Review of the New Android Powered Huawei Glory from Tracfone
This Review by TracfoneReviewer will cover the Features, Specs, Buying information, Overall Opinion and more for the Huawei Glory - an Android Smartphone from Tracfone. |
| Front and Back of the Huawei Glory (click to zoom) |
The Huawei Glory is the last phone of several new Android smartphones recently released by Tracfone. The Glory is the last of several that we have reviewed here, and you can read our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Centura, ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic to learn more about what each of these phones offers, and which you might want to buy if you are considering these phones. You might also want to check out the LG Optimus Dynamic II, which is currently our recommendation for the best phone from Tracfone.
We hope to deliver a side by side comparison of all four android smartphones in the near future to help guide you to the best phone for your needs.
Now, let's get to the Huawei Glory review
Review of the Huawei Glory - From Tracfone
Just like the other smartphones from Tracfone, the Huawei Glory runs on Android OS and uses CDMA towers, meaning it will run off of the Verizon 3G Network. The Glory is a candy bar style touchscreen phone that has many similarities in size and look to the other smartphones from Tracfone.While the Huawei Glory is offered by several different cell phone service providers, only the phones marked as 'Tracfone' will work with Tracfone prepaid service. As far as we know, you can't switch between different SIM cards.
Let's get to the full features, specs and dimensions list..
Huawei Glory - Features and Specs
The Glory comes with some great features for a prepaid phone:
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| Huawei Glory - Using Google Maps |
- Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- 3G Speeds
- WiFi Connectivity
- 3.2 Mega Pixel Camera and Video Recorder
- Bluetooth
- MP3 Player
- GPS
- Gravity and Tilt Sensor
- Access to 700,000 apps
- Hearing Aid Compatible
- Alarm Clock
- Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail
- Text and Picture Messaging
- FM Radio
- Supports up to a 32GB Micro SD card
- Hands Free Speaker
Huawei Glory Dimensions and Technical Specs
- 1 Ghz Processor
- 3.5" Touchscreen
- Size: 4.6" x 2.4" x 0.5'
- Battery: 14 Days Standby, 5 Hours Talk Time
- Weight: 4.5 ounces
A great feature list, with a nice 1 Ghz processor, GPS, and even FM Radio! This phone is a good upgrade from older non-smartphone cell phones offered by Tracfone. But it is important to now that it is an older model when compared with smartphones available from the major service providers.
But before we get into all the details, let's look at just our likes and dislikes for the Huawei Glory.
Huawei Glory Review - Likes and Dislikes
Likes for the Huawei GloryThere is a lot to like about the Glory, including the basic features like Triple Minutes for Life, 3.2 MP Camera, GPS, WiFi and 3G speeds.
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| Huawei Glory - FM Radio |
The 3.2 MP Camera is decent, and better than almost all other Tracfone devices. It will work for situations when you just want to capture the moment. But for those sunset scenes, you should have a real camera.
WiFi is a great feature that most new Tracfone mobile phones are coming with these days. It allows you to connect to wireless networks (the internet) and browse the web without using your data/minutes. The WiFi on the Glory has been reported as being very good, much better than that of the ZTE Valet which has received some negative reviews for that.
The GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) feature makes it possible to use apps like Google Maps to get driving directions and figure out where you are if you get lost. Speaking of apps....
One of the biggest features (and the main reason most people will want these new Tracfone Smartphones) is Android 4.0, and access to over 700,000 apps on Google Play. While Android 4.0 is not the newest (The latest is 4.4 at this time) it is a relatively new version, better than the version 2.3 that the LG Optimus Dynamic comes with.
Last (but not least) the Huawei Glory comes with an FM Radio for listening to your favorite stations. None of the other smartphones from Tracfone offer this feature, and it is a nice benefit if you enjoy the radio.
Dislikes for the Huawei Glory
There are a few things that we want to mention that we didn't like.
The Huawei Glory doesn't come with a Micro SD card. While this isn't really a problem, the ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic both come with a 4 GB Micro SD Card (and they are all the same price).
The way prepaid minutes work on the new Android Smartphones is different, with minute cards now being split up into three pools or buckets - Data/Calling/Texting. This means that if you buy a 60 minute prepaid card, you will get it tripled to 180 calling minutes/ 180 mb data/ 180 texts.
While this new setup does benefit most people, and is a pretty good deal, for those who just text a lot, you will run out of texts much faster.
Two other dislikes we have for the Huawei is that Promo Codes won't work on any of the Android phones, and we are getting conflicting reports about where or not you can use the Family Value Plan, which is a great deal for all the families out there. We hope that Tracfone might change both of these policies, and we will try to keep you posted on this.
That about covers our likes and dislikes, now here is a quick tip for checking the airtime display on the Glory.
Update - A number of customers have brought up a wide variety of problems with the Glory, ranging from unreliability to possible defects and certain phones. If you get a phone with problems, we recommend trying to return it to where you got it, or contact Tracfone about it and they may send a new phone.
How to Check You Airtime Display on the Huawei Glory
On the Glory, as well as the other Tracfone Smartphones, you may not find the airtime balance you are accustomed to seeing on your home screen. Here is how to check your airtime balance if you don't have it on the home screen:Download the Official Tracfone App from Google Play to check your airtime balance and even add airtime to the phone.
You can also log on to your Tracfone account and submit a balance request, OR simply set up a bookmark in your browser (on your computer or phone) to go to "https://www.tracfone.com/direct/CheckBalance?input_phone=1234567890" (replace 1234567890 with your phone number). You'll get a free text message on your phone with your balances. The service end date is not in the text message. It's only shown on the browser screen.
Overall Review for the Huawei Glory from Tracfone
This phone is a fantastic upgrade from older Tracfone devices. The app market opens up a world of opportunities and features that will keep you busy for days if you let it.We found this phone to be one of the better options between the four new Android Smartphones, and we like that it has a 1 Ghz processor with Android 4.0. The battery life also seems to be very good, easily lasting through a day with moderate use.
This phone compares most similarly with the ZTE Valet, with each using Android 4.0 or better, and each containing a 1 Ghz processor. The Valet does come with a Micro SD card, and they both are the same price ($99), although the ZTE Valet has been on sale on Amazon for around $75.
It really comes down to a matter of personal preference, and which features are important to you. If you like the FM Radio, go with the Glory, if you want the newer Android version, the Valet is your choice.
The Huawei Glory can be found at the Tracfone website, and many other online retailers. It can also be found in stores like Wal-Mart.
You can also find a wide variety of Covers and Cases for the Huawei Glory on Amazon.
Overall, the Huawei Glory is not the newest smartphone, but it is a good smartphone, especially for use with Tracfone Prepaid service. It is one of the best choices between the other four smartphones offered by Tracfone. You can view our reviews for the other smartphones, as well as other phones offered by Tracfone, on our Cell Phone Reviews page.
For additional resources on the Huawei Glory, view this Tutorial that will help you learn more about how to use this phone.
You might enjoy reading our recent post, GSM vs. CDMA to learn more about which network is best for you.
Leave your questions, thoughts and reviews below in the comments! Also be sure to share this with others who might find it useful.
144 comments :
Any word on whether this phone has a better WiFi antenna/reception than the ZTE? The ZTE is not known for good WiFi reception, and this is particularly important if you're running a meter per KB.
I'd say WiFi reception quality would be a real differentiator. The Android version difference is minor, and FM radio could matter to some, but not me at least.
So how far from the router can you go as compared to the ZTE? :)
It seems like it might have a much better wifi connection based on reports, anyone else with firsthand experience?
That appears to be the case from research I've done, but very few have a Huawei as yet. Given the fact that I want it to use WiFi whenever possible (actually my mother so she can watch over the house via a internet cam), I was even considering going with the LG or Samsung (LG might be faster because it's not running 4.0 on 800mhz), which reportedly do better. It's all anecdotal, though. I might chance it with the Huawei.
I might be your first first hand report. Shame. The ZTEs are going cheap now, but the WiFi problems kill it for me. Optimum Wifi has a very nice feature with lots of hotspots around here, but with a crappy antenna, you'll be forced to use your data pool.
Worse still, when they're both on, a shoddy Wifi connection will just make the internet not work because the phone _thinks_ it has a signal ... but it doesn't.
Does the Huawei Glory have a decent wi-fi antenna? Also if anyone has played with it yet, will the menu allow the data, or gps to be shut off to conserve the battery??
Speaking of, is the battery removable??
These are all deal breakers for me, since I prefer something I can limit the tracking on.
Thanks for any replies!
Jaay
RE: Wifi, I've already asked and it presumably can't be any worse than the ZTE. The ZTE has Wifi issues that are well-known otherwise I'd have bought it already -- Wifi reception is critical when you're paying for data by the KB. And the LG has very little storage, so that's out.
So it's between the Samsung and the Huawei. If the Huawei is solid on Wifi it wins. Someone please chime in as I've done lots of research already :)
To answer your questions, all Android phones can be made to disable data or GPS. You may need to go to the app store, though.
Can anyone tell me if I can use the Family Value Plan with this phone?
How much time is taken off for email and internet use?
I don't think you can at this time.
@Anonymous The Tracfone method of tracking data (email/internet/etc.) was dated and they had to change it -- much like their phones until now. You get triple minutes and buckets. 200 mins becomes:
600 mins
600 texts
0.6 GB
It's better unless you text a lot. Then it's possibly worse.
As I mentioned above, since Wifi is free at home and you can be liable to forget to turn off data in that dead zone in your house or when the phone's antenna has a bad hair day, the quality of your Wifi antenna can be a REAL FACTOR here in terms of cost if you use data. You can do text over data with Google Voice as well, making at least originating texts free while on Wifi -- assuming you HAVE wifi.
Please someone chime in. Which phone has the best Wifi? :P
I've only had the phone less than 24 hours, but the wifi has worked great! My number hasn't transferred yet, so wifi is the only thing I can do with the phone so far. I'm grateful for the reviews and questions here. They have answered some questions for me, as I bought the phone on a whim and hadn't checked it out ahead of time. I like the camera - based on just a couple tries. I'll get back on here and review once I've put the phone through its paces. I'm going to return it if I have problems.
Glad we could help, and thanks for the info. Looking forward to your thoughts on the Huawei Glory, it might be the best android available from Tracfone....as long as it doesn't have hidden problems.
My granddaughter told me this weekend that I was not ready for a Smartphone. From the reviews I have seen on the new Tracfone Smartphones I'm not sure I am either. At the present time I have a Tracfone LG420G which I think I will keep a while longer. It works for my needs.
Do these android tracfones roam?
Does the Square Card Reader work with this or any other TracFone?
Does this have magnetic field sensors, so you can use it with compass apps and Google Sky?
I am a new user and can't figure out how to add contact names and numbers?
Beware, I read on this site that tracfone would assign you to verizion with this phone, Verizion customers have service where I work. With this phone I have no service whatsoever. I an told that regular verizion custoners get service through us celluar towers. tracfone does not have a roaming agreement with verizion in this area. Tracfone has basically told me tough beans. they will not exchange the phone even though it is less than a week old.I gues it is time to fire them. The phone is very hard to text with also. I guess I paid 100 dollars for a lesson.
target has cards you can buy for just web data, like $10 for 300 mb and i was wondering if anybody knew if that was tripled as well or just if you buy the time cards?
Do you have to pay for your time on the apps?
No I got one for Christmas and was looking and it says you can't do the family plan nor the codes. But maybe in the future.
The roaming, that was one feature that never entered my mind about these phones. But now that it has been brought up, can someone please confirm whether it can roam or not? If that is true, that just put the brakes on the purchase of any of these phones. I live right on the Indiana - Illinois line and travel between both states a lot. I definitely need a phone that roams. Am I glad I found this website. I was ready to just go out and buy one of these phones without doing very much research on them. Anyone that can post the answer to this question. Would be greatly appreciated.
when setting up this phone ( which is completely new to me) I had trouble touching the right keys on the key pad so I skipped the internet part and now I cannot log into the home router. It tells me authentification problem. does anyone know how I can backtrack to put the information in and is there anything I can use to type with other than my fingers?
Glory has very good wi-fi. I haven't any problem since I bought it new 2 weeks ago. I can even run some wi-fi apps better that don't run smoothly on my ipad touch.
No, it does not roam. It only uses the Verizon network. I've tried roaming on US Cellular areas in Washington state and Inland Cellular in Idaho and get a signal. My non-Android Tracfone CDMA phones do roam in these areas. Something they've disabled with these new Androids.
I am new to smartphones so everything on this phone is great. The only thing that I do not like is I can not port an existing phone to this one. I have tried for a week now, talked to 5 agents without success. Each time they ask for the same info and tells me it's successfully port but each time I wait for 48hrs, still nothing happens. I an told that it is possible to port a number to an android but they won't guarantee that it will. I would not recommend this phone if you are trying to port a number.
i've had this hauwei h868c phone for about 3 weeks, no manuals come with the phone
execpt startup book,I,ve tried to find a tutorial manual online from hauwei and tracphone neither works -phone is no good if you can not get to work
Towards the end of the article above there is a link to a tutorial that should help you out.
But not many things come with physical manuals anymore. You can either get them online, or just play with them and learn it that way.
Wow, good to know!
If you think that the FM Radio is a reason to buy this phone, you couldn't more wrong.
Sorry to break it you guys, but FM Radio on a cell phone is going to be crap, no matter who makes the phone.
Most cell FM Radio's on the cell phones I've seen don't seem to pick up 1/10 of the FM stations that my 80's Boom Box FM tuner still does, mostly because I suspect the tuner hardware and lack of a external FM antenna cripples it.
And don't get me started about the "music" FM stations play these days. If it hasn't been chopped up, with chunks actually cut out of song, there's some lame DJ using it to hype some even lamer streaming music site where you can download it from. Bleh.
I too have found the WiFi works very well, as good as my Chinese tablet or my daughters Dell LT. Figuring out how to use the Glory can be and is difficult. Most of the tutorials I've seen so far do not go into much detail, and this phone is about the details. So far it's good, but there is plenty to learn about this phone
I've set up my voicemail, but cannot retrieve messages. I follow the instructions on retrieving my voicemail. The instructions then say to put in my password. However, I cannot do that because the screen then goes away and there is no keyboard to be seen to type in the password....screen is completely black, but I am stil hearing the recording telling me to put in my password. Is there a setting I'm not doing right?
The manual is a link under the phone tutorial.
http://img-tf.deviceanywhere.com//tracfone/pub/77484/docs/868C%20ENG.pdf
This was my son's Christmas gift.
It replaced another tracfone.
The previous phone was enrolled in the Family Value Plan.
When we switched everything over, the Family Value Plan went with it. Right now, under 'details' for the Huawei H868 it shows that it is, indeed, enrolled in the plan.
So it looks as though they may have changed that.
We'll see if he receives minutes when the date comes!
Any idea how much RAM this phone has? (the zte valet is 512MB)
I'm thinking about getting this phone. It will be my first smartphone.
What kind of jack does it have for earphones/earbuds?
My previous phones needed specific plugs not the 3.5.
It should be 3.5 standard jack.
So far I havn't been able to find out how much internal storage the Huawei Glory has.
I'm looking at smartphones, for b-day present. Part of reason was possibly using for work to take notes, etc. (work is computer network tech, so could use for taking notes for various things, and documenting issues.)
My dad had mentioned he thought straight talk would be better, as we had relative over and he had 3/4-full signal, most our older phones get at most 1-2 bars if that, and drop stuff, but that's at home in area with like no towers.
personally I'd rather stay tracfone, as ST all the androids need monthly plan tracfone is like always been. To me it's not worth like $50 a month just for better signal, I'd rather deal with issues when I'm at home than pay extra, and I don't even use phone all that much, very rarely text, or use web. Web is a pain on my LG420G, I think texting is stupid. Both those are by min, and browser really uses up time and don't like it so don't use. New phone plan I guess wouldn't really be that great, but if I'm getting texts and data free I don't really care I'll buy more phone time. Browser on something with good UI may be useful and there for data. I think texting is a pain, but I know people that that is best way to contact, so be good to have even if don't use much.
I did a bit of research into various ways I could use the device to do stuff for work, I think pretty much being android and the apps I could find something whether I get an after-market stylus and use wring recognition, KB (actual or touch), or some sort of voice to text or just recorder.
So far like looks of this, or the Samsung galaxy, I don't know the Samsung is worth the extra cost though. However I've heard a lot of good things about galaxy device in general. I expect tracfone one may be a bit different though.
Just kind of looking for some more opinion on these two phones, and possibly any issues anybody's found using apps. Also I may be missing something about TF, but don't sound like needs monthly plan, like ST. I did hear ad on radio though that said you do, but like $7 so I don't know what to believe. I think even at that I'd take over ST's $50 a month plan.
I have this phone and am very pleased with it. The WiFi handles just fine (I pick it up quite a ways off) and the FM tuner is an added bonus. I prefer to listen to classic rock stations while I work, but I have realized that the reason it requires headphones plugged in is because it uses them as the antennae. Strange, but smart. I pick up more stations that my car does, and for those who are Bluetooth savy, it totally rocks with the android 4 system. So in conclusion 5 stars from me for the Huawei Glory.
Taken directly from the Tracfone Terms and Conditions of Service page: "Double and Triple Minute Cards and phones that include the Double or Triple Minute feature will not double or triple the value of Data Cards"
I enjoyed reading the review and bought one of these phones (Huawei Glory) around the first of the year. I have nothing but trouble with the phone. When it works, it works great, but there seems to be something wrong inside that after the phone has been on for a short amount of time, it just goes nuts! If I try to text, it may just start entering different letter than I have typed, or it may just start typing a string of letter all on it's own. If I select the phone app, it may go to the camera app. It just very odd. I bought the phone at Walmart, but waiting 16 days to return it. 15 days was their limit. I have talked 3 times now to Tracfone. The first time, they said they were sending me a new phone with instructions on how to send back the bad one. After about a week, I had heard nothing so I called again. This time I was told that I had to send in my phone before they could send another one out. They were sending an Air Bill to my email which would take 24 -48hrs. I waited 5 days and called again. Was told my email refused the Air Bill(I don't see that this happened) and I should be receiving a mailed Air Bill in the mail today. No Air Bill in the mail today. I have been a customer with TF for 3 years now and NEVER had a problem. This time, it has been very frustrating. Not sure what to do!!
Before telling everyone that the FM radio is no good, perhaps you should learn about it first, folks. It works fine for me. It requires a plug-in headset before it will run, using the line as its antenna. That's a downer if you were hoping (as I was) to use a cordless Bluetooth headset with it, but it obviously improves reception.
I too have learned the hard way with tracfone's (supposedly) "customer service" #%!*@. They don't really care if you are happy or not ...all they are programmed for is the cheapest way to go, for people who are in need of budgeting. So it is basiclly take it or leave it cause they have many more customers they can sell to!
i sent my phone back because it wasn't working and I was without a phone for two weeks. great service eh?
TracFone's website does not appear to be offering the Huawei Glory as of January 25, 2014. Either TracFone has sold out of the Huawei Glory and is awaiting a new supply, or TracFone has pulled it off the market because of problems with that model and/or customer complaints.
As for the question of manuals, you can download the manual (75 pages ) from the Huawei website. I did and it is a tremendous help in getting to know the phone
Does anyone know how much ROM the phone has? I'm looking for a reasonably priced Android with @ least 8gb of memory.
Is this phone guaranteed to run off Verizon? I live in a rural area where Verizon works great but Sprint does not work at all and I need to make sure this will be Verizon before I buy.
Thanks
How do you display your airtime on your Huawei screen to keep track of min/texts
Is the glory the same as the huawei h868c? I can't find a huawei glory anywhere! Any ideas?
I was using a networking app on mine, to analize my home network, I'm in the middle of a large lot, and I was able to go about 150-200ft away from the house, before the signal degraded to much for the app to see, and that was at about -95DB.
I was sitting in front of a window today, looking at the phone, I noticed an odd mark on the case. you look on the top right of the phone you may see it. it is under the plastic of the screen, it's like an oval type shape longest part is parallel to the edge of phone. it appears to be some sort of dual LED thing. I have not seen them light, it appears to me being a pair it may be some sort of infrared thing. manual don't say, nothing online either. Any ideas?
Can someone please tell me how to get to the notification panel. I want to Activate/reactivate my phone with the number I already have. Help.
What is the specific URL address where the Huawei manual can be found?
I just found out that the Glory has FM and would like to buy a tracfone powered one now, but alas, I can only find Net10 Glorys for sale anywhere on the internet? What happened to it on tracfone?
I think you have to call tracphone & let them transfer the#.
Check walmart & amazon?
Does this phone receive the new WEA alerts like AMBER and tornado?
Does the Hauwei phone receive the new WEA alerts like AMBER and tornado?
Has anyone tried playing video on this, either with the built in player (it shows an icon for one on the box) or with MX Player?
Does this model (or any of the Tracfone Android phones) have a glass screen? My previous phones have had plastic screens and over time they get hazy and seem to lose sensitivity, making it almost impossible to text, dial numbers, etc.
No, I've found mine doesn't have the sensor to use a Compass app.
I ported an existing Tracfone number to my new Android Huawei Glory.
Mine came with a Service Guide (manual).
If I go to the Apps settings for running apps, it reports 292 MB used and 98 MB free = 390 MB. I have no idea if this is the total RAM, but what is available for apps.
Total space = 2.67 GB
Total amount allowed for apps = 630 MB with a LOT of that being default out-of-the-box apps. I've also noticed that deleting an app from the phone, and then re-downloading and installing it results in much higher MBs: Google Earth: before 20.__MB; after deleting and redownloading: 45.86MB
SO, one thing people need to know is there is a serious, serious restriction on how many apps of a reasonable size you can actually install. I bought this and before even setting up the phone activation I updated the installed software, installed the Facebook and Facebook Messenger, Tracfone My Account app, and a few other 8-9MB apps and I'm hitting a limit now, a few minutes out of the box, before I even get started really loading up the apps.
KNOW THIS: this phone serious limits the amount of apps that can be installed. It basically makes having multiple home screens useless since you really can't use but maybe 2 screens worth (not using some of the pre-installed rarely used ones). I'm finding this to be the biggest bummer right now as that pretty much makes this useless for adding new apps unless you're going to delete a whole bunch of others you'd rather not for that "just in case I need it" moment. Sad. Out of that 2.67GB of internal storage you're limited to only 630MB for apps? WHAT? SERIOUSLY? Anybody who has android on something larger knows that's far too little to be functional. No games, nothing more than like I stated: Facebook and a few other small apps along with updating what came on it which bloats their sizes and fills it up. I bought a 32GB microSD card for all my other stuff expecting to use all the internal storage for apps and OS. Ho hum, nothing comes cheap.
Yes. "Glory" on the front of the package, Huawei H868C on the back.
It comes with an app called "Cell Broadcasts" which mention, if I recall correctly when looking at it's settings, an AMBER alert option.
Anyone hitting the "Insufficient storage" error when attempting to install apps should check out this info I found on a forum:
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Go to "Settings" > Storage > "Default Storage Location". Change this to SD Card. You will get a warning about how this may interfere with some applications.
Select "OK". Now you should get a "Move to SD card" option when you go to "Settings" > Apps.
If you have an app that has already stored a significant amount of data to the internal memory (Google Play Music for example), you may need to Clear the data from the App and re-enter your settings to convince it to save future downloads to the SD card. ***Back up any data you can afford to lose first!***
Only certain Apps will allow you to move them to the SD card. Some that do allow it might not work correctly, or have all the features available if they are moved to the card. (Gtasks widget won't work form the card, for example.) Take a look at how much each app uses when moved to the card vs. on the device, some report less space used when left on the phone.
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I believe this has worked for me, haven't uninstalled off the internal apps I had already installed, but going to do that to try and make sure all is saving to the card.
I'm NEW to SmartPhone use .... Bought the Glory, love the coverage area here in west central Virginia, bought the large memory card ...
BUT ... do not know how to fully take advantage of it with APPS ... my photos / videos are save on it some how - automatically ??!!
It's APPs I have no idea how to put there..
Welcome eMail anytime chris.plumley@gmail.com
The keyboard is too small. Is there an app that makes the keys larger?
A few days later, and while I was able to install more apps, I still hit a big roadblock most every time after a few apps. So many apps cannot be moved to the SD card, which pretty much makes the limited space on the phone really limited.
Full review from techie:
I'm on ~day 6 and here's my TracFone Huawei Glory H868C Review. I figured it would be a good deal, could just add a 32GB card to hold more apps, music & movies. Well, first you have to know that the small barely over 600MB internal partition (or whatever is limiting it) is all you can install for Apps. Sure, some apps you can movie to the SD card, but many cannot plus those that do move don't really move all their data to the SD card. If you enable this out of the box and update all the pre-installed Google apps like Google+, Hangouts, Chrome, etc. you are left with very, very little storage space left to install other apps. You can set those apps back to the tiny factory installed versions at any time, but Google+ and Hangouts (Talk & G Messenger) won't work: "Can't connect to server" because they're old and don't exist anymore since all that was merged into Hangouts. So, you have to decide what you need and what you don't, and what you don't you can't delete, just reset back to the smaller factory version (that may not work).
You will constantly get an "insufficient storage" error when installing more things after your first few apps, therefore if you're like me and have used tablets and other phones before, you'll find this phone extremely limiting. If you're a newbie and don't really know what an app is, it might work for you for a month or so, then you'll get annoyed after you've figured out how to add Apps via the Google Play store since you won't have the internal storage to download or install them. Example: There's an app on the store that states it is 5.5MB and you've checked the Settings app under Applications to see what the free, internal, app storage space is and you've got 63MB of space...you can download it but you can't install it. And that free space wavers constantly even if you don't do anything on the phone. Also, Google will autmatically attempt to update it's apps constantly, constantly and fail since you've installed some apps already.
For beginners it might be good to start with this if you're low on money now and expect to have more in 8 months (or less). For people that need 20+ apps (which is easy when you know what to install) you'll find this product simply wasn't tested enough or needed a certain profit margin.
I haven't had this long enough to experience the issues others have after 8 months, but I expect them sooner than that, it's from China. Probably a good idea to set all your Google settings to save stuff and use the pre-installed All Backup app to save whatever it can. Might also be a good idea from time to time to copy or make a disc copy when it's plugged into the computer via USB. It mounts an ISO and 2 NO NAME disks (one for the internal phone, one for a microSD card you add).
If all you want is a good android platform to load up DoubleTwist for a music player and MX Player for movies, then by all means buy a 32GB microSD card and tap away, it'll do that, just not HD videos (grrrr).
The touch screen works pretty well, but due to it's small size you'll find the portrait/vertical keyboard quite small and will be hitting the back/delete button often and as someone mention the autocorrect will rewrite your perfect english words into something else, just have to "teach" it by adding things to the dictionary. Touch works so, so for gaming, but again, the screen is so small it does present some problems with doing moves and seeing the screen at the same time.
Gaming engine: save your money. It barely keeps up with Despicable Me 2 Minion Rush. Studders and drops frames a good bit...but if you're bored. Candy Crush Saga: screen is so small it's hard to swipe some fruit without having to do it a few times.
Memory/RAM: Not a lot, you'll need to install Clean Master and use the 1Tap Boost to clear cache and whatnot quickly and easily before attempting to launch a game after running other apps first.
Battery Life: not going to allow you to do stuff all day long on WiFi in your house/office. I haven't tested it's life with WiFi, Bluetooth and Data turned off and just for phone calls on the go.
Overall this is not a powerhouse nor does it meet expectation, but it does allow some things, just a few, so you're likely to be uninstalling some apps you wanted in order to be able to update or install others you really need. It's a good step up from a basic TracFone and worth that extra money IF it lasts for 2 years or is used for hours a day. If it only lasts a few months I'd say buy something else like a MotoX from Republic Wireless (I think it's $350, but only $10 a month service).
You get what you pay for, as long as it lasts for a reasonable amount of time.
Apps I have installed at the present (still trying to squeeze more in but had to uninstall to get Google+ & Hangouts to work) with preinstalled denoted with an *: HP ePrint, SuperBeam, Quickoffice*, Adobe Reader, TracFone My Account, Gallery*, Pixilr Express, Play Store*, Clean Master, Advanced Task Manager, Downloads*, File Manager*, All Backup*, Settings*, Phone*, Contacts*, Messages*, Chrome*, MX Player, Flixster, HBO Go, TWC TV, YouTube*, WatchESPN, doubleTwist, Tunein Radio, Songza, Sound Recorder*, Minion Rush, Candy Crush Saga, Plants vs Zombies 2, FM Radio (requires headphones be plugged-in for antenna)*, Camera*, Facebook, FB Messenger, QR Code Reader, Google+*, Hangouts*, Call Log*, Flashlight, Pinterest, Voice Dialer*, Calendar*, Email*, WRAL Weather, Drinks Recipes, Food, Waze, Maps*, Earth*, Pocket, Clock*, Calculator*, Out of Milk, and Evernote. Sounds like a lot until you see a commercial or remember another one and you just can't add it no matter how bad you want it. I had to delete WRAL Mobile, WRAL Weather Alert, Flipboard, Mixology, Red Laser, Pandora and Music Choice just to update Hangouts and Google+, now I can't add any of them back even with 72MB free and 558MB used (internal app-only storage). All of those listed above that could have been transferred to SD card were, but it didn't make a lot of difference. So I've got 2GB of storage in the phone that will likely never get used and can't be used for apps (f'n stupid) and 21GB free on my SD card.
Whew, ok I'm done. You are warned, but you might be happy by the list of apps, good for the basics, not much more. If you're thinking of rooting it (hacking it to try and use the SD card for apps), search and search some more, I found some comments from people having problems launching apps after they tried that on this phone, but it might have been their skill level.
Also, here's some good first steps:
1) Activate the phone with that red paper card that came with it, do this first.
2) Add your minutes card via tracfone.com (create an account if you don't have one)
3) Launch Google Play and download the TracFone My Account app. The app will only work the first time, but the widget you can place on one of your home screens appears to work fine. Comments show this hasn't been fixed for well over a year, so it probably will never get fixed.
4) Update the preinstalled apps in Google Play > (left menu) My apps > that you really have to have installed and updated.
5) Disable Google Magazine, Google Music, & Google Movies & TV via the Settings > Applications app if you're not going to pay for media through Google. They'll continuously try to update if you don't which might dock your minutes/data if you don't set up all your settings carefully.
5) Only then should you start adding other apps from Google Play, seriously, otherwise it'll take you days and days and days to sort it out.
Great information, thanks for sharing on here!
Can you install your own ring tones?
Just an update on my progress with this phone after a few weeks:
I've had to constantly remove/uninstall apps (10+) to get others to update. Now I'm at a place where even having 86MB free for apps still brings up an "Error: Insufficient storage available". This happens even with apps/updates much smaller than that, like 14.85MB. So you basically get stuck with far less apps in order to keep the ones you really need updated. I'm thinking less and less of this phone but it does get the basics done.
At the top of my home screen there is a row of "data blocks" with such info as dx:00 in each block. Some are highlighted in red. Don't know how they got there or how to remove them. Any idea? Thanks.
I bought my Glory 4/11/13. Since then I have not used the phone much at all. It seemed like the battery was discharging much faster than the specs indicate. 18 hours ago I fully charged the battery. Since then I have checked email a couple of times, sent 2 texts, mode 0 phone calls and the battery is at 80%. I lost 20% in standby mode in 18 hours. At this rate, a full charge will give me 3.75 days of standby not the 14 days in the specs.
FWIW...
The Wi-Fi is 32% of the discharge
The Cell standby is 32% of the discharge
The Phone idle is 31% of the discharge
Google Play services is 3%
Is anyone else finding battery life far less than the spec?
I have been relatively pleased after the first month of use, however, today it will not let me download any new apps. I have plenty of unused memory. When I try to download it just seems to hang up and never starts the download. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
What is the little green light located in the top left corner of the phone? It blinks periodically.
Looking to buy a phone to use at Disney? I live in Nebraska. I am concern about roaming with this phone. Also is Rhasphody available on this phone/
How clear are the pictures when using the camera? Can I use a USB cable to download the pictures "or" do I have to e-mail it?
The Huawei Glory is the biggest piece of S_ _ T!!!!! I have ever owned. It is not user friendly at all. I have been with Tracfone for many years and I think this phone has cost them my service. The phone when you buy aircards you have to download an app to add the time. It divides your time into 3 (calls, text, data) I only use this phone for texting and occasionally for phone calls but never for data. It is almost impossible to keep track of your minutes as it doesn't show you like the other ones did. I have never run out of minutes to text and usually buy a 450 minute card every other month. With this phone I have bought 2 in the last 3 weeks at $80 a pop. I tried to go back to my old phone to be told now that I have to order an new sim card. So now I am stuck in ND for the next two weeks with no phone. Think I am going to look for a different prepaid plan. They tell me that can't move the minutes from the Huawei to another phone, so what ever minutes I have on it are gone. So I am losing 1233 voice call minutes and 1236 data minutes and can't even text. IT SUCKS!!!! STAY CLEAR OF THIS PHONE!!!
Day 1 - it worked good
Day 2 - not so much
Day 3 - it sucks! Can't download, email, or surf.
I don't have time for such nonsense. I call Tracfone and get no help, only frustration. That's it! I'm returning the phone and they better refund my $! I really liked the phone and wanted it to work out.
I bought 300 mg of data card, had 88 already on, but somehow, only have 296 after activating the new 300 mg! I haven't had much trouble with the phone, but it bothers me to see people with "real" android phones having service when I don't...but I just bought this to check and clear emails while on the road, so I guess it does that well enough. I wonder, though-is there a way to delete a "bookmark"? I haven't found a way to do it, and I downloaded the entire, expanded manual.
Sure am!!
Is there any way to transfer photos from the phone to a computer? I've tried it and the picture folders don't come up. I turn on the USB mass storage function but it doesn't make a difference.
No one has complained about email. Our Huawei H868C receives emails, but we can't sent emails with it. We have called Comcast, our internet service provider, about the problem, but they have no solution. We also sent an email from our desktop computer to Huawei, but they have not responded. Huawei doesn't list a phone number.
Can the Huawei Glory Tracfone be connected to the Hands Free Bluetooth system in my 2013 Toyota Corolla?
Yes
Yes
They are both the same company.
This one has 2.67 GB free.
I see this phone is on sale at Walmart now for less than $50. ($49.88) - the fact it ends in "88" usually indicates a clearance item... So, while it's a bargain at this price I wonder if there's a new one in the pipeline anytime soon to replace it.
(I was about to buy it - mainly because it was the only Android Tracfone with an FM radio, but if there's a better one just around the corner I'll wait for that...)
Anyone know of any rumors?
Just out in that microSD like you said and on each app under Manage Apps choose to move it to your SD card, and there you go, basically unlimited storage for apps. I don't feel what you are saying is anything particularly negative towards the phone as long as you use an SD card.
yes I have had a Huawei for a couple weeks now and I am very pleased with this phone.Wifi is great,you can turn off bluetooth,data,and GPS,and the battery is removeable.
This is a good phone it runs very fast,it runs good and if you're the type of person who wants a cheap phone that's good,look no further.
I don't know about you, but I find that I do not have the option to move any app to the SD card I installed. How are you doing it?
There is already the LG Optimus Dynamic 2 LGL39C out, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, very good phone! I've had this phone for 6 monthes, wifi works greart Buy it on Amazon or Ebay. Supposedly the new LG Optimus Fuel is going to be released soon. Android 4.4 Kitkat
How well does the Huawei Glory work with the Square?
Yup, here too, seems to be hitting the 9% "out of battery" alert before bed time.
Try restarting or using Clean Master, might help. I have issues on mine when trying to install new apps even when I have 109MB of space left for apps and the apps are small.
You can do either.
keep looking, it's in there.
After 4+ months, I think it's starting to get glitchy. Multiple times when I REALLY wanted to get a time-sensitive photo, the photo app freezes, especially when changing from photo to video and from photo to panoramic photo. It's done this at least 4 times now, requiring me to pop off my case and remove the batter just to see if that helps, sometimes does, sometimes doesn't.
The phone in general is also feeling like it's getting considerably slower even though I constantly use the Clean Master app to free up RAM/memory and other junk. I've also gotten into the necessary habit of having to uninstall apps in order to add new ones or update some of the larger ones like Google+, Facebook and HBO Go (G+ and Fb keep getting bigger and bigger every update).
I don't expect this thing to last through a whole year, much less the 8 month mark, will see.
I made a big mistake buying this phone. It has been a long while since I have encountered a technological product that is so user-unfriendly. I am not the most tech-savvy person, but I am not a complete dolt when it comes to computers, cell phones, etc., but this phone takes what should be the most simplest of operations and complicates them up to the point where you are spending more time trying to figure out how to do something than you are actually doing it. "Keep looking, it's in there", as one user suggested, is hardly a good production recommendation!
I just purchased my Huawei phone and every time I try to send a picture out of my gallery it says there is no service and it will be sent when there is service, but there hasn't been any yet. What am I doing wrong? I would be great full for any help. Thank you
NEW PHONE USER
Every negative comment mentioned about the Huawei Glory has also happened to me. A complete waste of A LOT of time trying to fix problems as well as trying to figure out-unsuccessfully- how to work the most basic phone functions. horrible battery life even on standby then barely used and even seems to be losing power when powered off. Previously a happy tracfone customer for a few years. Now I hesitate to purchase a phone in order to replace this,in own opinion unusable tracfone (because was not activated right away I am assuming I am out a fair amount of money).
I have gotten more helpful information from this blog and comments than I did from the tracfone site or customer service so thank you to those of you who maintain this blog. It has been extremely helpful. (with the exception of recommending the Huawei Glory but I researched it prior to purchasing it and found many positive reviews) well maybe in theory, or at least not for me personally.
U have to turn on ur data to send pics
Somehow I have lost the opening screen that shows a circle in the center. Point right to open the apps, point left to open texts and bottom contacts 911. Can anyone tell me how to get this screen back?
Download the tracfone app My Account from the Google Play Store. It will give you a current status. Costs you 1 text message.
I really don't care what other people say....I have a Huawei H868C and I like it but......I need a user instruction manual so I can operate the phone.....the little book that came with it did not even tell me how to answer it. I WANT A MANUAL THAT TELLS ME HOW TO USE IT AND WHAT BUTTONS TO PUSH TO GET RESULTS.....
For some reason I cannot send a text message when I include a photo that I have taken with this phone. Can anyone offer a solution?
My phone will not send photos as an attachment to a text message. Does anyone have an an answer to this problem?
Try using the gallery to view a photo. there is an icon at the top that allows you to send a MMS message. There you can type in or speak your comment and designate who to send it to. SMS doesn't do photos well.
My first Glory would reset during a conversation. You know, buzz shut down and reboot about once a week. TrackFone techs couldn't resolve it and the phone was replaced. After a while the new on did too.
It turns out an added microSD card was causing the problem. The old phone stopped resetting after it was removed.
The new phone was equipped with a new SD card. It still resets but so far only once in 3 months. I suspect there is something to do with SD card access. Maybe that is why the phone doesn't come with one.
I really like the looks and features of the Huawei Glory, but I won't use the data and probably won't use the texting very often can I turn off the data . I will use mainly talk .
How often do I have to add minutes because again I don't use a whole lot of minutes
My husband and I have each had one of these since last November. My husbands phone frequently resets during calls, and intermittently tells him he is out of minutes - so it won't make or receive calls. Pulling up the Tracfone app and checking minutes seems to fix this; mine does the "minutes" thing too, but not as often. Mine, however will not update apps - it says the device is out of memory. I've tried to run updates after a reset, but no dice: I've tried turning off each of the apps manually and then running updates - that has worked, and sometimes not. We will not send our phones in - we want the new phones so we can transfer the information, but Tracfone would not work with us on this. I notice they are not selling them now. We will probably go with a new LG smart phone and stay with Tracfone - We have had Tracfone for years and years, and this is the first lemon we've had.
The glory gets triple minutes but if you don't want to use the data or the text feature then just ignore them. $39 will buy 900 minutes.
apparently you can't set up speed dials???
how come I can't get mms to download on my text messages?
I cannot get my Huawei Glory to retain the ringtone I select. I set it, try the phone and it will ring with the tone I selected until my phone goes into sleep and then reverts back to the factory setting. Frustrating because the default setting is not loud enough for what I need. Any suggestions?
I downloaded ring tones from my computer.
$10 more and you get unlimited talk & text with pageplus! isj
I think features may be dialer dependent. With the default dialer that comes with this phone, you have the option of favorites.
That would be great but mine keeps telling me that I have insuffucuent storage to download that app
I wonder if tracfone really does read this. You would think by now they would be trying to make it up to us since so many have found this phone to be junk. Got my mom a cheap flip phone that's better than this thing. Shes very hard hearing and she can even hear on hers better than I can on this. I have to use speaker for calls but not on hers. I guess they don't care that many of us are going to other companies because their customer service sucks or is provided by people that don't speak English well enough to understand. That's ok, if they don't care about me enough to fix this problem I don't care about them enough to stay with them. I have been a tracfone customer for more than 10 yrs. but enough is enough.
I am also unable to move most apps to my SD card, even with a SD app file manager. If tracphone has a more advanced android phone, that actually utilizes a 32mb SD card or higher, I'd like to hear about it, as I have been most disappointed in the lack of apps & music I am allowed.
does the glory charge you for sent texts AND received texts?
what is a square card reader?
I received this phone as a gift. But I have never been able to make or receive a call with it. I can play games, send texts possibly but the only lines I have for making a call only are on the screen for a few seconds after turning it on. The text's I send sometimes are not received for hours after sending. I live in the mountains and realize this is probably a problem but the other trac fone I paid twenty dollars for has full service constantly. I did not pick this phone out. I just wish I could figure out how to put it on roam gladly. All I do with this new phone is play games. It breaks my heart that my son talked his dad into buying this for me for my birthday and I can't even use it. I don't want to let them know. Please check out that it can be used in ur area before buying for anyone or yourself.
I've had this phone for about a year now, and some few problems have come up.
The Google sync feature has a lot of troubles
The camera refuses to work for unknown reasons
The wifi connections occasionally are duds
The radio will not work, even with earbuds
My tracfone huawei glory allows me to receive gmails and respond to those I receive but I can't initiate an email as it says I have to update my google play but when I try to, it says that I don't have enough space! I do have enough space according to my tech savvy sons.
What can I do?
I was wondering if this phone has a front facing camera??
under Settings, click on "Data usage More...", click on "Mobile networks", then "Data roaming".
Hope this helps.
Android 4.0 does not allow for saving files or moving apps to the SD card. I have an Android tablet with 4.0 and that's how I found out.
In my opinion the Huawei Glory is the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. It will not install apps on phone or sd card as it says not enough free space, when I know there is. The ringtones constantly change at random on their own. Half the time it doesn't ring when a call I coming in. Speakerphone is hardly loud enough to hear even placing your ear at the speaker, and if you are going down the road you can forget it. The Bluetooth does not work for a voice call. This piece of crap they call a phone locks up and won't work half the time. There is no time stamp for the voice messages so you don't know when someone called. I returned my first Glory to the factory in order for them to send me not even a new equivalent phone , but a piece of junk refurbished one that had all of the same identical problems. I don't understand a refurbished in replacement for a new one. I am fairly happy with net 10 for the most part except for this piece of junk phone I have.As soon as I can afford to upgrade I will buy a nice name brand phone. I will never buy another Huawei phone again as they are apparently the same hunk of junk...........They need to destroy all of these phones and sell something that works...JUNK_JUNK_JUNK_JUNK There are more problems with this thing but I just can't remember all of them..................
I was wondering if one can view a list of the incoming text messages with the 1st line showing before clicking on it to open it up? I can do this with my feature phone so was wondering if the Huawei is the same way. This can save text messaging minutes if someone sent a 1 line message that doesn't need responding.
Just buy a new phone once a year.
SHOPKO!
How am I able to make the Huawei Glory Compatible with Snap Chat??
I'm a 75-year-old author who uses the Haiwei Glory sparingly. When I am in Wi-Fi range and can make a connection to the internet, I can use my Square Credit Card Reader and accept credit cards for book purchases. However, oftentimes, no local Wi-Fi connection exists or is in range, and I miss out. I have heard that with the proper Tracfone, I can get on the internet if I have their Wi-Fi Calling setup using a SIM card. I don't believe the Glory has a SIM card connection, so I would need to upgrade from my 3G CDMA device to a 4GLTE Network, which I believe Verizon qualifies. Is there no way my Haiwei H868C (3G CDMA)can connect to Verizon for picking up an internet connection and using my Square reader, or do I need a 4G device?
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