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TracFone Samsung T301G Review (Part 2 of 2)

By Richard Sheasley

If you haven't done so already, you can read part 1 of the Fone-Review Samsung TracFone T301G review or check the TracFone website for the latest T301g price and availability in your area.

After spending some time with this phone there are a number of things to like about it. If you can get past the couple biggest limitations already pointed out in part 1 (small keypad, browser button position and location, etc.); then you should be pretty happy carrying this phone. It definitely is ranked up at the top few of the best-featured phones Tracfone has available in this reviewer’s eyes. Very few new limitations or issues have changed my mind on this phone as a good Tracfone selection.  Remember that Tracfone can and does change pricing, special promotional packages and offerings at any time. For the expense of this Tracfone purchase, it is one of the best-valued (but not the cheapest by far) phones Tracfone has released for its features and capabilities.

It is also not approaching a true “smart phone” due to the limitations and lock down on the browser that Tracfone has elected to continue on this phone. But it is one of the few stylish camera and bluetooth capable phones out there under the Tracfone cellular offerings. Also the bluetooth will only work with a headset and not allow transferring of files with any computer through the bluetooth. The reviewer has not tried a USB data cable with this phone, but understand that there are a few sources now for these data cables. 

When pairing with a bluetooth headset make sure you enable the bluetooth headset search first as the phone times out very fast in it’s searching. It is a simple straight forth process unless it is your first time making a bluetooth connection, in which case you will need to follow the steps and make sure you have your devices pairing pass code (usually 0000) and the bluetooth connection on the phone is enabled.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2153950_setup-bluetooth-headset-work-cell.html 

The phone battery life is what I would rate as excellent. Unless you are a heavy minutes or text messaging user, then should be able to go 3 days or so without having to recharge the phone. 

Signal Quality is another area that is commonly very important to cell phone users of any level. I tested this on a driving trip in some rural areas up against a Motorola W370G series Tracfone. The Motorola 37xG series has been a long time favorite of Tracfone users looking for good solid signals.  Both were on the same basic GSM network - AT&T in this case but your service area may vary. The signal bars were always pretty closely matched, anytime one phone showed roaming the other did too.  Likewise, the areas where no signal messages were received and calls could not be completed matched also - a period of about 45 minutes on my drive. 

Of course your coverage should be checked based on your travels and zip codes through both the Tracfone web site, and the underlying GSM carriers - AT&T and T-Mobile that Tracfone uses. Many of the features limitations and capabilities can best be answered on the Samsung web site’s FAQ’s: 

Menu structure on the phone:

There are 9 menu items (available in either text description or graphical icons via a setting) with:

1 Prepaid - Add & Buy Airtime, Turn on or off the airtime service and minutes on the display, serial number, sim number, and code entry- specific programming info

2 Contacts - pretty normal list of features including a reject list for those you want to ignore any further calls

3 Recent Calls - History on calls, call time, as well as data volume usage

4 Messages - Standard messaging lists as well as a template for common text messages (ie “Where are you?” etc. to save common texting entry)

5 Browser – Home Page, favorites, enter a URL (limitations and experiences discussed in the first impression review and further pretty much make this only a storage for common addresses as the standard wap (wap is wireless application protocol) -  web sites do not work, only the Tracfone wap web site for options including:

    1 downloads (such as ringtones, graphics, etc.)

    2 sports (by league or a brief list of highlight stories)

    3 weather reports (national outlook, radar, satellite or find a location by city or fastest and best is by a zip code)

    4 news – various categories such as world, national, business, entertainment, strange, sci-tech, politics, sports, health

    5 movies can find a theater and get info on top box office, new releases, coming attractions, as well as general movie news

    6 horoscopes- know your sign

    7 lottery - by state to get info on top jackpots and to find games

    8 my stuff - kind of like a favorites section

Many sites linked under the search results receive the HTTP Error: 403 forbidden – so do not expect the full web search and wap enabled site selection you may have on a standard data plan enabled prepaid phone plan.

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=mobilephones&type=mobilephones&subtype=morecarriers&subsubtype=tracfone&model_cd=SGH-T301YKGTRF

As mentioned in part 1 of the review many popular and handy sites are not available in the browser such as testing wap m.ebay.com, or  Paypal’s mobile.paypal.com, and other wap enabled sites - for more on this read the browser section of the Samsung phone documentation so you can familiarize yourself with the browser operation and reduce the time to reach info you may want. Each minute of browser and data results in a .5 unit deduction, so units can be eaten up stumbling through menus and links haphazardly.

 6 Games and Apps (really just Games and Camera) - two games are included Steamhouse Jumpboy (ver 1.17) (a Mario style game to catch objects) and A+Sudoku (a grid based logic puzzle game) are loaded and ready for entertainment

The Apps – really the camera - a VGA (640x480 resolution) with some zoom and a maximum estimated 50 pictures in the storage (depending on the resolution of the shots stored)

7 My Folder (storage for audio and graphics and used memory space) - Downloaded tones, recorded audio, photos and setting the background wallpaper to a custom picture

8 Tools - (some of the nicest features discussed further below in recap)

    1 Alarms

    2 Calendar

    3 Notes

    4 Calculator

    5 Tip Calculator

    6 Converter

1 Currency

2 Length

3 Weight

4 Volume

5 Area

6 Temperature

    7 Timer

    8 Stopwatch

    9 World Time

    10 Sim App (Unlock only selection - shows the phones ICC-ID Note that Tracfone terms of service does not support unlocking their phones for use with other services)

9 Settings

1 Sound Profile

    2 Set Display 

    3 Set time and date

    4 Set phone

    5 Set calls

    6 Bluetooth (turn on or off, show devices, bluetooth info, search for new device)

    7 Set applications - (Message, Camera, Record Audio, Calendar, Contacts)

Recap of Features likes and dislikes:

What it does well:

It has a good selection of tools, some that usually not available on even higher priced cell phones such as the conversion calculators for many English or US measurements to other types common elsewhere. This is a handy item for travel including the currency conversion (just make sure the rates are what you end up paying as they do vary regularly). Also sports fans may find the stop watch feature handy with split times and all included as one of the tools.

What it does not do (or limitations in addition to mentions in features): 

There is no music player, mp3 etc. built into this phone (other than possibly ring tones which the reviewer did not try loading any standard mp3 audio for custom ring tones due to the limitation of the bluetooth connection, and according to the FAQ’s on the Samsung web site, most custom ringtones must be downloaded from Tracfone), one day this reviewer may eventually see a need for some custom ringtone that stands out from the crowd.

The phone has no external storage (such as miniSD cards) or expansion of the memory past the 128 mb listed in the Samsung specifications, of which about 40 kb reported as usable free on the my folder upon initial set up.  Some additional memory could maybe be freed up by deleting or removing the games apps etc. that are standard on the phone to store more photos or audio recording, etc.

A locked down browser that can reach the Tracfone web site, but not many other popular sites out there for full functionality just does not make much sense in the eyes of your reviewer.  After all, more web and data access could result in much more unit usage and therefore more income for Tracfone. It is not all just about having to send pictures via messaging, or downloading only those ringtones and graphics that Tracfone (both of which end up as revenue for Tracfone) has available on their site. Phone users checking other wap sites for work, fun, or pleasure are extremely limited with popular sites like Ebay and the like that get mobile web traffic regularly.

Wishes:

-A browser button recessed more or positioned so it is not as easy to hit and connect by mistake

-A bit of a larger keypad

-An easier way to slide open the screen (without touching the screen and leaving fingerprints all over it)- maybe not an issue for women with longer fingernails

-A full browser that is not locked to Tracfone’s selected site

-A bluetooth that could be connected to computer for backup of contacts, addresses etc.

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If you haven't done so already, you can read part 1 of the Fone-Review Samsung TracFone T301G review or check the TracFone website for the latest T301g price and availability in your area.

Copyright info – This article is copyright 2009 – no part of this can be reproduced without the approval of the author and http://www.fone-review.com/ 

About the Reviewer: Richard Sheasley has been involved in sales and support of personal computers, data networks and technology since 1982.  

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If you have found the information on Fone-Review more helpful than the sales clerk at your average big box retailer, please help me to continue helping everyone!

TracFone LG 225 Phone Review

By Paul Tow

Introduction

The TracFone LG 225 is a GSM flip phone with notable features including Double Minutes For Life, an external display, a camera, MMS, and (limited) web access. As with other Tracfones, the CG225 (as it is sometimes called) can be used in either English or Spanish, and depending on the SIM card, it uses either AT&T or T-Mobile as its native network.

Left-to-right: 2nd generation iPod nano, TracFone LG CG225, TracFone LG 600g.

(click on images for larger view)

Click here to check the latest LG 225 price on the TracFone website. 

Click here for details on how to get a $3 discount on TracFone phones such as the LG 225.

Some notes before I begin the review. The CG225 was my first phone from Tracfone, and my third cell phone overall. My previous cell phones were the Nokia 2115i ("Shorty") and the Kyocera K127 ("Marbl"), both from Virgin Mobile. I've used the CG225 as my only phone for almost a year, and my usage has been on the AT&T network in Houston, TX and Huntsville, TX. I am a technically inclined person who enjoys simple phones, but likes to get a lot out of them.

Signal strength, call quality, and battery life

In general, the LG 225 has had rather good reception in my area, provided that I am careful to not touch the external antenna. Call quality could certainly be improved, but I don't know if that's an issue with the phone or with the AT&T network. The battery lasts for several days at a time unless I play any games. Your mileage may vary; location affects signal strength and signal strength plus usage level affects battery life. You should definitely check the coverage maps for AT&T and T-Mobile. A "P4" near the barcode indicates a phone that is native to AT&T, but a "P5" indicates T-Mobile. 

Screens

An external display is a very convenient feature to have on a flip phone. The time, caller ID, battery life, signal strength, and ring/vibrate status are available at a glance without the need to open the phone. That is much more information than the LEDs on the Motorola W376g can provide, and unlike the LG 600G's external display it is always on. This is because the CG225's external display is monochrome and thus uses very little battery power, unlike the color display on the 600g. Unfortunately, the internal display is small (1.06" x 1.06"), low resolution (128x128 pixels), and poor (albeit usable) quality. I was unable to get a decent photo comparing the screen quality, but the CG225's screen is nowhere near as good as my 2nd generation iPod nano or my LG 600g..

 

2nd generation iPod nano, TracFone LG CG225, TracFone LG 600g.

Contacts

The CG225 can store up to 255 contacts on the phone, and up to 250 on the SIM card. Saving to the SIM limits a given contact to one number, a photo, and a group. If you want up to three numbers, an email address, and/or a note, you'll need to save to the phone. With Tracfone, SIM cards are locked to the phone and can't be taken from one phone to another. The CG225's speed dial doesn't let you assign multiple numbers from the same contact, so you can't have a button for a person's home and another button for that person's cell without splitting them into multiple contacts. Only photos taken using the CG225's camera can be assigned as photo IDs; you can't use a picture received via MMS.

Text and Multimedia Messaging

I've done quite a lot of SMS texting on the LG CG225. The interface is very responsive, and has no trouble keeping up with my fast typing. If you wish to use predictive text, it uses T9, which many prefer over the iTap found on Motorola TracFones. T9 is actually very easy to learn, especially if you use the interactive tutorial on the T9 website. The CG225 allows you to read part of an incoming message without opening it, but unfortunately it does not clearly indicate who sent it. To see the sender you have to select the message, press the green SEND key, and then very quickly press the red END key to avoid being charged for call time. Tracfone charges 0.3 units to send or receive a text message.

Unfortunately, there'S an annoying bug in this specific phone'S implementation of T9.  It'S a mystery to me how LG'S developers didn't notice that their phone capitalizes our alphabet'S letter "s" when it comes after an apostrophe.  Hopefully your recipients will understand that you're typing on a cell phone, because it'S quite strange and makes it look like you don't know how to write.  This bug's been fixed in the LG600g's T9.

In addition to regular text messaging, the CG225 also has multimedia messaging (MMS). MMS allows you to send and receive pictures, MIDI ringtones (not MP3), formatted text, and longer messages. Real music ringtones must be purchased from Tracfone (see below), and can't be received via regular MMS. From what I've read, data services like MMS will not work on phones which originally came with T-Mobile SIM cards. The CG225 can receive MMS messages from another phone or via email (your-ten-digit-number@mms.att.net). Multimedia messages cost 1 unit plus 0.5 units per minute of transfer time.

The CG225 has the ability to extract data from a text or multimedia message, such as phone numbers, email addresses, website URLs, audio, or pictures. This can come in handy, and is in fact how you make audio or pictures received by MMS available as ringtones or wallpaper.

Camera

The TracFone LG 225 is a cameraphone, and has two dedicated camera buttons (1 on the keypad, and 1 on the right side) as well as a photo library button (on the keypad). Camera options include choosing size, brightness, white balance (auto, daylight, incandescent, cloudy, or flourescent), and digital zoom (up to 4x, depending on resolution). The left and right arrow keys adjust the contrast.

The external display is monochrome, so it can't be used for taking photos with the phone closed. The camera is only VGA resolution (640x480 pixels), and lacks flash and autofocus. Storage for photos is limited to 300KB, so you can't keep many photos on the phone. It's difficult to give even a rough estimate of how many photos 300KB is, because the file sizes vary significantly based on the content of the photo, even with the same camera settings. Generally though, lower resolution photos will consume less storage.

Having a camera available at all times is nice, but the CG225's camera leaves a lot to be desired and is certainly no substitute for a real camera.

 

Sample photos from the CG225's camera

 Web access, Ringtones, Graphics, & Games

While it's true that the LG CG225 has a web browser, like other Tracfones it is extremely limited. First of all, as with any other data service, you need a CG225 which came with an AT&T SIM card. If it came with a T-Mobile SIM card, it will never be able to access the web. Even if your CG225 came with an AT&T SIM, you can only visit Tracfone's website. All other websites are blocked. Browsing is both slow and expensive: 0.5 units per minute the browser is open, even if the phone isn't being used. There is a dedicated browser button that can't be reassigned, but if you accidentally press it there is time to exit without being charged.

You can use Tracfone's mobile web site to purchase TracFone ringtones (MIDI or MP3), pictures, games, and subscriptions to news, weather, sports, and entertainment right on your phone. As far as games are concerned, the CG225 comes with a puzzle game called Zoo Zoo Club. Personally, I prefer using my computer to purchase ringtones, pictures, or games, so that I don't have to pay extra just to browse Tracfone's site on my phone.

I get around the limitations of Tracfone's browser by using SMS services and by using Dial2Do to check my RSS feeds on demand. I have SMS services like Google and Facebook saved as contacts for easy access. Although it's not a perfect solution, I've found that this mostly covers what I would tend to use a mobile browser for.

Additional comments

The TracFone LG CG225 is missing some features that are important to some. It does not have Bluetooth of any sort, or an FM radio. It is not hearing aid compatible. The notepad is limited to 40 characters. It continues the cell phone industry's very anti-consumer practice of using non-standard charging connectors (as opposed to USB). The feature that I miss the most from my previous phone, a Virgin Mobile Marbl, is the ability to automatically switch to vibrate based on a schedule. I can manually switch to vibrate by pressing * for a few seconds, but it was much more convenient when I didn't need to remember. After nearly a year of usage and a lot of texting, my 6 key has become hard to trigger, but that may just be my specific phone or my own level of abuse.

The following features work as expected, so I won't go into detail about them. Voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, alarm clock, calculator, world clock, unit converter, tip calculator, speakerphone, recent calls, message lists, and standard Tracfone features such as Airtime Balance and Service display.

 

2nd generation iPod nano, TracFone LG CG225, TracFone LG 600g.

According to Phone Scoop, the CG225 measures 3.36" x 1.89" x 0.9" and weighs 3.27 oz.

Final thoughts

Despite the various complaints I have raised, I still consider the LG 225 a decent phone for those with simple usage. The battery life is great, the external screen very convenient, and the interface responsive. T9 for predictive text is tremendously helpful. AT&T has a large national coverage area, and as long as you don't touch the external antenna you should get acceptable signal and call quality. The camera may leave a lot to be desired, but it's nice to have available. If you decide to purchase an LG 225, the included manual is full of very useful information.

I've recently transferred to a TracFone LG 600g.  If you'd like a comparison, or if you have any other questions or thoughts, you're welcome to post a comment.

Click here to check the latest LG 225 price on the TracFone website. 

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.

TracFone Samsung T301G Review (part 1)

First of a 2 part review

By Richard Sheasley

The TracFone Samsung T301g ( SGH-T301G ) is the second of the new Samsung phones, a major cell phone manufacturer that was recently added to Tracfone’s list of GSM mobile phone suppliers. The T301G is the first slider style phone that Tracfone has offered, and is currently only available on the TracFone web site. It is probably the most features-rich and advanced phone, with capabilities such as bluetooth, a built in browser, built in games, and a number of tools included. All other recent offerings from TracFone have been either candy bar style phones or flip phones. 

Like all the higher end phones, the package mentions that the phone includes double minutes for life (DMFL), which was not mentioned on the Tracfone web site anywhere during the first week of the phone’s offering. As with all TracFones, users purchase airtime cards and should be able to approach somewhere around 10 cents a minute, to as low as 8 cents a minute with good TracFone bonus codes offerings.

 

Samsung T301G Package

TracFone T301G First impressions 

Upon opening and setting up the T301G there are a few things that Samsung did right with the phone, and a few items that could be issues for some cell phone users. First, the phone has a small keypad that is covered with the phone in the closed position. This protects random dialing, but the keys are smaller than some users may be used to.  It will not be a good choice for anyone with larger fingers. The set-up of the phone was pretty simple- install the battery; slide into place the rear cover; power on the phone and place the wall charger on the phone. The charger plug is on the bottom right side under a small cover. It is the same spot a special headset to listen to the audio files would plug in. 

Activation, like any of the Tracfone offerings, is best done on their web site. You get 20 minutes of airtime (versus 10 minutes if you call to activate the phone) and 60 days of service time included.  The phone will either have an AT&T or T-Mobile sim that is already installed in the back of the phone and will be assigned a phone number based on the zip code you provide during the activation process.

 

Front of Samsung T301G in Open Position

Minimal look to the phone 

The phone is plain, yet pretty functional with 2 left side buttons, a small cursor pad on the front below the LCD screen, and a camera button and a cover over the power and accessory plug on the right hand side of the phone. This phone slides up to reveal the hidden keypad on the bottom part of the phone and on the back of the upper part of the LCD display is the camera lens and bluetooth sensor. 

There is no external antenna, nor is there any standard 2.5 mm wired headset plug anywhere on the phone. So hands free use will require either a bluetooth headset, or using the speakerphone while driving or other activities that do not allow the holding of the phone up to the side of your head. 

If the phone is in the closed position, then the keypad with the menu button, browser button, send button, power/end button, 4 arrow cursor buttons and clear buttons are locked and the upper left menu button followed by the OK button must be pressed to unlock the phone buttons. Or you can simply slide open the phone by pushing the display away from yourself and reveal the numbers keypad. Once it is opened these same menu buttons are no longer locked and available as needed.

 

Front of Samsung T301G in Closed Position

Using the TracFone T301G 

In the short time spent with the phone so far, a few things have taken a bit of getting used too. First, the send button is very sensitive to the length of time you hold it down. Press it too long and the call will not go through. A short quick press and immediate release of the button is needed for a call to be connected, unlike some other phones that actually have a short delay and requiring the user to hold the button for a few seconds to avoid an inadvertent dialing of the phone. 

At first it seemed like the send button was not working, required hitting it 2 times, or was having intermittent problems; but it simply was the case where this tester was holding the button too long and not immediately releasing in early attempts to complete calls. Tracfone technical support was contacted and confirmed that the issue was not any defect in the phone at all, just the reviewer not being used to the button feel. 

The other item that took getting used to by this reviewer was the sliding of the phone to the open position (I have been a lover of the flip phones with the last 3 mobile phones used the flip style). There is a single narrow ridged bar between the LCD display and the cursor pad that is designed for this and can be used if you are careful. However, it is easy to hit the right browser button possibly resulting in a 1/2 unit deduction off your minutes instead. After some use, the opening has gotten easier with practice and this reviewer feels it is almost as easy to just use the screen area to push the phone open.

Also, at least with this tester’s area and carrier, the area code must be dialed for all calls with this phone. If the area code is not dialed, then a recorded message is heard instructing the call cannot be completed as dialed. In travels and limited usage so far, I have only had 1 dropped call and strong signal in the area. 

The phone connected fine without issue to the Bluetooth headset, scanning for the bluetooth device is really short duration, requiring you to put the headset in the discovery mode first and then the phone. If you do not do it in that order you need 3 hands or a second person to activate the headset at the same time you push the phone. 

Attempts to connect the phone via bluetooth to a PC with a bluetooth device failed to find the PC’s device, but the PC side did see the phone but would not complete any connection.  This is due to the firmware limitations Tracfone puts on the phone for headset only compatibility and leads to having to send any photos as messages over the phone, not as direct transfers to a computer. 

Messages are 1/3 of a unit for sending or receiving, photos have to be transferred via multimedia message (mms), and the web browser sessions are 1/2 of a unit for connection with additional deductions for any extended use after the first minute. However, many wap mobile web sites received http error: 403 forbidden including m.ebay.com and other sites attempted outside of the Tracfone web site. 

Helpful information on the phones use and features can be found on the Samsung web site. This includes an extensive list of FAQ that provide explanation and step-by-step instructions. There is also a 2-page quick guide manual available in the Download Center as either a .pdf or as djvu format.

The manual that is included in the package is a Tracfone produced manual that includes: getting started section, overview of the Tracfone service, and the most helpful 3^rd section on using the phone with instructions for setting up the phone, a run down of the phone’s buttons and setting up the phone for thing like voice mail, bluetooth and personalizing the phone.

  

Back of Samsung T301G in Open Position

The Samsung web site lists several accessories for the phone.  Tracfone has nothing listed yet for accessories for this phone, however it does fit in their universal case that is part of the universal Tracfone accessories kit- but little else in that kit would work on this phone.

Watch for part 2 - a report on the advanced features run down, limitations, comments and further review on photos and tools, etc.  In the meantime, you can go to the TracFone web site and enter your zipcode to determine the availibility of the TracFone Samsung T301G in your area.

Part 2 of the Fone-Review TracFone Samsung T301G review is now posted!

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Copyright info – This article is copyright 2009 – no part of this can be reproduced without the approval of the author and http://www.fone-review.com/ 

About the Reviewer: Richard Sheasley has been involved in sales and support of personal computers, data networks and technology for over 27 years.  

TracFone Samsung T301g Slider Phone Released

The TracFone Samsung T301g "Stylish Slider" (as TracFone describes it) showed up for sale yesterday on the TracFone website for $49.99.  Curiously, on the first day of its release, it did not include the double minutes for life, but now it shows that DMFL is included.

I won't list all of the features here, because you can read the list yourself on the TracFone website, but I will touch on a few of the major points.

First, this is a slider phone, so the display slides up and down to cover/uncover the keypad.  It's the first slider, excuse me, Stylish Slider, in TracFone's arsenal.  That in itself makes this phone kind of interesting.

Another listed feature that I don't see on other TracFones is MMS picture messaging, which is a nice plus.  You never know with TracFone, but I would assume that you would be able to take a picture with the phone's camera and then send it as a picture message to a friend.

The TracFone Samsung T301g is also bluetooth wireless enabled.  One of the big beefs with the bluetooth TracFone W376g is that it only worked with headsets.  In fact, the details page on the TracFone Website for the W376g has the following disclaimer:

** this phone does not support PC connectivity via Bluetooth® or USB

I don't see that disclaimer on the details page for the T301g, so maybe there's hope?  I don't see the disclaimer for the LG600 either, and I was able to get it to connect with bluetooth to my computer, though others have not had success.

Another unkown is whether the internet access is locked down to only TracFone sites.

I have someone working on a review for me, so we should have answers to these questions and more within a week or two.

In the meantime, you can find the full list of features on the TracFone website, and also the Samsung website.

Update:  The Fone-Review Samsung T301G review (part 1) is now posted!

TracFone Samsung T101g Released

The TracFone Samsung T101G is now for sale on the TracFone website as of today.

At $14.99, the T101G becomes the least expensive TracFone to feature data access where you can use airtime minutes to download ringtones and graphics as well as accessing the latest news, weather, and sports.

No news yet on whether the browser will let you access internet content other than TracFone's (google, yahoo, etc.), but I should have a hands-on review ready in a week or two.

The phone has a standard candy bar form factor and has all of the standard features that come with most any TracFone.  No camera, however, and no bluetooth.

Hopefully the release of the T101g means that the T201g flip phone and T301g slider phone will be released soon as well, since they have more interesting features.

Update:  The Fone-Review Samsung T101G review is now posted!

Three New Samsung TracFone and Net10 Phones Coming Soon

The rumors have been floating around for a couple of weeks about new TracFone models, and now the TracFone website (Net10 as well) is showing the Samsung T301g, Samsung T201g, and Samsung 101g on the phone activation page.

The TracFone Samsung T301g is a slider phone, which the rumors say should have a camera.  According to a compliance document filed with the FCC, it should also have bluetooth.

The TracFone Samsung T201g is a clamshell flip phone, while the TracFone Samsung T101g is a standard candy bar phone.  The T201g FCC page and  T101g FCC page both point to the same compliance test document, which makes me wonder if they are basically the same phone in different form factors (pure speculation on my part).

None of the phones are not actually for sale yet, so I don't have any pricing information, but I'll order one of each as soon as they show up on the order page so that I can do a full detailed review.

Update:  The Samsung TracFone T101g and Samsung TracFone T301g are now released!  Reviews coming soon.

Update 2:  The Fone-Review Samsung TracFone T301G review (part 1) and Samsung TracFone T101G review are both posted!

It will be interesting to see how these new Samsung TracFones stack up against the current batch of Motorola TracFones and LG TracFones!

New TracFone Promo Codes and Free Shipping and Accesory Kit Offer on Phones

The TracFone website is currently running a Valentine special through February 11, 2009 where you get free ground shipping and a free accessory kit with any phone order of $29.99 or greater.  No promo code required.

I did a little testing tonight and discovered that the offer also works with phone/airtime bundles.  It still seemed to work if I used TracFone coupon code 23444 ($3 off any phone order) on a $29.99 phone such as the Motorola W376g.

One confusing thing is that it does not show the accessory kit in your shopping cart when you checkout, but if you see that you've got the free shipping, then you'll know that they'll send the accessory kit too.

TracFone also has released two new airtime promo codes that expire February 10, 2009:

16142 - 250 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires February 10, 2009

99121 - 250 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires February 10, 2009

A reader emailed me the following code this week:

53496 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires December 31, 2009

You can click here to go to the TracFone website to buy your airtime or phone (or redeem a TracFone airtime card you've already bought) and use your TracFone promo code.

If you want to get an email reminder whenever I update my TracFone promo code list, you can sign up on my TracFone Promo Code Newsletter page. It's quick, easy, and secure. Plus, it's a nice little reminder to use a promo code whenever you add airtime!

I have a full page of tips and tricks for using TracFone promotional codes, but here's a quick list of things to keep in mind:

• Always add your airtime on the TracFone website so that you get a second chance if it doesn't work for some reason. If you try two that don't work, then close and reopen your browser before trying again.
• Sometimes promo codes that have expired still work.
• In general, you can only use a given promo code once per phone.
• For phones that have DMFL, the free minutes from a promo code do not get doubled.
• Codes will typically work on larger cards than the one listed, but not smaller.

OK, enough of the formalities, here's my full list of promo codes that give you free TracFone airtime!

Known Expiration

• 16142 - 250 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires February 10, 2009
• 99121 - 250 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires February 10, 2009
  
• 90091 - 20 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires February 10, 2009
• 51729 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires February 10, 2009
  
• 58360 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires February 10, 2009
• 55118 - 300 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires March 31, 2009
• 50751 - 20 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - February 1 - February 28, 2009
• 57915 - 40 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - February 1 - February 28, 2009
• 53496 - 200 bonus minutes on any one-year card - All year in 2009
• 55089 - 100 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - All year in 2009
• 54294 - 50 minute value plan with 10 bonus minutes $9.99/mo - All year in 2009
• 51897 - 100 minute value plan with 20 bonus minutes $19.99/mo - All year in 2009
• 59272 - 150 minute value plan with 30 bonus minutes $29.99/mo - All year in 2009
• 58222 - Register for TracFone airtime on demand receive 10 bonus minutes - All year in 2009
• 51540 - Buy a double minutes card and get 50 bonus minutes - All year in 2009
• 53496 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires December 31, 2009 

Unknown Expiration

• 23444 - $3 off any TracFone phone or phone/airtime bundle
  
• 14938 - 60 free minutes on a 60 minute card
• 53322 - 60 free minutes on a 60 minute card
• 53018 - 300 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card
• 56737 - 20 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card
• 57887 - 20 free minutes on a 120 minute card
• 53211 - 30 bonus minutes on a 60 minute card
• 51992 - 20 bonus minutes on a 60 minute card
• 57630 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card

Upcoming

• 58627 - 20 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - March 1 - March 31, 2009
  
• 53786 - 40 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - March 1 - March 31, 2009

Recently Expired

• 55119 - Save $10 on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires February 3, 2009
  
• 50156 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires February 3, 2009  
• 34906 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires February 3, 2009  
• 57545 - 20 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - January 1 - January 31, 2009  
• 51889 - 40 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - January 1 - January 31, 2009 
• 40116 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires January 27, 2009  
• 57357 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires January 27, 2009
• 25879 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - ExpiresJanuary 27, 2009
• 57203 - 50 bonus minutes on a 450 minute card - Expires January 20, 2009
• 94125 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires January 20, 2009
• 81727 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires January 20, 2009
• 67023 - 40 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - Expires January 13, 2009
• 57357 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires January 13, 2009
• 88294 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires January 13, 2009
• 96886 - 60 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - Expires January 9, 2009
• 90611 - 250 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires January 9, 2008
• 41595 - 100 bonus minutes on a 450 minute card - Expires January 9, 2009
• 45415 - 250 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires January 9, 2009
• 57165 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires January 9, 2009
• 23350 - Save 10% when enrolling in the 50 minute value plan - Expires January 9, 2008
• 62226 - Save 10% when enrolling in the 100 minute value plan - Expires January 9, 2008
• 59584 - 250 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires December 31, 2008
• 59802 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - ExpiresDecember 31, 2008
• 54245 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute - December 1 - December 31, 2008
• 57254 - 30 bonus minutes on a 120 minute card - December 1 - December 31, 2008
• 53193 - 20 bonus minutes on a 60 minute card - December 1 - December 31, 2008
• 57357 - 200 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires December 9, 2008
• 57165 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - ExpiresDecember 9, 2008
• 94702 - 200 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - Expires December 9, 2008
• 57392 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires December 9, 2008
• 84232 - 250 bonus minutes on a 400 minute one-year card - Expires December 2, 2008
• 61500 - 250 bonus minutes on a 800 minute one-year DMFL card - ExpiresDecember 2, 2008
• 87715 - 50 bonus minutes on a 200 minute card - Expires December 2, 2008
• 52967 - 100 bonus minutes on a 450 minute card - Expires December 2, 2008
• 87163 - Save 10% when enrolling in the 50 minute value plan - ExpiresDecember 2, 2008
• 39644 - Save 10% when enrolling in the Family value plan - Expires December 2, 2008
• 50508 - 60 bonus minutes on a 60 minute card - Unkown expiration but doesn't seem to work anymore

You can click here to go to the TracFone airtime page on TracFone.com to buy your airtime (or use a TracFone airtime card you've already bought) and use you TracFone promo code.

Enjoy your free TracFone airtime minutes!

TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g Review and Comparison

The prices on the TracFone Motorola W175 and the TracFone Motorola W260g are certainly attractive, but are these entry-level TracFone's worth buying?  Are they inexpensive, or just down right cheap?  Keep reading to find out.

Click here to check the latest Motorola W175 and Motorola W260g prices on the TracFone website.

Click here for details on how to save $3 on any new TracFone or Net10 phone.

The TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g are practically identical in every way except form factor, hence this dual review and comparison.  The W175 is a standard candy bar style of phone, while the W260g is a flip phone, but their screens and software seem to be the same.

TracFone models from left to right:  Motorola V170, Motorola W376g, Motorola W260g, Motorola W175, and Motorola C139.

While the TracFone Motorola W175 is longer than the Motorola W260g, and most other TracFones, it also somewhat thinner.  So in that respect is slips into a pocket a bit easier.

Of course, since the TracFone Motorola W175 is an open-faced phone, you have to be more careful about not scratching the screen than you do with a flip-phone like the TracFone Motorola W260g.

The best feature of the TracFone Motorola W175 and Motorola 260g

Without a doubt, the defining feature of these phones is their long battery life.  I know that's not as sexy as bluetooth capability or a built-in camera, but for day to day use, a long battery life is a real benefit.

My wife currently has a TracFone Motorola V170, and I have to recharge that thing every 3 or 4 days, even if she just leaves it turned it without even using it.  My testing with the TracFone Motorola W376g and the TracFone LG600 has shown that they both need to be recharged every 4 or 5 days.

The TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g, however, will last a full 9 or 10 days between recharges.  You have to recharge a bit sooner if you make or take calls on them, of course, but it's quite nice to have a phone that actually keeps its charge for more than just a few days.

This feature alone make the W175 and W260g an excellent choice for those of you who simply want an inexpensive cell phone for emergencies or occasional short phone calls.  Their long battery life helps to insure that the phone will actually have some charge left if its ever actually needed in an emergency.  

The worst feature of the TracFone Motorola W175 and Motorola W260g

One reason why these phones have such good battery life is that they don't have a lot of drain on the battery with features such as bluetooth or a bright screen.

This picture shows the difference between the TracFone Motorola W376g screen (left), and the TracFone Motorola W260g screen (right).  Note that the TracFone Motorola W175 screen looks identical to the W260g.  It's easy to see that W376g has a brighter and sharper screen, which is also a little larger.

It's not that the W175 and W260g have terrible screens, and when you look at them on their own, you don't notice that they are particularly inferior.  But when you compare them to the W376g, you immediately notice that its screen is simply better in all respects.

Since the TracFone Motorola W175 and Motorola W260g are entry-level phones, they also don't come with more advanced features such as bluetooth capability, internet access, a built-in camera, built-in Double Minutes For Life (DMFL), or the ability to play mp3 ringtones.

If the above features are important to you, then you'll want to look at a more advanced phone such as the TracFone Motorola W376g or TracFone LG600.

Click here to check the availability and prices on TracFone phones for your area.

Standard TracFone features on the Motorola W175 and W260g

Being TracFones, these phones come with the standard features such as voicemail, caller id, call waiting, vibration alert (vibrate mode), 35 pre-loaded polyphonic ringtones, alarm clock, calculator, stop watch, games (Rebels, Crazy, and Soccer), calendar, currency converter, handsfree speaker, phone book with up to 500 entries, and of course they both show right on the screen how many prepaid minutes and how many days of service you have remaining.

The both come with a charger, TracFone user guide, and a plastic envelope that can be used to mail an old phone back to Motorola for recycling.  Note that the TracFone user guide is not really a full manual describing every feature on the phone, but these phones are simple enough that it's not hard to figure out anything you need to know just by trial and error.

If you want to see the full manual, you can click here to see the TracFone Motorola W260g manual.  The link on the TracFone website for the W175 manual is currently not working, but its software is the same as for the W260g, so you can read the W260g manual to research most questions you have about the W175.

TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g Comparison

The main difference between the two phones is that the W260g is a flip phone and the W175 is not.  The W260g does have some external lights that alert you to low battery, missed call, or awaiting message.

The keypads on the two phones are also slightly different, which you can see in the picture to the right.  The phone on the left is the TracFone Motorola W260g, and the phone on the right is the TracFone Motorola W175, and as you can see, the keys on the W260g are slighty bigger.  The fact that it is a flip-phone gives it more real estate to play with for the keys, and the designers at Motorola put that extra space to good use.  (The screens don't look as washed out in real life as they do in this picture.)

One other minor difference is that the W260g has little covers for the charger port and the headset port, and the W175 does not.  This probably would never be an issue, but I suppose it's possible for crumbs or chewing gum or something to get jammed up into one of the ports on the W175.  

Speaking of the charger port, the phones use the same type of charger and the same type of battery.  The charger port on the phones of the mini usb style, but it is only used for charging the battery.  You can't hook up a usb cable and copy ringtones or wallpapers to the phones.

Since the W260g is a flip-phone, you lock the keypad by simply closing the phone.  Easy.  You lock the keypad on the W175 by pressing and releasing the round 'menu' button and then pressing the * key.  It's easy to do, but it's also easy to fat-finger it and hit one of the arrow keys instead.  

After the W175 is locked, you can press any key and the screen will illuminate again for a few seconds, which is long enough to check the time and how much battery life you have left.  On the the W260g, you have to open the phone to check such things because there's no external screen, so the checking-the-screen process is just a bit quicker and easier on the W175.

The call quality and the signal reception on the TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g is acceptable and basically the same on both phones.  During my test calls on the way back and forth to Wal Mart, my wife's voice sounded just a little muffled, but she said she could hear me fine.  We had no trouble understanding each other.

These are GSM phones, and they have the TracFone single rate plan, so all your calls cost one minute of airtime for every minute you talk, no matter where you are in the country.

Final thoughts about the TracFone Motorola W260g and TracFone Motorola W175

Surprisingly, I have found myself really liking these basic entry-level TracFones.  Their entry-levelness makes them simple to use, and the long battery life is awesome for those of us who only make occasional calls.  Let's face it, an emergency phone won't do you any good if the battery is dead, and these phones give you some breathing room on how often you have to recharge.

If you care about impressing your friends, well, these phones won't.  On the other hand, they won't outright embarrass you either.  The TracFone Motorola W175 and TracFone Motorola W260g are simple, inexpensive cell phones that look fairly nice and get the job done.  

If you are looking for an inexpensive phone to keep with you for emergencies, or if you simply can't afford a more expensive phone, then the W175 and W260g definitely belong on your short list of phones to consider.

Click here to check the latest Motorola W175 and Motorola W260g prices on the TracFone website. 

Click here for details on how to save $3 on any new TracFone or Net10 phone.

TracFone LG 600g Review

The TracFone LG 600g is a flip phone that features a camera, internal and external screens, (limited) internet access, and bluetooth access that can both connect to headsets and transmit data.

 TracFone models from left to right:  LG 600g, Motorola W376g, Motorola V170.  Click on the pic for a larger view.

The LG 600g is the second bluetooth enabled TracFone, coming out right on the heels of the Motorola W376g.  Since the LG and the Moto have similar features, I thought it would be good to do a review of the LG and see how it stacks up.

Click here to check the latest LG 600g price on the TracFone website.

Click here for details on how to get a $3 discount on TracFone phones such as the LG600.

While you're researching bluetooth-enabled TracFones, you might also want to check out my review of the TracFone Motorola W376g, which was released just a few weeks before the 600G.

TracFone LG 600g Features with Keith's Comments

• Flip Phone - The LG 600g has an external screen along with the standard internal screen.  The external screen shows indications for missed calls and messages and such, and will also show the time and date if you hit one of the buttons on the left side of the phone.  I really like this feature because I use my cell phone as a watch instead of wearing a watch.  Hey, I've got the phone with me all the time anyway, so a wristwatch is just extra bling I don't need!
• Screen - The internal screen looks fine when you look at it straight on, but it significantly dims if you look at it from an angle.  It's hard to get good pictures of a cell phone screen, but here's a couple that kind of show what I mean. 
•    click on the images for a larger view.  I've noticed that if you look at if from the top down, the image gets too dark, and if you look at it from the bottom up, the image gets too light.  The effect is not as pronounced if you look at the screen from the side.
• VGA Camera - The camera on the LG 600g can be activated when the phone is open by pressing the camera button on the keypad, or when the phone is closed by pressing and holding the down arrow button on the left side of the phone.  When the phone is closed, the image the camera sees is shown on the external screen, and since the external screen and the camera are on the same side of the phone, this mode is best used for taking charming self portraits.  When in phone-open mode, the up and down arrows on the keypad are used to zoom in and out (only in 320X240 resolution), while the left and right arrows are used to set the exposure compensation (make the image lighter or darker).  The camera Options menu lets you set resolution (max. of 640X480) and quality, multishot mode and self timer, along with a few other options such as white balance and color effects (color, sepia, mono, negative).  The multishot mode lets the camera take 3 pictures in a row whenever you press the button, which could come in handy at times, especially since the camera has noticeable shutter lag.    You can store the pictures on the phone and use one as your wallpaper or as a picture ID.  You can also send the pictures as a picture message to another phone, or as an attachment to an email to any email address.  My wife was rather bemused when I sent her a picture of one of my Aerogarden flowers on my desk at work.  Remember that you are charged airtime if you send the picture to another phone or to an email address.  You are charged one minute because it's an MMS message, and then another 0.5 minutes for every minute the browser spends uploading the picture.  The upload time will vary depending on the resolution of the picture and the strength of your connection, but in my case I was charged another 1.5 minutes for the data access time when sending the picture in an email.   Here's a picture of my daughter that I took with the camera at 320X240 resolution (shown here at full size): 
  
• Bluetooth Enabled - The TracFone LG 600g has bluetooth, which can be used to connect to a headset, or another hands-free headset connection like the type built in to some cars or gps units.  You can also use the bluetooth to connect to a computer or another phone to transfer files. I was able to get the phone connected to my bluetooth-enabled desktop computer and copy a cute picture of my sweet little girl to the 600g to use as the wallpaper.  When the phone and the computer established a connection, the phone simply showed up as a folder on the computer, with subfolders for images, sounds, and "other", so you can copy basically any file to the phone, and you can copy pictures from the phone to your computer.  I was able to copy a .mp3 file to the phone with no problems, but read my ringtones section below for more info on that.  Since I don't have a bluetooth headset, I didn't try to connect the phone to one, but from the instructions that come with the phone and from my experience with connecting the phone to my computer, I have no doubt that the phone could be connected to a bluetooth headset with little difficulty.
• Internet Enabled - Yes, the TracFone LG 600g has internet capablity, but you can only use it to access data services from TracFone.  You cannot, for example, use the phone to access Google or Yahoo.  When I try going to a site such as m.yahoo.com, I get an error message saying that I don't have access to that site.  TracFone has services where you can buy ringtones and graphics and a subscription to sports, entertainment, weather, and other news.  You are charged 0.5 airtime minutes for every minute that the browser is open to access any of TracFone's data services.  If you accidentally hit the browser button on the phone, you have several seconds to close the browswer before you are charged the first 0.5 minute of airtime. 
• Ringtones - I tried to buy an mp3 ringtone from TracFone, but I got an error message saying that this product is not compatible with my phone.  Interesting.  I would have thought that a phone this nice would be able to play mp3 ringtones, but I guess not.  The TracFone LG600g does, however, come with an audio record feature that allows you to record any audio you want and make it your ringtone.  The quality is decent, and it gives you unlimited ringtone possiblities.  I also tried downloading an .mp3 file to the LG600g via bluetooth connection with my desktop computer.  On my first attempt, I downloaded it the Other Files folder by mistake and found that there's was no way to assign it as my ringtone and no way to copy it over to the Audio and Ringtone folder.  On my second attempt I copied to the Sounds folder, but the file did not appear when I access the folder on the phone, even though it is there when I access the same folder on the computer.  I figure out that the Sounds folder on the computer is the same as the Audio and Ringtone folder on the phone because I could see some of the same files in each.  The phone comes with a long list of generic midi ringtones to choose from, or you can set the phone to vibrate only.  Click here to read my full report on TracFone ringtones. 
• Double Minutes For Life (DMFL) - You get one minute free for every minute you add to phone for the life of the phone.  This is a great money-saving feature, and it comes standard on the phone.  You don't have to do anything to get it, just add an airtime card and the minutes will automatically be doubled!
• Text Messaging - It costs .3 airtime minutes to send or receive a standard text message (SMS), and 1 minute for multi-media messages (MMS).  You are also charged for the browser time to download the muli-media file with the message. The Lg 600g does have T9 mode for faster entry of text messages.
• Games - The TracFone LG 600g comes with Sudoku and BattleReversi to help you through times where you are overcome by sheer boredom. 
• FM Radio - The TracFone LG 600g does not have an FM radio feature. 
• Battery Life - The package says approximately 6.5 hours talk time and approximately 4 days standby time, and these numbers seem about right based on my experience so far.   The LG 600g details page on the TracFone website says the standby time is up to 13 days.  Maybe you can get that kind of time if you leave the phone turned off, but that seems very very optimistic if you leave the phone turned on.
• Headset Port - Although the phone can connect to bluetooth headsets, there is also a port to connect to a wired headset.  The headset jack shares the same connection port as the the charger.
• USB Port - The only external port on the phone is the charger/headset port.  The LG 600g manual on the TracFone website shows the port as a Headset/Charger/Cable connector port, so maybe you can use a data cable with the phone?  I don't have a data cable with the right connector to test it.  The accessories section of the manual does not list a data cable.
• Hearing Aid Compatible - Rating:  T3/M3
• Ring Volume Buttons - These are on the left side of the phone and allow you to easily change the ring volume.  At full volume the ringer is plenty loud.  If you press and hold the down arrow button when the phone is closed, it activates the camera.
• External Call and Message Icons - The external screen shows notifications for messages, incoming calls, etc.  For incoming calls, it shows the phone number of the person calling.  The external shows a notification of a missed call, but the screen goes dark after a few seconds as a power saving feature.  Nothing blinks or anything, so you have to hit one of the arrow keys to activate the screen again to know that you have a missed call or message.
• The Manual - The TracFone LG 600g manual that comes with the phone is split into four basic sections.  The first section gives a general overview of the phone's features and talks about how to install the battery and activate the phone.  The second section is about how to add airtime to the phone, and the third sections is about how to make calls, setup voicemail, send and read text messages, setup bluetooth devices, and make international calls.  Note that the manual only mentions making bluetooth connections to headsets or hands-free car kits.  The fourth section is actually the longest, and it contains all the fine print with the terms and conditions of service and the "important saftey and legal information."   LG 600g manual on the TracFone website has more detailed information about how to use the phone's features.

  

TracFone LG 600g Additional Features

Here are some additional features that I won't comment on because they just work as advertised and expected.

• Voice Mail, Call Waiting, Caller ID, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Calculator, Calendar, Recent calls and messages lists, Phonebook with up to 1000 entries, hands free speaker.
• All the standard TracFone features such as the Airtime Balance and Days of Service display, minutes that never expire as long as the phone is active, etc.

Final Thoughts

The TracFone LG 600g is an interesting phone that has some capabilities that left me pleasantly surprised, but also some features that left me disappointed.

On the pleasantly-surprised side of things, the fact that the bluetooth is not crippled and the audio record feature were both very handy.

On the disappointment side, the fact that the screen dims and fades when viewed from and angle and the phone's inability to play mp3 ringtones both left me wanting more.

At the current price of $79.99 (now $49.99 !), the LG 600g is currently TracFone's most expensive phone.  The DMFL feature that comes standard on the 600g sells for $49.99 on it's own, so the phone is not a bad value, it all just depends on what features you are looking for.

The goal of Fone-Review.com is to share what I know about TracFones, and I hope that this review has helped you learn more about the features and limitations of the TracFone LG 600g.  Happy Shopping!

Click here to check the latest LG 600g price on the TracFone website.

TracFone Motorola W376g Review

The TracFone Motoroloa W376g is a flip phone that features a camera and (limited) internet access whose main claim to fame is that it is the first TracFone to allow (limited) bluetooth access.

TracFone models from left to right:  Nokia 2285, Nokia 2600, Motorola V170, Motorola C139, Motorola W376g.  Click on the pic for a larger view.

I bought a TracFone Motoroa W376g to review for my faithful fone-review readers like you, so keep reading to get the full scoop on what I've learned about the phone.

Click here to check the latest Motorola W376g price on the TracFone website.

Click here for details on how to get a $3 discount on TracFone phones such as the W376g.

If in you're in the market for a bluetooth-enabled TracFone, you might also want to check out my review of the TracFone LG 600G, which was released not long after the W376g.

TracFone Motorola W376g Features with Keith's Comments

• Flip Phone - This is nice because it protects the screen and the keyboard.  The phone also feels solidly built, more so than my wife's TracFone Motorola V170 flip phone.
• VGA 4x Zoom Camera - The camera has more features than I first thought it would.  Pressing the menu button while the phone is in camera mode brings up the camera menu.  The Pictures Setup menu lets you adjust the white balance, implement several special effects (such as inverse, black & white, sepia, etc.), set the resolution (maximum is 640X480), set exposure compensation, and adjust a few other setting.  The Auto-Timed Capture menu lets you set a delay before the picture takes so that you can run to be in the picture yourself.  Maybe most people wouldn't ever use many of the features, but the phone's camera definitely has more features than I expected.  You can store the pictures on the phone and use one as your wallpaper, but your options for getting them off the phone seem limited.  Since the bluetooth and usb port can't be used to transfer data, the only way I can find to get the picture off the phone is to send it as a picture message to another phone, or to send it as an email attachment to an email address.  Remember, though that you are charged 1 airtime minute for sending an MMS message plus 0.5 minutes of airtime for every minute it takes to transfer the data.  The picture of my daughter below was taken at medium quality (320X240), and I was only charged a grand total of 1.5 airtime minutes to send it to my email address.  It did, however, take nearly 4 hours for it to arrive in my email inbox. 
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• Bluetooth Enabled - Yes, the TracFone Motorola W376g has bluetooth, but you can only use it to connect to a headset, or another hands-free headset connection like the type built in to some cars or gps units.  You cannot use the bluetooth to connect to a computer or another phone to transfer files. I was able to get the phone connected to my bluetooth-enabled desktop computer, but when I tried to send a file to the phone, it gave me an error saying that the OBEX File Push profile must be installed on the phone.  So no, you can't download a ringtone or picture to your computer and then transfer it to your phone.  Since I don't have a bluetooth headset, I didn't try to connect the phone to one, but from the instructions that come with the phone and from my experience with connecting the phone to my computer, I have no doubt that the phone could be connected to a bluetooth headset with little difficulty.
• Internet Enabled - Yes, the TracFone Motorola W376g has internet capablity, but you can only use it to access data services from TracFone.  You cannot, for example, use the phone to access Google or Yahoo.  TracFone has services where you can buy ringtones and graphics and a subscription to sports, entertainment, weather, and other news.  You are charged 0.5 airtime minutes for every minute that the OpenWave browser is open on the phone, and the browser opens whenever you access any of TracFone's data services.  You have to be really careful to not accidentally hit the browser button, because it is right below the left select button on the keypad.  I've done that a couple of times, and I always seem to get charged the 0.5 minute no matter how quickly I close the browser.
• Ringtones - The TracFone Motorla W376g can play mp3 ringtones, but you have to buy them from TracFone to get them to the phone.  Click here to read my full report on TracFone ringtones.  The phone comes with a long list of generic ringtones to choose from, or you can set the phone to vibrate only or vibrate & ring.
• Double Minutes For Life (DMFL) - You get one minute free for every minute you add to phone for the life of the phone.  This is a great money-saving feature, and it comes standard on the phone.  You don't have to do anything to get it, just add an airtime card and the minutes will automatically be doubled!
• Text Messaging - It costs .3 airtime minutes to send or receive a standard text message (SMS), and 1 minute for multi-media messages (MMS).  You are also charged for the browser time to download the muli-media file with the message.
• Games - The TracFone Motorola W376g comes with Soccer, Sudoku, and Tetris to help you pass the time when stuck in line somewhere.  Personally, I have used cell phone games to help pass the time while my wife decides which blouse looks best, and the games do come in handy at such desparate times.  :-)
• FM Radio - The TracFone Motorola W376g comes with a FM radio tuner, but you have to have a headset plugged in to use it because it uses the cord as an antenna.  The gym where I workout uses FM radio signals to broadcast the audio from the TV's, so this feature could come in handy while pounding away on the treadmill.  You do not get charged airtime if all you're doing is listening to the radio.
• Battery Life - The package says approximately 6.15 hours talk time and approximately 15 days standby time.  Interestingly enough, the TracFone website says up to 7.5 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time.  So far, I've only been able to get about 5 or 6 days out of the battery, but I've been playing with the phone some trying out the features for this review.  Soon I'll give it a full standby test by charging up the battery and then set the phone on the desk not touch it and see how many days it goes before needing a recharge.  I will, of course, report the results here.
• Headset Port - Although the phone can connect to bluetooth headsets, there is also a port to connect to standard wired headsets.  The headset jack accepts 2.5mm plugs.  Note that the W376g manual from Motorola says on page 37 to plug in a 3.5mm headset to use the FM radio, but the port on the phone is definitely 2.5mm.
• USB Port - The USB port is only used for charging up the battery.  The phone doesn't come with a USB cable that you can plug in to a computer, and even if you have one, the phone won't transfer data through the port.  Note that the charger plugs into a standard wall outlet for charging, not a computer's USB port.  If you're technically savvy, and if charging your phone through your computer's USB port is important to you, there are some instructions here:  http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/forums/viewthread/103433/#902906.  Please note that I have not tried these instructions myself.
• Hearing Aid Compatible - Rating:  M3
• Ring Volume Buttons - These are on the left side of the phone and allow you to easily change the ring volume.  At full volume the ringer is quite loud, much louder than my TracFone Nokia 2600.
• External Call and Message Icons - There are are three lights on the face of the phone.  The call light comes on when you receive a call and keeps flashing if you don't answer so that you know you have a missed call.  The message light will flash if you have a text message, and the battery light comes on if your battery is low.  It's neat because they are behind a strip of mirror-like plastic, and you can't even tell that a light is there unless the light is actually on.  I know, I know, I'm easily impressed, but it's still kinda cool.
• The Manual - The TracFone Motorola W376g manual is split into four basic sections.  The first section gives a general overview of the phone's features and talks about how to install the battery and activate the phone.  The second section is about how to add airtime to the phone, and the third sections is about how to make calls, setup voicemail, send and read text messages, setup bluetooth devices, and make international calls.  Note that the manual only mentions making bluetooth connections to headsets or hands-free car kits.  The fourth section is actually the longest, and it contains all the fine print with the terms and conditions of service and the "important saftey and legal information."   Click here for the official Motorola user's guide, which has more detailed information about how to use the phone's features.

TracFone Motorola W376g Additional Features

Here are some additional features that I won't comment on because they just work as advertised and expected.

• Voice Mail, Call Waiting, Caller ID, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Calculator, Calendar, Recent calls and messages lists, Phonebook with up to 500 entries, hands free speaker.
• All the standard TracFone features such as the Airtime Balance and Days of Service display, minutes that never expire as long as the phone is active, etc.

Final Thoughts

Overall, TracFone Motorola W376g is a nice phone, and at $49.99 (now $29.99!) it's a great value when you consider that the Double Minutes For Life feature is worth $49.99 on its own.

It's no iPhone, to be sure, but then it doesn't come with the iPhone's $200 price tag and $70+ monthly bill.  If you can live with the W376g's limitations on bluetooth and internet access, then you'll be happy with the phone. 

The goal of Fone-Review.com is to share what I know about TracFones, and I hope that this review has helped you learn more about the features and limitations of the TracFone Motorola W376g.  Happy Shopping!

Click here to check the latest Motorola W376g price on the TracFone website.