I’ve had a fair number of people ask me for my opinion about this phone, but for the longest time it was the only recent phone in the TracFone lineup that I had yet to try. Well, few months back I finally jumped on the one-year card deal that came with the free LG 225, and replaced my primary phone with this one. Over the last several months I’ve put it through the rigors of daily use and found it to be a reliable, durable, yet unspectacular phone.
If you’re considering picking up the phone (for free) in the one-year card bundle (click here for more info on the one-year deal), I think it’s a good bargain. Also, as pointed out by “Pepper” in a comment on a different page of this site, the design and simplicity of the LG 225 might make it a good choice for someone new to cell phones in general.
Finally, I’ve posted the complete review to a site separate from this one. I’ve been playing around with setting up a site from scratch, and decided to experiment with posting the complete review on a different site and providing a summary here. So, here are the links to more complete details on this phone:
I got the LG225 free with an one-year card as a upgrade from a V176. The ringer volume is quieter and voice quality is about the same as the V176. I did notice the signal strength is better and if I see one bar I’m able to make a call unlike the V176. Hopefully, in September Tracfone will be offering the LG600 free with an one-year card, if not I will keep using my LG255.
We got a LG225, our third phone with Tracfone.
The battery ran out within two days, not something that ever happened with the other phones. So I called and they sent us a new battery, which came with FedEx in two days. This one didn’t work any better. So I called again and they sent us a new phone, which again came within two days. This one holds the charge the way it’s supposed to. So if you are having this problem, it may be the phone.
As you know, this phone at the present time comes with a double minutes for life (of the phone). What they don’t tell you is that the minutes you get with the phone are doubled right away, so you really get 800 minutes, not the 400 they advertise. I also used a bonus code and we got another 200 minutes.
We are very happy Tracfone customers, and I was pleasantly surprised at how fast they acted on our problems.
The LG CG225 is the first and only handset I have had through TracFone. I was slightly dissapointed with this phone when I first bought it because I considered it a down-grade from my Nokia 6085 from CellularOne (lack of Bluetooth, lower res camera without video recording, external antenna, smaller screen, etc.), but I decided to go the prepaid route, so I knew the selection would be limited. I have now had this model for nearly 1 1/2 years, so I’m looking forward to a much needed upgrade. Why do phones randomly stop working? My battery life lasted for a work week with normal usage just a month ago. Now it won’t hold a charge for more than three days on stand-by. I was texting using T9 the other day, and when I attempted to program a new word, I got an error message telling me that I had typed too many characters even though it was a five letter word before the phone shut itself off even though it was fully charged. People tell me that they call my phone, but I’m never informed of the missed call. Call quality and signal strength are poor compared to newer models. The placement of the dedicated camera key is inconveniently placed because I sometimes press it when I quickly flip the phone open. The phone is thick. The external display is always on and cannot be used for self-portraits like on the LG 600G. Now I am stuck between getting the Samsung T301G and Motorola EM326G. The Samsung has a larger screen, but the Motorola has support for microSD cards and has a music player (but my iPod is sufficient for that purpose). Most likely battery life and call quality will be the basis for my final decision.
I had a V176 Tracfone and had no problems transferring the minutes to my LG225 when I upgraded. Have you considered the LG600 phone and transfer your minutes to it?
RGS
Since I’m planning on purchasing the Motorola EM326G, it would be pointless for me to purchase the LG 600G because it would be purely temporary. Another reason I have to not purchase it is because I have an issue with the size of the LG 600G and the Motorola W376G when they are flipped open (I have to be able to discreetly send text messages when I’m in class).