4G LTE with Tracfone BYOP

Use 4G LTE Smartphones with Tracfone BYOP program

This post details the latest on Tracfone BYOP and 4G LTE. We will continue to update it, as well as our main Tracfone BYOP page which also contains a list of compatible phones. 

Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE 

We are excited to share the news that Tracfone has now opened their BYOP program to 4G Smartphones! Previously, only Verizon compatible 3G phones were capable of being used with Tracfone BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone). This meant the best phones you could get were the iPhone 4s, Moto G, and other similar types. While these smartphones are great, they are not top of the line.

With 4G LTE now available with Tracfone, you can use the iPhone 6, or a Samsung Galaxy S6, or many other high-end devices and get the fastest data speeds. The only requirement is that it must be able to connect with Verizon 4G service to activate.

We will dive into more details on activating your phone and what kind of requirements there are after we cover the basics of how the Tracfone BYOP program works.

UPDATE: Tracfone is now offering Activation Kits for both CDMA and GSM devices. It appears that you can bring GSM devices compatible with AT&T to use with Tracfone BYOP. We will be sharing more details about this in a new post very soon.

How Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE Works

Using a 4G LTE device with Tracfone BYOP works similarly to bringing a 3G device to Tracfone. You will need to have your own smartphone, and it needs to be compatible with Verizon service.

Tracfone contracts with Verizon to use their cell towers for service, but everything goes through Tracfone. If you go outside the coverage of Verizon, you may lose service, or run on lower speeds.

To get started with Tracfone BYOP, you will visit this Tracfone page and check that your phone is compatible by entering your ZIP code and MEID/ESN. Following the steps, you will be prompted to buy an activation kit, which will give you a SIM card and Network Access Code.

Additionally, you can go over to SaveonTracfone.com and buy the Activation kit there. You can choose between the 4G LTE and 3G kits, and it might be a few dollars cheaper.

Most users are reporting a quick and painless process, but you should be prepared if something doesn't work right, and you need to make a phone call to customer service.

Phone Requirements and Activating on Tracfone BYOP

Activation Card for 4G LTE

The requirements for what kind of phone can be activated with 4G service on Tracfone seems a little more straightforward than before. You need a device that is compatible with Verizon 4G LTE, which includes a wide variety of top of the line devices. It also needs a clean ESN, which means it can't be in contract, or stolen.

A 4G LTE device will need a SIM card to connect with Tracfone, and this will come with your activation kit. On a side note, once you have activated a Verizon compatible 4G LTE device, you can take the SIM and move it to many other devices that would not be able to activate on their own. Not all the details are clear on this, but many users are confirming switching between devices.

This could be very convenient for those who want to have a backup device, since you could just buy another phone, and then switch the SIM card to it if you ever needed to.

To activate your phone, make sure you have the 4G LTE activation kit (or start by getting it, which will be mailed to you in about a day) and then proceed through the steps on the Tracfone website or by calling Tracfone.

To review, here are the steps:

1. Get a 4G LTE compatible smartphone that runs on Verizon and has a clean ESN (is not on contract or stolen) and test it on the Tracfone BYOP website.

2. Follow the steps on Tracfone and purchase your Activation kit (SIM card) and Network Access Code. The SIM card will be mailed to you. You can Also purchase this through SaveOnTracfone.com.

3. Activate your 4G device only at Tracfone.com or over the phone.

If you have thoughts or questions on this process, check out the comments below.

Where to Find Phones for Tracfone BYOP

You need a 4G LTE capable device that is for Verizon service (CDMA) to use it with Tracfone BYOP. Fortunately, there are many different phone options, and many different retailers to choose from. Used or new will work, as long as they are not currently under contract.

One of the cheapest and easiest places to find phones is online. You can quickly browse many different options and price points, as well as used, new and refurbished. Follow the links below to get started and see some of the options. Once you have a certain phone in mind, you can search for that device.

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on Amazon

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on eBay

There are many more retailers to search including Newegg, BestBuy and more.

To get some ideas, and for a full list of compatible phones for both 3G and 4G LTE, visit our Tracfone BYOP page.

We hope this covers the exciting news about Tracfone's slow expansion into 4G LTE and hope that they will also add support for 4G on GSM networks.

Please let us know if we missed anything, we strive to provide accurate and helpful information!

If you're interested in other phone options, visit our Cell Phone Reviews page which includes many Android devices like the LG Ultimate 2, which was our pick for the Best Tracfone Smartphone.

We have also created a list of the best Apps for Android with more than 40 great apps, almost all of which are free. I have found Clean Master App to be very handy for keeping my phone running well, and reducing wasted space.

Thanks for Visiting!

Tracfone Promo Codes for April 2015

List of Tracfone Promo Codes - April 2015

Each month TracfoneReviewer collects the latest promotional codes for Tracfone and shares only the ones valid for the current month in this list for April 2015. We hope you enjoy the free minutes!

Tracfone Promo Codes April 2015

Tracfone is a prepaid cell phone and service provider throughout America. They offer service through prepaid minute cards that you can purchase in many retail stores and online.

Whenever you add minutes to your Tracfone device, you can also use a promotional code for additional minutes for free! These codes are each meant for certain card amount, or any card of greater value. Also note that these codes won't work on Android smartphones.

So if you are adding a 120 minute prepaid card, use the code for that amount, or you can also use the code for a 60 minute card.

If you would like to see a complete list of codes, including many older codes, visit our main, Tracfone Promo Codes page!

Tracfone recently released another smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Stardust. You might want to take a look and see how it compares to Tracfone's other smartphone devices like the LG Ultimate 2, and Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop.

Well, let's get to the latest Tracfone codes for April 2015:

Tracfone Promo Codes - April 2015

Remember, these codes may only work once per phone, and they don't work on Android devices.

60 Minute Card use promo code 12745 and get 60 bonus minutes!

120 Minute Card enter 12745 or 79679 for 60 bonus minutes

200 Minute Card add code 12745 or 79679 for 60 bonus minutes, or 85973 and get 40 bonus minutes

450 Minute Card use promo code 12745 or 79679 to receive 60 bonus minutes

400 Minute/1 Year Card enter 19320 or 47125 for 250 extra minutes

We hope you find these promotional codes useful and please let us know in the comments how they are working. We strive to provide only the best, and latest codes for you.

We do lots more than just Tracfone promo codes! Just browse through our blog and learn about lots of various topics like:

What is the Best Tracfone Smartphone?

What is the Difference between GSM and CDMA?

How to Test More than One Promo Code

Thanks for visiting!

Samsung Galaxy Stardust S766C for Tracfone

Samsung Galaxy Stardust Specs and Features with Tracfone

We will share the latest news, features and details for the Samsung Galaxy Stardust (S766C) below, and continue to update as we get more information about this new Android Tracfone device.

Tracfone Samsung Galaxy Stardust S766c

The Samsung Galaxy Stardust is a smartphone newly available with Tracfone service. (It is also available with Straight Talk) This phone initially appears similar to the LG Optimus Fuel, and especially the Samsung Galaxy Ace Style, but it does share some features with the LG Ultimate 2.

Tracfone now has more than ten Android powered smartphones that can be used on their prepaid service. They continue to release new phones which are for use exclusively on their prepaid service, as well as allow more phones for use on the Tracfone BYOP service. For more details on BYOP, follow the link to our page.

At the end of 2014, Tracfone released three new phones with the best specs and features yet, they were the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop, Moto E, and LG Ultimate 2. These phones each had screens larger than 4", good processors, and other good specifications.

The Galaxy Stardust will run on CDMA towers through Verizon service, which is the same of all of Tracfone's smartphones at this time. For more about CDMA, and if an Android phone will work for you, visit out CDMA vs GSM Comparison.

But how does the Samsung Galaxy Stardust stack up with Tracfone's other offerings? We'll answer this once we review the full list of features and product specifications.

Samsung Galaxy Stardust Features and Specifications

Try not to get the Samsung Galaxy Stardust confused with the Samsung Galaxy Ace Style, they are very similar, but looking at the specs we see some differences:

Samsung Galaxy Stardust Feature List

• Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• 3G Connectivity through Verizon Towers
• WiFi
• GPS
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Triple Minutes for Life with minutes split into Talk/Text/Data
• Hands Free Speaker
• Gravity and Tilt/Shake sensor
• Hearing Aid Compatible
• Up to 64GB MicroSD Card Compatible

Samsung Galaxy Stardust Specifications

• Size: 4.77" x 2.46" x 0.41"
• 4" TFT Touchscreen
• 1.2Ghz Dual Core Processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 GB Internal Memory
• Weight: 4.1 OZ
• 1500 mAh Battery, 12 Hours Talk Time/ 11 Days Standby

The specifications for the Stardust are fairly consistent with the other phones Tracfone has recently released. One very exciting feature is the 8 GB of internal memory, the most we've seen on a phone offered by Tracfone. We will be sure to locate that actual available space, but it looks promising

Now let's see how the Stardust looks compared with some of the other Android phones from Tracfone.

If you want to see a full list of Tracfone smartphones, visit our Android Tracfone List for quick comparisons.

Samsung Galaxy Stardust Compared to Other Tracfone Smartphones

The main differences between the Stardust and Ace Style are the RAM and Internal Memory. The Stardust has twice the amount of RAM and Internal Memory as the Ace Style, which means it can have more apps running at one time, and have more apps loaded on the phone. We still haven't seen the Ace Style released, so maybe Tracfone has just skipped it, and gone straight to the slightly better Samsung Galaxy Stardust.

When comparing the Stardust to the LG Ultimate 2, we see that the Ultimate 2 has a larger screen at 4.5", but a similar processor, RAM, and internal Memory. The Ultimate 2 also has the slightly newer Android 4.4. The LG Ultimate 2 is our current pick for the Best Tracfone Cell Phone, but the Stardust isn't far off, and may be more desirable for some.

Both the Moto E and Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop also have larger screens, at 4.3" and 5.0", but have similar specs on RAM, processor, and camera, and the Stardust even appears to come with more internal memory.

What we can determine from this is that the Samsung Galaxy Stardust isn't going to be the next big phone for Tracfone users, but it does fit in with the current best offerings, and for those who prefer a smaller screen, it might be a great option.

We will continue to share details about the Samsung Galaxy Stardust as it becomes available. At this time the Stardust is available on eBay, QVC (for a short time) and Amazon. Last check it was also listed on the Tracfone website.

View the Samsung Galaxy Stardust on Amazon for $69

View the Samsung Galaxy Stardust on eBay for $79

View the Samsung Galaxy Stardust for $109 on QVC with 1200 minutes

The Stardust is showing up on a variety of retail sites beyond the ones listed above, and may also be available in stores.

You can view the tutorial for the Samsung Galaxy Stardust S766C to learn more about the phone.

If you have thoughts, questions or your own opinion of this phone, leave a comment below!

You might also find our List of the Best Android Apps useful if you're looking for a smartphone, or already have one.

And don't forget about our simple guide on How to Check your Airtime Balance from a Smartphone.

We strive to provide accurate, useful information for consumers. Thanks for visiting us! Keep up with the latest news and posts by liking our Facebook page!

Tracfone Promo Codes for March 2015

List of Tracfone Promo Codes for March 2015

Every month TracfoneReviewer finds and shares the latest promotional codes from Tracfone here, for you to use and get free minutes! We hope you enjoy the list!

Tracfone Promo Codes for March 2015

Tracfone is a low cost cell phone service provider with a variety of prepaid options. One of the most popular options are prepaid minute cards, ranging from 60 minutes to 450, and even greater values. Consumers can purchase these cards and add them to their phone at any time.

When adding a Tracfone prepaid minute card, you can also use promotional codes to get additional minutes for free. Any promo code will work for a specified card, or any card of greater value. So a code for a 200 minute card will also work on a 450 minute card.

These codes will not work on Android phones from Tracfone, or any BYOP devices. But if you're interested in learning more about these newer, better phones, check out our Android Tracfone List as well as our BYOP page.

The promo codes sometimes only work once per device, and other times can be used multiple times. Expiration is not always known, so please let us know in the comments how the codes worked for you.

And if you're looking for more codes, head over to our main Promo Codes page which contains a complete list of many different codes that you can use.

Now, let's get to the codes!

Tracfone Promo Codes - March 2015

Enter the following codes when you add prepaid minutes from Tracfone to your phone. You can do this either online, on your phone, or over the phone.

60 Minute Card use code 52464 to get 30 bonus minutes

120 Minute Card enter promo code 34514 for 30 extra minutes, or 79679 and get 60 free minutes

200 Minute Card use 79679 to receive 60 bonus minutes

450 Minute Card - no new codes yet, use a code above

1 Year/400 Minute Card enter 29624 and get 250 extra minutes for free

We will updates these codes as we find any new ones, please leave a comment with how the codes worked for you!

We share lots more information about Tracfone, including Cell Phone Reviews on the latest phones, and also a Beginners Guide to Tracfone for those who might just be starting out.

What is the Best Tracfone Device? Well we answered that question too! Go check it out to find our answer.

Thanks for visiting, and we hope these codes helped you get some extra minutes for free!

How Many Minutes Does Texting Cost for TracFone?

How Much Does Texting Cost for Tracfone?

This is a relatively common question many people have when looking at buying a Tracfone cell phone.

Cell Phone Closeup By seanmcmenemy

Tracfone is a prepaid, no-contract cell phone service provider. They have low cost minute cards, and many cell phones for under $100 (and even under $20). With Tracfone service, you pay for how much you use the phone, and you have to buy prepaid minutes to put on the phone before you can use it.

Texting with Tracfone is very reasonable, and we are going to share exactly how it works, and how much it will cost you.

Before we get to the cost, we must explain that texting charges are different for Tracfone's newer, Android powered smartphones. These smartphones put minutes into three separate 'pools' of calling/texting/data.

Read our guide, How Minutes Work on Tracfone Smartphones to get the full explanation. We will share below how much texting will cost on the smartphones as well as regular Tracfone devices.

Now, let's first explain the cost for texting with Non-Android phones:

Texting, or SMS, costs 0.3 units (or minutes) for each text (sent or received) on non-Android phones

Sending an MMS costs 0.5 unites, and pictures cost 1 unit on non-Android phones.

Sometimes pictures can cost more, especially if they are larger images. And remember that you get deducted for every text you send or receive.

What about Android phones? How much does texting cost on a Tracfone smartphone?

This is a very straightforward answer, because texts are already separated from calling and data on the smartphones.

Texting on a Smartphone costs 1 text (sent or received)

Sending a photo deducts from your data based on the size of the photo

So with a smartphone, each text deducts one text from your 'text pool'. At this time, here is no way to just buy texts, so if you run out you will have to buy another prepaid minute card.

Some users have experienced problems sending photos on smartphones. This may be due to these users leaving their data turned off (which is usually a good idea, because it keeps apps from using data). Data is used when sending pictures.

If you have more questions about the smartphones from Tracfone, check out our Android vs non-Android comparison, that covers many of the differences.

Texting with Tracfone is very reasonable, although if you send thousands of texts per month, you may want to look for an unlimited plan.

There are also some other costs that you should be familiar with when using Tracfone:

Surfing the web browser costs 0.4 units per minute on older, non-Android phones

On newer Tracfone Cell phones, such as the LG 840G or any Android Smartphones, using the web browser costs differently based more on the amount of data used, instead of time online. Additionally, the LG 840G and all the Android phones have WiFi connectivity, which is free to use on the phone when you are connected to a WiFi network.

Using Tracfone prepaid cell phones is great for those who want an emergency phone, don't use their phone too often, or just need a phone in a hurry. And with many of the newer Android powered smartphones, they have become even more economical for daily use.

To learn more, read our Overview of Tracfone or visit our Cell Phone Reviews page. We also created a Beginners Guide to Tracfone, to answer many of the comment questions consumers have.

We hope this has been helpful! Leave a comment if you have questions, and thanks for visiting!

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(This post was originally published 1/9/2013, but was updated and republished 2/23/2015 with more accurate information)