A friend of mine wants a new “pay-as-you-go” smartphone without a locked-in monthly contract and asked me for a recommendation. While researching the plans and phone I came across this humorous ad for Tracfone’s LG 800G phone (click image to enlarge):

(No wonder they're free!)

Hmmm… “Free Accessories Kit” for a phone with no available accessories? Actually, the phone does come with a car charger, headphones, and a belt clip – they’re just not listed anywhere on Tracfone’s website.

BTW, the “Free Accessories Kit” makes an inexpensive cellphone with good performance, copious features, and free “Triple Minutes” for the life of the phone (buy 1 minute, get 2 more free) even more attractive. The LG800G is not a “Smart” phone per se, but it doesn’t lock you into a monthly plan – a requirement of (nearly?) all Smartphones on the market today.

Bonus: If you’ve read down this far, the advice I give to my cellphone-seeking friends who are not interested in plunking down a king’s ransom for an iPhone® is:

If you use less than 300 minutes of airtime per month, consider a Tracfone or Net10 plan – they’re about 8-10 cents per minute. Otherwise, consider one of Walmart’s “Straight Talk” plans and phones.

Thanks for reading!