Prepaid Cell Phones
Here at BuyUsedCellPhones.org, we are dedicated to giving our visitors the straight scoop on how to find the best deals on used cell phones. However, we also get a lot of mail asking about prepaid cell phones and whether they are a good value or not.
Well the truth is that they can be… sometimes.
We say sometimes because, quite frankly, not every prepaid cell phone company has your best interests at heart.
Some carriers only stock out of date, ratty cell phones that your grandma would be embarassed using. Others have terrible coverage, so even if your airtime is cheap, you won’t be able to use your phone! We’ve even heard of carriers suddenly going under, leaving their customers in the lurch, hanging on to unused minutes they can never use.
So for our money, we want to find a prepaid wireless carrier that offers good phones at low prices, and that we can count on being there for the long haul.
After surveying a number of different prepaid cell phone providers, one stands heads and shoulders above the rest – TracFone.
TracFone is the largest prepaid cell phone provider in the US. They have an extensive coverage network so you can be sure to get a signal just about anywhere in the US, and they offer some pretty nice cell phones. They are even offering free shipping for a limited time on orders over $19.99 – which is pretty sweet.
We looked at the selection of phones over at TracFone and found two stand outs.
Here is a comparison chart for your consideration:
 |
 |
|
|
Single Rate
|
YES
|
YES
|
| Frequency |
Tri-Band GSM
|
Dual Band GSM
|
| Bluetooth Technology |
YES
|
YES
|
|
VGA Camera
|
YES
|
YES
|
| Color Display |
YES
|
YES
|
| External Display |
YES
|
YES
|
| Downloadable Media |
YES
|
YES
|
| Handsfree Speaker |
YES
|
YES
|
| Picture Messaging |
YES
|
YES
|
| Vibration Alert |
YES
|
YES
|
| Alarm Clock |
YES
|
YES
|
| Phonebook |
500 Entries
|
1000 Entries
|
| Calculator |
YES
|
YES
|
| Stopwatch |
YES
|
YES
|
| Calendar |
YES
|
YES
|
| To-Do List |
NO
|
YES
|
| Voice Memo |
NO
|
YES
|
| Games |
YES
|
YES
|
| Java (J2ME) |
NO
|
YES
|
| Headset Jack (2.5mm) |
YES
|
NO
|
| FM Radio |
YES
|
NO
|
| Talk Time |
7.5 Hours
|
6.5 Hours
|
| Standby Time |
10 Days
|
13 Days
|
| Double Minutes for Life |
YES
|
YES
|
| Dimensions |
3.89" x 1.79" x 0.73"
|
3.89" x 1.79" x 0.54"
|
| Weight |
95g
|
90g
|
| Price |
$29.99
|
$39.99
|
| Value |  |
 |
 |
|
Now, as you can tell from the chart, both of these phones are very similar in terms of form and function. They both offer bluetooth, which is great if you want to use a bluetooth headset when driving. They both offer VGA cameras so you can take pictures wherever you are, and they are both multimedia phones that let you download new ringtones, wallpapers, and screensavers.
We also like the fact that TracFone is throwing in what they call Double Minutes for Life. Here’s how it works. For the term that you own your phone, every paid Airtime Minute you add to it will be doubled. For example, if you add a 60 minute Airtime Card, you will get 120 minutes instead. This equates to a 50% on airtime for the phone, which can save you a ton of money in the long run.
However, one major difference is the operating frequencies. Because the Motorola W376g is tri-band, it can function in more countries than the dual band LG 600. So if you intend to travel with your phone a lot, then the Motorola W376g is probably the better choice. However, if you want a phone with more multimedia functions and is a bit "sexier," then the LG 600 is the one you want.
Both phones are excellent values and only $10 separates them. It comes down to how you’ll be using the phone, but both are great picks.
TracFone is also offering free 3-day ground shipping on both these phones! We’re not sure how long they will do this, but as they say, get ‘em while you still can. 
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