A couple of interesting developments have come up on Net10’s website recently. First, the Samsung T401g is now available directly from Net10 for $79.99. This is the same price as it’s sold for in most stores, but the fact that it’s available directly from Net10’s site now allows buyers to apply the $8 in discounts I’ve mentioned previously. The free accessory kit I’ve written about won’t do you much good with this phone, but the $3 and $5 discount codes are still valid, as is the free shipping. Click here to find the phone on Net10’s site.
Also, the Motorola EM326g now ships with a free USB data cable and a 2GB MicroSD card, which can be used to store photos and mp3’s on this phone. While it’s probably not worth the $19.99 that Net10 claims on the sales page, it is a nice little bonus especially when you’re already getting the 300 starter minutes, $8 discount, free shipping, and universal accessory kit.
Check out this page for more info about the Net10 Promotional codes I use for the $8 discount.
For more direct access, hope right over to Net10’s “buy phones” page by clicking here.
I know this has been said many times before. Has there been any word that Tracfone will be getting the Samsung T401g.
no word on a TracFone version of this phone yet – I’m not holding my breath.
Great blog! I’ve had 2 previous Net10 phones and my wife with one. I plan on getting the new EM326g after reading all this good information. Keep up the great work!
I just read your Straight Talk review and look forward to your input on the Samsung phone and new service. Once again great info and detail.
Great blog! I can’t believe the amount of time you must put into this! I have been considering going from a contract phone (with AT&T) to a prepaid, and I’ve about decided that my best deal is either Tracfone or Straight Talk. I’ve still got a few questions I wonder if you or one of your readers could answer:
Do I have to port my existing AT&T number at the same time as I activate the Tracfone, or can I get & activate a Tracfone number now and port later? (So I’d have two phones for a while to make sure the Tracfone is going to work for me.)
Should I try to get a CDMA phone, since I think Verizon has a bit better coverage in my area than AT&T? Can I just punch in a “CDMA” Zip Code on the Tracfone store site, as you suggest, and I won’t have any problem activating it or using it in a “GSM” Zip Code? (93101)
Finally, is it possible to backup contacts on these phones, or use some kind of Import/Export tool? How about transferring them from my existing phone?
Thanks again for your terrifically helpful site.
…Chuck
smithchuck – as long as you have Verizon or Alltel coverage in your area, you can “punch in” one of the zips I recommend. If you have order a CDMA phone it doesn’t matter quite as much if you port right away, or wait until after activation. If you get a GSM model, it’s probably easier to do the port when you activate, but it’s not impossible to port to an already active phone (just more complicated). As far as transferring contact lists, if your new phone is a GSM model you should be able to use a SIM card reader to transfer your contact list from your old SIM to your computer, then to your new SIM. If you go with a CDMA model, I don’t think there’s any way to copy over your old address book. Here’s a post where I discussed a sim card reader:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/bonus-codes-updated-sim-card-reader-details/
another thing about the porting – I’d say you might as well port right away. If you end up deciding to go back to AT&T, they’ll most likely welcome you back with open arms, I would assume, and will do whatever is necessary to get your number ported back in.
Thanks very much for the reply & info. I’ll check out the SIM card reader.
I had Verizon in my area for years and was happy with them. Then I moved to a new house in an area surrounded by low hills and my reception at home became terrible. Another person in the house was using AT&T with no trouble, and the new iPhone 3G was about to come out (this was about a year and a half ago), so I switched to AT&T and got a Motorola RAZR V9 (I talked myself out of the iPhone–didn’t want to spend that much per month, which is also why I’m here at this site!). My reception at home improved some, although I later decided it may not have been a Verizon coverage problem as much as my old Samsung handset, as somebody else here uses Verizon (on a Blackberry) without a problem. Except for the home coverage, I’d say I was slightly happier with Verizon than with AT&T, which is why I’m considering going back to CDMA/Verizon, but I want a chance to try it out at home before porting over my existing AT&T number, since that’s still working OK at home. All I really need is a basic phone, but reception strength/quality has to be good, given where I live. I don’t really care about texting, a camera, or web features, although if I have a mobile web that’s cheap to use (i.e., StraightTalk) then I’ll use it occasionally.
Is there a way to silence the number pad so it does not sound off when you are entering numbers?
Sorry. This question is about the 326G.
Brenda, this was posted by “DJ” on another page:
to turn off of the Key Tone…. you’ll need to go into Each “Ring style” & each one of them to “Off” (Menu-Settings-Ring Styles then select the style then go back one step & down to that style detail to change the key tone style to “Off”) at least that’s the only place I’ve found for you to modify the key tone.
The Samsung 451C is now also available from the Net10 website (CDMA/CO market) for the same price as the 401G (all 3 GSM markets), $79.99. All discounts mentioned above also apply.
SMITHCHUCK, I am a bit puzzled by your decision to pick between Tracfone or Straight Talk as they are at the oposite extremes of minute useage. A casual user would pick Trackfone vs Net10 a high end user would pick Net10 vs Straight Talk. Of course you may have other undisclosed reasons.
Tracfancier, thanks for the suggestions. My reasoning is based on a spreadsheet I made that looks over my AT&T usage for the last year. I averaged about 350 minutes a month, and about 11 text messages (in & out). My average total bill was $46.72. I figure I could use StraightTalk’s 1000 minute plan for $30 a month and have way more than I need and save $16.72 a month. Or Tracfone (assuming I buy a double minutes for life phone and buy their 1,000 minutes–doubled to 2,000–card for $160, giving me a per-minute rate of just under .08. I figure my usage would then cost me about $27.93 a month, even cheaper than StraightTalk, although I’d have to keep a closer eye on my minutes & texts, etc. Net10 worked out to be about $35.13 a month (it’s actually probably a little cheaper than that, but I’m figuring minutes at .10 since it’s too hard to calculate the various bonus & promotions).
Anyway, that’s how I arrived at my conclusion that Tracfone would be cheapest and StraightTalk offering me way more minutes, etc., for about $2 a month more.
P.S. So I guess I’m neither a casual user nor a high end user, but somewhere in the middle to low end.
After further research, it looks like Page Plus Cellular Pay As You Go might be even cheaper for my usage pattern than even Tracfone. (I hope it isn’t against rules or etiquette to bring in another company here!) This calculation is based on buying their 700 minute cards for $50 every couple of months, for roughly 7 cents a minute per call.
Anybody have any opinions on Page Plus Cellular, which uses the Verizon network?
…Chuck
CHUCKSMITH: Suggest you check this site, read everything and visit the links. http://thejmart.com/links.htm
Cannot deside between T401g and the EM326g…any advice?…is one more capable of storing more music than the other?
Any sugestions??
Well, I have the T401G and I am returning it. It holds lots of music, takes video and has the keyboard, but the call quality is mediocre. I was not impressed at all. I am getting the Em326g tomorrow. I have had Motorolas in the past and they have all been great with excellent call quality.