This phone is Java enabled, and has Java, and supports apps, but Straight Talk disables this feature. This is my quick review as requested by users. You can access e-mail, but only via the web. Unfortunately you cannot play videos on this phone. I give it a 4/5
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Straight Talk Review
Straight Talk is a prepaid wireless service provider (a subsidiary of TracFone Wireless, Inc.). They are like no other service provider I have ever seen. They run on a monthly payment plan like a regular cell phone company, yet you have no contract, and you can buy service cards. It's straight up prepaid for a steal of a deal! Straight Talk runs on the Verizon network, so you get just about the best nationwide service you can get! Straight Talk, also referred to as "ST", has two monthly paid plans:
Plan 1 - "All you need"
Price: $30/mo
Minutes: 1000
Texts: 1000
Data: 30 Mb
Plan 2 - "Unlimited"
Price: $45/mo
Minutes: Unlimited
Texts: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited
411: Unlimited
In December 2009, I went to Walmart to buy a Straight Talk phone and service card. The prices of the phones at Walmart vary, fro $40-$100. (Online, at http://www.straighttalk.com/ they have several more phones topping off at almost $400) I bought the cheapest one. It was an LG 220c, after tax it was about $45. Then I bought the "Unlimited Plan". With Straight Talk you have only a couple of options for buying minutes: Service cards are ONLY sold at Walmart at this time, so you could go to you local Walmart, you could purchase a service card online at straighttalk.com, or you could enroll in "auto-refill" online with a credit card. (Highly recommended)
One week into having their service and my phone, my microphone goes out. I don't have a chance to get to Walmart until the end of the month. I got to Walmart, exchanged the phone, and bought another service card, hoping that they would give me the next month free for all the time I lost. (They could look up the few minutes I used in their database and even give me a 1000 minute plan but no.) I called to activate the phone, and they told me I am one day too late buying a service plan, and my account and phone number have been deleted. I tried to plead with the man to at least give me some free service time but it never happened. So, I had a new phone number.
I was on Straight Talk's website and saw the Samsung SCH-r451c. I looked up the specifications of the phone, and it said that it was Java enabled, had embedded Java games, e-mail, and instant messaging. Everything I was looking for in a phone. I had planned on upgrading since the day I bought the first phone. The manufacturer's specs are here. So I searched, and could not find the phone at any Walmart in my area. So I went on eBay, and bought it for $108, which is more expensive than the company sells it for. Straight Talk/Walmart sell the phone for $99. But I was satisfied, because it came with an accessory kit: headset, car charger & USB cable. I'd say I got my money's worth.
I activate the new r451c. I play with the full QWERTY slide-out keyboard for awhile, and do some texting. Then, I decide to go download some games and application/apps. I go to the mobile web browser, and go to google. I go to a Java download site, I try to download a game. "Unsupported File Type", then an app, same thing happens. I decide to try several sites. Still it does not work. Also, with Straight Talk, if you try to buy ringtones and wallpapers from other sites besides straighttalk.com, you will have wasted your money. They won't work. Straight Talk, unlike TracFone or NET10 (another subsidy of TracFone) disables all content types, unless you download it from their site and pay $2.99/song. I even went to TracFone's website, entered my serial number, and got the exact same specs and manual that was on the Samsung link I provided. You can transfer files via USB and bluetooth, but Java is still not supported. I am very frustrated. The thing is, the phone DOES have Java installed, its just disabled, I've been trying hack it my hardest, but I come up with nothing. Another note about Straight Talk: unless you purchase the Samsung Fineese for around $370, which has a full html browser, and works with java by the way, the browser, which is available on almost all ST phones, is so basic and slow, you could call it a version 0.0000001. Straight Talk runs on Verizon's CDMA 1x service.
So, after much frustration, hours upon hours searching the web, over 20 calls to Straight Talk, over 5 calls to Samsung, 2 calls to Verizon, and over 6 calls to TracFone, with them telling me to call the other one, and I just went in circles, I decided to take legal action. I reported TracFone Wireless Inc. - Straight Talk division, to the Better Business Bureau. I should expect a response within thirty days of my complaint, so I should expect a response around February 14, 2010.
Straight Talk is a great service if all you want to do is talk and text. Its wonderful. But if you want to do anything more than that, you're either going to pay $370 for your phone, or you need to go with another provider. I rate Straight Talk a 3/5. I'd like to hear everyone's feedback.
Plan 1 - "All you need"
Price: $30/mo
Minutes: 1000
Texts: 1000
Data: 30 Mb
411: No additional charge
Plan 2 - "Unlimited"
Price: $45/mo
Minutes: Unlimited
Texts: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited
411: Unlimited
In December 2009, I went to Walmart to buy a Straight Talk phone and service card. The prices of the phones at Walmart vary, fro $40-$100. (Online, at http://www.straighttalk.com/ they have several more phones topping off at almost $400) I bought the cheapest one. It was an LG 220c, after tax it was about $45. Then I bought the "Unlimited Plan". With Straight Talk you have only a couple of options for buying minutes: Service cards are ONLY sold at Walmart at this time, so you could go to you local Walmart, you could purchase a service card online at straighttalk.com, or you could enroll in "auto-refill" online with a credit card. (Highly recommended)
One week into having their service and my phone, my microphone goes out. I don't have a chance to get to Walmart until the end of the month. I got to Walmart, exchanged the phone, and bought another service card, hoping that they would give me the next month free for all the time I lost. (They could look up the few minutes I used in their database and even give me a 1000 minute plan but no.) I called to activate the phone, and they told me I am one day too late buying a service plan, and my account and phone number have been deleted. I tried to plead with the man to at least give me some free service time but it never happened. So, I had a new phone number.
I was on Straight Talk's website and saw the Samsung SCH-r451c. I looked up the specifications of the phone, and it said that it was Java enabled, had embedded Java games, e-mail, and instant messaging. Everything I was looking for in a phone. I had planned on upgrading since the day I bought the first phone. The manufacturer's specs are here. So I searched, and could not find the phone at any Walmart in my area. So I went on eBay, and bought it for $108, which is more expensive than the company sells it for. Straight Talk/Walmart sell the phone for $99. But I was satisfied, because it came with an accessory kit: headset, car charger & USB cable. I'd say I got my money's worth.
I activate the new r451c. I play with the full QWERTY slide-out keyboard for awhile, and do some texting. Then, I decide to go download some games and application/apps. I go to the mobile web browser, and go to google. I go to a Java download site, I try to download a game. "Unsupported File Type", then an app, same thing happens. I decide to try several sites. Still it does not work. Also, with Straight Talk, if you try to buy ringtones and wallpapers from other sites besides straighttalk.com, you will have wasted your money. They won't work. Straight Talk, unlike TracFone or NET10 (another subsidy of TracFone) disables all content types, unless you download it from their site and pay $2.99/song. I even went to TracFone's website, entered my serial number, and got the exact same specs and manual that was on the Samsung link I provided. You can transfer files via USB and bluetooth, but Java is still not supported. I am very frustrated. The thing is, the phone DOES have Java installed, its just disabled, I've been trying hack it my hardest, but I come up with nothing. Another note about Straight Talk: unless you purchase the Samsung Fineese for around $370, which has a full html browser, and works with java by the way, the browser, which is available on almost all ST phones, is so basic and slow, you could call it a version 0.0000001. Straight Talk runs on Verizon's CDMA 1x service.
So, after much frustration, hours upon hours searching the web, over 20 calls to Straight Talk, over 5 calls to Samsung, 2 calls to Verizon, and over 6 calls to TracFone, with them telling me to call the other one, and I just went in circles, I decided to take legal action. I reported TracFone Wireless Inc. - Straight Talk division, to the Better Business Bureau. I should expect a response within thirty days of my complaint, so I should expect a response around February 14, 2010.
Straight Talk is a great service if all you want to do is talk and text. Its wonderful. But if you want to do anything more than that, you're either going to pay $370 for your phone, or you need to go with another provider. I rate Straight Talk a 3/5. I'd like to hear everyone's feedback.
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