Which Tracfone Device is the Best?
This a popular question here on TracfoneReviewer, and we will share with you which Tracfone smartphone is the best overall phone, as well as compare it to the other options available. |
| Our Pick for the Best Tracfone Device |
Tracfone has released many new phones over the last year for use on their wireless prepaid network. This includes mostly Android powered smartphones. And we're expecting them to continue to release newer and better phones.
It is also possible to bring your own phone to Tracfone. This opens the door to many more devices, although it is still somewhat limited. Visit our Tracfone BYOP page for the full list of phones.
With all these different devices, sometimes we just want to know which one is the best phone to buy?
We are here to answer that question! We will cut to the chase and just tell you, and then explain why:
TracfoneReviewer's pick for the best phone as of January 2015 is the LG Ultimate 2.
Before you jump to the comments section and post why it isn't, we do want to say that the LG Ultimate 2 isn't the best phone for everyone. It has certain features that make it the best phone for most people.
So we will compare the LG Ultimate 2 with several other phones, which may be better options for you, including the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop, Moto E, and Moto G and share why the Ultimate 2 wins overall.
LG Ultimate 2 Comparison
The LG Ultimate 2 has a lot of great features that put it well beyond many other Tracfone devices. But there are some other recent phones which have great features as well.We will be quickly covering some of the other best phones currently available from Tracfone, and hopefully giving you a better idea about what each phone offers, and which one might be the best for you.
Let's get started.
LG Ultimate 2 Vs Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop
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| Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop |
But there are also some key differences which we will go into now.
One of the most obvious differences when comparing these phones is the size difference. The LG Ultimate 2 has a 4.5" screen while the Alcatel has a larger, 5" screen. However, the Ultimate 2 has a higher pixel density, so images might look slightly better on the Ultimate 2.
For processing power, these two phones are fairly similar with the Ultimate 2 using a 1.2 Ghz Dual Core and the Alcatel using a 1.2 Ghz Quad Core. The extra cores on the Alcatel Onetouch help it keep up with the large screen, and increase its multitasking ability.
Now for a major difference that isn't always clear. The Alcatel Onetouch comes with about 2 GB of usable memory on the phone to store apps and other information. The Ultimate 2 has closer to 5 GB of internal storage. Both phones also have external memory slots, but not all apps are transferable to external memory, and it is usually nice to have more space for storage.
So as you can see, both phones offer great features, but in our opinion the LG Ultimate 2 is the better phone overall. But if you want the largest screen, go with the Alcatel and you won't be disappointed.
LG Ultimate 2 Vs Moto E
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| Tracfone Moto E |
Yet it lacks some important features, like a front facing camera or autofocus.
The Moto E also has a smaller screen, at 4.3", but with greater PPI.
The Ultimate 2 beats the Moto E on internal storage, with the Moto E only coming with around 2GB of usable space. Both phones have external SD card slots.
Where the Moto E does excel is in battery life and performance. It is a well made phone that can keep up with almost all modern apps and any other requirements, and easily last the full day on moderate to heavy use. The LG Ultimate 2 also does well performance and battery wise.
In the end, the Ultimate 2 wins because of the features the Moto E just doesn't come with. Yet the Moto E is a great choice for those who don't need to take selfies, and don't need a lot of space for apps.
LG Ultimate 2 Vs Moto G
Well, the Moto G sounds familiar right? It should, because it is the big brother to the Moto E, and improves over that phone in many great ways that put it on par with the Ultimate 2, such as 5 MP rear camera and 1.3 font camera with autofocus, 1 GB RAM, Android 4.4, 4.5" touchscreen, WiFi, GPS etc.Before we get further, one major difference between these phones is that the Moto G only can be used with the Tracfone BYOP program, which means you have to find a phone that was previously used on Verizon, and then go through a process to activate it on Tracfone. For some, this has been an easy process, for others it has been much harder. The Ultimate 2, on the other hand, is activated normally with Tracfone, as you would any other Tracfone branded device.
Now for some more key differences. The Ultimate 2 comes with 6 GB of internal spaces, with over 4 GB of it usable. The Moto G has 8 GB, with over 6 GB usable. However, the Moto G does not have an external SD card slot, so no extra memory can be added.
The screens for both phones are the same size, but the Moto G has a much better screen quality and resolution, at 720x1280, with the Ultimate 2 using 800x480.
For processors, both phones have 1.2 Ghz, but the Moto G processor is Quad Core and the Ultimate 2 has only a Dual Core. The Moto G has a slightly newer processor and graphics, making it better at handling the latest apps.
Battery life for both phones is very good, but the Moto G has been crafted specifically with power saving in mind, leading to a full charge easily lasting two days with low to moderate use.
The Moto G beats the LG Ultimate 2 in many categories, yet we have a hard time giving it the top spot because it isn't as easy to find and activate, which is a big factor.
In the end, the LG Ultimate 2 is close or even with the Moto G on many features, but is easier to use with Tracfone, and has the ability for extra memory. It's a close call, but we choose the Ultimate 2.
If you're looking for the best specs, go with the Moto G on Tracfone BYOP (and that post will help give you the information you need to make it happen).
Where to Buy the LG Ultimate 2
The LG Ultimate 2 is widely available on Amazon, eBay and other online retailers. The best deal is to buy it bundled with minutes, where you can often save $50 or more. Check out these deals:LG Ultimate 2 with 1200 Minutes on Amazon for $149
LG Ultimate 2 with 1200 Minutes on eBay
for $149/free shippingWe hope you found this comparison useful, and that it helped answer your questions. If you have more questions, or wish to share your opinions, use the comment section below.
For a complete list of all the smartphones available from Tracfone, visit our Android Tracfone List. You will also be able to compare key features from each of the phones to help you choose the best option that fits your needs.
Visit the Cell Phone Reviews page for an index of all our reviews and a great place to start when shopping for a phone.
Finally, we recently completed a Beginners Guide to Tracfone, which shares a lot of useful tips and information and may be helpful even if you've been with Tracfone for a long time.
Thanks for visiting!
19 comments :
Wife and I love our iphone 4s on tracfone
Everyone always mentions that the Moto G does not have an SD card slot, but no one ever remembers to point out that it does have the ability to use USB storage devices, such USB stick drives and yes, even SD cards mounted in USB adapters. So external media storage is available with the Moto G. An onboard SD card does allow some apps to be stored on the SD, but this is is restricted for device security reasons in Kit Kat and Lollipop
I couldn't agree with you more.I had purchased both the G Ultimate 2 and to the new Alcatel in order to compare the two before making a decision on which would be my next TRACFONE.I have been using tracfone's for more than a decade and have bought about a dozen.(some just for good minute deals beforethey changed their policy.)
Could not find anyone till you today who had noticed the storage differntial.I spent over an hour on the phone with TracFone management last week having them defend the "lie" that the Alcatel had 4gbs of storage as had been on their website and promoted on HSN.The people at Tracfone even tried telling me thattthe storage changed depending on where phone was purchased,another lie.
I am glad to have you confirm the storage issue and also I too found resolution on Lg far superior. I had high expectations of the Alcatel and was truly disappointed. so my newest TRACFONE is the new LGUltimate 2 replacing my previous LG android.(Only wish you had published this sooner saving me from arguing with TRACFONE) Thanks hope this all helps others.
How do you get pictures to come through on text messages with the Ultimate 2 ?
I've had my LG Ultimate 2 for a few weeks now and just love it. It's very snappy and the touch screen reacts very nicely. It's thin, good battery life and just an overall great phone. The only complaint I can find so far is that the texting app allows only a small signature.
I got one for my teenage daughter to replace her Tracfone and she loves it. She also has a 5th generation iPod but I don't think she's touched it again since getting her LG. I say this to backup the LG being responsive. iPhones and iPods react very smoothly and she's had no complaints about that with her LG.
Good point.
Yes, the iPhone is a good contender! But hard to compare to Android devices without starting a major debate...
Remind me to carry around a usb stick with my movies and music if I want to watch/hear them during the day. That should be especially fun on a long vacation. Sure would hate to have a 32gb card in the phone getting in the way.
Not knocking the person who made the helpful reply, but venting at Google and Apple who limits a customer's options. Having 32-64gb sd slot on your device, you can have an inch high stack of sd cards, and you can enjoy movies and music for a year. But some people would rather be tied to their laptop and Itunes everytime they need to change out a couple of movies. Did I say I was on a rant ?
Can you comment on each phone's call quality ? Seems like no one ever pays attention to how a call sounds when buying a phone.
Also, do you have any idea what percentage of apps KitKat won't let you move to an sd card ?
thanks.
What happened to the LG Optimus Dynamic 2? Why isn't that the best Tracfone? I thought it was.
Reasons why the LG Optimus Dynamic II isn't the best anymore: Screen size, internal memory, OS, Camera, processor, RAM, and possibly more.
It was the best phone until the LG Ultimate 2, Moto E and Alcatel phones came out a few months ago.
Once again could not agree more.Just transfered everything from my optimus dynamic 2 to the lg ultimate 2.my favorite new features are the increased internal storage and front facing camera,hooray!
I got it, thanks so much for replying! Technology keeps improving things and I'm a little out of date as usual.
Thank you for pointing out the memory deficiency of the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop, I almost made a bad mistake. Love my Valet, but I constantly run into memory issues and am tired of deleting apps to make room for new ones (even after moving stuff to SD card). The standard apps seem to have increased in size in the last year, developers are getting really sloppy!
Direct hands-on comparisons are the only way to evaluate, thanks for sharing!
Make sure your data is turned on.
Thank you for this review. I've just bought a LG ultimate, an upgrade from a Samsung Centura, and I just love it. Quite an upgrade. I agonized over the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop because I was salivating over 4 cores. But now that I have the Ultimate, I think the Alcatel would have been a bit too large.
The Centura was fine at first, but I think the apps have all grown to the point that it just can't handle it.
Looking into getting tracfone. My Samsung 4S and husband's Samsung Convoy cost us $139.59 mo. with Verizon. Any suggestions? We are retired and not real techy.
Can the Lg Ultimate 2 be used with Safelink?
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