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help pick out a new cell phone..tracfone


kfeusse
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my current cell phone carrier is Verizon.  It is a tracfone.  I plan to stay with tracfone.  I just need to find a phone that will match up with Verizon...and then I can get a SIM card that will make it work in my area, right??? 

 

Needs to be fairly inexpensive....but I would love these features:

 

Android 

removable battery

SD card compatible

decent camera (would love to be able to zoom, but that might be asking too much)

fair amount of internal memory

5 inch screen or there abouts

 

and since I know very little about cell phones...if there are other features that would be nice to have, I am open.

 

please link me to some phones that I might like. 

 

thanks.

 

 

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You might look at the Moto phones.

 

Yes. We have 3 Motos and 1 Lenovo (Lenovo owns Motorola Mobility) in the house.  I think some of them may have removable batteries, but that is becoming increasingly rare in new cell phones. Also, the ability to insert an SD card is becoming rare.  IMO a Removable battery is a "Plus".  IMO being able to insert an SD card is a "plus" too. My old Samsung (2014) like the Samsung of the OP has a removable battery and the ability to insert an SD card. Nice features, but becoming harder to find in new phones.

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It would help to define inexpensive. Less than $100 or less than $300?

 

Good question.   I spent about $110 for my current phone, which lasted about a year....I can't spend more than that for a yearly purchase of a phone....however if getting a better (more expensive phone) would last longer...then I might be able to consider that.

 

I am considering one that is about $300 (on the tracfone site), but I am scared to buy it thinking that it won't last any longer than my $110 one.  (it's the same brand....a Samsung).

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Good question.   I spent about $110 for my current phone, which lasted about a year....I can't spend more than that for a yearly purchase of a phone....however if getting a better (more expensive phone) would last longer...then I might be able to consider that.

 

I am considering one that is about $300 (on the tracfone site), but I am scared to buy it thinking that it won't last any longer than my $110 one.  (it's the same brand....a Samsung).

 

Wow....   I am extremely surprised that your Samsung Galaxy only lasted about one year. IMO a cell phone should work for at least 3 years, or more, if treated gently. We have had the Samsung Galaxy that is a little older than yours, since December 2015. Before that, it was used by a boy who was 4 or 5 years old at the time.  I think the only phone we had really bad luck with was a mid-range LG that my Stepson bought from a carrier here (Tigo Colombia) and it was a Lemon from the start. He took it back for service, a number of times, and finally they gave him another phone, I think a different brand.  Any brand might have an occasional "Lemon" but the carrier (Tigo Colombia) really gave him a horrible run-around, before they replaced the defective LG phone.  

 

I believe the phone my wife and DD bought for DD (February 2017) is a Moto G4.  It is a really nice phone. When we looked at the web site of the superstore where we buy phones (Alkosto) I was looking at the Moto G4 Play, a lower cost phone that has a Removable battery, which I believe is a nice feature and becoming rare.  When they went into the store, the price differential between the 2 models was very low (about USD$35) because the Moto G4 was on Sale and because if you paid for the Moto G4 with the store credit card, which my wife has, there was a discount.  Well worth the price differential.

 

 Here is the URL on the Motorola USA web site for the Moto G4:  https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g The Moto G4 has a 5.5" display and it has Corning Glass.  On the Motorola USA web page that I included, they are showing USD $179.99.   I don't know if they also charge sales tax and shipping.   That is DIRECTLY from Motorola in the USA.

 

OP: I believe we will never purchase a cell phone from a carrier again.  I strongly suggest you buy an Unlocked and Unbranded phone with a manufacturers warranty.  I strongly suggest that you DO NOT purchase from a carrier.  

Edited by Lanny
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that one said that Verizon is not supported...and I found out that Verizon is the carrier of my current phone.  Does that matter?  I am so sorry that I am so dumb about this whole process.  Maybe that is why I have had such bad luck with cell phones up to this point...seriously I have gone through 3 phones in about 4 1/2 years....some by choice...and some because the current one wasn't working right.  I am fairly certain I don't know how to pick decent phones.

 

thank you for helping through this process....

 

I just noticed too,, that it only has 3GB of memory...that isn't a lot for those things that don't go on a SD card....right?? (that was one of the reasons I went from phone 2 to phone 3....it only had 2GB....and this one has more....HOWEVER, frequently when I try to add an app, I get the message that there is no room to do that....even though I know there is.)

Edited by NEprairiemom
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Follow on to my reply in post #6.  I was looking at the Motorola USA web page for the Moto G4.  About the "TurboPower" charging in 15 minutes. That costs extra. We do not have that. I am not sure how much that thing is...

 

Looking at post #7, the RAM (Random Access Memory) is where the OS (Android) and the Apps work.  The Moto G4 shows 2 GB of RAM.  My Samsung Galaxy has 700+ MB of RAM.  More RAM is nice, but unless you are running a lot of Apps at the same time, I think 2 GB in the Moto G4 would be sufficient.  Things are not stored in RAM... On the Motorola USA web page for the Moto G4 that I gave you, it apparently comes with 16 GB or 32 GB (32 GB I am certain would cost more) of ROM which is "Read Only Memory".  Below is copied from that web page from the Moto G4 specs:

 

Memory (RAM)

2 GB

Storage (ROM)

16 GB / 32 GB internal, up to 128 GB microSD Card support**

 

Not all of the ROM will be available to you, because that is where Android and your Apps live.

 

ETA: 

Carrier-friendly

Unlocked for all major U.S. networks, like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Consumer Cellular. Switch carriers and keep your phone. Simply swap SIM cards.

Check carrier compatibility

Edited by Lanny
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ok...just to see if I understand what you are saying...

 

ROM is used to run the phone and RAM is used to store those items that don't go on an SD card? right?  Now, is it true that you have to first have room in the ROM to add apps...even those that will go onto the SD card?  ANd not all will go to an SD card..so then what?  I am assuming that all of apps that come with the phone (and I dont' remember which those are...but surprsingly many...facebook, the google apps) don't those run only on ROM then?  

 

again, I am so sorry for my ignorance.  It's not that I don't believe what you are saying, it's that I am still confused...and trying to understand.  I don't know if you are frustrated with me(and I wouldn't blame you if you were)...but you come across as being very kind and patient...and for that, I am VERY grateful.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

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