First Net10 Bluetooth Phone
Yesterday I posted part 1 of my review of the LG 600G for TracFone. What I forgot to mention in that post is that this phone is also available for Net10, also for $79.99. This model is, in fact, the first Bluetooth phone available for Net10, as the w376g is available for TracFone ONLY. So if you’re a Net10 user and looking for a Bluetooth phone, this is it.
You will also benefit from a “free minutes” promotion from Net10 – when you activate this phone, even if you activate it by transferring your current phone number, you will get 300 free minutes added to the new phone. This is in addition to any minutes transferred from your old phone.
I have a question, a comment and compare Tracfone to Net10 Airtime plans.
My question is:
What is the best Net10 cell phone to buy for?
It must have very good sound quality and hands-free speaker..
Are the Motorola phones better sounding than the LG’s?
Thanks..
My comment is:
Today, Net10 just added 2 more choices to their “Buy Airtime” page and they are:
2000 minutes and 1 year of service.
4000 minutes plus 1000 bonus minutes (totol of 5000 minutes) and 2 years of service making Net10 a better and cheaper choice than Tracfone Airtime choices.
I did some calculations for the 4000 plus 1000 minute bonus 2 year service plan and this is what I came up with:
Bullet points on their 4000 minute 2 years of service plan:
*5000 total minutes of talk time which equals 83.33 hours
*2 years of service.
*Divide 83.33 total hours by 24 months and you have 3.47 hours of talk time per month.
*The cost per minute is 8 cents.
*Cost for this plan is $400
———————————-
Now let’s look at the Tracfone plans and try to imitate Net10’s above offer:
First we need to get 2 years of service at an almost equal cost.
This is what I got…
First off, you must buy a cell phone with double your minutes for lifetime. That said, you must buy the following plans:
*One 400 minute 1 year of service plan at a cost of $100
*Four 450 minute 90 days of service plans at a cost of $80 each or a total of $320. Total cost is $420 when you do this.
So now you bought a 1 year plan and 4 90 day plans which gives you a total of 2 years or 24 months of service
Now the breakdown:
When you do the double the minutes thing you get a total of 4400 minutes.
Now let’s compare the bullets:
*4400 minutes of talk time which equals 73.33 hours.
*2 years of service
*Divide 73.33 total hours by 24 months and you have 3.05 hours of talk time per month.
*The cost per minute is 9 1/2 cents.
*Total cost for all 5 plans is $420
You can clearly see that Net10 is now the leader in all categories. Bottom line, you get more bang for your buck with Net10.
Hi Robert
Thanks for pointing out that 5000 minute deal from Net10. I wasn’t aware of that until you pointed it out. One thing to keep in mind, though – you’d better be careful not to lose your phone after investing $400 + the cost of the phone! Anyway, I’m assuming that you’ll be perfectly able to keep track of your phone to protect your investment, but even then you might want to think about this a little more.
You might want to check out this page I put together here:
http://prepaiddeals.googlepages.com/greatnet10deals
Here’s why: There is a deal from Net10 that you can get from Net10 that includes a free phone – Motorola V176, not a bad phone and it meets both of your criteria – AND a 600 minute card, all for $60. With the activation of the phone, you’ll get 300 minutes and 60 days of service. The card, obviously, is 600 minutes, and 120 days of service. So, doing the math makes it 180 days of service, and 900 minutes, for $60.
The nice thing about all of this is that the minutes from the activation of the phone can “stack” when you transfer them to another net10 phone. So, get two of these packages, and activate the first phone for 300 minutes and 60 days, then transfer the second phone *using the phone number transferred from the first phone.* This can be done online. The second phone will now have 600 minutes and 120 days of service.
Now, imagine if you do this with 4 or 6 phone packages. With 4 packages, you’d get 3600 minutes and almost 2 years of service for $240. Or, for 6 packages, you’d get 5400 minutes and almost 3 years of service for $360. Not bad, eh?
Regarding your question about the phone, the Moto V176 is solid phone, especially when the cost is “FREE.” Or, if you want something a little sleeker and with a camera, check out the Motorola w375 for $69.99.
Hope this helps.
Again, if you didn’t check out the page I posted before, here’s the link again:
http://prepaiddeals.googlepages.com/greatnet10deals
Regards,
Patrick
Continued…
But then there is Virgin Mobile. (Sorry for double posting)
You can get their $25 a month plan and you get:
200 anytime minutes (3.33 hours a month)
plus
500 7PM Nights / Weekends
or a total of 700 minutes a month. Not bad at all.
This may be a better alternative if you cannot afford $400 plus the cost of a cell phone. With Virgin Mobile, you pay for the cell phone and $25 a month to get you started.
Over a 2 year period, 25 X 24 months = $600
Now this may cost more than Net10 in the long run but you do get 700 minutes a month from Virgin vs. 208.33 minutes a month from Net10.
So it’s worth the extra $200 over 2 years to get almost 492 more minutes a month from Virgin Mobile.
————————————–
Back on topic now. I was going to get the LG 600G and go with Net10 as my provider. Then I read and called around and found out the LG 600G has so-so sound quality. I need really good sound quality in a cell phone like the Motorola’s. Then I looked into Virgin Mobile and found out they have US customer support vs. Net10 that has support out of Columbia. That’s right, Columbia. Incredible. I will always support companies that hire US workers only. Tracfone has pretty bad customer support and it sounded to me like it’s from India. These are important things to consider when choosing a provider.
Thanks for listening.
Robert
That’s pretty slick thinking Patrick. I never thought of buying more than one cell phone and doing what you said in the link you provided. Great heads up thinking. Unfortunately, I’m not to keen on purchasing “reconditioned” cell phones as the fixed problem may reappear again or something else worse may go wrong. But if this works for you and others, that’s great.
I think Virgin will work well for me and my wife. We both had the Verizon wireless family plan using 2 cell phones and it was getting pretty costly. Also bad in-the-house signal strength (1 to 2 bars). After my mom died, I no longer used it as much, well hardly at all so I thougt I’d try a different approach and save money while finding a provider that would fit my cell phone needs at a lower cost. I think Virgin Mobile will now satisfy both me and my wifes cellular phone useage. 700 minutes a month is a great deal for only $25 a month. We will now have to share the one cell phone now.
Hi Robert
The funny thing about all these prepaid provider options is that each one is just a little different and therefore fits the needs of a different group of consumers. While the 700 minutes from Virgin is a low cost per minute, many users will not even come close to using all those minutes each month. If you only use 150 minutes, then your cost per minute is much higher. And on TracFone or Net10, your minutes will roll over to the next month, whenever you don’t use them. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe this is the case with Virgin.
Another thing to consider is the network underlying the prepaid provider. Net10 and Trac have contracts with multiple network owners, so if one doesn’t cover a particular area but another network does, your Trac/Net10 phone will “roam” onto the available network. For example, if you have a GSM Trac and primarily use the ATT network, but happen to travel into an area with no ATT network coverage, your Trac will search for and connect to another GSM network, if one is available. (For more on GSM vs. CDMA networks, check out this post from my archives: http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/tracfone-cdma-vs-gsm/)
In the case of Virgin, they use ONLY Sprint’s network. So if there is no Sprint coverage, you can’t make calls. Even if another CDMA network, such as Verizon or Alltel is available.
Finally, regarding the reconditioned phones, I’ve purchased probably two dozen of these phones over the last 5+ years and never had a problem. I have one that I’ve been using for 3+ of those years, and many of my relatives also have reconditioned phone. Reconditioned doesn’t always mean that the phone was initially defective. And, any reconditioned phone is inspected at the factory before being sent out again, as I understand it. There are occasionally “duds” to be sure, but in my experience they are pretty rare. And keep in mind here that if you use the strategy I discussed, you would just be transferring the number “through” the phones, and each of the phones except for the last one would be active only for a matter of hours or, maybe, a day or two. And at the end of it all, you could still transfer the accumulated minutes to another phone, if that was your choice.
Another advantage of that idea, that I didn’t mention earlier, is that you would then have the 4-6 600 minute cards to add to your phone as needed, rather than risking all 5000 minutes on the phone that you carry around with you everywhere.
If Virgin mobile is your choice, best of luck to you. I know that there are many VM users out there that are very happy with their service, and I hope that you’ll become one of them. I just wanted to lay out the options for you hear. Also, you might want to look into getting a TracFone as a second cell phone for you and your wife. The Trac could be maintained for less than $10 a month, which may or may not be worthwhile for you, I don’t know. Just a suggestion.
Yes, indeed, Patrick..
You certainly make some great points, once again. Some definate food for thought. I think I, more clearly, understand what you are doing. Just keep buying refurbished cell phones that come with free minutes, namely 300.
You point out, for example, the Moto 176 that costs $60. With that you get 600 minutes (120 days of service) and 300 minutes ((60 days of service) or a total of 900 minutes and 180 days of service?
As I see it, the $60 cost of the reburbed cell cancells out the would-be fee of the 600 minute pack. So, in effect, you get 300 free minutes. Then you buy the Nokia 600 cell at a cost of $30 and with that you get 2 300 minute packs. The first pack is, once again, is cancelled out by the cost of the cell but you get another free 300 minutes and 60 days of service.
So buying these 2 reconditioned cells will yeild the following:
Moto 176 cost = $60 = 900 minutes and 180 days of service
Nokia 600 cost $30 = 600 minutes and 120 days of service
or a total for one phone, when minutes are transferred, 1500 minutes and 300 days (10 months) of service. Is that correct?
If so, then the following bullet points:
*Spend $90 to get 1500 minutes (25 hours) and 300 days (10 months) of service.
*You get 2.5 talk hours per month
*Cost per minute is 90 divided by 1500 minutes or 6 cents per minute.
*Keep buying reconditioned cells when you need more free minutes.
This idea would work well if they always have deals like this on their website. Since I’m new to all of this, do these deals with free minutes always exist?
Thanks, once again, for your input. Now you have me thinking about my choice of providers again.
Robert..
Hi Robert
Your understanding is correct in terms of cost and how it all works. I understand that jumping through those hoops isn’t for everyone, but it works for some people. If you do decide to go that route, I would recommend ordering a few bundles – maybe enough to cover you for a year or two, and do all the phone activating/transferring up front. Then just add the cards as you need them, but be careful to add the last of the cards within one year of ordering them, as they MAY expire after 1 year.
Also, if you are still looking into a Virgin phone, the Flare seems to be a pretty decent, solid phone for just $30. Here’s the link at Amazon (shortened to fit into this space): http://tinyurl.com/5njrvd
I’m not consciously trying to sway you one way or the other, but obviously I use Trac/Net10, so I’m a little biased toward those two. But, my needs are not the same as yours. I hope to someday have a specific site to walk people through choosing a prepaid provider that best fits their particular needs, but with 3 kids ages 5 and under, my ideas are much more plentiful than my time these days!
I have heard on other blogs that the USB port on the LG 600g does not work and the Bluetooth is minimal with a Net10 or TracFone plan… I assume due to the modifications they make to keep track of the minutes and deadline. Have you had a different experience with yours?
The Bluetooth definitely is more functional than on the w376g. On the w376g, the BT can be used ONLY for audio – either connected to a headset, car BT system, or GPS unit. But with the LG 600G Bluetooth, I was able to transfer pictures, sounds, and applications between the phone and my BT-enabled computer, in BOTH directions. If you don’t mind me asking, from which websites did you hear that the bluetooth is disabled on the LG? I think they may be misinformed.
I should also point out, though, that my testing was done on a TracFone model. I have not tried a Net10 version of this phone.
A Net10 representative sent me an email in response to a customer service question about the LG 600g stating that they did not carry ANY phones that had USB capability and that the Bluetooth on this model was essentially limited to ear buds. I was disappointed but then realized I have not always had reliable information from this source and decided to look into it further.
With the information you had provided I was tempted to switch to TracFone to be sure the LG 600g would work as you described but we’ve already got quite a few minutes invested with Net10… I’m going to go ahead and get one from them and will be sure to let you know if my experience is any different from yours.
Thanks Sehzi – I look forward to hearing from you on your experience with the Net10 version.
The LG600G version that I have is for Net10. The bluetooth is fully functional, allowing for file transfer between my computer and my Blackberry Pearl. When the LG600G is synced up with the computer, you can transfer, delete, etc. using the drag and drop feature.
It’s my understanding, from my personal usage, and reading forums on this particular phone, that there is no functionality difference between the Tracfone version, and the Net10 version.
Hi pbushx2, thanks for the great info.
So as I understand it, I could use the Nokia refurbs to add minutes to my existing LG 600, while keeping my same phone number. I note that the refurbs can also be ordered with free shipping now.
So specifically, the scheme would be:
- Buy Nokia refurb for $30, which comes with 300 intro minutes tied to phone, and free 300 minute card
- Activate Nokia phone, and transfer the 300 intro minutes to my LG phone
- Add the free 300 minute card directly to my LG phone at my leisure, which also extends my service date 60 days
Do I have that right? And if so, Net10 still hasn’t “caught on” to this yet? I would assume the underlying carriers charge them something to activate a new phone number (which is then subsequently unused a couple days later). So they are essentially selling minutes at half price, AND shipping a refurb phone for free AND paying the underlying carrier extra?
But, hey, if it does still work, do you have to call customer service to transfer the minutes from the “donor” phone to your existing phone, or can it be done on the web?
Hi Toodles –
You are correct in your understanding of how this would work. I don’t know how much it costs Net10, but I assume that they do well enough attracting new customers with this offer that they are not worried about the loss in revenue with existing customers. Plus, it keeps those existing customers loyal, which is tough to do these days. Anyway, you will not be able to transfer the minutes over the web – a phone call to customer service will be required.
hi.. i bought a net10 bluetooth phone..and i was wondering how would i go about getting the pictures off of the phone and onto the computer? Do i have to buy a special device for it?
thanks
Hi, sorry for the slow response – I fell behind on comments over the last week. Anyway, if your current computer is bluetooth-enabled, you should be able to “pair” the 600g to the computer (this assumes you have the 600g – the Motorola Bluetooth phones cannot connect to a computer). If your computer is not equipped with bluetooth, you can get a USB device called a “bluetooth dongle” for under $5. Here’s an example I discussed recently:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/cheap-bluetooth-dongle/
I got the NET10 version of this phone and so far it’s pretty good. I was very happy to find out it uses the same Charger as my LG WAVE so I don’t have to buy a new car charger, just use the one I got for my Wave.
I was happy to discover I could transfer my Contacts from my Wave to the LG600G, it’s time consuming but at least it’s not as bad as having to manually type in each of my contacts into it.
The Screen is just as good as my Wave which has the same problem with it’s screen that the LG 600 has so I guess it’s just that LG puts the cheaper screens in all their phones and not just the cheaper priced NET10 Phones.
It’s true what the other reviews say about the front screen dimming to quickly, it is Annoying.
The other thing I don’t like about it is you can’t turn the speaker phone on before you dial the call and it does not have a dedicated Speaker Phone Button when you place a call, you have to wait till the call connects and then activate the speaker phone through the options soft key.
I don’t have a Bluetooth Dongle or transfer software so I can’t test to see if I can send files to and from my PC to the Phone.
Based on your helpful information, I plan to but a Net-10 LG600, Can you please suggest the best way to go about selecting and buying bluetooth-type earphones ande buds?
Many thanks.
Hi Barney
I really don’t have much experience buying bluetooth accessories. I don’t really use BT much other than for testing phones, so I just bought the cheapest things I could find. I would suggest, however, that you take a look at Amazon.com and Buy.com and pay attention to the reviews listed for each item. From there, you’ll have to find the balance of price and customer rating that is best for you. Also, the Net10 version is now (through Mother’s Day) on sale for $40 with free shipping and a free accessory kit, which includes a wired headset. Check it out by clicking here.
Hi PBushx,
I have this phone. I enjoy the talk and text features, but can’t seem to send picture messaging. It says the pic was, “sent successfully”, yet no one receives the pictures. Friends/Family say they sent pics to my phone, yet I don’t receive them. Called customer service and they have bogus excuse the pics are too big. Would really like to know if anyone can send/receive picture messaging from this phone.
Tina –
Sorry for the delayed response, hopefully this is still helpful to you. Here’s a copy of a response that I posted a while back to someone who had a similar problem:
It sounds to me like you might have a T-Mobile based SIM card in your phone. It seems that, for some reason, TracFone handsets on the T-Mobile network do not have data capabilities.
To figure out what kind of sim is in your phone, navigate to the “prepaid” section of your phone’s menu, and look for the “SIM Serial Number” option. Select that, and look for the first six digits of the serial number. If it starts with “890141,” you have an AT&T SIM. If it starts with “890126,” then it’s a T-Mobile SIM. If I had to guess, I would say that your new phone probably has a T-Mobile SIM. Assuming that’s the problem, the good news is that you can call TracFone and request a free AT&T SIM to replace the T-Mobile SIM in the new phone, if you tell them that the T-Mobile SIM results in unsatisfactory reception. Try this number: 1-800-339-9345.
If the SIM is AT&T, I’m at a loss to explain this one. Maybe someone else here can offer some suggestions? Either way, it sounds like another call to customer service is in order.
Hi,
Sorry if all of this is irrelevant.
I love Net10. I have purchased the $400/5000 minutes/2 year plan recently. I’ve been keeping a pace of about 250 minutes a month; that’s around $20 a month. I just use it for necessary texts and calls. I have learned that I don’t need to waste all my money ($60 a month with my prior crappy contractual plan) and that i can divert my socialization to skype, IM, and facebook.
Anyway, I did have to call customer service down in Columbia a couple times to get my number ported. It took two weeks and some patience, but it wasn’t a nightmare.
My only qualm is that I bought a Motorola w375: biggest mistake. Aesthetics and battery life is about the only redeeming quality about it. The phone is extremely slow, which makes texting torture. Not only can i not type quickly, I have to leave the phone opened for about 5 seconds for the message to send. Otherwise, it charges me for the text and doesn’t send it. It’s more annoying to find, hours later, that my buddy on the other end never received it, than the nickle lost.
I could deal with these issues with a smile on my face, but what is making me switch to a new phone is the disabled “mass storage”. I could understand if it was mentioned anywhere in the manual or in advertisement, but no. With the inability to download my pictures and upload my ringtones, without paying through the nose, just kills me. Net 10’s motto is “No Evil”, but it’s stunt like these that makes me want to go up the CEO and slap him silly.
I was just wondering if any of the other Net 10 phones (other than the lg 600g via bluetooth) were capable of usb uploading/downloading of data. Which phones are they if any?
thanks
Thewywy –
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Net10. Based on the number of minutes you use each month, it seems like you are directly in the middle of the range of usage for which I would recommend Net10.
I understand your complaints about the w375, and you’re not alone. I have never used that exact model, but I’ve used the w376 (on TracFone) extensively, at it is very similar. The slow texting is a big PITA, and the inability to transfer pics/ringtones directly between a computer and your phone seems almost fraudulent on the part of TracFone. But, it is what it is, I guess. The only phone with data transfer capabilities that I know of is the LG 600g. I am still hoping that the newest Motorola slider, which should come out any time now, will have unrestricted data transfer capabilities by BT or USB, but I’m certainly not holding my breath.