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PrePaidCellPhonesUpGrade2016

Page history last edited by jerry 7 years, 8 months ago

Introduction/Definition/etc

Recent SafeLinkWireless 2G phase out, plus smart phone and other improvements, mean that another phone was provided, while the Normal's consumer market is well beyond this low tech device...

Body

Federally funded, somehow with LifeLine service, to provide communications for those that cannot afford, a free phone and airtime of about 60 minutes per month, depending upon plan, can be available to those who qualify, but there are limitations, some of which are discussed below...

Tracfone does SafeLinkWireless, and sells commercially prepaid phones, now smart phones with Android and other capabilities, in drug stores, and likely many other places too...

Some prepaid phones are displayed, locked to the rack, and tagged, like mentioned in JuryDayLabourors2016 and some are behind the counter, like controlled substances, even in the same drug store chain, in the same jurisdiction, though a north south distinction of who can see them, while keeping others waiting in a long checkout line, etc... The fine print on the back of the package was that they (Tracfone) could not be put on the SafeLinkWireless, and that you could not update, unlock, root, and other good and necessary stuff with the device, but I'm personally not sure of the legalities, of that, since, you are able to do what you want with a phone and/or other device/product, once you buy it, it's connecting to their network, that they can and do control, afaict. All phones are required to be able to make emergency phone calls, meaning 911, and some have GPS and other locator services running, assisted GPS, which uses WiFi and cell tower triangulation, say you fell and could not get up, and needed an ambulance, or similar, doesn't mean you can call home and get a cab, nor phone in for a delivery pizza, check with your parole officer, or something...

Alcatel is the manufacturer of two of the newer phones, maybe similar to GoPhones by AT&T back in the day, previously I had a Nokia, and a Samsung, which were 2G versions... Net10, Consumer Cellular and other companies exist in this market, and some are on the LifeLine for cellular contract, as far as I can tell, I only have experience with the SafeLinkWireless (find reference to previous mention of SafeLinkWireless on this site, as not showing on the page name lookup...)

SmartPhones, the Android version is an older KitKat release of the operating system, built off of the Linux kernel, and some special Java type virtual machine on top... Only ~31 percent of the phones/devices out there are running that version, maybe numbered 4.4, with code names Lollipop, the next one, check spelling, and other major versions on up the chain. Find the Android version numbering system and put the link up here, too...

Many people want iPhones and older versions like the federal BlackBerry, aka CrackBerry, when people got hooked on them, (similar to pagers way back further...) and Windows and other phones exist, too... Symbian and OpenMoko, even Ubuntu phones and other types have sprouted up, the Open HandSet Alliance or similar, and industry standards, plus market forces, have closed the ranks somewhat, into some common front runners, Android is cheap, Google owns Android, and they need to close up the stuff somehow, so that the phone systems are not disrupted by some kids and others disruptive code, not to mention, a way to make money off of all of it... Buyer Beware, Caveat Emptor, indeed.

Comparison Table

Manufacturer	Nokia	Samsung	Alcatel	Alcatel	Apple	TBD	Futures
Model			OneTouch A205G	OneTouch A463BG	iPhone4
Type	2G	2G	3G	4G	3G	4G LTE
Firmware/OS				dual core ARM Android KitKat	Apple ARM chip(s), Apple iOS
Features	keypad, green, red buttons	keypad, green, red buttons	keypad, green red, headphone minijack, Hearing Aid Compatibility, WebBrowser	touchscreen, power, volume buttons, rear 2? MP camera, WiFi, BlueTooth, headphone minijack doubles as FM antenna	touchscreen, center button?, volume, mute switch, front and rear camera, lantern/flash?, WiFi, BlueTooth, headphone minijack , microphone & volume in provided earphone buds
Memory			5? MB for contacts, images, sound recordings, other files etc	2 Gig + microSD card slot option inside plastic back cover case	built in, closed case
Power	Nokia plug charger provided	Samsung plug charger provided	MicroUSB 550 mA charger with cable provided	MicroUSB 550 mA charger with cable provided	Apple plug 1-2? Amp charger and cable provided
Price		phone + airtime cards, refill by card option(s)?	free with limited time SLW 2G-> 3G upgrade at least in the Washington DC area	$10 on sale, (~$50 usually?) voice and data plans separate, with prepaid cards, and/or signup with auto refill from credit /debit card	hundreds plus ~$125/ month (with data, and mobile hot spot, tethering like data) plan & multi year contract commitment

Issues

Besides what is already mentioned, some things came up in the use:

Phone Change Customer Service Calls

While I was texted that there was a change, it seemed like a covert sales call, and finally got more threatening, so had to do something. Checking the website, it went to Tracfone, which gave a credit on the value of the phone, different handsets available, but no longer referencing the SafeLineWireless part, so could I have a smart phone? Which ones? And then seemed to expire by the time I got to it, so have to talk to some unknown people who I could not hear, volume issues and/or how to do call centers customer service badly?

maybe

Required calling up to get a new phone (giving way to much information over the phone, where many predatory people seem to overhear, (including people claiming to 'monitor' / 'protect' i.e. stalk and steal?) , and again after getting the phone (including asking for a pin, long since forgotten, but texted me a code instead), which they said might take 30 days, but happened much quicker, possibly keeping the thieves listening in to the call at bay/ guessing?

Answering Machine/ VoiceMail Changes?

Trying it out calling myself on it's own phone, didn't seem to work, as before, I didn't get a way to leave myself a message and test it out, but got the voicemail menu system, instead...

No greeting test, nothing like that, instead the obscure number I never remember and have to try to find each time, somewhere in the menu system(s) and / or call history...

Contacts Transfer

Instead of manually cycling thru the electronic Rolodex and writing numbers down, and/or typing them,

put on a little printed waterproof black book, "Who Are You Going to Call?" (more grunting as a GhostBusters Reference) emergency kit. Given Hurricane season and other 9/11 anniversaries coming up, maybe good to have. Also, domestic abuse and other uses, copies to trusted friends, relatives, etc, for shared contacts as feasible?

Save to SIM card and a card reader might be good...

Could have those transfer kits available at local Tracfone and other locations like senior centers, and have some ElderGeek type help available, maybe as Service Learning, or something? Requires appropriate controls on Geeks not stealing elders information, exploitation, draining bank accounts, cell times, prepaid cards, etc...

No Upgrades to Android OS

On the Android smart phone could not update the bootstrap information, actually invalid, maybe End Of Life on that Android version, and maybe why the phones were being dumped on sale?

So no system upgrades of Android, possible?

OS Version shows v3A1E

No crackers, this is not an invitation to exploit the handset, etc...

But maybe with a USB cable, though that seems more like rooting, which packaging says you can't maybe it's old packaging?...

And rooting risks bricking and other problems, besides legal ones...

No Unlocking

Might be a requirement for LifeLine service, and makes a lot of sense, for consumers, but some phone probably can't do it, and I may have gotten one, attractive in other ways, but lock in is evil, for consumers, great for companies, so again buyer beware...

Pocket Dialing

Carrying a phone around can make it difficult to keep from dialing by itself, by hitting things in your pocket, etc... While learning to use the thing, hitting the wrong button while distracted by other things, and the lack of standards on how and where the help stuff is, easy enough to find, but not so much that it's easily done by mistake...

Keypad security and other things may help that, but if the SOS button is easily accessible, then maybe that is what the nasty/ problems may be? Assume the 911 service probably gets a lot of those calls, and can screen them somehow, like a database of frequent pocket dialers, and/or notes on the number calling from and a way of adding themselves to the call history, so we would know if and/or when we called, and can back track, and learn not to do that, somehow...

Emergency numbers don't count on your minutes, afaict, but like Crying Wolf, might not be a good thing to do...

Someone unknown stranger saying check your phone, call your family, etc, might be trying to steal your phone instead, once displayed, they snatch it, and run away with it...

Accessories

Finding a hard case for day to day abuse something that gets carried around might take is difficult if the phone is something other than an Apple, Galaxy, etc... Biologic, for example exists for some things, but not others...

PowerBanks

But found some cheap $6 or 2 for $10 Uniden PowerBanks at an office supply store, likely a short lived sale, as only 3000 mAh Lithium storage cells that take 4? hours to charge, and only a couple (2) hours of use...

Included a short MicroUSB to old school USB cable and a keychain type thing that looks like it will break on the first real rugged use... No website support for finding a PDF of the instructions... ESICellular.com website search says it is hacked, and likely a stub, will create in the future type message exists, at this time...

ironically the data chart information says 3000 batteries, instead of mAh capacity...

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/836582/Uniden-Powerbank-Portable-Battery-3000-mAh/

other colors exist

Speaker with Mic

Most'Normal' drivers probably have some Plantronics expensive BlueTooth ear wig, but also on sale was a small one speaker(with mic, I later discover) easy button dome shape speaker, so will see about learning some BlueTooth for both output and input...

Got it connected to a couple of things, but only found the mic option recently and might not be supported with OS version, certain compatibility issues, etc...

Got it working as a speaker on RPi3, with BlueTooth, but local hoodlums try getting in thru the WiFi, and other possible security issues, so beware, learn how it works and how to protect it, etc...

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/139112/Wireless-Gear-Bluetooth-Speakers-For-Mobile/

Conclusion

Summary of experience or similar

More to learn, surveying the market is exhausting, especially as cannot afford the higher end stuff, and window shopping is not really possible, as have to be able to purchase and connect to review, receiving review hardware and plans would likely be considered work, and a violation of all sorts of byzantine benefits rules, disabled and others face... Even with likely non existent sales person corporate Ethics aside...

So the $10 on sale one, an Android smart phone, while a version or few back, might have been better than the SafelinkWireless one for me, for many reasons, but the provided one is a dumb terminal equivalent, that seems to allow WebBrowsing as it's only redeeming feature besides the smaller size. So for 3-6 minutes of time, I can download this page, or the FrontPage, and check some stuff (essentially eat my own words on the go?), in a very small screen, instead of anything bigger, that might be useful, longer term, like the locked Android smartphone...

News of a broadband LifeLine service is coming, newer legislation, and a merging of internet and phones, so updating might help, but will see if useful somehow... Landlines seem to get about $10 credit, which might be a help, but wireless is maybe where it's at, at least in more urban than rural areas... All that FIOS and broadband overflow money to help the poor, might be a way to dump older tech on those that don't have it, yet, and see what they have been missing, instead of stuff that seems to be designed to not work, ostensibly for corporate profits... /Snark

Discussion

A place for feedback on the page presented

Other Evaluations, Options & Opinions

So kids, can probably compare easier, as they may spend more time with devices once old enough to have and use a phone, landline, and/or wireless, and probably have Frenemies with other stuff, and quickly pooh pooh these results from an old person, like moi, with little funding, to buy stuff, but grandparents, elderly, disabled, and others might need something to start with, and it turns out one of the drug store chains has another phone (LG?), not smart, afaict, on sale this past week, until Saturday Night, for ~$10, while supplies last, and other limitations...

The previously owned / used market may be an option for some, but virus, and reflashing, resetting the phone, and other problems, like legalities of transferring a phone, much less a government benefit (money follows the person?) one fine print said, not to be resold, plus of unknown quality, maybe broken and/or bricked upon arrival and other stolen, and other problems may exist, afaict...

So, if a parent, and trying to control the amount of time a kid and/or elderly or disabled dependent has on a phone, there might be options, with prepaid, instead of contracts, and overages, and data plans, and other problems, but check around, I don't claim to know much about it, only my experience, checking Boost, Cricket, Sprint, TMobile, Virgin and others, might get you some options, and lock in, GSM, and other international standards, that Fracfone and others don't offer...

Texting?

What difference does texting make?

No voice check on identity, sobriety, happiness, with others partying/ restrictions, and/or not, etc

Are you looking at the screen too much and missing other important stuff like situational awareness in traffic, even on a sidewalk, in a crosswalk?

Like PokeMon Go and walking into people (and/or poles?) on the sidewalk? Hit by a truck, bus, car, bicyclist, jogger, telephone pole, sign post, etc?

Cameras Good? or Bad? Necessities?

Is a camera, a required element?

Front Facing, Back Facing and/or Both?

Privacy?

What privacy concerns are there with such devices, the smarter that they get, the higher possibility of abuse, right?

Is a stalking/ parental control app on your phone, to help locate you?

Kind of like a dog tracking microchip installed?

And/or the Logan's Run palm crystal to know when your time is up?

FM Radio?

What good is that?

Don't you have a different device for that?

Why would you want that?

Can't YouTube Music Red app handle everything in that department you might ever need? /Smirk

Can recording from that be an option? Offline MixTape really useful?

(Red Free trial limited time offer, free for 7 or so days, then back to crippleware, no offline mixtapes, like first hit is free GDrug dealers...)

Is it legal to collect songs from there? and other stuff like news reports and republish, say online?

What sampling rights do you have to stuff broadcast over the airwaves? Like TV, and other stuff, maybe even internet radio?

Acceptable use? Copyright? CopyLeft?

Shared WiFi

Can you play games on shared wifi without violating their terms of service in government, school, church, and other public places like libraries?

Do you have to hang out at McD's and other pay for food places, like coffee shops, to get enough wifi?

Do you have to connect to the network, and pay airtime? Or can you just use the device as WiFi only, as if it is a very small tablet computer and go jumping spot to spot with a rather dumb terminal compared to those with tablets, and full keyboard computers, and/or all in ones?

Broadcasting your personal information across all the open wifi terms of service, and other privacy concerns, even in grocery stores, office supply stores, and other places?

Wifi Upgrade before Data Plan Registering

Why would you pay to upgrade an older Android version and install all your personal apps on a prepaid data plan instead of a wifi connection before registering the SIM?

Typical Data Usage?

What is your typical data usage look like? How many Gig / Day/ Month/ Year?

Voice?

Text?

Disconnected? Off Grid Locations?

What problems might you have bicycling to say a rural wilderness type area that doesn't even have cell phone towers, and you get stuck? Do you have a SatPhone? Emergency flares? Other survival skills?

Regular check-in times? And/or a known itinerary plus backup plan...

License

Creative Commons Share and Share Alike, Non Commercial, Non Derivative, for the whole site's contents unless otherwise explicitly stated

Page History

20160814 Jerry

3->4G on Alcatel SmartPhone, as reread the box...

20160812 JerrySpeak

adding sections
adding structure
adding cruft?

20160810 20070510EthicsDignityRiskJerry

Updating mA, and some other typos, editing and stuff
find some links mentioned but not added at the very rough draft stage of free writing on some topic(s)
reread and consider what bad mush this stuff really is
but also some points that edited would be difficult to get to, like phone development history, etc...
found other company names under LifeLine search

20160804 Jerry

Jerry created this page to put up some experience, albeit short with one phone, there is not much to it, but others and some trends...

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PrePaidCellPhonesUpGrade2016

Introduction/Definition/etc

Body

Comparison Table

Issues

Phone Change Customer Service Calls

Answering Machine/ VoiceMail Changes?

Contacts Transfer

No Upgrades to Android OS

No Unlocking

Pocket Dialing

Accessories

PowerBanks

Speaker with Mic

Links

NoVAPeers

SafeLinkWireless

2G phase out

TracFone

Other Wireless Companies

Consumer Cellular

Cricket Wireless

Net10

Government LifeLine service

Access Wireless

Assurance from Virgin Mobile

AT&T's LifeLine program

Budget Mobile

Verizon's LifeLine program

AARP

Symbian

OpenMoko

Ubuntu Phones

Android

Accessories

PowerBanks

Speakers with Mic?

Conclusion

Discussion

Other Evaluations, Options & Opinions

Texting?

Cameras Good? or Bad? Necessities?

Privacy?

FM Radio?

Shared WiFi

Wifi Upgrade before Data Plan Registering

Typical Data Usage?

Disconnected? Off Grid Locations?

License

Page History

Page Statistics

Page Views: since creating on 20160804

PrePaidCellPhonesUpGrade2016

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