Use Tracfone for Prepaid Cell Phone Service

Cell phone service is almost a necessity in these days. Even if you don't regularly talk on the phone, you can feel outcast by not even having the ability. You know what I'm talking about if you have ever told someone you don't own a cell phone. The looks you get make you think you belong in the white, padded room. There may be any number of reasons why you don't own a cell phone. Perhaps it is not in your budget. Plans can be expensive if you only plan on using it for emergencies or even just 5 minutes per day. Or maybe your credit is not up to snuff for one reason or another and you have been denied a regular contract. Whatever the reason, there is an alternative - prepaid cell phone service.

Also known as pay-as-you-go, prepaid service allows you to purchase a phone and pay for time upfront, through cards of various denominations. This is the perfect plan for those who only want a phone for emergencies or otherwise cannot get a contract service.

Of the prepaid providers, Tracfone is one of the most respectable. They have several phones to choose from in all price ranges and many different cards offering prepaid minutes. Here we will review five of the most popular phones and the service specials that may be included. Although most of the country is similar, for review purposes we are using what is available in Miami, FL as of 08/08/2008.

Motorola C139
This is the basic phone offering for Tracfone. It is only $9.99 and comes with up to 20 minutes of starter time. All other minutes have to be bought separately and can be done with a card available at thousands of retail outlets including your neighborhood grocery store and Walmart. Additionally, Tracfone offers a service plan that adds 50 minutes every month for only $9.99 and these minutes carryover if not used within the month. As to this specific phone, it is no frills, but does offer text messaging, voice mail, caller ID, and free call waiting. It features a color display with screensavers and wallpaper, 20 ringtones, games and 480 minutes of talk time on one battery charge.

Motorola C261
Next in line is the Motorola C261. This phone offers a camera with 4x zoom, full color display, hands-free speakerphone, and downloadable ringtones. Battery life is over 6 hours for talk time with standby time up to 12.5 days. For $19.99, you can purchase this phone with up to 20 minutes of starter time.

Motorola C261 with Service Plan
This is the same phone as above but for $139.99 you will receive 800 minutes of service for 1 year and double minutes for every time purchase for the lifetime of the phone. This is an excellent deal and the best that Tracfone has to offer.

Motorola W376g
The last phone in the Motorola line we will review here, the W376g is a flip-phone including Bluetooth wireless technology, a VGA camera, color display, downloadable applications, speakerphone, and more. For $49.99 you will receive 20 starter minutes and double minutes for each additional purchase for the lifetime of the phone.

LG600G
Tracfone does not only deal in Motorola devices. LG is prominent in the lineup as well. The best LG offering here is the 600G which features a color screen, VGA camera, speakerphone, text messaging, voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, flip-phone design, Bluetooth, 32 ringtones, 6.5 hours talk time on the battery with 13 days standby, and is also hearing aid compatible. For $79.99 you will also receive the standard double minutes for life deal.

As you can see Tracfone has everything you need to keep you in touch with modern society, keep you connected at all times, and keep your friends from snickering at you. For more information, visit Tracfone at www.tracfone.com .