Giving TracFone as a Gift

Affordable and Easy, TracFones Make for Great Gifts

Do you know someone who doesn't own a cell phone? Maybe a son or daughter, niece or nephew, grandfather or grandmother, or other friends. If you are looking for a gift idea, a TracFone might be it! 

Nothing says 'I want to talk with you more often' than giving someone a cell phone. And prepaid phones make it easy to manage costs and avoid the hassle of contract phones.

How Easy is it to Give a Cell Phone?

It is actually quite easy. There are two general decisions to make when buying a TracFone. The first is which phone to buy, and the second is what airtime cards or plans to get.

We will cover both below, starting with cell phone buying options.

Buying a TracFone

TracFones are available in many locations and are easy to find. Retail stores such as Walmart and Target sell  a few varieties of the phones and you can also buy directly from TracFone.com. Amazon is another internet location where you can often find TracFones on sale for less.

What can be challenging is choosing which phone to get. So we will provide a few options below to help give you some ideas. If you want to view more phone options, just visit TracFone.com and browse their phone selection.

LG 500G

LG 500g - One of the least expensive but most dependable phones from TracFone, this cell phone has a full QWERTY keyboard which makes texting easy and simple. This is a great phone for people of all ages, especially younger people. The small keys may make it hard for older people to use, but it is easy to get accustomed to and there is no bothering with learning to use T-9 or something else.

Financially, this phone makes a lot of sense typically priced at $20, and sometimes even less from Amazon. 

LG 840G

LG 840g - This is one of TracFones top of the line options. It is a touchscreen with a sleek appearance and great functionality. It includes 2GB of memory, and is 3G/Wifi enabled. It also comes with Triple Minutes for life, making this a great choice for those who might use their phone more often. 

This phone is typically priced well under $100, and can be purchased through Amazon with minutes included for a good deal. This is another option that almost anyone can enjoy and use.

For more phones and reviews by us, visit our Cell Phone Reviews page!

Buying Minutes for your TracFone

Getting minutes for a TracFone is quite simple to do. There are two prepaid options: pay as you go minute cards or monthly installment plan.

Pay as you go means you buy minute cards and load them onto the phone, giving you anywhere between 60-800 minutes and 90-365 days of service, depending on which card you buy.

Monthly Installment plan means that you pay each month for 30 days of service, and a certain number of minutes to use that month.

The monthly installment plan offers simplicity, and is very financially enticing. Plans can be as low as $10 a month for 50 minutes.

1 Year and 400 Minutes

The pay as you go option simply means you buy airtime cards whenever you need them. Talking on the phone more this month than you usually do? Just buy an extra card and load the minutes on your phone.

Pay as you go is convenient because you can get a 1 year/400 minutes of service card for less than $100 and  not need to worry about the phone for the whole year! If at any time the phone starts to run low on minutes, you can just get more from many stores and even online.

What about Activation and other Quesitons?

Activating a new TracFone follows simple steps and can be completed in less than an hour! For those who might want to use an existing phone number, that can also usually be done at no extra cost.

For other questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

Interested in more information? Visit our Overview of TracFone page for more info.

LG 840G Review - Tracfone

A Newer Phone From TracFone with 3G and WiFi

This review from de9w2dsl covers the LG 840G.

The LG 840G is a touchscreen phone from Tracfone that offers a smartphone feel and look but with a no-contract prepaid cell phone.

It is basically a much improved LG 800G with only a slightly higher price tag.

Many people agree that the LG840G is Tracfone's best offering yet (excluding the recent smartphones), with a handful of great features that give this phone a similar feel to other smartphones on the market. But be aware this phone does not compare with top of the line phones from other major contract companies.

Tracfone has recently released four actual Android powered Smartphones. Follow the links to read our review of each one:
LG Optimus Dynamic
Samsung Galaxy Centura
Huawei Glory
ZTE Valet

LG 840G Features and Specs

This phone has most of the standard Tracfone features, but also includes several useful features worth spending a little extra for.

White LG 840G

• Triple Minutes for Life
• Mobile Web
• Media Player
• 2.0 MP Camera/Video
• Hands Free Speaker
• Voice Recorder
• Wall Charger
• 3-4 day normal use battery life
• 3G and WiFi Connectivity
• 2GB MicroSD Card
• About the size of an iPod Touch or iPhone

Likes and Dislikes for the LG 840G from Tracfone

Let's begin with the Likes:

There are quite a few features for the LG 840G that make it a very worthwhile upgrade from other phones. 

Triple Minutes for Life means that if you add a 60 minute card, you would get 180 total minutes! (and don't forget to use a promo code!) 

The battery life is advertised to last 4hrs of constant talk time, or 13 days on standby. Users have determined that with normal use, the battery lasts an impressive 3-4 days.

Large view of LG 840G

Another big plus for this phone is the included 2GB MicroSD card. On previous phones such as the LG 500G or 530G, one would have to buy a MicroSD card separably in order to use the Media player or store more than a small amount of data on the phone. But the LG 840G delivers with it's included MicroSD card. 

Finally, one of the best features for the 840G is the 3G/WiFi. When connected to WiFi networks, such as in your home, at work, or other locations with free WiFi, browsing does not deduct from your prepaid minutes. This makes it possible to actually use the Mobile Web without draining your prepaid minutes in a hurry. 

Additionally, the previous standard minute rate for web browsing of .5 units per minute has been changed to a ratio of actual data used, instead of time spent online. This also makes web browsing more economical than in the past.

New - Check out our post on How to Install Google Maps on the LG840G

Dislikes for the LG 840G

This phone does a good job of correcting a lot of the Dislikes we had about previous Tracfones. The included SD card, WiFi connectivity and Triple Minutes for Life leaves only a small handful of possible dislikes, which we will quickly mention here.

The phone runs a java based proprietary operating system which allows the installation of .jar apps, and is not a smartphone. This means that android apps etc. won't work on this phone. But, with a little effort, apps such as Google Maps can be installed on the phone.

Another interesting dislike is the QWERTY keypad that appears when texting or entering a web address. The problem occurs when one navigates to a website that has open text areas for entering information (such as registering for a website). No keypad appears and so it is impossible to enter any information. Using a different browser such as Opera Mini, is one way to get around this problem. Hopefully this issue will be addressed in the near future.

Finally, it is important to mention again that this phone is a good phone, with some great features and a good price, but it doesn't run on a standard OS, like Android for example.

If you are interested in a great phone with a QWERTY keypad, consider the LG 530G.

Overall Opinion and Review of the LG 840G

The LG 840G is stylish, modern and faster than previous Tracfone mobile phones with the feel of an iPod touch or iPhone. It provides plenty of useful features such as the microSD card, WiFi, and Triple Minutes for Life.

This phone is a great upgrade from other Tracfones, but those who are thinking of switching from a contract smartphone to the LG 840G may be a little disappointed with some of the limitations.

You should really check out Tracfone's Android Smartphones if you are looking for features and the ability to use apps.

Tuff Silicon Cover for LG 840G

The cellphone retails for $59.99 most places, with occasional sales at various locations. However, it can sometimes be found for much less from Amazon (last check it was $40 w/ free shipping!)

With any touchscreen phone, covers and cases are very valuable in protecting the phone from scratches or other damage. Here is a link to LG 840G Covers on Amazon with lots of options to suit anyone's needs and preferences.

Looking for more info on other phones? Check out our other Tracfone Reviews

Leave a comment with your thoughts or questions, and be sure to browse all the comments below, as there are plenty of great tips and answers there!