy

View the Moto G6 Play (unlocked only for GSM) on Amazon

View the Moto G6 Plus (international unlocked version only for GSM) on Amazon


Many of the past Moto G versions, such as the Moto G4 and Moto G5, have been very popular with the Tracfone BYOP program because they offer great features at a reasonable price. It is rumored that the Moto G6 will also be released directly from Tracfone, which would also be a great option for Tracfone customers. We will share additional information on this as we learn more.

Let's see the list of features and specs on the Moto G6

Motorola G6 Features and Specs

• Dual Rear Camera - 13 MP and 5 MP
• 1.8 Ghz Octa-Core Processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 450)
• 3 GB RAM
• 32 GB Internal Storage
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 5.7" 1080x2160px Touchscreen
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 3000 mAh battery
• Unlocked and compatible with both GSM and CDMA networks
• Price: $250

One of the most notable specs is the large, 18:9 ratio full HD touchscreen. The previous generation, the Moto G5, had only a 5.2" screen, but the new Moto G6 bumps that up to 5.7".

The dual rear camera is another feature usually seen in much more expensive devices and allows for selective focus in portrait mode for a blurry background.

The Moto G6 is fully compatible with both GSM and CDMA carriers which is great for the Tracfone BYOP program.

Motorola is also releasing two variants, the Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus. The G6 Play will have the same size screen, slightly downgraded internal specs, a larger battery, and retail for $199.

Moto G6 Play Features and Specs

• Rear Camera - 13 MP
• 1.4 Ghz Quad-Core Processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 or 430)
• 3 GB RAM
• 32 GB Internal Storage
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 5.7" 720x1440 HD Touchscreen
• Corning Gorilla Glass
• 4000 mAh battery
• Unlocked and compatible with only GSM networks
• Price: $200

The G6 Play comes with many of the same features in the G6, such as 3 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, and Android Oreo. The Play also has a 5.7" screen, but at a lower resolution. The processor in the Play is also not as powerful, but the phone does have a larger battery compared to the G6.

For those that don't need the higher performance from the G6, the Play variant will offer almost all of the same features at a lower price. Unfortunately the Moto G6 Play appears to be only compatible with GSM networks.

The Moto G6 Plus is not expected to be released in the North American market, and only released internationally. But it is still possible to purchase the international version and use it with any GSM carrier through Tracfone.

Moto G6 Plus (international version) Features and Specs

• Dual Rear Camera - 12 MP and 5 MP
• 2.2 Ghz Octa-Core Processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 630)
• 4 GB RAM
• 64 GB Internal Storage
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 5.9" 1080x2160px Touchscreen
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 3200 mAh battery (non-removable)
• Unlocked and compatible with GSM networks
• Price: $350-400

If you are looking for high performance and don't mind spending a little more, the Moto G6 Plus has more RAM, storage and a faster processor than the G6.

Only the international version of the G6 Plus is available, and it is only compatible with GSM carriers.

We will continue to update this as we gather more details, especially any news about Tracfone releasing their own Moto G6 version. If Tracfone does release the G6, it would certainly jump into our List of the Best Tracfone Smartphones.

Keep up with the latest news and warta on our Facebook page.

Also check out the recent Deals, Discounts and Sales on Tracfone.

Thanks for visiting!

How To Unlock Your Tracfone Cell Phone

Step by Step Guide to Unlocking a Tracfone Device

It is now possible to unlock some Tracfone devices, mostly smartphones, so that you can use them with other carriers in the US or around the world. shares the requirements and a step by step guide below! (Updated April 2018)

How to Unlock a Tracfone

Owning an unlocked phone means that if you travel to another country that offers service for unlocked phones, you can buy a SIM card and service, and you will have cell phone use in that country. When you leave, you can switch your old SIM card back in to resume service with Tracfone.

Tracfone is well known for not allowing their phones to be unlocked, but because of FCC rules, and a ruling against Tracfone, they are required to unlock phones from after a certain date, offer a credit towards an exchange, or offer a partial cash refund for older devices.

We've got all the information you need about unlocking your Tracfone device. We will start with the requirements, including who can unlock their phone, and then give a step by step guide.

Let's get started.

Requirements for Unlocking a Tracfone Device

There are a number of requirements that you must meet in order to get your phone unlocked. Here are the requirements:

(You can also check if your phone is eligible by entering your phone number or serial number at the bottom of this page)

• Customers must request handset unlocking.
• Customers must have had their locked device activated on Tracfone service for no fewer than 12 months, redeemed air time cards in no fewer than 12 months, and not have had their telephone number recycled or ported.
• Customers must request this interim unlocking solution while their service is active or within 60 days after their active service days expire. This 60-day grace period applies even if the customer's telephone number was recycled or ported.
• Customers must currently own a Tracfone branded handset model launched on Tracfone's service after February 11, 2014 or activated with Tracfone's service after February 11, 2015.
• Customers must possess a handset that is in working condition.
• Customers must possess a handset that is not reported stolen, lost, or associated with fraudulent activity.
• If a customer requesting handset unlocking is deployed military personnel, upon provision of deployment papers, Tracfone will gaji that customer's unlocking request by sending a refund for the Trade-in Value of the used, locked phone returned by the customer without regard for the 12 months of service activation and air card redemption eligibility requirements. However, all other eligibility criteria apply to Tracfone's customers who are deployed military personnel. 
• Customers are eligible for this aktivitas only once every twelve months.
• (Source - www.tfwunlockpolicy.com/)

There are a lot of requirements, but the key points are that you need to have your phone active for 12 months with Tracfone, it needs to be a newer phone from after Feb 11, 2014, and you can only unlock a phone once every 12 months. While we haven't confirmed this yet, it is likely that only GSM smartphones are able to be unlocked. Let us know your experiences in the comments.

If you're phone is eligible for unlocking, you can continue with our guide to unlocking it.

How to Unlock a Tracfone Cell Phone in 3 Steps

Here is our step by step guide to unlocking your Tracfone cell phone. Be aware that not all Tracfone devices can be unlocked, many of their older phones are not eligible.

Steps for Unlocking a Tracfone

1. Go to www.tfwunlockpolicy.com and enter your phone number at the bottom of the page. You can also call 1-888-442-5102 during normal business hours.

2. If your phone is eligible, you will be able to continue the process to receive an unlock code for your phone. If your phone is not eligible to be unlocked, you may still qualify for a credit towards a new phone, or a cash refund

We tested a Motorola EX 431G Tracfone prepaid phone. It met the requirements to be unlocked, but because it is an old phone, it can't be unlocked. So Tracfone offered a $5 cash refund. To get the cash refund, you have to send the phone to Tracfone, and you lose any remaining airtime on the device.

We also tested an LG Ultimate 2, which is an Android smartphone. This phone also could not be unlocked, and Tracfone offered a $15 cash refund.

3, Once you get the unlock code from Tracfone, you can purchase a SIM card from another carrier, power off your phone, switch the SIM cards, and turn it back on. You should get a notification that your phone is locked, but there should be a place for you to enter your unlock code. After the code is entered your phone will be able to use the new SIM card. You can always switch SIM cards whenever you like, just remember to turn your phone off and back on.

And that is all it takes to unlock a Tracfone prepaid device. It is a fairly easy process, if your phone is eligible.

Going through the process of unlocking a Tracfone device doesn't seem worthwhile in most cases with the huge number of unlocked devices available on the market at very low prices. Amazon, eBay and many other online retailers have plenty of unlocked phones, and if you buy older models, or refurbished phones, you can often get a great deal.

Check out our list of the Best Unlocked Phones for Tracfone to get some ideas about the great options already available.

If you have an unlocked phone, you can activate it with Tracfone BYOP. Then, if you travel to another country and need to use cell phone service, simply power off the phone, switch the SIM cards, and you are ready to use your phone in the new country. Switch the SIM cards back when you return to the US.

The Moto G line of smartphones, with the Moto G6 the latest, are a popular unlocked phone choice for their high performance at a reasonable cost. Take a look at the Details and Specs for the Moto G5 Plus, and our Review of the Moto G4/ G4 Plus

We hope this information has been helpful. Leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts, and also share your experiences.

We are also on Facebook, with a large community who help answer questions, share news and much more.

See our last post about the Best Tracfone Deals, Discounts and Sales including several recent smartphones with airtime bundles.

Thanks for visiting!

Moto E5 Plus And E5 Play Budget Smartphones Coming Soon

Unlocked Moto E5 Plus and E5 Play Specs and Release Info

News, Specs and more on the Moto E5 from

Moto E5 Plus and Play Coming Soon

Motorola has announced several new budget smartphones - the Moto E5 Plus, E5 Play and E5. Although these will be low cost devices, they will pack some impressive features which we will share more about below.

They will likely be great options to bring to the Tracfone BYOP kegiatan as they are unlocked and compatible with both GSM and CDMA networks.

Motorola also recently announced the Moto G6, G6 Play and G6 Plus and you can follow the link to learn more. The Moto G lineup generally offers a little more performance at a higher cost compared to the Moto E line.

The Moto E5 Plus might be the most notable (and also the highest priced) with a large, 6" touchscreen, enormous 5,000 mAh battery, 3 GB RAM and 32 GB Storage. Motorola isn't expected to release the Moto E5 in the US market, so only the Plus and Play versions will be available.

The E5 Play will have a much smaller, 5.2" screen, smaller battery, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage but likely priced closer to $150 or less.

Both Moto E5 variants will have Android 8.0 Oreo, Octa-core processors and expandable storage with a Micro SD card slot.

The previous version, the Moto E4 Plus, had similar specs except a smaller, 5.5" screen, only a quad-core processor and a few other differences.

Both the E4 and E5 Plus are clearly aiming for customers who want a large screen, long battery life, but don't demand intense performance from the phone (but it can still handle most apps and games).

Below is a full list o the features and specs for the Moto E5 Plus and Moto E5 Play

Moto E5 Plus Features and Specs

Network: GSM or CDMA Compatible, Unlocked
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo
Screen: 6.0" HD Touchscreen at 1440x720 Resolution (268 dpi, 18:9 ratio)
Processor: 1.4Ghz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor
RAM: 3 GB
Storage: 32 GB
Camera: 12 MP Rear, 8 MP Front with 1080 HD Video
Battery: 5,000 mAh battery
Size: 6.33 x 2.96 x 0.37 in (6.95oz)

Additional Features:
Micro SD Card slot with up to 128 GB additional storage
Headphone Jack
Micro USB connection
Fingerprint Reader (on back)
Expected Release: Late May/Early June 2018
Expected Price: $200

And now let's look at the smaller, Moto E5 Play:

Moto E5 Play Features and Specs

Network: GSM or CDMA Compatible, Unlocked
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo
Screen: 5.2" HD touchscreen (1280x720 resolution)
Processor: 1.4 Ghz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor
RAM: 2 GB
Storage: 16 GB
Camera: 8MP rear, 5 MP front with 1080 HD video
Battery: 2800 mAh (removable)
Size: 5.94 x 2.91 x 0.35 in (5.29oz)

Additional Features:
Micro SD Card slot with up to 128 GB additional storage
Headphone Jack
Micro USB connection
Fingerprint Reader (on back)
Expected Release: Late May/Early June 2018
Expected Price: $100-150

There are several similarities between these models, such as the Operating System, fingerprint reader and other base features, but they also have some significant differences, with the most obvious the screen size and battery.

The Moto E5 Play has a 5.2" screen which is the same size as the Moto G5 Plus, but significantly smaller than the E5 Play. Not everyone prefers a larger phone, so this is a good option for users who prefer something that fits in one hand more easily, or in a smaller pocket. With the smaller screen, and overall smaller size, the E5 Play also has a battery almost half the size of the E5 Plus. But don't worry, that still puts it right inline with most phones of this size, and users should get all day battery life.

Also important to notice is the internal storage and RAM for each of the models, with the E5 Plus featuring 3 GB RAM and 32 GB Storage, while the E5 Play only has 2 GB RAM and 16 GB Storage. Tracfone offers a number of smartphones with 16 GB storage/2 GB RAM for under $100 including the LG Premier Pro and LG Rebel 3, so these might be worth considering, although the E5 Play does have a newer OS and better processor compared to the LG phones we mentioned.

The differences continue with the camera and processors, although these aren't as significant differences. The E5 Plus does have a slightly faster processor, and better rear camera.

And, as expected, the prices will also likely be quite different, with the E5 Play likely around $100-150 and the E5 Plus somewhere around the $200 price range.

We will continue to update this as more details become available. Share your thoughts or questions in the comment section below.

Follow us on Facebook for the latest posts, news and deals.

If you're shopping for a new phone, visit our Latest List of Tracfone Smartphones to see what is new from Tracfone.

And if you have questions about activating a new phone, look no further than our Tracfone Smartphone Activation Guide which includes tips for activating BYOP devices as well.

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