Tracfone LG K31 Rebel Review (L355DL) - Android Smartphone
The LG K31 Rebel features a 5.7" touchscreen, 32 GB storage, 2 GB RAM and an Octa-core processor. It also comes with a 13 + 5 MP dual rear camera setup, and Android 10, the latest operating system at this time.
Several new LG smartphones have come to Tracfone recently, including the LG Premier Pro Plus, LG Reflect, and now the LG K31 Rebel.
The K31 is the smallest and least expensive option of the three, and the latest in the LG Rebel lineup, replacing the popular LG Rebel 4.
Let's take a look at the pro's and con's for the LG L355DL Rebel.
LG K31 Rebel Quick Facts
What We Like:-32GB storage
-Android 10
-Octa-core processor
-Reasonable price
-Small size
What We Don't Like:
-Only 2 GB RAM
The LG K31 Rebel comes with a lot of great features in a small size, something we don't see as much of anymore as most phones stretch to the largest possible screen size. The Moto G Power, by comparison, is half an inch taller, and more than a quarter of an inch wider. which might not sound like a lot, but can make a big difference for those with smaller pockets, or smaller hands.
The Rebel is clearly targeting consumers who want the small size of phones from a few years ago, or just need a backup device that isn't going to take up much space.
Let's take a look at the full list of features and specs to see what else K31 Rebel offers.
Tracfone LG K31 Rebel (L355DL) Features and Specs
Below are the features, followed by the technical specs.- Android 10
- 4G LTE Coverage (Verizon)
- WiFi
- GPS
- Accelerometer
- Bluetooth 5
- Alarm Clock
- Access to over 1 Million Apps on Google Play Store
- Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting
- Hearing Aid compatible
- SMS/MMS
- MIL-STD-810G compliant
- Size: 5.82" x 2.79" x 0.34" and 5.15 OZ
- Camera: Dual rear camera: 13 + 5 MP wide angle with front 5 MP selfie camera
- Screen: 5.7" HD+ 1560x720 display (IPS LCD)
- Processor: 2.0 Ghz Octa-core Processor (Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762)
- Memory: 2 GB
- Storage: 32 GB (additional storage via MicroSDXC card)
- Battery: 3,000 mAh (non-removable) with 11.5hrs talk time, 13 days standby
Looking through the specs on the L355DL we see some nice improvements over previous LG models including the HD+ touchscreen and octa-core processor. However, some of the specs, such as the RAM, don't seem to be a significant improvement over last years models such as the Journey or Solo or Rebel 4.
Let's get into the full review to find out.
Tracfone LG K31 Rebel (L355DL) Review
While most phones aim for larger and larger screens (and often without actually increasing the size of the phone by much), the K31 Rebel settles on the 5.7" IPS LCD screen. It has a resolution of 720x1560 that gives it a pixel density of 299, which is about average. Overall the screen is sharp and bright, but not quite at the level of more expensive devices with higher resolution.
The K31 Rebel has one of the smallest screen sizes currently available from Tracfone with most other phones featuring screens in the 6"-6.5" range. If a small screen and small phone are important factors in your buying decision, the Rebel is one of the only options.
Internal Performance - RAM, Processor, and Storage
The performance on the K31 Rebel is good thanks to the 2.0 Ghz Octa-core processor but it could be better if the phone came with more than the 2 GB RAM currently available.
Everyday use of the phone, including surfing the web, using social media apps and basic games will function well. However, more resource intensive games or apps will strain the device, and likely run into performance lag. But with the small screen size, most gamers would be looking elsewhere for a new phone.
The Rebel also has 32 GB internal storage and a MicroSDXC slot for extra storage.
Surprisingly the K31 Rebel shares the same internal specs as the LG Premier Pro Plus and the LG Reflect (with the exception that the Reflect has 3 GB RAM) even though both have much larger screens, and higher price tags.
Camera
Dual rear cameras are becoming the norm and the K31 Rebel comes with a 13+5 MP setup for capturing the portrait style photos and ultra-wide angle. It also features Phase Detect Auto Focus (PDAF), LED flash, HDR and panorama.
On the front the Rebel has a 5MP selfie shooter. The cameras take surprisingly nice photos for the price point this phone comes in at, and they work great for capturing a moment and sharing with friends and family on social media.
For video, the phone has 1080p 30fps on both the front and rear cameras.
Take a look at our 8 Tips to Take Better Photos on your Smartphone.
Battery
The K31 Rebel's small size leads to a small battery that is just 3,000 mAh and has about 11 hrs talk time and 13 days on standby. This will generally last a full day with low to moderate usage.
The battery performance isn't too far off from many of LG's other smartphones, but far less than devices such as the Moto G Power which has a 5,000 mAh battery that easily lasts two or more days.
Android OS
The LG K31 comes with the new Android 10, the latest version, which has both performance and security improvements over past versions. It also has a number of new features such as gesture navigation, location privacy controls, better notification controls and the ability to create or scan QR codes for your WiFi network.
The phone also comes with LG's UX 9.1 which is a custom skin offering visual adjustments and features over the stock Android OS.
Get the most from your smartphone with out list of the Best Android Apps.
Overall Design
The design of the K31 Rebel is fairly straightforward with LG's normal button locations on the side of the phone. The Tracfone version does not have a finger print sensor while the unlocked version does appear to have a fingerprint sensor on the back. The screen has a notch in the center for the front facing camera, and the bezel on the bottom is a little larger than most devices. But the phone is small, and easily fits in the hand or pocket.
At the bottom of the phone are the charging and 3.5mm ports. The Rebel is MIL-STD-810G compliant, meaning it is made to handle more rugged conditions. But specifics on what the K31 Rebel can handle are unclear, so we don't recommended testing the durability of the phone.
Conclusion
The LG K31 Rebel is a low-cost, smaller-sized smartphone that is designed for users who don't need, or want a bigger phone. Yet it still offers many of the same performance and features of LG's other Tracfone smartphones.
Whether you are looking for a backup phone, or just prefer a device that is easy to hold, but still has updated features and performance, the LG K31 Rebel is a great option.
If you are looking for a little more, and are willing to spend a little more, there are a number of other great options, such as the Moto G Optimo MAXX, Moto G Power, or Samsung Galaxy A20.
LG Rebel 4 vs LG K31 Rebel
For Tracfone customers that have the LG Rebel 4, the question is, should you upgrade?
The LG K31 Rebel offers a number of great improvements over the Rebel 4, including more internal storage, better performance, updated Android OS, bigger screen (but almost the same physical size), improved cameras, and a number of other minor feature upgrades.
So should you upgrade? Well if you like the size of the Rebel 4 but the performance is slow, the K31 Rebel will make a great upgrade that is still a similar size. If you are looking for more performance or a larger screen, consider the LG Reflect, or the Moto G Power.
See all the new phones in our List of the Latest Tracfone Smartphones.
Where to Buy the LG K31 Rebel
The K31 is available from a number of online sources, and include several offers with airtime bundles.
View the LG K31 Rebel with airtime bundle on HSN
View the LG K31 Rebel with airtime bundle on QVC
View the LG K31 Rebel on Amazon
Get 2 LG K31 Rebels in this special deal from HSN
LG K31 Rebel User Manual and Tutorials
View the LG K31 Rebel User Manual
Find help for the LG K31 with the Device Tutorials
That concludes our review of the LG K31 Rebel from Tracfone. We hope you found it useful and leave a comment with any thoughts or questions.
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13 comments :
I bought the LG K31 from HSN and love it. I may be wrong, but I don't think it came with a fingerprint reader.
I bought the LG K31 Rebel from HSN. I may be wrong, but I don't think it has a fingerprint reader.
I was told by tracfone rep that L355DL is cdma and gsm capable. That is also listed on the spec page. Would like to know if that is really true.
Hello.
I just want to thank you for the time you put into maintaining this site and the information that you provide. It has helped me many times over the years of being a Tracfone customer. I am glad to have a good source of information for all things Tracfone. I appreciate it very much.
Have a nice day.
I also bought this phone from hsn and it is a very good deal for an okay phone. LG at least tried to make previous Rebels stylish, but this is really ugly, just a plain black plastic back. In reference to some of the other comments, there is a more expensive version of this phone with a fingerprint scanner, but the one hsn sells doesn't have it. There is also a gsm version of this phone but hsn only sells the cdma version.
You can get a version of this phone that has fingerprint recognition and your choice of Tracfone service on ATT, T-Mobile or Verizon networks (if available in your zip code) for $199 at saveontracfone.com/LG-K31.html
As a 15 year Tracfone customer, I greatly appreciate your blog and reviews on the various Tracfones!! I'm pleased Tracfone has continued to offer some smaller sized smart phones, like the LG Rebel 4, and my most recently purchased, LG K31 Rebel. A smaller phone is so much easier to carry and handle with my small hands.
Why is this being reviewed and commented on as a small phone! It's 5.7",,,to me that's borderline huge. I'm used to the 4.5 and 5 inch phones. Like the Samsung J3 Orbit.
I just spent an hour -- quite a fruitless one -- with a Tracfone representative trying to do something that I would have thought was quite simple: Installing some type of icon on the home screen to notify me that there is a new voicemail message on the phone. Does anyone know how to do this, if it is possible? Thank you.
I'm having alot of trouble with Text Messaging. Many emails that I receive have a red alert that the message has expired. It's not consistant. If someone sends me pictures on text, they usually do not come through. I get the message that it has expired. I've spent way too much time trying to figure out the best settings to get rid of this problem and soon I may gently lay the LG in the driveway and slowly back over it. I've asked friends and family over and over to please send emails..... It seemed like it would be a great deal but NOT.
One more thing. I had Smart SWitch loaded on the old phone and the new phone and it didn't transfer so I had to individually load my contacts over 3 hours!!!!!! It could be me. It could be a faulty phone.
This K31 is a complete POS. You cannot store apps or data on the SD card. WTF?! Android is very slow to start up. If you leave the phone for a couple of hours, Android goes into sleep mode. Sleep mode! Meaning the phone doesn't work. You are not notified of calls or texts coming in until you unlock the phone and wait until "Android is starting . . ." is finished. There's a reason a $119.00 phone is discounted more than 50% by Tracfone. Apparently even Tracfone wants to get rid of them.
You get what you pay for. Another death screen. Unpredictable function. Aggravating phone.
Lasted 6 months - any improvements are just gimmicks - half the memory is taken up with bloat ware - camera is more complicated & less useful. There is nothing military grade about this phone. HSN gives you a free fone but filled with junk you don't want ...& My last one would not upgrade .
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