A Big Button Phone from Tracfone that is Simple and Easy to Use
Are you tired of touchscreens, flip phones or small keys? Are you looking for a simple phone that does calling and texting? Or maybe you just need a backup phone that will be easy to learn to use?For a lot of people, the Alcatel A382G Tracfone prepaid phone is the answer.
It gives the user all the basic functions a cell phone needs, without adding extra features. buttons, or screens that can get confusing and in the way.
Features and Specs for the Alcatel A382G
This phone provides several good features that increase its usefulness, without making it more complicated. Here is the full list of features and specifications for the Alcatel A382G. |
| The Alcatel A382G |
- Big Buttons with Lighted Keypad
- Larger Font Size
- Built-in Flashlight
- Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail
- Hands Free Speaker
- FM Radio
- Background Noise Reducer for Call Clarity
- Alarm Clock
- Hearing Aid Compatible
- 1000 Entry Phone Book
- Double Minutes for Life
- Long Battery Life - 16 Days on Standby
- Weight: 4 oz.
Overview of the Alcatel A382G
This phone is made for simplicity and convenience in mind with its large buttons, long battery life and basic features. Let's look at some of the features in more detail to better understand this phone.
Big Buttons and Larger Font Size
The Big keys and font size makes it easier to not only see and read what you are looking at, but also to actually make punching in numbers less cumbersome for those who find small keys difficult to use.
Even at night, the phone continues to be easy to use with a lighted keypad. Also included with the phone is a built in flashlight, giving this phone multiple uses!
Long Battery Life
The battery on this Alcatel A382G is expected to last up to 16 days on standby, which is very impressive for a cell phone. Many smartphones only last a day or two before requiring a charge.
A long battery like makes this phone this phone useful not only to people who may forget to charge their phone, but also for anyone looking for a backup phone.
Double Minutes for Life
While some newer Tracfone cell phones now come with Triple Minutes for Life, such as the Samsung S425G, the Alcatel A382G comes with Double Minutes for Life which is still a great deal. What this means is that for every minute you buy and add, you will get another minute for free!
So if you buy a 60 minute refill card and add it to the phone, you will get 120 minutes total airtime!
Final Thoughts on the Alcatel A382G
The Alcatel A382G is a phone made for people who want a basic cell phone that can keep them in contact with friends and family. It does simple tasks well, such as calling and texting.
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| Buy on Amazon |
The only drawback for this phone may be that it does not come with a user manual, but we have found a pretty good walk through of many of the features on this phone. Visit the Alcatel A382G Tutorial to learn more about using this phone.
Overall, the Alcatel A382G is a good option when considering simple prepaid cell phones. It makes communication easier for more people. But if you are looking for a phone with more features, consider some of the newer phones from Tracfone on our Cell Phone Reviews page.
The Alcatel A382G typically sells for around $30, but is often on sale on Amazon for $19.
82 comments :
This has to be the best kept secret in prepaid cell phones. If you want just a phone to talk and or text with some incredible features...this is definitely the one. So easy and simple to use, Great call quality, smart texting feature, FM radio, standard earphone jack, flashlight, long battery life, 30 plus ringtones. I bought this as a backup to my smartphone. This may become my only phone.
Is this phone CDMA or GSM? CDMA doesn't use a sim card and GSM has to have one.
It seems like it was made to be simple, but they really got it right and made a great phone with useful features!
This is a GSM phone, which uses ATT networks for the most part. The 'G' at the end of the phone's name means GSM. CDMA phones have a 'C' at the end.
I don't hear very well and find LG phones to have the loudest speaker. Does this phone have good volume on the speaker? Thanks
Dear Anonymous... The ringer is VERY loud and the voice while talking is comfortably loud as well. I listen to the FM radio while it's in my shirt pocket without ear-buds and the speaker is plenty loud. Don't worry about the battery either. 3 to 5 DAYS on a charge.
This phone is incredible. The only minor issue is touching the number or rocker keys enable the back light. It needs to be in a case to prevent that while carrying.
This phone sounds great for my wife, as an emergency phone. But I don't see GPS in the specs. Is that true, or just an oversight in the specs?
I tried to purchase this online through Tracfone's website, but it wasn't available for my area. So then I called Tracfone's 800 number. The rep also said it wasn't available for my area, but I could go to WalMart and buy one. So if I find one at Walmart, will I be able to use it in my area?
Not knowing your area or what the cell phone service is like there makes it hard to give an answer. You could always just go a head and buy the phone and see what happens.
Is your area more rural, with Verizon or sprint as the main service provider? If this is the case, than the phone in the review above may not work well in your area.
You might find this post about the difference between GSM and CDMA cell phones from Tracfone useful:
http://tracfonereviewer.blogspot.com/2013/07/tracfone-gsm-vs-cdma-phones.html
The link was helpful, thank you. I am in Genesee County, Michigan (Flint area) and all cell phone networks (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile) are used in this area. I will do further research. I am actually trying to buy this phone for a senior citizen who doesn't text, access the web, or take pictures and video. She just wants a big enough phone that she can use with arthritic hands. Any other suggestions for a similar model? Thank you.
Glad I helped. The Alcatel A382G uses AT&T or T-Mobile towers so it may work in your area. At the same time, if Tracfone customer service is recommending against it, that could be because it doesn't work.
This phone is designed for ease of use with senior citizens, and unless a flip phone would work, it is your best choice.
So, if buying this phone just to test if it will work isn't a big deal, I would do that.
Be sure to comment with any other thoughts, and how things work out!
My son wanted a Motorola Tracfone that wasn't offered in our area. I bought the same model from Walmart and it worked fine. The Alcatel isn't available from Tracfone in my area either, but I ordered it online from Target. Am waiting for it to arrive and expect it will be perfect for my husband. Like Peter says, it may be more of an issue in more rural areas.
I just bought the Big Easy for a stroke victim. Working great so far. Should it be stored on the charger at night and how long will one charge last? The user guide says 16 days but it lost it's charge in a shorter time.
I wouldn't leave it on the charger all night, as it will waste a little electricity, but if that's the best way to keep it charged you might as well. It should last around a week with normal usage, maybe more.
I got this phone for my Dad and so far so good. However, he'd like it to ring longer before going to voicemail and if I could get it to ring longer than the max 16 volume setting that would be helpful too. Any idea if this can be done?
Could anyone tell me how to get the back off of this phone? I am trying to set it up for a blind man and we put the back on before we installed the battery and I don't know how to get it off. (Stupid, I know!)
it is a bugger to separate- finger nails-pockit knife blade-etc. starting at small nocht by # key ,slow work around, careful, slow, easy. did the same u r not alone
Love my A382G. However the clock (above the date) shows the incorrect time. I've searched all the help sites and can not find out how to change the time on the clock. Does anyone know if this can be done? If so, please share it with me. I have gone to "settings" - "phone settings" - "date and time", and it just reads "time format" then a 12 is listed there. I don't know what the 12 means, and if I did, I can't see how to change it. Any help would be much appreciated.
Charles
sorry no answer but I am thanking you for the question....I thought it was me....I get the same things and have searched for an answer...hope we get one!!!
yes we would lke an answer to that question......how to set the correct time and date?
Does this phone have voice activation?
My husband has had this phone for a year. Some major drawbacks...it still butt dials if he puts it away in his holster or pocket while the phone is still unlocked....the recent call list only lists numbers already in his phone book. Impossible to see who called unless he already knows the number.
Three Questions: 1. how transfer contacts to this phone 2. Is there a choice of ring tones ? 3. How does it compare to the Jitterbug phone ?
I'm new to cell phones. I like the Big Easy #A382G. Walmart has the best price but says it doesn't work in my area (Phila.). Tracfone site says we are well covered. Reading other blogs, I'm willing to take a chance. Anyway, if I buy the phone, how is it activated, how do I get my phone number, how do I load the minutes? I'm thinking about ordering the minutes via Tracfone site, since I can try the discount codes. Get double minutes with this phone anyway, and I just need it for emergencies. I'll probably lose minutes after three months. Can I let the three months expire before reloading, or do I have to go through another set up of the phone? Need some guidance here before I order the phone. Please help!
This is exactly the info I am looking for. Would like it to ring longer before going to voicemail and would like a higher volume than 16. If anyone can help, I would surely appreciate it. I am setting this up for my 92 year old mother who is going to assisted living. Phone is just right for her, but I do not to adjust these two features.
I was able to adjust the number of rings via the Tracfone website (customer service request)
Try taking the battery out and putting it back in after a minute. The network should update the clock during the reboot.
The speaker phone option disappeared from my phone after about 6 months. I took it back to the store, but their expert couldn't find the option either. I miss using the speaker.
Can anyone advise me how to block incoming text messages on my Big Easy 382G phone? Otherwise this is the best cell phone I have ever purchased!
can someone tell me why every call i try to make to this phone, the Big Easy, goes directly to leave a message?
This happens when your phone is not available to the cell network. Either it is not turned on, or you haven't activated it, or you activated it but you are in an area not served by AT&T or T-Mobile cell towers.
I would love to know this also - how to transfer contacts to this Tracfone that from the one I replaced it with.
the speaker option does not display while I'm on an active call as it should so how can I use it ?
can anyone tell us what is wrong here? When we dial this phone number it goes straight to voice mail. We don't want it to go to voicemail without ringing.
I bought this phone as a backup for my smartphone and really love the build quality and simplicity! Only thing I wish it had is a microsd slot so I could load a few GB of songs, esp with the nice loudspeaker and the headphone jack. But the 392G flip is always a good option for next phone.
One feature this phone does have that I've not seen mentioned anywhere is that it will read aloud the numbers you press. You just go into Settings>Sound>General (Click Options key with 'General' highlighted)>Customize>Voice Feedback (hit 'OK' key and select 'Yes') Then click "Options" key and seleclt "Save" This phone truly shines in the "accessiblity" dept with its large lighted keys, Voice feedback and Hearing Aid compatibility. Nice job by Alcatel and Tracfone!
btw, did anyone ever answer the question about whether this phone has GPS so that it (or person using it) can be located if lost? Thx!
How do I change the time on my phone?
When entering contact info, and one makes a mispell, HOW do you make corrections WITHOUT having to "exit without saving" and redoing all that typing??
Can this phone be used with a solar charger? I am trying to find a phone for a disabled person who lives in a car. Also, how is it in terms of EMF emissions and
SAR, as she is hypersensitive? Do head phones come with the phone?
Hit the right soft key under the word clear. It will erase the last letter.
Can you please tell me how you did this, I have been looking for the option and can not find it. Thanks!
Can anyone help me set the earpiece volume? Can only hear the caller if you put on speaker. caller can hear me just fine.
The battery on this phone is absolutely atrocious. After fully charging it overnite, the battery will only last maybe ten hours and will shut the phone down and not restart until the battery is plugged into a wall outlet. Also, the alarm goes off at midnite even when the alarm feature is turnrd off.
You think 10 hours is not good, depending on how often you use your phone (if you are on it constantly) 10 hours is great.
I'm not that great with deciphering what buzz words mean. Can anyone tell me if I can download apps to this phone. Should I buy a data plan with this phone so I can buy apps?
I got this phone as an emergency backup, but when I call someone their caller ID shows what I am guessing as the last persons name that had that number, after several tries with the TracFonne company, I get no where other then it may take 3-5 working days or 30 working days for the other carriers to drop the old users name and have my name show up... This sounds pretty crappy to me as a solution, other then that the phone is ok... Is there something I could do to get my out going caller ID to be me and not someone else ?
This phone is driving me nuts. I started out entering contact names just fine. However, it now doesn't allow me time to change the letter (s) when I'm entering them.
Charles, I know this answer is a bit late but it may help someone else. You can contact contact Tracfone and they will reset the time and date for you if removing the replacing he battery doesn't work for you.
This is the most boogered up thing I've ever seen. When I realized my Big Easy didn't have a speaker option, I called tracfone and they sent me a new one. Hours on the phone with them while they transferred minutes to a new number (they just decided I should have a new number I suppose). So they had to send a new sim card so I could get my old number back (a week of waiting for them to fix THEIR screw up). Imagine my surprise to discover that suddenly today my speaker phone option is gone. poof. Black magic? Yeah, I could call them again and get another phone but at my age I don't have hours to spend on these yahoos anymore. Unbelievable. I spent all those hours trying to get the number straightened out and then transferring all my contacts ..all for nuttin.
Terri, you are discovering as I did that this phone, while has some good features, is basically a p.o.s. My speaker button disappeared on not one but two of these phones within a week of getting a replacement. It won't keep a charge for even a day and I don't text, I don't surf, I don't do anything on it for days. This is my 'phone in my pocket for emergencies'. I haven't made or received a call on it in a week and it still loses its charge daily.
Is call forwarding on the phone? The box shows it but I can't find this option on the cell phone menu (general settings).
Same thing is happening to me intermittently. The CSR told me 'don't put your phone in your pocket, it can't get a signal'. HAH! I guess I'm supposed to walk around holding it over my head at all times so it can get a signal. Never had a problem with the old flip phone. Tracfone has now replaced mine 3 times. Wonder what it will take for them to understand that the Big Easy Flip by Alcatel is buggy as h*ll. I've spent at least 8 hours total on the phone with CSR, reprogramming the new phone and then reprogramming the next new phone and now look forward to reprogramming the NEXT replacement. sheesh. Wish I'd never bought the Big Easy..
Can the A382G tracfone be used in England? If so, does that require a new SIM card?
Right now QVC has it for $49.96 includes 800 minutes and you can do in 4 easy payments. Deal of the day for me considering I have seen it at Walmart for $29.99 with no minutes.
http://www.qvc.com/Big-Easy-Tracfone-Prepaid-Cell-Phone-w-Large-Keys-&-800-Mins.product.E226241.html?sc=E226241-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-5-_-E226241&catentryImage=http://images.qvc.com/is/image/e/41/e226241.001?$uslarge$
Is it possible to eliminate the maddening chimes that sound whenever you power on or off the phone?
Can you add more ring tones to this phone?
If I press "reject" on an incoming call, what does that do (besides terminating the call)?
12 stands for 12:00am to 12:00pm. 24 is military time.to change from daylight savings time,shut down phone and turn back on.
I had the same problem so called Tracfone....seems you have to keep the phone
on all the time...it works. So end of day put it on charger and all is good with the world...or so I wish..
The only problem I have had with this phone is when I have voice mail there is no indicator to let me know. I tried to retrieve voice mail several times by pressing 1 but nothing would happen. After several attempts, it finally showed I had three voice messages. Are other people getting a signal or anything when they turn the phone on to let them know they have voice mail? What is the easiest way to check voice mail. THANKS.
how do i get my speaker phone back on
You need to HOLD the 1 key for several seconds; once the "dialing" message appears (takes about 3 seconds for me), it's working.
When a new text message comes in, the phone displays a preview of the message itself; this changes to the sender's name (or number) once I read the message. Is there any way to show the name of the sender prior to reading, instead? Thanks!
It should send the call directly to voicemail.
Yes. You can add MP3-format ringtones (and I think WAV, unsure), though there is a filesize limit. You will need either a MicroSD card or a USB cable of the appropriate size in order to do this (unsure of the type, it goes into the charger port)
Either you have a bad battery, or you're in an area where the phone is having trouble connecting to a usable cellphone tower -- my area is so-so on towers, but I've never had it last less than 72 hours on a charge; normally more like 100 hours with light to moderate use (2-3 hours of talk time and 100-200 texts a month)
I already have a TracFone so I assume I can just put my Sim card in this one and it will work. Am I wrong?
Help! It seems no one has been able to answer how to retrieve the speaker phone option {I lost it after one day of use) or make the earpiece volume higher. Please, please advise if you have the solutions.
Does this have one bucket or three?
This phone uses the one bucket system. Only the newer, Android phones separate minutes into three buckets.
The best thing about this phone is a flip and a button push I can talk to the wife don't need to unlock it or put a password in. but I don't need to be entertained 24/7 either so it works for me If you're the type or apps on your phone you don't need this phone
The speaker function seems to be tied to the TTY setting. If the TTY setting is ON, it apparently assumes the user is deaf, and wouldn't need a speaker.
That also disables the headset jack so a TTY keyboard or input device can be used.
Discovered through personal experience.
big easy A392G web feature goes to "Host not found!" message instead of connecting
Wish someone would respond to this. I have the same problem and every SMS message deducts minutes from my ploan
I just ordered this phone today. But to reset the time, just power your phone off, then power it back on. That should fix the clock. All the trac phones i've had, i have to do that when we switch from standard time to daylight savings. Also, you will have to activate it before you can power off/on to set the clock.
You can add minutes by buying a card, or on the trac phone site, or on the phone itself. I do it on the site, the minutes pop in. It is easy, but a bit difficult to explain. the minutes roll over so you won't lose them, but you have to keep days to keep it activated. most "time brackets" come with 90 days, or you can buy a years worth of time and days. You will learn quickly once you have the phone. :)
Thank you so much! Powering it on and off works. They should include that in their user guide.
My mom has a government phone. It is so small she can't see to use it. This phone sounds great for her. I called safelink that supplies her service. They said to buy a Trac phone and they would transfer their service to it. Can this phone be used for this? No answer ASAP for she is in assisted living center and needs a phone quickly.
i've had this phone for almost 2 years now. its charge only lasts about 5 days max. after about 3 calls, the battery meter drops a click. charge never lasts 16 days.
can someone please tell me if its Safe to leave the phone on the Docking Station All the time. mom takes it with her to the casinos and shopping, but that's about it. Thank You For Your Time & Help!!
People can hear me, but I can't hear them unless I put the phone on speaker. Anybody have a remedy for this dilemma? Thank you.
Fixed the problem about having to use speaker in order to hear my incoming calls by taking out the battery & putting it back in. Yesterday, however the keypad became unfunctioning and so this phone that I bought on June 6th of this year is a useless piece of garbage and I now have to go buy another one. The packaging should read "disposable", IMO.
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