Top 5 Tracfone Prepaid Cell Phones
Everyone wants to know, what is the best Tracfone device? Which cell phones are the best options from Tracfone? We provide for you here the updated list of Best Tracfone Cell Phones for 2015! |
| List of the Best Tracfone Cell Phones - photo by arlo_ |
As you might expect, this list is dominated by the Android powered smartphones Tracfone has released over the last year or two. But which one will receive the top pick? And where in the ranking do the rest of the phones fall? This is almost the best android Tracfone list, but we included some other phones. See the list below!
If you want to see a full listing of all the smartphones, take a look at our comprehensive Android Tracfone List.
We are judging this list of the best cell phones based primarily on features, specifications, and performance as well as feedback from customers. Price and availability will only be small factors, as both of these variables change often.
We will provide a short description of each phone in the list, and a link to our full review if you would like to learn more about a particular phone. This list is written has a helpful guide, that can give you an idea of which phones are generally better than others. However, each phone has certain features which are more important to some people, thus making that phone the best choice, even if it isn't at the top of our list.
We originally created this list of the best Tracfone devices in January, 2014, but have updated in March of 2015.
List of the 8 Best Cell Phones from Tracfone
The list will contain our eight top picks, starting off with number eight:#8 Best Tracfone - LG 840G
This phone comes in at the eighth spot for its wide popularity, low cost, and good features. The LG 840G has been available for consumers to purchase and use with Tracfone for several years. It offers several great features that help get it onto this list, including Triple Minutes for Life, WiFi, Touchscreen and 3G speeds.The LG 840G does lack the ability to access Android apps, because the phone uses a proprietary java operating system. You can still use some apps, like Google Maps, but it is not as easy as an Android phone. View our complete review of the LG 840G to learn more about this phone.
The LG 840G is a solid phone with great value for the money. And with prices for this phone as low as $20 on Amazon, it is a great bargain. (you may need to shop around for the lowest price).
The LG 306G is a similar phone, but a little newer, and worth including along with the LG 840G. Learn more about the LG 306G in our Review.
#7 Best Tracfone - LG Optimus Dynamic
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| LG Optimus Dynamic |
With the Android operating system, it is possibly for you to access thousands of different apps (now over a million) through Google Play and use them on this phone.
The LG Optimus Dynamic also comes with WiFi, 3G speeds and a free 4GB Micro SD card. Read our review of the LG Optimus Dynamic to get all the details on this phone.
This phone does have a much older version of Android than any of the other smartphones from Tracfone. It uses Android 2.3 and some have reported it as being a little slower than preferred. The screen size is small compared to modern smartphones.
But the Optimus is the cheapest option between the other Android Tracfone's, at around $20 on Amazon. And there is also a version of the phone offered in white for those who might prefer it.
Unless you really want an Android powered phone, but are very tight on money, we would recommend continuing down the list for better smartphones.
#6 Best Tracfone - Samsung Galaxy Centura
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| Samsung Galaxy Centura |
The Galaxy Centura offers all the features you expect from an Android Tracfone - WiFi, Triple Minutes for Life, MP3 player, 3 MP camera and more (read our Review of the Samsung Galaxy Centura for all the specs ad features).
But what puts it in 6th place on our list are some of the following issues: First, the Galacy Centura uses Android 4.0 OS, while the ZTE Valet has a slightly newer operating system. Second, the Samsung has a slightly slower processor compared to the ZTE Valet and Huawei Glory.
All of the 'first generation' smartphones for Tracfone (LG Optimus Dynamic, Samsung Galaxy Centura, ZTE Valet and Huawei Glory) are no match for the newer phones further down this list. But they do provide good value for the cost of the phone,
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Centura is a solid phone, which is why it ranks in our best Android smartphones from Tracfone list. View the Centura on Amazon at $30 less than retail price.
#5 Best Tracfone - ZTE Valet
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| ZTE Valet |
The Valet comes with Android 4.1 OS and all the other features you expect from Tracfone like Triple Minutes for Life, WiFi, and GPS. The Valet also comes with a 4 GB Micro SD card, adding to the value of this phone. You can learn all about the ZTE Valet by reading our review.
What keeps this smartphone from the top spot are the reports we've heard from users that the WiFi can be weak at times, and nowhere near as strong as some would like. This might be a problem with just some phones, but it does keep the Valet from our top spot.
Price-wise, the ZTE Valet is a great buy. We have found it on Amazon for under $20, and many places like eBay, Amazon and HSN sell it with a minutes bundle. The ZTE Valet and Samsung Galaxy Centura are both good phones, and have been the two most popular Android smartphones of the first generation, that Tracfone released.
When comparing the ZTE Valet to phones further down this list, like the Moto E, the Valet is a lesser phone in almost every way. So be aware, it is a good device, but you can get better technology for your money.
#4 Best Tracfone - LG Optimus Dynamic II
The LG Optimus Dynamic II was released a few months after the smartphones listed above, and brought with it a larger screen, and better features and specifications.It is the successor to the original Optimus Dynamic, and was a very popular choice for Tracfone users until it was later eclipsed by some of the options further along in our list.
With a 3.8" touchscreen, Android 4.1 and many more features that are improvements over previous smartphones, the Dynamic II is a good option even now, for people who don't plan to use demanding apps, or load too much on the phone.
Check out our full Review of the LG Optimus Dynamic II to learn more about this phone.
The Dynamic II is available for around $50 on Amazon, and can sometimes be found for less on various other shopping websites.
Worth mentioning at this point is the LG Optimus Fuel. It has a newer operating system than the Optimus Dynamic II, but a smaller screen size. If you prefer a smaller phone, but want modern smartphone features, read our full Review of the LG Optimus Fuel.
Update! Several more phones have come out, including the LG Optimus Fuel and Samsung Galaxy Stardust. We would rate the Optimus Fuel ahead of the LG Optimus Dynamic II, and the Samsung Galaxy Stardust ahead of the both the Fuel and Dynamic II, and maybe tied or ahead of the Moto E.
#3 Best Tracfone - Moto E
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| Tracfone Moto E |
The Moto E has a 4.3" touchscreen, Android 4.4, 5 MP rear camera and all the other usual features like WiFi, GPS, and Triple Minutes for Life. Take a look at our Specs Page for the Moto E for more details and information.
The Moto E is the cheapest of the newer smartphones from Tracfone, and can be found on Amazon for $79 or for a little bit more you can also get a 400 minute card.
The Moto E doesn't have a front facing camera, which is a drawback, but battery performance is excellent, and it will last more than a day with moderate usage when most other phones would be out of juice.
#2 Best Tracfone - Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop
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| Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop |
But beyond the big screen, the Alcatel also has a quad core processor, 1 GB of RAM, front and rear cameras, and all the other usual features like WiFi, GPS and Triple Minutes.
If you want to learn more about this phone, see our complete specs and features list for the Alcatel Onetouch Icon Pop.
The Icon Pop is the most expensive Android smartphone at this time, but it provides the largest screen at this time as well. You can find the Alcatel on Amazon for about $120, and sometimes there are great deals bundling it with minutes.
The only downsides to this phone are a somewhat small internal memory of about 2GB, and minor problems with stuttering playback of video.
Now time for our top choice:
#1 Best Tracfone - LG Ultimate 2
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| LG Ultimate 2 |
With a 4.5" touchscreen, front and rear cameras. dual core processor and 1 GB of RAM, the Ultimate 2 can keep up with all the most recent apps released for Android. You even get almost 5 GB of internal memory on the Ultimate 2, which is the most for any Tracfone device. This memory is used for storing photos, apps, and much more.
The Alcatel does have a larger screen, but the screen on the Ultimate 2 is more than adequate for most, and the rest of its features make of for the difference. Users report being very satisfied with upgrading from other, first generation smartphones to the Ultimate 2.
While Tracfone will certainly release a newer, and better phone, for now the Ultimate 2 is our top choice. You can learn more about this phone, and the features it has, by reading our Full Review of the LG Ultimate 2.
This phone can be found from many sources online including eBay, Newegg, and Amazon. We have found it for just $99 on Amazon.
For a more detail comparison of some of the top choices, including the LG Ultimate 2 vs Alcatel Onetouch, take a look at our recent post, What is the Best Tracfone?
Honorable Mentions - Moto G, iPhone 4S on BYOP
Many Tracfone users are bringing their own phone (BYOP) to Tracfone to use with the prepaid service, and this includes phones such as the Moto G and iPhone 4S.
Both of these phones have great specs and features, and the Moto G is probably slightly better than the Ultimate 2, but it depends on your preferences. Follow the links above to learn more about using these phones with Tracfone, or visit our main, Tracfone BYOP page for all the details.
We hope you found this article useful, leave a comment with your pick for the best Tracfone device. Also be sure to share this with your friends.
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We also want to share that Tracfone continues to add new phones to their lineup, so keep up with the latest by checking our Homepage.For more on the cell phones offered by Tracfone, visit our Cell Phones Review page.
Also don't forget about our most popular page, the Tracfone Promo Codes!
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