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!

MUST read for those of you purchasing a Cellular iPad Air and iPad Mini...

So I went through a rather painful experience with a customer yesterday that I hope those of you reading this blog, and purchasing a new Cellular version of either iPad can benefit from.  My customer purchased a new AT&T Cellular iPad Air from an Apple Store.   Should have been a seamless process.  Open the iPad, set it up, then set up the cellular connection with AT&T.  The first part was seamless.  However when we went to setup her cellular account, we found the SIM card included with the device, was not active.  Now that wouldn't have been so bad if all we had to do was call AT&T and have them activate it.  But that was NOT the case at all.  We called AT&T only to find out that we would have to either go to an AT&T store to obtain a working SIM card, or they could ship one to us.   The point of going to the Apple store is for convenience.  It is supposed to be a one stop shop, now to find out that for purposes of purchasing Cellular iPads that is NOT the case at all, and nowhere is this advertised by the way, is a bit disturbing!  Now, if you purchase a cellular iPad at the Apple Store, you have two choices, either go to the carrier store after and get an active SIM, or call the carrier and have them overnight one to you.  A ridiculous process!  So here's the rest of what we went through. Next, I spent over 30 minutes with AT&T, was sent to three different consultants, the last one, that goodness was very good, and was able to help us, and smartly had a new SIM shipped out overnight at no cost to the customer.  Thank you AT&T for that.   Also found out that if you sign up for a two year contract with you cellular iPad, AT&T will give you $100 dollars off your service.

So, lesson learned the hard way.  If you are going to be purchasing a Cellular version of the iPad Air or iPad Mini, your best bet is to do it, sadly at the carrier of your choice.  If you are purchasing the Wi-Fi only version, the Apple Store is still the place to go for that...then have me do the set up for you!

I hope this quick little blog helps you avoid what happened to my customer.  Because no one has time to waste, especially for something like this!

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

Why you should go with the new iPad Mini...

About a year ago, I wrote a blog on the pros and cons of the iPad Mini.  My biggest complaint at the time was the fact that the Mini's Specs were not on par with the full size iPad.  Well throw all that out the door!  I just went and played with the new Full size iPad Air, and it's nothing short of amazing, in fact if it had the fingerprint scanner that's on the iPhone 5S, I would call it simply "Amazing".  Why am I bringing up the iPad Air here, because, quite frankly, there's no need to go that route any longer...Apple has done an incredible job making the iPad Air smaller, but, now that the iPad Mini has the same specs, I can't see any reason to buy the iPad Air!  It's $100 more and doesn't offer anything but a slightly bigger screen!

The only difference in devices is this:  The iPad Air offers a 9.7 inch display, and the Mini offers a smaller 7.9 inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology (IPS stands for In Plane Switching, and it provides better viewing while on an angle).   They both have the incredible Retina display that provides 2048x1536 resolution, what you need to know here is that it's better than HD quality.  You also get brand new WiFi antennas, sadly that don't support the new AC standard, but you are getting multiple WiFi antennas to give you better and faster WiFi response.  Also included is the latest in Bluetooth, Bluetooth 4.0.  Last but most important, you are getting the new A7 Chip with 64-bit architecture and the new M7 motion coprocessor (both introduced earlier in the iPhone 5S), and this last bit is THE reason to purchase the Mini, period end of story!  Same all the way around, minus the smaller screen.

Some of you may argue that it's only $100 difference, why not go with the iPad Air?  Think of it in terms of storage.  You can get the new iPad Air, WiFi only, 16GB for $499 (plus tax).  Or, you can get the iPad Mini, 32GB for $499 (plus tax).  Storage is king on these devices, and if you can double your storage, and only give up some screen size, it's a no brainer.  The new Mini is, in my opinion, the way to go.  

Here's a quick look at the front and back...I've made my decision, I hope I've made your easier as well!

Tracfone Promo Codes for November 2013

New Tracfone Promo Codes November 2013

Listed below are promo codes for each Tracfone minute card that are valid for November 2013.

***Update***
Get the Tracfone Promo Codes for December Here!

Tracfone Promo Codes for November 2013

When you add minutes to your Tracfone device, you can use one of these promo codes to get 20 to even 250 free bonus minutes, depending on which refill card you use.

We want to make adding Tracfone Promo Codes as easy as possible, so this post has only one code for each minute card, and you can simply browse below to select the code that should work for you. We do have lots more codes on our official Tracfone Promo Codes page, so if one of these codes doesn't work for some reason, go there to find more.

Tracfone Wireless is a prepaid cell phone company that operates throughout the US. They offer these promotional codes as an incentive to add minutes to your phone, and they are free to use.

It is important to note that these promo codes don't work on the new Android Powered Smartphones Tracfone recently released.

Now, let's get to the codes!

Tracfone Promo Codes November 2013

In November, there are several new codes from Tracfone, as well as a few codes that are still working for most users. These are the most up to date promo codes brought to you by de9w2dsl.

For 60 Minute Card use code 72685 for 30 bonus minutes

On a 120 Minute Card code 71604 will give you 30 bonus minutes until November 13th, after that try code 59271 for 20 bonus minutes.

For the 200 Minute Card use promo code 93087 or 18354 and get 40 extra minutes

With the 400 minute/1 year card, use 86167 to get 250 bonus minutes

And for the 450 Minute Card code 97667 will work until November 13th, after that use 93528 for 50 extra minutes

Code 74316 may still work for 120 Minute Cards and up and gives 60 bonus minutes

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These should be enough codes to keep you going in November. For the complete list of promo codes, visit our Tracfone Promo Codes page.

Leave a comment with any questions about these codes, and be sure to let us know which ones are working or expired.

We do more than just Tracfone codes, we have several new reviews of the Android Tracfone Cell Phones.

Learn all about the ZTE Valet in our Full Review or check out the Samsung Galaxy Centura Review. Both are powerful smartphones available from Tracfone

You might also learn something new from our guide to Tracfone GSM and CDMA Service - And Which is Right for You

Thanks for visiting, and we hope you enjoy the codes!