Update 2 – Tracfone Motorola W370 with Double Minute for Life

* * * Updated July 13, 2008 * * *
Some information in this post is outdated. To find the best price on the W370, you may want to check out this page.

Also, you may wish to receive email updates automatically whenever I publish a new post on this site. To receive these free updates, click here. It’s free to sign up, you’ll never receive spam as a result of this signup, and you can cancel at any time.

* * * End update July 13, 2008* * *

Ok, sorry to keep posting updates on the same topic, but the best price keeps moving around. This week it, since they changed to free shipping on orders over $35, the deal happens to be at TracFone’s Website.

Actually, Amazon is a dollar cheaper, but there it seems to go in and out of stock, and Tracfone’s shipping will probably end up being a little faster. Both sites are currently offering free shipping.

I’ve never tried this phone and I’m trying to resist the temptation to spend $50 replacing my perfectly functional current phone, but it’s getting tough. It gets pretty solid reviews everywhere that I’ve seen, and I’ve been getting sick of my old single-color screen on my Nokia 1100. I’d be very appreicative if anyone wants to weigh in on the comments section with their own review of the W370.

Tracfone CDMA vs. GSM

Tracfone service is available on two types of phones. The first type is referred to as a CDMA phone. Of the phones currently available with Tracfone service the following models fall into this category: Nokia 2285, Nokia 2126, and LG 3280. It’s not really important to know about the technology behind the phone, but for the purpose of Tracfone use you need to know that this type of phone generally receives a signal in more areas (especially rural areas) than the other type. However, the drawback is that most of the older phones with CDMA technology charge double the amount of minutes for calls made or received from outside the phone’s home calling area. The newer CDMA phones are charged the same rate from anywhere inside the U.S. and are labeled on the packaging as “Single Rate.”

On the Nokia 2126 model, there are actually two different phones with similar model numbers. They are both CDMA phones, but the 2126i is a little newer and does NOT charge for roaming. The 2126 (no i at the end of the model number) charges DOUBLE for roaming. Obviously, this is an important distinction. Also, LG 3280 and 200C, and the Kyocera K126C are among those CDMA phones that do NOT charge double for roaming. The 2126i (single rate) can be hard to find; it’s rather coveted by Tracfone enthusiasts.
The other type of technology used in Tracfone handsets is referred to as GSM. This type of phone will be charged the same airtime rate regardless of where you are when you make or receive a call – as long as you have service. I point this out because, as I noted above, the coverage of GSM networks is not as comprehensive in certain areas.

Finally, below is a list of all handset models available for use with new Tracfone service. Those in bold are CDMA phones (they are not in bold because they are necessarily better or worse, just to indicate they are different):

Motorola: W370, C261, V170, C139, V176, V60i, C155, C343, 120
LG: CG225, 1500, 3280, 200C
Nokia: 5100, 1100, 1112, 1221, 2126, 2600, 3390, 2285
Kyocera: 126C

Update: New Best Price for Tracfone W370

* * * Updated July 13, 2008 * * *

Some information in this post is outdated. To find the best price on the W370, you may want to check out this page.

Also, you may wish to receive email updates automatically whenever I publish a new post on this site. To receive these free updates, click here. It’s free to sign up, you’ll never receive spam as a result of this signup, and you can cancel at any time.

* * * End update July 13, 2008* * *

* * * UPDATE 3/16/08 * * * I just checked Amazon again and saw that this phone is now marked down to $39.99 (update 5/1/08 – now there’s a $15 rebate, bringing the total price down to $24.99). I’ve never seen a price lower than this, and I recommend taking a look at it now if you have considered buying this model. I don’t know how frequently Amazon will change the price, but now seems like a great time to buy.

A few days ago, I posted about the Tracfone W370 now coming with double minutes for life. I recently was checking out prices on this and realized that Amazon has this phone cheaper than Tracfone’s site, and with Free Shipping. I’m a bit of an Amazon junkie, and tend to favor Amazon over other retailers (especially when it means I can order something at 10:30 on a Sunday night, and it will be delivered to my doorstep a few days later, with free shipping!). Anyway, if anyone reading this is interested in hassle-free way to pick up this phone, check it out at Amazon.

Buy One Get One Free Tracfone Minutes

By far, the most common question I get from other Tracfone users is some variation of this: “What’s the cheapest source of minutes for my Tracfone?”

While the answer can vary depending on the user, there is one sure thing: The best deals on airtime are the bundles offered on Tracfone’s website. And, there’s a surefire way to save $10 more if you follow the right steps before you buy.

I’m going to explain it all right here, step by step.

First, let me explain the deals. Tracfone frequently offers packages containing both phones and airtime on their website, and these are usually offered at very good prices. The idea is that they want to persuade new customers to sign up, so they offer airtime VERY cheaply (half price) along with a basic starter phone. HOWEVER – and this is the important part for us – the airtime cards can be added to ANY TRACFONE. They are NOT limited to the phone that comes in the bundle.

For example, a deal recently offered on the site includes a free Kyocera phone along with two 60-minute cards, all for a total of only $19.99. This is an amazing deal considering that a single 60-minute card alone costs $19.99.

So what you need to do, to get the best deal on airtime, is find and order the package deal, and add the airtime cards from that bundle to the phone of your choice. What you do with the phone is completely up to you – I sometimes like to activate the phone and try it out. My other favorite is to donate it to a charity (I usually activate it first).

But, before you can make use of any of the above information, you need to find the bargain bundle. For the most recent deal, I gave the step-by-step info here. Including how to get the $10 back. However, Tracfone recently discontinued the two 60-minute card deal. This deal has come and gone in the past, and I hope that it will come back again soon. When it does, I’ll be sure to post it on this blog to make sure you know about it.

Free Double Minutes for Life on Tracfone Motorola W370

I’ve just recently found out that all W370’s activated from this point forward will be given double minutes for life. This is advertised on the regular-price W370 on the Tracfone website. However, it also appears that phones bought from other retailers will receive the double for life, even if the packaging on the W370 does not indicate this. Last week I spoke with a customer service rep at Tracfone’s 800 number, and she confirmed that any newly activated W370 will automatically have DMFL applied to it. She also informed me that this “promotion” does not have an expiration date at this time, so hopefully it will be available for a while into the future.

If you’re looking for an upgrade to your current Tracfone, this seems to be a great way to go. This phone gets great reviews and is clearly the “top of the line” GSM model currently offered by Tracfone. Also, I’d look for this particular model to go on sale at various stores in the coming weeks. Last week, it was on sale for $39.99 at K-Mart, and I’d be willing to bet that other retailers will have similar deals coming up soon. When that happens, I’ll post about it here.

Please check out my most recent post about the current best price for the W370.