Go4Prepaid Digest #2

OK. So here comes the second Go4Prepaid digest...

First, the Motorola v170 is a pretty low-tier phone, with no speakerphone and a screen the size of a Nokia 2126's (acceptable on a small bar phone, not acceptable on a medium-sized flip). But it is currently the only color flip phone on Tracfone. Nope, Trac doesn't have any flips with both color and an external caller ID scren, but if you need a flip and want Tracfone's coverage you'll have to get this guy. It's a GSM phone. The upside of it is that you can select what network you want to be on, at least for the next five minutes...

Second, you can't "unlock" the LG VI-5225 phone per se. If it's on Sprint it stas on Sprint or one of its hybrid MVNOs (like Venture Mobile and xTreme Mobile). If it's on STi Mobile it stays on STi Mobile.

Third, let's compare Tracfone to T-Mobile To Go. The former has the advantage that you'll get a local number and service wherever you activate, and depending on whether the phone is CDMA or GSM either get astoundingly great coverage or merely excellent coverage and no roaming fees. T-Mobile on the other hand has fancier phones, better features and generally cheaper minutes, but coverage suffers. I may expand on this sometime later, but those are the basic differences.

Fourth, on Tracfone the Nokia 1100 is either $20 with no airtime (at stores and online, new) or $20 refurbished with a 60-minute card. The actual price with tax and shipping for this model will be about $27 but it's a nice thin phone and 180+ minutes aren't bad...

Fifth, the Virgin Mobile Shorty is a nice, though fairly basic, phone. Unfortunately, it is beset with the fact that its color sibling, the Nokia 2126, sells for $20 on Tracfone at a store near you, while it languishes in black & white at $30. But if monochrome is better for you (think sunlight) and you're on Sprint a lot then this is a good way to go prepaid.

Sixth and last, Virgin Mobile's Chat Park seems to be just a selection of mobile chat rooms, sort of like those found on Yahoo, though I need firsthand experience from someone else to confirm it. If you want instant messaging, they also have AIM for a fairly reasonable amount, though with AirIM and STi Mobile it'd actually be cheaper. Personally, Virgin Mobile's chat park is just another gimmicky way to zap your Virgin Mobile dollars.

Thus ends Go4Prepaid's second digest. Hope this helps everyone...