Frugal Phone Review : ZTE Valet with 600 Minutes (Tracfone)

The first of the frugal phones that I bought was actually this ZTE Valet for Tracfone.   The one I got was the bundle deal with 200 minute card and triple minutes.   Available at Amazon : ZTE Valet Android Prepaid Phone with 600 Minutes and Triple Minutes (Tracfone) That gives you 600 minutes & 600 text messages and 600 MB of data as well as 3 months of service.   That 200 minute card itself is worth $39.99 if bought separately from Tracfone.    I paid about $65 for the phone plus the 200 minute card but right now you can get it for $39.99 plus $4.99 shipping.   Getting an Android phone plus 3 months service for about $45 is a great value.    Note this phone is sold via a 3rd party seller.  I bought it through that same seller and the purchase went just fine.

I used this phone myself for about 8 months.

The phone itself is so-so in quality.   I had some problems with it.   It worked mostly well in general but was not very reliable.     My wifi signal was pretty flakey.    It would crash once in a while and it would not handle some of the larger apps very well at all.   The camera is only fair quality.   I dropped this phone a few times and it is pretty sturdy.

PROS
Cheap
Its android
generally runs most basic apps OK
Sturdy

CON
Only 3G service
Poor wifi reception


I also had problems with text messages not sending or receiving.    That may be a network coverage issue so it may not be related to the phone itself.     That was the key reason I ended up getting a different phone.   Whether it was the phone or the service, I really couldn't stand not receiving text messages when I should have.

Its an OK phone in general but not great.   The wifi issues alone are honestly enough not to like it.   Other than that its a fairly good phone for the price.   What makes this phone a good deal is the bundle with the 200 minute / three month card and triple minutes.

Bottom line : I'd give a mild recommendation for this phone if you want Tracfone service for 3 months and want a basic Android phone and can tolerate it not being perfect.

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.  Nobody paid me for this review and I bought the phone with my own money.