Tracfone web & picture capability for same price of REGULAR Tracfone service!!!

[Imzadi]

Sorry, this is way long!

I am NOT talking about needing to switch to Tracfone's "Straight Talk plan," but still using the regular Tracfone service - adding on only the amount of minutes you need every couple of months - without paying more for web service.

I had many models of Tracfones for about 8 years now! (I've talked about my experiences here. Do a DIS search.) All keeping my same original phone number. I love Tracfone. I always bought whatever was the cheapest $10/or free phone available when I upgraded since I basically only needed it for the bare basics, calling to tell someone I'm running late, emergency service use.

I did get one of the first Tracfone camera phones when they first came out, the Motorola W376g, but, as it turned out, you have to spend extra units to send each picture to yourself in an email or to another cellphone, as that was the ONLY way to get the pictures off the phone. The Bluetooth capability was only for a headset. There was no USB jack to plug in a cable to send the pictures to a PC.

The first "web capability" for that phone was only to the Tracfone site. There was no browsing other sites. I gave that Tracfone away.

A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to upgrade Tracfone models again. I really wanted a camera Tracfone, even if it would cost me extra units. I doubt that I will use it much, but the few times I do want to take pictures, it would be nice to have.

So I did my research and found this Tracfone:
Click on Tracfone: LG 290c

It is one of the new "Slider" phones. I was mostly researching to find out people's experiences with Slider phones. Instead, I found a review mentioned that there IS software out to upload pictures from this phone right into your PC, using the Bluetooth capabilities. You can also access other websites beyond Tracfone's.
Tracfone: LG 290c Review

The reviewer also mentioned another forum, dedicated to cell phone users, stating their research & experience with Tracfones. I found the particular thread that dealt with this model Tracfone, and the thread was for the regular Tracfone service, NOT the Straight talk plan. (In fact, they have a completely different thread for that service.)

This thread has 16 pages, ALL dealing with the web browser and MMS picture capabilities of this phone. That even if you get the phone activated, and your phone doesn't seem to have those capabilities, it doesn't necessarily mean your area doesn't support those services for Tracfone, it may accidentally be the service isn't correctly switched on from the (real) base carrier when they activated your phone.

Here is the link to the thread. It is set to page 5, where you can read there are 2 softwares to upload pictures to your PC, whether Mac, or further down, post #68: the BlueSoleil service for a Windows PC.

A Brief Review of LG 290c - Page 5

It ALSO explains further down to call the Tracfone Escalations Department phone number, if the web & MMS picture capabilities aren't hooked up properly with the base carrier, (in my case Verizon,) that Tracfone uses. (Tracfone actually rents service from the major cellphone carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile for GSM cellphones with SIM card, or Verizon & Altell for CDMA, non-SIM card phones. This depends on where you live and more importantly: ***what cellphone model you choose.***)

As it turned out, I really NEEDED the info from that forum thread. Sure enough, Verizon was so used to my phone number, which I kept for 8 years, being dedicated to Tracfone, that they simply switched phones during the upgrade and never even looked to see I now have a web capable phone and those services need to be hooked up to my phone. Nor, possibly, were they told by Tracfone originally, about the upgrade of service.

Using the info in that thread, I had to call the Escalations Department, THREE times and over several days, until I finally got a customer service rep, who did indeed know right away what the trouble was. The first two, I could tell were clueless as to what the problem was - even when I explained it to them how to correct the problem. This rep told ME, verbatim, what the thread said about how the base carrier did not hook up the Tracfone correctly. She asked for two parameter codes (parameters 4 and 6,) off the cellphone, to verify that the service was not set up correctly. She then said she would send an email to Verizon's carrier analyst, to examine my case and get my cellphone properly hooked up. She never said anything like, "Oh, that service is only part of the Straight Talk plan," or "That service in not available in your area." (The Tracfone users on that forum thread already know it's part of regular Tracfone's service if you get this particular phone. She said she would even call back the next day to make sure it was hooked up properly - which she did do!

My Tracfone was properly hooked up the next day!!! I absolutely LOVE it!!! I tested out the camera. I sent pictures and plain text messages to my email and to another cellphone. Then I emailed pictures from myself onto the camera.

I downloaded the BlueSoleil software. It is free for 30 days. I don't know if I simply have to uninstall it and reinstall it fto start another free 30 days, or if I need to buy it. But, it will be worth it if I buy it instead of using Tracfone units. I already uploaded 10 pictures off my camera cellphone to my laptop, using the instructions on that forum and the BlueSoleil software and the Bluetooth on my laptop.

I read there are Bluetooth dongle attachment thingies one can get for those who don't currently have Bluetooth on their PC. I don't know as I have it.

I used the web browser and checked my Gmail email. I also went to Google.com and did a Google search. I tried to access the DIS, but it said there isn't enough memory to load a DIS forum page.


To wrap up: I will use the camera on the phone a lot, since I don't even have a digital camera, and now, I can upload pics for free. I did tweak them a little with my photo editing program. But, I haven't played around with all the camera features yet. It actually lets me change zoom, brightness and resolution.

The web browser, I probably will use very minimally. Only when I'm away from home for several hours. But, it is soooo nice to be able to check email out on the road now. And if I get into a car accident on the road, snapping a few pictures is great for emergency use.

The BEST part is: other than some extra minutes for using the web browser and texting an occasional picture now and then, I do NOT have to pay any more than the basic Tracfone service I have!!!


ADDING: I specifically got this model phone as I need a Verizon based Tracfone. Verizon works best in my area. However, there are a couple other Tracfone camera/web GSM cellphone models that may do the same thing as this phone, if you need a GSM cellphone. AT&T or T-Mobile would be the base carrier for those phones. You will have to look for your own reviews. Probably the same guy who did the review on this cellphone model may do reviews of the other Tracfone camera cellphones. Compare the details Tracfone gives on this phone to their other camera cellphones and to the details on the Motorola W376g which clearly it doesn't have all these capabilities. Plus, that forum will probably also have threads for the various camera/web Tracfones. Make sure it's not a "Straight Talk" thread for the same phone. Do your research carefully. Not ALL the camera Tracfones are capable of these features.

If you prefer this phone and Verizon/Altell works well in your area, you can simply click on the link above and add it to your cart, even if it doesn't appear when you input your own zip code. You can order any Tracfone available, even if the website doesn't list it in your zip code. Just make sure it will work in your area! If you don't have Verizon or Altell as a regular (non-Tracfone) carrier service in your area, don't order this phone.

I have no affiliation with Tracfone, other than I am a happy (and cheap) user. All usual disclaimers apply, yada.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Thanks for posting. We ended up adding daughter to my Verizon plan as it was just a lot cheaper than buying Tracfone cards, but what's funny is her 290C Tracfone seems far superior than the phone she got from Verizon. The camera on it is sooooo much better.

Thanks for pm-ing me with the info though because my younger daughter may end up getting the tracfone!

 

[Coll0610]

Now if only tracfone would offer a phone with a full QWERTY keypad!

 

[Imzadi]

Thanks for posting. We ended up adding daughter to my Verizon plan as it was just a lot cheaper than buying Tracfone cards, but what's funny is her 290C Tracfone seems far superior than the phone she got from Verizon. The camera on it is sooooo much better.

Thanks for pm-ing me with the info though because my younger daughter may end up getting the tracfone!

If you do go with a Tracfone for your DD, make sure you only add small amounts of minutes on at a time. Don't add on 600 minutes thinking it will last her 6 months. She may come back in TWO months saying she's out of minutes even if you warn her to only use X amount of minutes a month. Once those minutes are gone, there goes your money. You can always add on more minutes depending on how she's using them.

And you know kids, minutes feel different to them when they aren't the ones spending the money on them. They swear they were only on the phone for 5 minutes, yet, somehow 17 minutes are gone.

Now if only tracfone would offer a phone with a full QWERTY keypad!

Oh, I know! I wasted about 20 seconds with the web browser timer running, trying to type in w (wait) w (wait) w (. . . umm, where is that period symbol again? ) google.com.

I learned to find the Bookmark link button fast so I wouldn't have to re-type it next time.