TracFone Samsung T101G Review

By Tara Drumm

I've had my TracFone Samsung T101G for almost 3 weeks.  Sad to say, I'm not really impressed.  

It does have some good features: 

• It is currently only $14.99 on the TracFone website.
• It is very lightweight and fairly small, lighter and and thinner than my previous phones (a Motorola W376g and an older CDMA Nokia).   
• It also has a few decent ringtones, but not very many (15 come with the phone).  
• The calendar is nice and easily accessible (just push the c button). 
• It has an easy to use tip calculator, which I really like. 
• It also offers a converter function for weight, currency, etc., alarms, a timer, stopwatch and a world time app.  
• The address book has places for different  types of #'s for each person (cell, work, home, email) all under the same name.  When you scroll thru your contact list, you can choose a person and then choose which # to use. That adds another click or two, but is more logical to me than several different entries for one person. 

Samsung T101G Front

Beyond that, I don't like much about the TracFone Samsung T101G.  I will say that this is due mostly to my being out of the normal area for this phone, so many features just didn't work for me.  I had to enter a zip code 20 miles away from my home in order to get it. I also did this for my Moto W376g, and that phone works fine in my area.  The Samsung, on the other hand, does not.  I would recommend NOT purchasing this phone unless your zip code allows it.

The phone says it is on roam until I get into the area I bought it for.  It does not charge me double minutes, but it cannot access the internet or get any MSS messages.  It also does not have nearly as good reception as my W376, even in the area I bought it for. The W376 is almost always one or two bars above the Samsung unless I'm in a total dead zone. My W376 can send and receive MMS messages with pictures, and I tried several times to send pictures to the Samsung with no luck. Both phones are using AT&T towers.

Samsung TracFone T101G Screen

When I was able to access the internet, I found it very limited.  It offered weather, sports, downloads, just a few selections.  I went into the downloads and tried unsuccessfully to download ringtones.  It just sat there when I told it to purchase.  Wasted a bunch of minutes with no luck.  

I've also tried buying ringtones and graphics from the website.  I get a message on my phone saying to open the link, but I can't access it from home.  And for some reason the text isn't saved in my messages, so I can't access it later when I'm in an area where the browser works.  So I'm unable to accurately rate those features other than to say they are not working for me.

Several other bad / annoying features of this phone:  

• It is not double minutes, so will be much more expensive to use.
• The keys do lock, but will not stay locked in a pocket or purse.  I've pulled it out many times and saw it was in the prepaid menu or trying to access the internet (one time I was glad I was on roam!)
• The speaker is very hard to hear when you are talking to someone.  I have to have it positioned just right over my ear to hear anything at all, and it's still too quiet.  
• The manual / instructions are about par for a Tracfone... Not very helpful at all.  Most things I just figured out for myself, but there is also a more detailed Samsung T101G manual available to download from the Samsung Website.
• The keys are very small.  I could use them, but I am a female with fairly small hands.  
• The menus are very difficult to navigate and quite different from the other phones I've used.  It was hard to find things, and then hard to find them again, as things aren't always in a logical place.
• Only 5 graphics come with the phone to use as a screensaver, nothing good IMO. And since I'm unable to download more or send any to myself via text (the MMS messages just never even show up on this phone) I'm stuck with what little they have. 
• There are no games whatsoever.  
• It has poor battery life, 3 days with little use, 1-2 days when I made a few calls or tried to access the internet.  The website says 19 days standby, but the most I got was 4 days when I didn't use it at all. This may be due to my location, as my W376 has a poor battery life as well. I've read if it's searching for signal a lot that drains the battery, so this may be the reason.
• It has a smaller screen than my W376. It only shows 2 names/ numbers on contact list at a time.  Also, only 4 lines in text, versus 5 lines on W376. 
• It does not show your service ending date on home screen, but tells you how many service days are left.  Some other newer TracFones work this way too, so maybe this isn't a knock against the T101G in particular.

Samsung T101G (left) Motorola W376G (right)

This phone MIGHT be better for someone in a better area.  I had to enter a nearby zip code to order it (same as when I ordered my W376).  But even when I drive to that town, and to a larger city, still only had 3 bars of service in many places.

You can click here to go to the TracFone website where you can enter your zipcode to see if the Samsung T101G is available in your area (or a nearby area).  You can also find more info about the SGH-T101G on the Samsung Website.

You might want to read the Fone-Review TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260 review if you're interested in other inexpensive TracFone models.

If you're interested in a TracFone with a few more features, check out the Fone-Review Motorola W376G review, or LG600 review, or Samsung T301G review.

Comments

[john]

Do both phones have the same type of sim card in them? If so, that doesn't say much for the T101G.

[Keith Tyndall]

According to Tara, both phones were using AT&T towers, but the W376g consistently got better coverage.

[Jonathan Turner (Phone Wiz)]

To me it just sounds like a plain, simple, & basic phone. (Probaly good for beginners.)

[Angela]

Whar zip code did you use to activate your w376? Please help! I need to activate my phone!!

[Desmond Grey]

How can I view my phone call history on my online account with the T101G?

[Dave]

I agree I bought this phone, even with double minutes it probably isnt a good buy.

In the sun you cant see anything,

The speaker is to quite,

There are not enough settings that you can change

The phone always gets knocked and connects to web charging you $$$ and theres no way to turn it off. Im going back to STImobile

[Anne]

How can I increase the volume on the t101g?
Voices are faint during phone calls -- I can barely hear my callers.
Thanks for any help!

[willie]

just got this phone; works flawlessly and is exactly what i need at the right price (unlike most 'winks nowadays, i don't run around with a phone stuck to my ear) - so $6 a month for a phone works for me - press the OK button to raise the volume - while talking or not... i find the voice quality to be *better* than the #@%$! Verizon contract phone i previously had

[James Poulton]

I got this TracFone and never use the browser how can I turn it off so I dont hit the brouse buttonaccidently and waste minutes

[kyla]

how can i get free ringtones for my LG TRACFONE???????????????????????

[Nancy]

This phone works great for me as I just need the basics. It's cheap and reliable...my kind of phone :)

[Bob]

to increase the volume press the upper navigation key,the one that is on top of the ok button

[Julianne]

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[george]

It does everything as advertised. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! Buy the bonus pack and the whole deal is only $10! My Motorola 376 battery died twice in less than 6 months. Don't need a cheap camera, blue tooth or other non phone additions. I do expect a reliable phone. This is smaller and so far reliable. If it dies I only wasted ten bucks and can transfer to another unit. Thanks TracFone!

[Disgruntled]

Have maxed out the Volume to "7" and still can't hear on it. Have maxed out the Brightness and it's still dim. Cannot get more than ONE BAR, if that much, on this one. Had bought a T101 a couple years ago and loved it, so bought this second one, to transfer landline # onto it, but am really disappointed that this one is not working well. Shocked that there's so much difference between the old unit (working great) and this new one, which is not working well at all. :-( Disappoined!

[Name's Not Important]

There should be a class action lawsuit to force Tracfone to disable that "Browser" button because they deliberately put it in a spot (same place as the BACK button!) where you are likely to accidentally click it and waste minutes "browsing" when you never intended to!

[Disgruntled One]

Bought a SAMSUNG T101 a couple years ago and loved it, so bought second one, to transfer landline # onto it, but am really disappointed & frustrated. After much rigmarole, Tracfone transferred my # and mins to OFF the new dysfunctional T101 and onto the earlier T101 I liked; but immediately the PROBLEMS also got transferred to the original T101 instrument!? NO or only ONE BAR and poor audibility!? Am thinking the new SIM CARD is the culprit. Anybody else find problems after replacing SIM card on these units? This is an outrage, that Tracfone service/signals are so UNRELIABLE. VERY unhappy. Not sure what to do now--have a stack of FOUR Tracfones now, and still no decent reception or audibiity. DARN!

[C]

Lock the keypad to prevent the browser from starting accidentally. Press and hold the * key, then press "yes". Press the menu button then * to unlock. Answering the phone will automatically unlock the keypad.