Community Chat

[sipp]

Thankyou for your info- it's frustrating when you don't have a lot of money but are basically forced to replace the phones we have that have been fine for years at minimum cost! After having Tracfone for so many years- and not having to pay an arm and a leg for service-- this is a shock. And again- the phones people buy now will only be "good" for a year -when they change from 4g to 5g Many seniors like us don't use a whole lot but we do need them -- bells and whistles are fine if you want them- we still like to use REAL cameras!! 

[sipp]

BUT POINT BEING---- WHY ARE YOU SELLING A PHONE THAT GETS SUCH BAD REVIEWS and yet showing it again with GOOD reviews for a Great Price-------If someone hadn't asked the "difference between the two- no one would  know that so many people had trouble with it....

[lovinglife]

From a cnet.com article July 2019

4G and 5G coexistence

The move from 4G to 5G is different from past network upgrades. 5G isn't replacing 4G, like how 4G overtook 3G. Instead, 5G is building on 4G LTE, using updated radios and software. Right now, if you have an early 5G phone phone and upload videos to Google Photos, you're actually using a 4G LTE connection for that uplink. 

"This is the first time so many aspects of [the old and new network] are shared," said Gordon Mansfield, AT&T vice president for converged access and device technology. "Some things we'll do for 5G are inherently backward compatible and will lift the capabilities of 4G."

By 2025, 15% of mobile connections in the world will be on 5G, according to a 2019 report by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the mobile operator group that hosts Mobile World Congress. But LTE usage will be about 59% by the same year, up from 43% in 2018. (In North America, the split will be more even, with about 47% of 2025's connections on 5G and 44% on 4G). Even if 5G becomes an even bigger part of the market by 2025 than estimated today, "it will complement rather than replace LTE," GSMA said in a separate report from last year. 

"For operators in many parts of the world, LTE is and will be the foundation for the next 10 years at least," the GSMA report said. "LTE speeds are improving, which makes 5G less compelling without new services such as AR/VR."

[Nuttmeg]

@sipp 

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@sipp wrote:

The phones we have are a 3g network- Tracfone will be switching from 3g to 4g for a year- to Dec 2020--then they will again change to 5g in Jan 2021--- so everyone who buys a 4g phone? Will have to buy a new one that is 5g for it to work. Tracfone is also "offering" automatic "monthly" to keep the phone active. If you don't keep it active- you lose EVERYTHING.

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The facts in this post are Incorrect. The major wireless companies will not be shutting down all 4G networks for 5G ones, anytime soon. They will be closing older 3 and 4G non- HD VoLite networks. 

Why? Apple doesn't make a 5G phone yet. The price of most 5G phones are very expensive. The lowest price 5G phone I saw online was $650.This is not a bad price for a Samsung A90. It will not run on Verizon.

Tracfone has a blog and customer forums. This is a nice place to find information. 

[sipp]

thanks for the info-- I did read somewhere that the 5g would be coming in 2021--maybe pc mag > I forget where- I've been reading a lot of stuff lately so didn't keep track. Either way- our 3 non-smart 3G phones are getting harder to find batteries for and if they die we won't be able to transfer the many minutes we've accumulated.

[sipp]

 Good to know- however I do still take exception to the Q posting good reviews on a different page for a phone that got quite a few bad reviews when it (I assume) first came out at the higher price. They reduced the price drastically- and as I stated- I assumed it was a newer deal or an "overrun" special offer. 

[sipp]

Care to share how you only pay $50 a year to keep up the service once the first year is up?

[Nuttmeg]

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@sipp wrote:

thanks for the info-- I did read somewhere that the 5g would be coming in 2021--maybe pc mag > I forget where- I've been reading a lot of stuff lately so didn't keep track. Either way- our 3 non-smart 3G phones are getting harder to find batteries for and if they die we won't be able to transfer the many minutes we've accumulated.

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@sipp 
There is only 5G service in some areas in a few cities.  Verizon has a commercial about  5G service in NFL stadiums.

It maybe time to find new phones. 

[lovesrecess]

After one horrible experience many years ago, I never consider buying anything electronic or that has any moving parts from QVC. When they say “ exclusive to QVC” it usually means a cheaper version/ lower quality of a name brand. The 30 day return policy is not long enough to really know if some things will work well or not. I expect anything I spend hundreds of dollars on to work longer than 30 days. If not, I return it for a refund. At QVC, you are just out of the money you paid with no recourse.

[cantdrive55]

@sipp @When my triple minutes for life LG Premier phone lost the volume, I was concerned about replacing it, as that program had ended. In online chats with Tracfone, I was assured that upgrading my phone (in my case to an LG Premier Pro) would allow me to transfer the triple minutes for life benefit to the new phone. And it has worked out that way.

So  if replacing your phones is an eventuality, it would be a good idea to get that figured out.

Tracfone Reviewer is a great website to learn about phones and discounts. 

HSN has great deals on Tracfones, too.

How to add 365 days for $49.95- on Tracfone.com, go to the “purchase plans” page, select any minutes & days combo to purchase, put it in your cart, and head to checkout. On that page you’ll see the option to add the 365 days for $49.95. Add that to your cart, delete the minutes and days combo, and voila!

Good luck!