Monthly Archives: May 2011

TracFone LG 800g for sale

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I will get back to some detailed reviews coming up later this week, but for now I wanted to publish a (somewhat) self-serving notice. As many people have noted in the comments on this blog, the LG 800g touch screen for TracFone is completely sold out everywhere you look, so hopefully this will be helpful to someone.

I have an extra 800g that I am selling on eBay. I jumped on the HSN deal mentioned on this blog the same day I found out about it, then realized shipping was going to take a week. The next day, TracFone sold the phone on their site, and offered free shipping to boot. Since I wanted the phone in my hands ASAP, I hopped on that deal as well.

That left me with two LG 800g handsets. I still have the HSN phone, sealed in the original packaging. This phone comes with 1000 minutes and a year of service as well as a couple of accessories. If you are looking one of these phones, please check out my eBay listing.

I’m offering free Priority shipping, and for readers of this blog I’m offering a special “loyalty” discount. If you read about the auction on this blog and end up winning the phone, let me know prior to your payment and I’ll give you a $10 discount. Be sure to let me know before you send the payment, via the eBay “contact seller” link.

This auction ends Friday afternoon, so if you’re interested take a look and place your bid now. And don’t forget about the $10 blog reader discount!

 Here’s a link again to my item.

Hot TracFone Code, and LG 500g Review Video

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Hot TracFone Promo Code

First, I wanted to point out something that I learned from “TracFancier,” a frequent commenter on this blog. It seems that promo code 58906, which should award 30 bonus minutes, is actually giving users 200 minutes when added with a 60-minute card. However, there’s one important caveat – you MUST buy the 60 minutes directly from TracFone’s website.

I have not tested this personally, so I can’t confirm that it works for sure, but there are several confirmed reports of it working. I think it’s worth a try if you need to buy minutes soon anyway. Assuming a phone with DMFL, you’ll get 320 minutes for $20 (plus tax), putting your cost per minute around 7 cents. That’s pretty good!

Also, it seems that this deal may be valid only through the end of the month, so you’ll definitely want to use it before then. But I’d suggest hopping on the deal ASAP just in case it would happen to be one of those “accidental” bonus codes we sometimes get from TracFone.

LG 500g Review Video

Also, here’s a quick video of the 500g. I actually recorded this video about 2 weeks ago, but forgot to get it uploaded so everyone could see it. I AM still working on reviews of both the 500g and the LG 800g touch screen, however slow those reviews might be. I apologize for not getting them out faster, but hope to have something on each of them within few days. For now, here’s the LG 500g video:

Samsung t528g review

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[EDIT 7/08/11: This phone is now available from Straight Talk.]

The Samsung t528g is another new phone for Straight Talk. In the past we’ve seen phones from the same manufacturer released together, such as

Picture for Samsung t528g review

Samsung t528g

with the LG 100c, 220c, and 290c in the fall of 2009, Nokia E71 and 6790 in November 2010, and LG 800g and 500g last month (for TracFone and Net10). Following this pattern and coming on the heals of the Samsung t340g, the Samsung t528g is also now available for Straight Talk.

And thankfully, it’s another touch screen. I consistently get questions from people about where they can buy the Samsung Finesse, which was a touch-screen device that came out from Straight Talk in the fall of 2009. Unfortunately, that model went out of stock in early 2010 and for some reason Straight Talk never came up with more stock. This always surprised me since it seemed to be a popular model, even for the $300 price point.

Perhaps Straight Talk has finally heeded the call of thousands of users asking for a touch-screen device. The Samsung t528g (also referred to as the Samsung SGH-t528g) is finally available. It has been very popular since its release, with many people jumping at the opportunity to own a touch-screen prepaid phone for around $100.

I’ll soon be publishing a full, in-depth review, but for now here is a run-down of the feature list along with a few comments on those features:

  • Style: Touch-screen, no slider
  • Network: GSM (uses AT&T and T-Mobile Networks)
  • WiFi – this way you can save on your web access when you are within range of hotspots
  • Size: 4.3 x 2.0 x 0.5 inches, 3.24 ounces (pretty light-weight)
  • 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder
  • Capable of add-on applications – hopefully the same type of Java programs people have been able to add to the Samsung t401g and t404g as well as the LG 900g, 800g, and 500g.
  • Mp3 player
  • MicroSD card slot
  • Bluetooth
  • Phonebook with capacity for 2000 entries (huge capacity here!)
  • Voice Command*

* Straight Talk’s site indicates that the 528g will support voice commands, although I have to say “I’ll believe it when I see it” with this model. I have yet to see a GSM model from Straight Talk, or sister companies TracFone and Net10, that supports voice commands. Hopefully, though, there’s a first time for everything!

All in all, I think this looks like a very promising phone from Straight Talk. People have waited a long time for another touchscreen, and hopefully they won’t be disappointed.

To check whether this model is available now, click here.

StraightTalk.com

Samsung T340g review

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Samsung T340g review

The Samsung T340g was just released for Straight Talk, and this is my Samsung T340g review index page. I’ve ordered my own version of this phone and will be doig a more thorough review as soon as I receive it, but for now, here’s an overview.

Review of the Samsung t340g from Straight TalkSamsung t340g for Straight Talk

First, I think this device looks a lot like an updated, somewhat upgraded version of the t301g, which was a popular handset for TracFone a couple of years ago. They share the vertical-slider form factor, and are both fairly compact and light weight (the t340g measures 3.93 x 1.93 x 0.57 inches and weighs 3.26 ounces).

The notable upgrades that I see on the t340 include started with an updated design – the rounded corners contribute to a sleek appearance. Beyond that, the new additions include an mp3 player and microSD card slot. The camera also gets an upgrade to 1.3 megapixels, and now includes video recording capabilities (though how robust this ability will be remains to be seen).

Another improvement comes to the bluetooth functionality, with this phone being able to send and receive data files by bluetooth, whereas the t301 could only transmit audio to and from a headset. It also looks like it will be easier to install Java apps onto the Samsung 340g. These apps can be found free online, downloaded to the phone either directly through the phones browser or saved to microSD card, and installed quite easily.

Of course you’ll get all other things we’ve come to expect on phones in this price range, including web browser, MMS capability, speaker phone, voice recorder, calendar, calculator, and tip calculator. It’s also noteworthy that the phone book has room for 1000 contacts.

Straight Talk users seem to really like the newer Samsung t404g, as well as it’s predecessor t401g. So I would say that info, along with the popularity of the t301g on TracFone, points to a good potential for the t340g to be a very solid phone.

That’s all the info I have on it right now, but as I mentioned earlier I will be buying one of these myself for further testing. Check back on this page to get updates. In the mean time, you can feel free to post your own Samsung t340g user reviews in the comments below this page, or check out more details on the Straight Talk website.

Straight Talk

Nokia E5 review (for Straight Talk)

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Nokia E5 Review

[EDIT July 21, 2011 - The Nokia E5 is available NOW at Straight Talk.com.]

It appears that Straight Talk is preparing to release a follow-up to their very popular Nokia E71. The Nokia E5 just recently cropped up on the Straight Talk “activate phone” page. That’s generally (but not always) a sign that it will be coming soon.

Nokia E5 coming soon to Straight Talk

Nokia E5

I’m really anxious to get start a Nokia E5 review, as I want to see how it measures up to the Nokia E71, which I really like. The early indications are that there will be many similarities.

Among the similarities are that both models have the same form factor (candy bar-style with QWERTY keyboard), screen resolution (320px by 240 px), and approximate size. They also each offer WiFi, downloadable apps via the Nokia Ovi Store, MP3 player, FM radio, microSD card slot, and video recording.

The odd thing is when you look at where the two phones are different. You would expect the E5 to be better in the areas where the two are different. While that’s true in some cases, the Nokia E5 isn’t necessarily an upgrade across the board.

For example, the E5 has a faster processor (600 MHz vs 379 MHz), twice as much ram, more than twice as much internal memory (250 mb vs. 110 mb), a higher-resolution camera (5.0 mp vs. 3.15 mp), and a slightly newer operating system (symbian 9.3 vs. 9.2). As you can see, these are all fairly significant improvements when it comes to how well the phone will function.

However, the E5 is also 25% thicker (.5″ vs. .39″), lower color contrast on the display (256K vs. 16M), and less talk time when it comes to battery life (rated at 8.5 hours on the E5, vs. 10.5 on the E71). In my opinion all the “downgrades” of the Nokia E5 are not that big of a deal especially when compared to the “upgrades” from the E71. But I thought they were worth mentioning just the same.

With all that being said, I’m excited to get my hands on this and start an in-depth Nokia E5 review – Straight Talk will hopefully have another winner with the E5. As I assemble more information on this phone, I’ll be sure to update this page with links.

For now, keep an eye on StraightTalk.com to watch for the release of this model.

LG 800g Review Part 1 – First Impressions

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First, I want to apologize again for being so slow to review the LG 800g and LG 500g. The release of these models has actually come at a terrible time for me, as I’ve discussed previously. I’ve been trying to keep up with the comments and failing miserably, and made very little headway on the actual review of the 800g, let alone the 500g (which I just took out of the package today).

Anyway, I’ll try to do my best to provide the information you need. In the mean time, I encourage you to look through the comments whether you have a question to ask, or if you already have the phone and think you might be able to answer a question for someone else. The pages with a lot of comment activity are as follows:

http://www.pbush14.com/2011/04/18/lg-800g-review/

http://www.pbush14.com/2011/04/22/lg-800g-now-from-tracfone-com/

http://www.pbush14.com/2011/04/21/lg-800g-for-tracfone-free/

Anyway, here are early thoughts on my LG 800g review:

I was pleasantly surprised with the responsiveness of the touch screen. I have an iPod touch which I use extensively, and I was a little afraid that the Apple device would set the bar so high that I could only be disappointed with the LG 800g. Thankfully, I was wrong.

The screen on the 800g is a “resistive” touch screen, whereas that on the iPod touch (as well as the iPhone and most Android and other touch-screen smart phones) is “capacitive.” Here’s a link to Wikipedia where the difference is explained. In short, with the resistive type screen on the 800g, it will take a little more pressure since your touch must press two layers of the screen together in order to complete a circuit. So you’ll need to be a little more forceful with the 800g.

Still, though, I have been satisfied with the performance of the 800g screen. And reading through the comments, it seems like a majority of other users are happy with it as well.

Most people seem to also be happy with the sound quality. I did a side-by-side comparison with my 900g on Net10, which I use as my primary phone. Both use the same network, and I tested them in the same environment. Based on this testing, the definitely 900g sounded clearer to me.

Similarly, as far as the transmission of audio to the other party, the audio was clearer coming from the 900g. Based on these two factors, I would score the call quality on the 900g at 8 out of 10, while on the touch screen I would give it only a 6. I would say that the 800g is passable, but not good.

As I have time, I’ll test out the many features of the phone. Here’s a rough list of the features, along with my early comments if I have had time to test them out:

Camera – I haven’t tested it thoroughly, but it seems to work well and produce decent images.
Bluetooth - I have struggled to transfer contact lists via bluetooth, from several other phones.
mp3 player - not fully tested yet.
memory slot - I have a 8gb microSDHC card scheduled to be delivered early next week, but as far as I can tell the jury is still out as to whether the 800g can accept cards larger than 4gb.
Virtual QWERTY keyboard – appears when composing text messages.
TracFone version includes DMFL

That’s all the info I’ve got for now, but I hope my life will settle down a little more by next week, so I can get back to reviewing phones like I love to do. In the mean time, you can check out the comments on the pages mentioned above, or take a look at the specs on these phones below:

TracFone

Net10

 

Updated Tracfone Promo Codes – May

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I’ve updated the  TracFone Promotional Code database for the month of May. Click the link to see the changes.
I marked a few codes as “expired” on that list, and I added the following new codes:

  • 84341 for 30 bonus minutes on a 60-minute card
  • 85147 for 40 bonus minutes on a 120-minute card
  • 78133 for 60 bonus minutes on a 200-minute card
  • 20982 for 250 bonus minutes on a 400-minute card
  • 39325 for 250 bonus minutes on a 400-minute card
  • 97529 for 200 bonus minutes on a 400-minute card

All of these codes are now in the database, in bold to indicate that they are recent additions. I have done my best to incorporate all new codes I could find this time, but have been quite busy with my “offline” life also. If I missed anything, please let me know about it either in the comments below this post or in the comments on the main database post. Thanks!

Motorola EX124g Review

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Amid all the hype surrounding the new LG 800g touch screen phone, many users have been asking me when I will have a Motorola EX124g Review ready to publish. Unfortunately, I don’t know, but trust that I’ll be on top of it as soon as the phone is released. I don’t have a timeline for the release of this model yet, as usual, and Net10 isn’t tipping its hand either.

Further, I don’t know whether it will be Net10 only, or if we might also see the EX124g also for TracFone and/or Straight Talk. As I’ve said in other places, though, I am surprised that Straight Talk has waited this long to release another touch-screen device after the Samsung Finesse proved to be so very popular. Perhaps the Motorola EX124g is that touch-screen device people will be looking for on Straight Talk.

I was pleasantly surprised by the low cost of the LG 800g, and I am hopeful that the EX 124g will be similarly priced – hopefully well under $100. Also, here a list of expected features based on FCC filings and other information:

  • 3.2-inch touch screen display
  • 3.0 megapixel camera with video recording
  • Music player (as well as Mpeg4 video playback)
  • FM Radio
  • MicroSD card slot
  • Bluetooth

Just like the LG 800g, this will be a GSM-based device, operating on network coverage provided by AT&T and T-Mobile. At this point, the big differences between the two touch-screens, based on the tech specs alone, are a higher-resolution camera and FM radio on the Motorola. Another big question mark is how easy it might be to add Java apps to the Moto, as I’ve already heard of people adding a handful of useful apps to the 800g.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but rest assured that I’ll get to work on a full Motorola EX124g review as soon as the phone comes out. When I do, I’ll publish the reviews on my blog, and also update this page with links to any further info I find about this phone.

TracFone

Net10

Straight Talk

Last Day for Overnight Shipping

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First, I have to apologize for being so slow with new posts lately, not to mention the flood of comments that I haven’t yet responded to. I’m in the middle of moving into a new house, and that has been consuming all my time lately. But I’ll have some new posts up in the next 24 hours, including more info about both the LG 800g as well as the LG 500g. First, though, I wanted to make sure you got some timely information while it might still be useful to you.

As I’ve mentioned before, all three America Movil brands – TracFone, Net10, and Straight Talk – are offering free overnight shipping. Today is the last day to take advantage of the promotion, though, so get your order in today if you want to get your phone(s) quickly. It’s not too soon to think about the summer gift-giving holidays – graduation and Father’s Day come to mind.

It’s also possible that TracFone, Net10, and Straight Talk will resume the free shipping offer for Father’s Day, or even extend it all the way through May and into June, but as usual they haven’t said anything about it just yet.

Of course, don’t forget to use code GI2011 for $5 off your order. This will work with all three companies. To get to the order page, click on one of the following links:

TracFone

Net10

Straight Talk