Bring Your AT&T/GSM Smartphone to Tracfone
This information regarding bringing GSM devices to use with Tracfone is brought to you by and we will continue to update and share additional information here as we know more. Stay tuned!News about Tracfone GSM Activation Kit |
Order a CDMA/GSM activation kit on the Tracfone website, have an AT&T compatible GSM device, follow the online instructions, and you should be up and running. It sounds simple, and maybe it is, but stick around as we look into bringing GSM devices to Tracfone.
For those who might not know, Tracfone is a low cost prepaid service provider. They also sell phones to use with their low cost service, as well as allow consumers to bring certain smartphones to Tracfone.
Until recently, you could only bring Verizon compatible CDMA phones to use with Tracfone. This was great, but for those who live in areas without Verizon coverage, you were out of luck.
But now Tracfone is offering the same option of bringing your own smartphone to use on Tracfone's GSM network (through AT&T). It also appears that Tracfone has released at least one GSM smartphone, the LG Sunrise.
Well let's jump straight into what you're probably looking for, how to get your unlocked GSM phone activated with Tracfone.
How to Get a GSM or CDMA Activation Kit
If the first kit is sold out, try the kit with 60 Minutes (below) |
You get everything you need to activate either a CDMA or GSM smartphone in one kit from Tracfone. At this point, you can find the Kit in stores, or online at the Tracfone website.
We ordered our kit by visiting this link, clicking select SIM, and then choosing the Activation Kit plus 60 Minute Card, because the Kit only option was sold out. (We have since found the activation kit available on Amazon and the Walmart website)
We received the kit in about a week, coming with both the kit and minutes.
Tracfone GSM/CDMA Activation Kit (plus 60 Minutes) |
We will share additional updates on this once the kit arrives.
Should you Choose GSM or CDMA?
For quite a while now, Tracfone only accepted smartphones that used Verizon CDMA service. This limited smartphones to only those in areas with good Verizon coverage.Now that is changing as people in GSM areas with AT&T coverage can also use smartphone with Tracfone service. But which one is right for you?
We created a resource that goes into the Difference between GSM and CDMA that you can take a look at if you are not sure about your situation.
For more information about bringing your own phone to use with Tracfone, visit our Tracfone BYOP page.
Will Tracfone Release more GSM Smartphones?
This is a common question we see, although usually it is, 'Will Tracfone release a GSM Phone soon?', but now that the LG Sunrise has appeared, we expect Tracfone to continue to, although perhaps slowly, release newer and better GSM smartphones. We saw this with the CDMA smartphones, and Tracfone has continued to offer newer devices with better specs.So if you don't want to try bringing your own device to Tracfone, it shouldn't be too long before more GSM smartphone options are also available.
Check out the comments section below and leave a comment with your questions or experiences using Tracfone BYOP, and if you've been able to activate a GSM phone on their service.
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