Tracfone Android News - Use Any CDMA Phone at Tracfone

Now You Can Use Any CDMA Android Smartphone with Tracfone Prepaid Service

Tracfone Android News!

We are covering some exciting Tracfone news as it develops:

There were rumors that Tracfone would soon allow users to bring their own Android Smartphones to use on Tracfone prepaid networks, and we recently noticed confirmation of this.

Tracfone states on their website that you can now bring your own phone when switching to Tracfone.

Yes, this means you don't have to use one of Tracfone's cell phones to use their prepaid service! While Tracfone recently released four Android Smartphones for use on their prepaid network, these phones are a few years behind modern smartphones. But now you can pick the latest and greatest smartphone, and still use it with Tracfone.

Unfortunately you can't bring any phone, but you can bring any CDMA Android Smartphone, which gives you some pretty advanced options, like the Samsung Galaxy S3. Tracfone does mention that Apple and Blackberry phones won't work.

UPDATE: More information has become available, and we have made a page dedicated to information about the Tracfone BYOP program. Visit the page to learn about the phone requirements and see a list of phones that will work.

The iPhone 4 and 4S will work with Tracfone BYOP, but unfortunately no 4G LTE compatible phones will work at this time. (so the Samsung Galaxy S3 mentioned above can't be used yet).

For all the latest information and details, visit the Tracfone BYOP page.

How You Can Use Your Existing Smartphone with Tracfone

Here is a quick guide for how you can pick a cell phone and use it with Tracfone prepaid service.

If you already own an Android Smartphone, and want to check if it will work with Tracfone, start by checking if it is a CDMA cell phone. If you use Verizon service, then it is CDMA. You can also check by looking for a SIM card (sometimes under the battery). If the phone has no SIM card space, it is CDMA. (learn more about the Difference between CDMA and GSM here)

Screenshot about using any Android Smartphone with Tracfone

Next, you will want to go over to Tracfone and check that your phone will work, and that you will have service in your area, by entering your ZIP code and phone's serial number.

From there you can simply follow the steps as Tracfone will have you purchase an access code, transfer your number (you get to keep it), and buy airtime.

What This Means for Tracfone Customers

This is exciting news for Tracfone customers and non-customers alike, because it means that you will have access to a much wider range of cell phones to use with Tracfone prepaid service. Do you like the features of an Android Smartphone, but don't want to pay the high costs for a contract service? Now you have some options.

This also means that Tracfone is moving towards allowing more and more different cell phones for use on their prepaid service.

You can still purchase their existing Android Smartphone offerings, the Huawei Glory, ZTE Valet, Samsung Galaxy Centura, and LG Optimus Dynamic. These phones come at a relatively low price compared with other smartphones on the market. But if you want the best Android Smartphone to use with Tracfone, now you can do that!

We will keep this updated as more information becomes available, and details are clarified. Please be sure to leave a comment with any questions or thoughts.

You can also take a look at our Holiday Tracfone Gift Guide or check out our most popular page, the Tracfone Promo Codes.

Don't forget to share this with friends and family who might want to know about this exciting Tracfone news!

How to back up your Computer

What's the most important thing we do with our Mac's?  Any thoughts?  For some of us it's creating documents or presentations that we use regularly for our businesses.  For others its the movies we create using Final Cut or iMovie, or our picture database we've created using Aperture or iPhoto.  Whatever it is you do with your Mac, my guess is that it's got some level of importance to you.  I know my content is of utmost importance to me.  So I ask you, are you prepared if your Macs hard drive fails?  Do you have a back-up option in place now?  If not, please, please, please tell me you are about to implement one.  There are so many great, easy to use options to back-up your computer, from Time Machine, software that actually comes with every Mac that's sold, to various online back-up options like Backblaze, CrashPlan and Carbonite.  Do yourself a favor, if you are not using Time Machine, check out one of these online backup options.  Hopefully you never need it and your hard drive keeps on ticking!

Let's start with Backblaze.  Backblaze offers only a single backup option.  Most others have multiple, some even offer ten or more.  That said, I like Backblaze's KISS strategy (keep it simple stupid).
The folks at Backblase let you backup an unlimited amount of data from a single computer, no restrictions on file size or file type.  There pricing is pretty straight forward:  $5/month; $50/year; $95/2 years.  They offer a nice discount for signing up for multiple years.  Other things offered include External Drive Support, Military-Grade Encryption (nice!), Continuous backup, iPhone Mobile App (very nice!), ability to restore to either a USB hard drive, or other Flash drive, and it's available in 11 languages!  So as you can see, you get quite a bit for not a lot of money!  All in all, a fantastic option!

Next online option, Carbonite.  Carbonite has three online options, sadly only one available to Mac users.  You pay $59.99 a year for unlimited backups.  Not much else to talk about here with Carbonite, as their website doesn't offer much...:(.

Another online option is called Mozy.  Mozy is a service offered by EMC, a company that has been involved in storage for years.  Mozy has a couple of options, starting at $5.99 a month for one computer, which gives you up to 50GB of storage (not so much).  For $2/mo you can add additional computers, and for another $2/mo you can add 20GB of storage.  I appreciate the fact that Mozy offers military grade security for my files, not that I need it, but it's nice to know its there.   Your files are readily available via your mobile device, or online, another very nice feature.

The fourth option, is not so strangely called SOS.  SOS has single user plans starting at $9.99/mo, which gives you 100GB of storage.  Or for unlimited users, you'll shell out $99.99 a month, which is quite costly for the consumer, but is a pretty good option for small business.  SOS is unique in that it will also backup your mobile device, something the other options here are yet to offer.  SOS offers military grade encryption, similar to the other services listed above, has online chat support, all in all, a nice rather pricey option.

The final online option I'm going to cover in this blog is CrashPlan.  CrashPlan has two options, both can be discounted substantially if you were to prepay for up to four years of service.  As you might imagine, the unlimited  plan lets you backup unlimited amounts of data, no restrictions (allows backup only from a single computer).  Pricing is like so.  If you decide to go month to month, you are looking at $5.99.  If you pay for 1 year of service, you price is lowered to the equivalent of $5/mo, so you'd pay $59.99.  If you prepay for 2 years, your total comes to $114.99, or $4.79/mo.  3 years upfront payment will cost you $164.99 or $4.58/mo.  Finally if you want 4 years prepaid, you are looking at $189.99 upfront, or only $3.96 a month.  The last option is absolutely fantastic.  It's easily my favorite option listed in this blog.  CrashPlan has military grade encryption, you can access your files from you mobile device, quite frankly, CrashPlan is a fantastic way to go.

Lastly, I'll talk about Time Machine.  Time Machine is a great tool available on all Macs, at no extra cost.  You will have to pay for an external drive to store your backups.  The beauty here, is that purchasing an external drive is a one-time fee, unlike our online brethren which you pay either monthly or yearly.  Time Machine is easy to use.  When you plug an external drive into your Mac, you are asked whether or not you'd like to use that device for backing up via Time Machine.  To get started, you can either enter the Time Machine setting via System Preferences, or there's an icon on the top menu bar of your Mac, that has about 80% of a circle, with an arrow on the left end.  You can right click on that to open Time Machine as well.  Time Machine keeps hourly backups for a 24 hour period, and daily backups for the past month.   One downside to Time Machine is that you need to monitor it to make sure it's backing up.  However, on a positive note, if you loose internet connection at your house, you can still backup, as Time Machine doesn't need internet connection, the online options do.

So I hope I've given you some resources to get yourself motivated to do your backups.  Don't wait till its too late, get a head start, you'll be so happy you did.

Backing up your Mac shouldn't be an option, rather a priority!

Good luck with your backups, till next time, best to you and your devices!

Tracfone Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas Gift Giving Ideas with Tracfone

With Christmas and the holidays fast approaching, it can sometimes be very challenging to figure out gifts to get friends and family. Well we are here to help! This is our 2013 Christmas(or for any occasion) Gift Ideas Guide.

Tracfone Gift Guide for Christmas by de9w2dsl

This guide will help give you ideas and share some of the newest and best cell phones and accessories available from Tracfone. Use this guide to get a heads-up on some of the newer stuff available from Tracfone.

For those who might not know, Tracfone is a low cost, prepaid cell phone company that offers phones for $100 or less, and prepaid minutes in varying amounts.

In this guide, we will cover the latest and greatest Tracfone cell phones, cell phone accessories, and prepaid minute cards to give you a jump on what to buy others (or yourself...) for Christmas.

So let's get to it!

Cell Phone Christmas Gift Ideas from Tracfone

These phones are some of the best and newest available from Tracfone. All use Android OS, making them powerful, functional, and full of great features including tons of apps from Google Play.

A Tracfone cell phone can be a great gift for young teens, or anyone who doesn't have a cell phone and either wouldn't use the phone too often, or needs to learn not to talk and text all day!

These Android powered prepaid phones are each around $100 (some even less) and come with everything you need to activate them right away. You can even use an existing number if you want.

Here are the four Android Tracfone Christmas gift ideas:

ZTE Valet

ZTE Valet - With great features like Android 4.1, WiFi, and Triple Minutes for Life, this is one of the top Android phones from Tracfone. Some users report low signal strength on the WiFi, and you can read our complete review of the ZTE Valet to learn more. It does come with a free 4 GB Micro SD card. The Valet can be found in many stores and online, but we found it on Amazon at $15 off!

Huawei Glory - Running Android 4.0, the Glory has many of the same great features as the Valet, and even has an FM Radio! Check out our review of the Huawei Glory for complete features and specs. It can be found on the Tracfone website, or from many other major retailers.

Samsung Galaxy Centura - A great phone from a well known brand, the Centura also runs Android 4.0, and has WiFi, Triple Minutes and much more. Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Centura for all the details, including how to check your balance from the phone. The Samsung Galaxy Centura is available in many stores and websites, but you can get it on Amazon for $30 off!

LG Optimus Dynamic - Last but not least, this phone resembles the LG 840G in some ways, but comes with many more features, most notably Android 2.3. Get our review of the LG Optimus Dynamic for more information. The Dynamic is available in many places online and in store. We even found it on Amazon for just $60! (prices are current at time of posting, but may change!)

All four of these phones will make a great gift. But if you're looking for something that just does the basics like calling and texting, you might be interested in the LG 840G or the Alcatel 382G.

Cell Phone Accessory Gift Ideas

With cell phones, it is always nice to have plenty of accessories, whether that consists of car chargers, touchscreen covers or sturdy cases, below are some of the best options for your Tracfone device.

Tracfone Covers - A cover for your cell phone is one of the best ways to protect it form scratches, and even from dropping it. Covers come in many different colors, costs and levels of protection. Be sure to get the right cover for phone, as they come in all kinds of different sizes.

One easy way to find covers for your cell phone is to head over to Amazon and then search for the name of your phone, followed by 'cover' or 'case'. There should be plenty of options to choose from.

Charger and Accessories - Sometimes it's nice to have a car charger, or other accessories that make your phone more convenient to use. Some cell phone bundles come with extra accessories, but you can also find lots of options on ebay or Amazon.

Tracfone Prepaid Refill Cards

A 1 year/400 minute card

Let's not forget about the prepaid minutes! If you know someone who uses Tracfone, one of the best gifts you might be able to get them is a prepaid refill card that will give them extra minutes for talking and texting.

Tracfone refill cards come in sizes ranging from 60 minutes for $20 to 450 minutes at $80.

One of the best deals is to get the 1 year/400 minutes card which gives the user 1 full year of service with 400 minutes.

You can find Tracfone prepaid minutes in most stores and online.

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We hope this gives you some new holiday gift ideas to help find something for your friends and family!

Definitely go check out our Tracfone Promo Codes if you don't already know about that!

You might also be interested in learning about the Difference between GSM and CDMA Tracfone devices (and which is right for you).

Thanks for visiting, and leave a comment with your top gift ideas, or any questions you might have!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tracfone Promo Codes for December 2013

New Tracfone Promo Codes December 2013

Listed below are some fresh new codes that are valid through the end of December 2013! 

Tracfone Codes for December 2013

Tracfone is a wireless cell phone company that offers budget friendly prepaid cell phones. To get minutes on your Tracfone you must use prepaid minute refill cards. Whenever you add a refill card, you can also use a promo code to get free additional bonus minutes!

To use these codes simply enter them after entering the pin for the refill minutes card, on your phone, online or over the phone.

Unlike some other sites, here at de9w2dsl we provide Tracfone promo codes free for you, with nothing you need to click or sign up for!

We want to make adding promo codes as easy as possible, so this post just contains one or two codes for each minute card. If you want to see all our codes, just visit our main Tracfone Promo Code page.

Unfortunately, these codes don't work on the new Android Smartphones Tracfone has recently rolled out. But these phones are pretty great, so you might be interested in reading our new reviews of each phone - the Samsung Galaxy Centura, the LG Optimus Dynamic, the Huawei Glory, and the ZTE Valet.

Now, let's get to the codes!

Tracfone Promo Codes - December 2013

These codes should all work through the end of December 2013, and are organized by the minute card value.

60 Minute Card - you can get 20 bonus minutes by using code 43243

120 Minute Card - get 30 minutes for free by using code 59450

200 Minute Card - grab 40 bonus minutes with code 12066 or 23798

450 Minute Card - you can get 70 extra minutes free by using code 72505

1 Year/400 Minute Card - rake in 250 bonus minutes for free with code 66393 or 35025

There you go! Hope you enjoy using these codes during the month of December! We will update when January rolls around and new codes show up.

Remember that you can see these codes and many more on our main Promo Codes page.

Looking for gift ideas? Why not give someone a cell phone, or even upgrade their cell phone to a smartphone! View all our Cell Phone Reviews to learn more about some great options from Tracfone, or view our Full Tracfone Gift Guide with lots of ideas!

Leave your comments below with any questions you might have, and also be sure to report on these codes, to ensure they are working for everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

iOS 7 Tips Part II

So I hope you enjoyed my earlier blog with some great iOS 7 Tips...In case you didn't get enough the first time around, here are some more!

The first thing I'm going to toss out on this blog is an addition I've been looking for for quite some time.  Have you ever gone into the App store and wished there was a way to create a list of Apps you'd like to get, without having to either do a screen capture, or worse, jot the Apps down by hand!  Well, now there is an easy way, by creating a Wish List!  There is one caveat, it only works for paid apps...

Safari has gotten considerably better in iOS 7.  Beyond the cosmetic improvements, one great addition (for those with Twitter accounts), is the Shared Links @ tab, let searches your Twitter account and gathers pictures and articles in one place for easy reading!

Safari in iOS 7 also has a new way to view multiple pages, using tabs!  Now you can not only easily see what pages you have open in Safari, but easily close them by swiping to the left on the particular tab!

If you use Safari, and iCloud on your Mac (or PC!), you can share what you are viewing on your iOS device (as long as you have the Safari toggle in iCloud on your iOS device turned on as well).  In Safari on your iOS device, slide up from the bottom, to show the open tabs on the other devices you are using.  Very handy, and very cool as well...:).

You may or may not have used the Compass app in previous versions of iOS, but the App now has a great new feature, it's a compass, and a Level!  If you haven't checked it out yet, I recommend you do so...The level works, and is great for hanging pictures, or whatever else you need a level for!

Another great addition to iOS 7 is the FaceTime App for the iPhone.  Not sure what took Apple so long to give it it's own app on the iPhone, but its finally here!  With it, comes one of my favorite new features, FaceTime Audio!  Apple is going to great lengths to decrease your monthly Cellular bill, by giving you free texting (iMessage), and now free calling with FaceTime Audio!  That's right folks, and not only is it free, but it's amazingly clear, way more so that a traditional call, so if you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!

Maps in iOS 6 got more flack than all other iOS apps ever!  Thankfully, Apple did a nice job with Maps in iOS 7.  Many great new features, the one in particular that I'm going to point out here is the ability to have Maps give you either walking or driving directions.  Simply go to the Maps settings and set the default for whichever is best for you!

Another App thats gotten an overhaul in iOS 7 is Photos.  Now, your photo library is divided by date and location into Moments, Collections, and Years.  As more photos are added to those sections, the thumbnails get smaller.  To get a better idea of the pictures, simply long-press one, and move your finger around to view the others.

One of the great new additions to the App Store is a Kids section!  That's right, Apple has added (finally!) a section dedicated to kids only Apps!  The apps have three ranges:  5 and under, 6-8 and 9-11.  Parents now have an easy way to find age appropriate apps (and games) for their youngsters.

A cool new addition in Siri (of which there are many), is here ability to change settings for you.  For example, Siri can both make the screen darker, and brighter.  Check it out!

I decided to drop a second blog out this week because, quite frankly there are so many new features in iOS 7 I thought it be prudent to share more...look for a third and final blog on new features in the coming weeks...I hope these have helped, and if they have, share them with your friends, who should share it with their friends....etc...etc....etc...:).

Have an Awesome weekend!  

Until next time...best to you and your devices!

iOS 7 Tips and Tricks...

Hi!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and those of you that celebrate had a great Chanukah!  It's been almost two months now since iOS 7 was dropped in our laps, and I've been quite surprised at how few people have actually like it!  I do workshops all over the Chicagoland area, and I have not had more than a handful of people that have said that they like it better than previous iOS iterations.  I've been using iOS 7 since the first beta release came out this summer, and I actually like the changes.  So I came up with a list of 25 helpful tips and tricks that I am going to be posting.  12 in this blog, and 13 in the next (coming in a few weeks).  I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on iOS 7, what you like, and what you dislike.  Remember this.  You all were VERY familiar with the previous release of iOS (1-6).  Almost nothing changed visually, there were tweaks under the hood (in settings), so iOS 7 was a major change, and most people don't like change.  I'm here to challenge you to grasp iOS 7 and make yourself like it, because it's hear to stay!  Hopefully this blog (and the one that follows) will help make your iOS 7 adoption all the more easy!  So here we go!

First, I'm going to start with the Notification Center, or as I like to call it, the "What's Happening in your life" Center.  The Notification Center in iOS 7 is WAY more than just alerts.  It tell's you what's going on in your life (that is, if you use the Calendar on your phone and not some paper calendar!), as well as what's going on in the rest of the world.  What's great about the Notification Center, is that you get to decide how much or how little gets displayed.  You just go into Settings > Notification Center and toggle on what you wish to see!

Prices of the iPhone have not changed since the iPhone 3 came out.  However the price you pay for the iPhones has gotten downright silly.  Prior to the 5S being released, there wasn't a great market for older iPhones.  There was a few outlets where you could sell your phone and get a couple of dollars, or you could sell it yourself on eBay or Craigslist (or to a friend etc).  Now it seems like everyone wants your old iPhone.  I Sold my 4S back to Apple, for $204!  I got my 5S for $12 (taxes).  Not quite sure how Apple is making money there, but I'm ok with that.  Problem is, the real cost of these devices comes from the carrier plans.  You may get the device for free, but the plans are anything but free!  Now with iOS 7, you can decide which apps get to use your data plan, and which ones don't!  I call this the "Save the data" setting!  Here's how it works:  In the Cellular Setting, slide down and you'll see Use Cellular data for:  Underneath that header, are all your apps.  You can toggle on/off the apps you wish to use while not on Wi-Fi.  Saving your precious data for what's important, and possibly saving you some money as well!

Siri has come along way since it was first introduced.  Now with iOS 7 you can change Siri's voice from the familiar female voice, to a new male version.  This is very easily accomplished by clicking the General Setting > Siri> Voice Gender

Next tip...Bigger may or may not be better...when it comes to text that is...:).  You always had the ability to increase text within the apps that came with your iPhone (or iPad), now in iOS 7, you can increase or decrease text size in all apps that support resized text.  Simply go into the Accessibility setting, (within General), tap the Large Type setting (toggle it On).  A feature that is long overdue for those of us who may have a hard time seeing smaller text...

I've had numerous clients, friends and family tell me they think the text in iOS 7 is harder to see than in previous iOS versions.  Well, it is!  The white background used in iOS 7 has made the text appear less easy to read than it did in iOS 6 and earlier.  How do you change that, glad you asked...:).  Back in the Accessibility Setting, you'll want to toggle the Bold Text setting to On.  Just a heads up, when you do this, your phone will prompt you for a restart.  It's ok, let it restart, when it turns back on, your text (in every app!) will be much easier to see!  

Finally, real multi-tasking comes to your iOS device.  Now with iOS 7 you have the ability to choose if you'd like your apps to update while running in background mode.  This can be very useful, but, for the iPhone, can also assist in battery drainage, so be careful.  Within the General Setting, go to the Backgroup App Refresh setting, and choose which apps you'd like to have the ability to update in the background.  

I have been pleading with Apple, since the first iPhone came out, to implement automatic updates.  It's coming they kept on saying.  Well, it's here!  No more, "I'll update my apps later, it takes too long!"  Now you can have your Apps update automatically!  This is very easily accomplished by going into the iTunes and App Store Setting, and under Automatic Downloads, toggle the Updates switch to Green (or on)!  Thank you Apple!

Ever use your device to listen to music?  Ever have the screen lock while listening and then you want to fast forward to the next song, only to have to hit the home button to do it?  Now, a feature that's been on the iPad for a while, comes to the phone, as the lock-screen has been significantly enhanced to allow you to simply tap the pause, fast-forward or reverse button, and not have to press the home button to get to your music.  Maybe not the biggest or best new feature, but a welcome one for sure!

Many of us don't bother with Restrictions, or worse are not even aware they are available on our iOS devices!  Now, in addition to being able to restrict explicit song lyrics and "mature" apps, iOS 7 lets you limit adult content in Safari as well.  You can even add specific sites to the list that you may want to keep away from younger kids (or any kids for that matter!).   Simply go into General Setting > Restrictions  and Enable Restrictions.  Then slide down to the Websites setting and you can decide what you wish to restrict.  Another nice addition by Apple.  

And Apple said, "no longer do you have to download a flashlight App!"  There are a lot of great new features in the Control Center, one of them is the addition of a Flashlight.  Why it wasn't added sooner doesn't really matter, it's here now!  Simply bring up the Control Center, the bottom has four icons, the first being a Flashlight, simply press it and what do you know, your iPhone is a flashlight.  Nice...

There's a new way to share (on newer devices), AirDrop!  I'm sure you've emailed or texted a picture (or file) to one of your contacts (if you haven't, you need to call me and we can set up a session!).  Now, with iOS 7 there's a new way to share, AirDrop.  AirDrop is a new feature that uses Bluetooth technology to find other iOS 7 devices (that are AirDrop capable, not all are) that are near you,  and now, instead of messaging or emailing a file you can AirDrop it.  To do this, you  must have at least an iPhone 5, or iPad 4 running iOS 7...

Lastly for this blog, Make sure you set boundaries up for AirDrop!  One thing to be very careful about is who you share things with!  If you are sitting in an airport, and you go to AirDrop something to a family member, make sure you set AirDrop to Contacts Only.  If you turn on the Everyone setting, you'll end up seeing iDevices that you don't recognize, and you don't want to accidentally send something (personal) to an unknown, or unsuspecting person...:).  

There are well over 100 cool new things within iOS 7.  I hope what I've shown you today helps you improve how you use your devices.  I will be doing another blog shortly covering additional new features.  Until then, if you come across ones you'd like to share, please do so by commenting here.  As always, I hope you enjoy reading my blogs, I enjoy creating them for you!  Until next time...

Best to you and your devices!

Huawei Glory Review - Android Tracfone

Review of the New Android Powered Huawei Glory from Tracfone

This Review by de9w2dsl will cover the Features, Specs, Buying information, Overall Opinion and more for the Huawei Glory - an Android Smartphone from Tracfone.

Front and Back of the Huawei Glory
(click to zoom)

The Huawei Glory is a smartphone offered by Tracfone for use on their prepaid wireless network. It runs on Android operating system and delivers modern smartphone features at a budget friendly, no-contract price.

The Huawei Glory is the last phone of several new Android smartphones recently released by Tracfone. The Glory is the last of several that we have reviewed here, and you can read our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Centura, ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic to learn more about what each of these phones offers, and which you might want to buy if you are considering these phones. You might also want to check out the LG Optimus Dynamic II, which is currently our recommendation for the best phone from Tracfone.

We hope to deliver a side by side comparison of all four android smartphones in the near future to help guide you to the best phone for your needs.

Now, let's get to the Huawei Glory review

Review of the Huawei Glory - From Tracfone

Just like the other smartphones from Tracfone, the Huawei Glory runs on Android OS and uses CDMA towers, meaning it will run off of the Verizon 3G Network. The Glory is a candy bar style touchscreen phone that has many similarities in size and look to the other smartphones from Tracfone.

While the Huawei Glory is offered by several different cell phone service providers, only the phones marked as 'Tracfone' will work with Tracfone prepaid service. As far as we know, you can't switch between different SIM cards.

Let's get to the full features, specs and dimensions list..

Huawei Glory - Features and Specs
The Glory comes with some great features for a prepaid phone:

Huawei Glory - Using Google Maps

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 3G Speeds
• WiFi Connectivity
• 3.2 Mega Pixel Camera and Video Recorder
• Bluetooth
• MP3 Player
• GPS
• Gravity and Tilt Sensor
• Access to 700,000 apps
• Hearing Aid Compatible
• Alarm Clock
• Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail
• Text and Picture Messaging
• FM Radio
• Supports up to a 32GB Micro SD card
• Hands Free Speaker

Huawei Glory Dimensions and Technical Specs

• 1 Ghz Processor
• 3.5" Touchscreen
• Size: 4.6" x 2.4" x 0.5'
• Battery: 14 Days Standby, 5 Hours Talk Time
• Weight: 4.5 ounces

A great feature list, with a nice 1 Ghz processor, GPS, and even FM Radio! This phone is a good upgrade from older non-smartphone cell phones offered by Tracfone. But it is important to now that it is an older model when compared with smartphones available from the major service providers.

But before we get into all the details, let's look at just our likes and dislikes for the Huawei Glory.

Huawei Glory Review - Likes and Dislikes

Likes for the Huawei Glory

There is a lot to like about the Glory, including the basic features like Triple Minutes for Life, 3.2 MP Camera, GPS, WiFi and 3G speeds.

Huawei Glory - FM Radio

With Triple Minutes for Life, you will automatically get any minutes you add to the phone tripled. So if you add a 60 minute card, you will get 180 total minutes.

The 3.2 MP Camera is decent, and better than almost all other Tracfone devices. It will work for situations when you just want to capture the moment. But for those sunset scenes, you should have a real camera.

WiFi is a great feature that most new Tracfone mobile phones are coming with these days. It allows you to connect to wireless networks (the internet) and browse the web without using your data/minutes. The WiFi on the Glory has been reported as being very good, much better than that of the ZTE Valet which has received some negative reviews for that.

The GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) feature makes it possible to use apps like Google Maps to get driving directions and figure out where you are if you get lost. Speaking of apps....

One of the biggest features (and the main reason most people will want these new Tracfone Smartphones) is Android 4.0, and access to over 700,000 apps on Google Play. While Android 4.0 is not the newest (The latest is 4.4 at this time) it is a relatively new version, better than the version 2.3 that the LG Optimus Dynamic comes with.

Last (but not least) the Huawei Glory comes with an FM Radio for listening to your favorite stations. None of the other smartphones from Tracfone offer this feature, and it is a nice benefit if you enjoy the radio.

Dislikes for the Huawei Glory
There are a few things that we want to mention that we didn't like.

The Huawei Glory doesn't come with a Micro SD card. While this isn't really a problem, the ZTE Valet and LG Optimus Dynamic both come with a 4 GB Micro SD Card (and they are all the same price).

The way prepaid minutes work on the new Android Smartphones is different, with minute cards now being split up into three pools or buckets - Data/Calling/Texting. This means that if you buy a 60 minute prepaid card, you will get it tripled to 180 calling minutes/ 180 mb data/ 180 texts.

While this new setup does benefit most people, and is a pretty good deal, for those who just text a lot, you will run out of texts much faster.

Two other dislikes we have for the Huawei is that Promo Codes won't work on any of the Android phones, and we are getting conflicting reports about where or not you can use the Family Value Plan, which is a great deal for all the families out there. We hope that Tracfone might change both of these policies, and we will try to keep you posted on this.

That about covers our likes and dislikes, now here is a quick tip for checking the airtime display on the Glory.

Update - A number of customers have brought up a wide variety of problems with the Glory, ranging from unreliability to possible defects and certain phones. If you get a phone with problems, we recommend trying to return it to where you got it, or contact Tracfone about it and they may send a new phone.

How to Check You Airtime Display on the Huawei Glory

On the Glory, as well as the other Tracfone Smartphones, you may not find the airtime balance you are accustomed to seeing on your home screen. Here is how to check your airtime balance if you don't have it on the home screen:

Download the Official Tracfone App from Google Play to check your airtime balance and even add airtime to the phone.

You can also log on to your Tracfone account and submit a balance request, OR simply set up a bookmark in your browser (on your computer or phone) to go to "https://www.tracfone.com/direct/CheckBalance?input_phone=1234567890" (replace 1234567890 with your phone number). You'll get a free text message on your phone with your balances. The service end date is not in the text message. It's only shown on the browser screen.

Overall Review for the Huawei Glory from Tracfone

This phone is a fantastic upgrade from older Tracfone devices. The app market opens up a world of opportunities and features that will keep you busy for days if you let it.

We found this phone to be one of the better options between the four new Android Smartphones, and we like that it has a 1 Ghz processor with Android 4.0. The battery life also seems to be very good, easily lasting through a day with moderate use.

This phone compares most similarly with the ZTE Valet, with each using Android 4.0 or better, and each containing a 1 Ghz processor. The Valet does come with a Micro SD card, and they both are the same price ($99), although the ZTE Valet has been on sale on Amazon for around $75.

It really comes down to a matter of personal preference, and which features are important to you. If you like the FM Radio, go with the Glory, if you want the newer Android version, the Valet is your choice.

The Huawei Glory can be found at the Tracfone website, and many other online retailers. It can also be found in stores like Wal-Mart.

You can also find a wide variety of Covers and Cases for the Huawei Glory on Amazon.

Overall, the Huawei Glory is not the newest smartphone, but it is a good smartphone, especially for use with Tracfone Prepaid service. It is one of the best choices between the other four smartphones offered by Tracfone. You can view our reviews for the other smartphones, as well as other phones offered by Tracfone, on our Cell Phone Reviews page.

For additional resources on the Huawei Glory, view this Tutorial that will help you learn more about how to use this phone.

You might enjoy reading our recent post, GSM vs. CDMA to learn more about which network is best for you.

Leave your questions, thoughts and reviews below in the comments! Also be sure to share this with others who might find it useful.

LG Optimus Dynamic Review - Tracfone Smartphone

The LG L38C Android Powered Smartphone from Tracfone

This review by de9w2dsl covers the LG Optimus Dynamic (LG L38C) offered by Tracfone.

LG Optimus Dynamic Review

The LG Optimus Dynamic is one of four new Android powered smartphones that Tracfone has made available to consumers.

The ZTE Valet and Samsung Galaxy Centura (click the links for our reviews of each phone) are two of the other three smartphones, and are both widely available. The fourth Tracfone smartphone is the Huawei Glory, which we have just reviewed, so check it out!

These four phones are the first smartphones (using Android OS) Tracfone has made available for use with their prepaid service.

Tracfone has also just recently released the LG Optimus Dynamic II, an Android smartphone with many improvements over the original Dynamic reviewed here, but also more expensive.

Tracfone Wireless is a prepaid cell phone company that offers relatively inexpensive phones and prepaid minutes/service days at low prices. Learn more about Tracfone by reading our Overview of Tracfone.

Now, let's get to the details of this  LG Optimus Dynamic review:

Review of the  LG Optimus Dynamic from Tracfone

The  LG Optimus Dynamic is a touchscreen, candy bar style phone with Android Operating System 2.3. The LG Optimus Dynamic is a phone offered by several different cell phone service providers (like Net10), but a Net10 LG Optimus Dynamic will not work with Tracfone service.

This phone uses the CDMA network (you can tell by the 'C' at the end of LG L38C), which is the case with all of Tracfone's current Android phones. Using the CDMA network means that this phone will most likely use Verizon towers. Learn more about the difference between GSM and CDMA cell phone networks.

Let's take a look at the full feature and specifications list for the LG Optimus Dynamic:

LG Optimus Dynamic Features and Specs:

• WiFi Connectivity
• 3G Network Speeds
• Triple Minutes for Life
• Android 2.3 'Gingerbread'
• 3 MP Camera and Video Recorder
• 4 GB Micro SD card included
• Supports up to 32 GB Micro SD Card
• MP3 Player
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology
• Access to over 700,000 Apps on Google Play
• GPS Enabled
• Gravity/Shake/Tilt sensor
• Hearing Aid Compatible
• Alarm Clock
• Text/Picture Messaging
• Email and Mobile Web
• Hands Free Speaker
• Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting

Specifications and Dimensions for the LG Optimus Dynamic:

• 800 Mhz Processor
• Size: 4" x 2.4" x 0.5"
• 3.2" Touchscreen
• Battery Standby: 6 Days
• Batter Talk time: 6 Hours

A powerful list of features, especially compared to Tracfone's older, non-Android phones. While the LG Optimus Dynamic comes with Android 2.3, which is not the most recent version of Android, it will still provide plenty of bang for your buck. If you want a phone with a newer version of Android, like 4.0, check out the other smartphones Tracfone offers, as they all use Android 4.0 or higher.

But before we get too far into analyzing the features, and comparing this phone with the others, let's just see the likes and dislikes we have about the LG Optimus Dynamic.

Likes and Dislikes for the LG Optimus Dynamic

LG Optimus Dynamic Likes:

Let's begin by saying there is a lot to like about this phone. Comparing it to older Tracfone mobile devices, this phone is light years ahead because of one great feature - Android Operating System.

LG Optimus Dynamic
(click image to zoom)

The Android Operating System allows the user to access Apps (applications) that are available through Google Play. There are over 700,000 different apps, which means lots and lots of features at your fingertips.

Some of the top apps include the Chrome web browser, YouTube, Instagram, Google Calendar, FIFA 14 and plenty more. To get many of these apps, you simply download them to your phone.

Some of our other big likes about the LG Optimus Dynamic are the WiFi, Triple Minutes for Life, and 3MP Camera.

WiFi on the Optimus allows you to surf the web for free when connected to a wireless network, like at home, work or at a coffee shop. You won't use any minutes when you are surfing the web using WiFi.

Triple Minutes for Life is the best deal Tracfone offers at the moment, and it basically triples any minutes you add to the phone. So if you buy at 60 minute refill card, you will get 180 total minutes.

The 3 MP camera is decent enough, and can take good photos in well lighted situations. Don't expect too much from it, as many newer smartphones have much better cameras.

Finally, we really like that the LG Optimus Dynamic comes with a 4 GB Micro SD Card. It is convenient to be able to lead music onto it for the MP3 player, or store pictures and other information from the phone on it. While the ZTE Valet also comes with a 4 GB Micro SD card, the Samsung Galaxy Centura does not.

There are several more nice features on this phone, but we want to take a look at some of the dislikes to give a balanced perspective.

LG Optimus Dynamic Dislikes:
It's true, there are a few things we don't really like about this phone, but none of them are enough to keep us from buying this phone. Let's run through them so you have an idea, and can make your own decision.

First off, while the Android 2.3 OS is great, it is not the newest, and all the other smartphones from Tracfone offer newer versions of the OS. So this is important to be aware of.

A dislike that is more of a disappointment is that these new Android Smartphones won't accept promo codes. In other words, you can't get any bonus minutes when adding a new card.

Which brings us to another slight dislike, the prepaid minutes for this phone (and the other Android smartphones) are broken up into three pools or buckets - calling minutes/texting/data.

When you add a 60 minute card, for example, you will now get 180 minutes for calling, 180 texts, and 180 MB of data to use (because the phone has Triple Minutes for Life). While this is a good deal for people who use all three of these functions, people who just text will not get as great a deal.

Finally, this phone is not exactly a new smartphone, it has been around for a few years. So if you are looking for the latest and greatest smartphone, this is not a phone for you. However, it is a tried and tested phone that is used by several different cell phone service providers, so it has been thoroughly tested (as is the case for most Tracfone mobile devices).

To conclude, there are things about this phone that we really like, and there are a few things we didn't like, but all in all it is a good phone for most users, especially those who would like their phone to have additional features beyond the basics.

How to Check your Airtime Balance: 

On the LG Optimus Dynamic (and all of Tracfone's new smartphones) there is no airtime display like we are accustomed to. You must now check your airtime through other methods. The easiest is as follows:

Download Tracfone's official app on Google Play which will allow you to sign in, and check your airtime balance from there.

Another options is to log on to your Tracfone account and submit a balance request, OR simply set up a bookmark in your browser (on your computer or phone) to go to "https://www.tracfone.com/direct/CheckBalance?input_phone=1234567890" (replace 1234567890 with your phone number). You'll get a free text message on your phone with your balances. The service end date is not in the text message. It's only shown on the browser screen.

Overall Review and Pricing for the LG Optimus Dynamic

The LG Optimus Dynamic is a good phone, and offers a huge upgrade for most longtime Tracfone users. LG is a great brand with a history of good phones.

LG Optimus Dynamic

It is a phone best suited to people who want more out of their cell phone than just calling and texting. The app market on Google Play brings a huge selection of features to the table that older Tracfone devices don't have. If you are looking for a more simple phone, visit our Cell Phone Reviews Page.

The LG Optimus Dynamic is available in some stores and many places online including Tracfone's website. It retails for $99 most places, although it can be found for less, especially when bundled with minutes or other accessories form eBay or HSN.

We have also found it on Amazon for $20 plus Free Shipping!

And there is even a white version of the LG Optimus Dynamic for those who want to stand out a little more than the rest.

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Centura, the LG Optimus Dynamic is better in several ways, such as price and included Micro SD Card, however it uses an older version of Android, which is a drawback.

When comparing the LG Optimus Dynamic to the ZTE Valet or Huawei Glory, de9w2dsl would likely choose the Valet or Glory because of the slightly better processor, similar price, slightly larger touchscreen, and newer Android OS. But these phones are very similar, and it could come down to specific features or even brand.

Additional Resources: LG Optimus Dynamic Tutorials and Information

Leave a comment with your thoughts on the LG Optimus Dynamic, and any questions or reviews you have.

You might find our recent post with the New Tracfone Promo Codes for June 2014 useful if you haven't upgraded to a smartphone yet, or learn how to Get a Burn Phone Fast with Tracfone.

Also learn more about bringing your own phone to Tracfone on our Tracfone BYOP page where we have information, details, and a phone list.

We hope you found this useful, thanks for visiting!

More Tips and Tricks for Mavericks...

So I hope you enjoyed my earlier blog that went over a handful of new features for Mavericks...there are so many that I could be doing this every week for the next 8 weeks or so...Here I've listed 9 more that I think are important, and very good additions...I hope you feel the same.

Keychain Sync...
iCloud Keychain is a new feature that lets your OS X keychain sync with your iPhone/iPad, allowing you to autofill your passwords regardless of which device you are on.  It's quite easy to turn this feature on, simply go to System preferences > iCloud, then check Keychain.

Upgraded Mission Control
If you are like me, and  run multiple apps at once, I sure hope you have become accustomed to using Mission Control.  If you use multiple displays, you'll love this new addition to Mission Control.  You now have the ability to not only drag windows from one display to another, but to also drag full-screen apps from one display to another.  Simply drag the apps full screen thumbnail to whichever display you desire, and it will assign the app to the selected display!

Website Notifications

When Mountain Lion was introduced, along with it came the Notification center for the Mac.  Now, with Mavericks, you can get notifications from websites and you don't even have to be in Safari!  Notifications are managed within Safari > Preferences > Notifications.  

Delaying App Updates

Did you ever have a situation when you were in an app and you got notified that there was an update and you needed to exit the App immediately in order to perform that update?  Well no more...:)  You now have the ability to delay updates is a restart is required.  You can choose either to update immediately, or "Try in an Hour", "Try tonight", or "Remind me tomorrow".

Do Not Disturb...

Finally, DND is available on the Mac!  Now, just like on your iOS device, you have the ability to choose what time you wish to be left alone!  DND is set up simply by going into System Preferences > Notifications > Do Not Disturb.  You can pick which hours you wish to be left alone, or if you are connecting to TV's or other projectors, you can turn DND on in those instances as well.  You can also choose to stop  FaceTime calls from coming in when DND is on...

Send Messages through the Notification Center

If you'd ever wished you could send an iMessage from the Notification Center, well your wish has come true...now, if you have turned on the "Share Buttons" in the Notification Center you can do just that.  Simply click the iMessage button, type the recipients address, then the message and hit send and you can now text directly from the Notification Center!

Finder Tabs

Tabs have been around in Safari for a while now, and I don't know about you, but I've wondered why Apple hasn't introduced tabs in Finder?  Well, wonder no more!  You can create Tabs in Finder!  Wahoo!  While in finder, simply press command + T, and just like in Safari, you'll have Tabs!!

Re-enable your Library Folder!

Not sure what Apple was thinking when they removed the Library folder in OSX Lion, but you can now un-hide the folder.  Simply navigate to your home folder, and press Command + J

Editing your Tags

New with Mavericks is the ability to Tag files (instead of labels).  You can also change the Name or meaning of these tags by going into Finder > Preferences >Tags, then double clicking whichever tag you wish to rename.  

I hope you are enjoying Mavericks, lots of cool new features, I'll be posting more in the coming weeks!

Until then, best to you and you devices!