Will Tracfone Finally Have an Android Powered Cell Phone?
Details are still a little murky, with lots of rumors and anonymous claims, but they all have one consistent aspect, and that is that Tracfone might be on the verge of releasing Android powered smartphones for their customers.**UPDATE**
This Post is out of date! Tracfone has released four new Android Smartphones, and you can read our review of each one below:
LG Optimus Dynamic
Samsung Galaxy Centura
ZTE Valet
Huawei Glory
You can also view our Comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Centura and ZTE Valet to learn more.
***
Tracfone Released the Samsung Galaxy Centura Android for Tracfone available to purchase at HSN.com.
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| Samsung Galaxy Centura Android for Tracfone |
The Samsung Galaxy Centura has been around for Net10 and Straight Talk users for a little while, but Tracfone has never had a smartphone, or an android powered phone. The closest thing was the LG 840G.
This Samsung Galaxy Centura will be able to use apps, browse the web via Google, use Google Maps and other Google products with ease. It is an exciting direction Tracfone is heading.
At this point, HSN.com is the only place we have found selling this new Android Tracfone, but we will keep you updated if other options become available!
EDIT: We have also found the Samsung Galaxy Centura on eBay, although the price is not great, and getting it from HSN.com is a better deal at the moment.
Possibly Four New Android Tracfone Cell Phones
If you read this forum post from HowardForums it suggest that there will be four new Android powered cell phones coming to Tracfone, as well as special data cards you can purchase from Tracfone.Many of the details are still unclear, like when these phones will be available or what they will cost. (or how the data charge will work). But the phones look pretty exciting. The phones that possibly will be available for Tracfone are:
- LG L38C Optimus Dynamic with Android 2.3 (see Tracfone tutorial)
- Samsung S738C Galaxy Centura with Android 4.0 (see Tracfone tutorial)
- ZTE Z665C Valet with Android 4.1 (see Tracfone tutorial)
- Huawei H868C Glory with Android 4.0 (see Tracfone tutorial)
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| Samsung Galaxy Centura |
EDIT: The ZTE Z665C Valet has been spotted in stores! At this point it has only been found in Best Buy retailing for $99. It is the only one of the four mentioned above that has been found in store for sale, but it is a pretty good sign the rest will soon follow!
EDIT 2: Both the ZTE Z665C Valet and Samsung Galaxy Centura are now available at Tracfone.com under 'cell phones'. As are the Hauwei Glory and LG Optimus Dynamic!
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| ZTE Valet |
Check back often as we will try to keep everyone updated as more details become available.
While this is exciting news, for many Tracfone users, this won't change anything. You can still use your current cell phones for whatever capacity you choose to, and prices should stay the same. In fact, some older Tracfone cell phones are actually going on sale for great low prices! Check out our recent post with the Best Tracfone Deals in September!
Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment with your thoughts or questions on this exciting development of Android smartphones coming to Tracfone.
35 comments :
Yes!!!! Gonna upgrade soon!
It is also available through shopcelldeals on ebay.
However, I was on Tracfone's site last night and noticed they were selling what they call "data cards" for use with Android phones. This leads me to think that you must purchase a data card to use the Android system rather than using the minutes.
I think the most expensive card was $50.00 for 2.5 GB (but check the site to be sure). I am wondering if the data cards work the same as minute cards meaning that you must purchase every 90 days or so. Honestly, I saw the $50 price tag for just the data and sort of stopped there. Because at that point, I would most likely switch over to StraightTalk and have a consistent bill with worry free access to the Android market, rather than have to replenish a card if I use it more than I thought I would. Of course, that is just my opinion.
I would have loved to see the regular minutes used for the data.
If you want to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Centura, the HSN.com deal, etc., I suggest you visit Turk Forums, http://s1.zetaboards.com/Turk/index/. More than 200 posts and almost 5000 hits on the Samsung Galaxy Centura thread.
Turk Forms is devoted to Tracfone, NET10, and Straight Talk.
Yeah, I also find Howard Forum very useful, and easy to navigate. Although the best place to learn is through the direct sources, like tracfone's tutorials etc.
Question? I ordered 2 of these phones and they are supposed to arrive on Monday. I just read the first review and it said the phone is good but there is no way to track your minutes used or left? How is this going to work on a prepaid platform like tracfone??
That's a good question, I haven't heard anything about this, but there has got to be a way to track how many minutes you have left, it wouldn't make any sense to not know.
I was wondering the same thing after checking the tutorial on the 4 android phones. There was no mention of the per paid cards or how to track minutes/days. Some of your information said that there were Tracfone android phones out there already so I did some checking Best Buy & Sears do not list the Tracfone androids available in my area--I live in Michigan, near Detroit. The Tracfone website doesn't have anything on them either. I know that the Samsung Galaxy has been avaiable from Net10 & StraightTalk for awhile for a HEFTY PRICE I can't imagine Tracfone selling the same phone for less than $100+, than the data card for another $50+ per month. I may have rethink my upgrade idea.
Yeah the new phones aren't very available yet, only in some Best Buy stores and online at HSN.com for a limited time.
Also the details about these phones aren't very available yet either, may want to wait until we see these phones on the tracfone website.
I bought 2 phones from HSN. I was concerned about this too. To check on minutes you touch the world browser and a catagory check you balance. open tis up and it takes to tracfone. Very small print so you have to use your finger to enlarge it. Put in you phone number and last 4 digets of pin number. Once you do this your phone will remember these numbers so when you go to check on it another time you just touch the place where it ask for you name and pin number and it will show you your numbers that you first put it. It will then show you your balance.
good info. Thanks!!!
Will any of the smartphones have flash???
Just to confirm - if you are in a wi-fi zone and using Google play apps, it doesn't cost you any minutes, i.e, it's free just like a wifi tablet.. Using the phone or using the tracfone network for data/apps are the only things that cost your Tracfone minutes. Right?
Can you use the Skype app to make calls when you are in a wifi area?
Yeah, and you should be able to surf the web for free as long as its on a wifi network.
Not for sure on this, but seems likely.
The ZTE Valet and Samsung Galaxy Centura are being offered in my area in the Tracfone Phone Store online. Set up two Samsung Galaxy Centura's from HSN and they were activated and up and going with-in minutes. Got new Number's for the both of them, that's why they were activated and up and running with-in minutes. Samsung Galaxy Centura's are good phones and offer everything at a reasonable price. Glad Tracfone is finally them, the Smartphones.
Anybody on the lack of flash???
Flash as in camera flash or flash player/software?
Aww darn! I ordered a ZTE on ebay from shopcelldeals on Tuesday for $114.99 (with the 600 minutes/text/data and the $5 off over $100 spent), I just checked just moments ago.. it was down to $99.99, a $15 saved. I wonder why they chose to lower the price so quickly. So, If anyone wants to get the ZTE, hurry up and jump on that deal from shopcelldeals!
Anyway, Peter do you know if you can use a promo code when you first activate your newly TF? I haven't tried it with my my other TF I've owned.. but I'm hoping to get an extra 60 minutes. =) I guess I'd have to test it out when I get my phone on Saturday or Tuesday.
Thanks for getting back to me...I wrote in about the lack of a camera flash feature. Do you know if any additional models will be released. Im extremely dissapointed in the lack of a flash camera. Any info would help. I like the tracfone deal but the lack of a flash camera is a deal breaker i have two children, one with a disability, and it would be great to be able to afford some type of smartphone but I'm sad to say I can't get photos without a flash.
I believe I saw that the ZTE does have camera flash, and the other should have it too.
Thanks again....I finally see the camera flash option...its not listed as a feature on the zte valet tutorial, but if you look closely at the camera there is a flash...hope it works!!!
The samsung does not have flash I checked with hsn...the object next to the camera is speakephone...Anyway thanks so much =)
I'm still going to wait for some Black Friday deals. This is going to be a big hit if they offer a deal with large minute/data cards. I think it would be better to offer a buy unlimited data on a per day basis. The price would be important.. maybe $1 or $2... with data you could use google voice & and have unlimited calling too.
Can the OS (4.1) be updated???
You can get the LG Optimus on QVC, they have a deal going on right now.
http://www.qvc.com/LG-Optimus-Tracfone-Black-Android-with-600-Mins,-Text-Data-&-Accs..product.E225310.html?sc=TSV&UDC=TSV&moreGroupProds=E225158,E225310&bundleProductsId=E225311
And: http://www.qvc.com/LG-Optimus-Tracfone-White-Android-with-600-Mins,-Text,-Data-&-Accs..product.E225158.html?sc=TSV&UDC=TSV&moreGroupProds=E225158,E225310&bundleProductsId=E225311
The zte valet is by far the best android tracfone. It has a camera flash and runs on 4.1.1. Lots of wallpaper choices and customizable themes. Sound recorder not great. Lots of ringtone choices and feels great in your hand. It feels heavy and well made.
My daughter, granddaughter & myself just got the LG Optimus Dynamic phones from QVC. It said we got 600 bonus minutes, but when I check the balance it doesn't show them. Guess I will have to figure out how to get those. My minutes from other phone transferred over to talk, text and data. So far looks like a good phone
I would like to know this as well.
I have had Tracfone's new Huawei H868C 'Glory' phone for about 30 hours. During that time I have spent several hours trying to load phone numbers into the phone. The Tracfone tutorial for this task is useless: 1) It tells you to tap words that are not on the screen. 2) When you try to add people to your 'Phone' account, it asks you to create a group every time. That means one new group for every name. There seems to be no way to create a single list of contacts--not even for the group names Tracfone supplies (Friends, Family, Work, et al.). And, BTW, the little user guide that comes with the phone is pretty useless, too.
there's a free app at google play store, that will track the minutes,data. search tracfone apps,then select "tracfone my account app"
I got a Huawei android at our local WalMart in a small town in South Alabama for $99 this week. They are out there.
Try this link; it's very informative for your phone! Good luck, looks easy enough to add contacts. Copy and paste in your browser!!
http://tracfone.deviceanywhere.com/straighttalk/home.seam?locale=en_US&deviceId=1112&cid=1078267
I've just gotten a Samsung Centura tracfone. I would urge you NOT to transfer old minutes from your present phone until you find out if you like it. I hate it for reasons too numerous to list but when I asked that they simply give me back my minutes that I had before in my flip phone, they would not. That's called 'downgrading' and you just lose your minutes. In my case it was 511 minutes. I'm not taking this lightly, I've already written to the CEO of tracfone asking them to just give me back my stupid minutes and I'll return the smartphone with the minutes that came with it. Very very upset and have spent way too much time. half the time it's frozen and you have to google the problem and remove the battery. On and on. Maybe I'm too old and impatient to learn this phone. It's butt dialed people in my contact list three different times. pfft
there's a free app at google play store, that will track the minutes,data. search tracfone apps,then select "tracfone my account app"
My husband wants one of these. Any realtime users want yo tell me how it really works? Tracfone has never let phone use WiFi and historically hasn't been generous with phone features... this sounds too good to be true.
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