New Phones, Predictions and Changes for Tracfone in 2021
2020 has been quite a year, and now that it is over, we're covering some of the big things that happened, and also looking at what 2021 may bring for Tracfone.
We will take a look at some exciting new phones coming this year, the possible sale of Tracfone to Verizon, and a look back at the most popular phones from last year.
For those curious about our previous predictions, look back at our post for 2020.
Note - TracfoneReviewer is not affiliated with Tracfone Wireless in any way, we make our predictions based on trends and our own experiences.
Let's start with a look back at some of the things that happened in 2020 for Tracfone.
Looking back at Tracfone in 2020
There were several big things that happened in 2020 for Tracfone and their users, and one was the release of several great budget smartphones. Many customers had been asking and asking for better phones and Tracfone finally released some great options including the Moto G7 Optimo MAXX, Moto G Power, Samsung Galaxy A20 and Samsung Galaxy A10e. The Moto G Power comes with 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Android 10 and much more, all for under $200. See all the new devices in our Latest List of Tracfone Smartphones.
The Verizon 3G network closure was another big thing that happened at the end of 2020, with phones needing to be 4G capable and have HD voice to continue to work on Verizon networks. While the 3G network may not have actually been turned off yet, it will be phased out over the coming months.
But the biggest news of 2020 was the announcement from Verizon of plans to buy Tracfone for just under $7 billion. The deal is supposed to be worked out by mid to late 2021. We'll go into more details of how this will affect current customers a little further down.
Most Popular Phones in 2020
Based on our metrics, these were the most popular smartphones released by Tracfone in 2020.These three phones were released early on in 2020 and maintained significant popularity, especially the Moto G7 Optimo MAXX which has some great performance and specs at under $100. If the Moto G Power had been released earlier in 2020, we're sure it would have jumped onto this list as well.
What to Expect from Tracfone in 2021
Verizon Acquisition of Tracfone
The biggest change and unknown going into 2021 is obviously Verizon's plans to buy Tracfone. While this does have long term implications, for 2021, we don't expect any significant changes to occur as far as service, network coverage or airtime.
Verizon has said they plan to keep Tracfone's current employees, and likely they won't change much initially. But it is very likely they will eventually work to move all customers onto their network (and not on AT&T). If we see Tracfone limiting new activations to Verizon's network only, that will be a good sign of the start of that change.
Like most other major networks, it is expected that Verizon will keep Tracfone's brand separate from their own, to maintain a low-cost, prepaid option but not take away from Verizon's premium level, post-paid brand. Thus we may see only minor changes to Tracfone's pricing, or none at all.
The bottom line for Verizon's acquisition is that there is still a lot of unknowns, and as information becomes available, we'll continue to share it here.
New Phones Coming to Tracfone in 2021
- Moto G Play
- Moto G Stylus
- Samsung Galaxy A21
- Samsung Galaxy A51
- Apple iPhone 11 and 12
- Alcatel MyFlip 2
The two Motorola phones are similar to the already launched Moto G Power, but with variations. We are excited for the next generation of the Samsung Galaxy A20 and A50, as they were fairly popular phones with a good balance of performance and price.
When Will Tracfone get 5G?
The big buzzword in 2020 for networks and phone manufactures was '5G' so when will Tracfone get 5G and do you need a compatible phone? Well, not for a while and no, not yet. 5G, which just means 5th Generation, is still years away from being nationally available and even then we don't know if prepaid customers on Tracfone will get access or not. At this time, most 4G LTE connections are actually faster than 5G on AT&T or Verizon and that may be the case for the near future.
If Verizon does complete the acquisition of Tracfone, it is possible we may see 5G network coverage extended to prepaid customers on Tracfone in the next few years.
Any Changes to Tracfone Airtime or Service?
We don't expect to see any significant changes to Tracfone's current airtime offering. They rolled out unlimited plans a little while back, and have since made very little changes to any airtime cards. We expect they will continue offering regular and smartphone only cards.
Promo codes were rather unreliable in 2020, with a number of issues being reported including customers not getting bonus airtime or discounts when the Tracfone website had already accepted the promo code. We hope that Tracfone has straightened out these issues, and you can visit our Tracfone Promo Code page to find a code to use the next time you are adding airtime.
What we Want in 2021 from Tracfone
The two main things we want to see Tracfone do are improve their customer service and fix the issues with promo codes.
We say it every year, but it still should be said, Tracfone needs to improve their customer service. We have had good experiences using the online chat feature on the website to sort out various problems, but calling customer service is still a big headache for many, and customers often run into various issues dealing with customer service.
As for the promo code issue, we have had success recently using codes but some readers have also still reported problems. If you have an issue, be sure to contact Tracfone and make sure they fix it.
Finally, we hope that, as the Verizon acquisition deal moves closer. Tracfone will keep their customers informed about any potential changes.
That concludes our look at what to expect from Tracfone in 2021. We hope this helps give you an idea of what is ahead, and be sure to leave a comment below with your thoughts or questions!
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