With the advancement of communication technology, the whole world has become barrierless. As a result, it is quite impossible to imagine our modern lives without digital devices and communication technologies. But these sophisticated and advanced gadgets can be extravagant and difficult to purchase for a person with a modest income. Besides, internet packages are quite costly, too. This situation creates digital divides, which can initiate a vicious cycle of poverty.
To mitigate such a situation, there is a U.S. government benefit program called Lifeline, and this program supports SafeLink Wireless®. SafeLink Wireless® is provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc., which offers you a Smartphone or SIM Card along with free minutes, texts, and data each month for qualified customers. It is possible to get SafeLink phones online or in-person by visiting any of 70,000 retail locations across the country, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kmart, Radio Shack, Vons, Family Dollar, Dollar General, CVS, Rite Aid, and many others.
Can I Buy SafeLink Phones at Walmart?
Unfortunately, no. SafeLInk is a government initiative to provide telecom and internet service to eligible households. But you can buy TracFone phones at Walmart that some are compatible with Safelink Wireless. Walmart sells a wide variety of items, including phones. And it’s possible to purchase those SafeLink compatible phones from those items along with affordable monthly plans.
How Does SafeLink Work With TracFone
SafeLInk utilizes the TracFone carrier, and hence some of the TracFone phones are compatible with SafeLink that you can buy from Walmart. Some of these SafeLink compatible TracFone phones are TracFone Samsung Galaxy J3 Luna Pro 4G, TracFone ZTE ZFive 2 4G LTE Prepaid Smartphone and Tracfone Carrier-Lock LG Rebel 4 4G LTE Prepaid Smartphone. You will find pretty humble and low-tech smartphones to the most advanced and sophisticated devices among them.
TracFone Wireless offers prepaid plans only, and it can be as low as $15 per month. TracFone has a strong relationship with top brands, and there is a range of smartphones available from those brands which are compatible with TracFone. Since SAFELINK WIRELESS® is provided by TracFone wireless, some of those devices are eligible for SAFELINK WIRELESS®, too. But not all TracFone smartphones are compatible with SafeLink because it is only compatible with GSM phones, and some of those smartphones are CDMA phones. You will find some of these phones in Walmart retailers that are compatible with Safelink.
Best TracFone Phones at Walmart, Which is Compatible SafeLink
Shopping from the Walmart retailers can be quite a pleasing shopping experience since Walmart has plenty of offers, special discounts, Black Friday sales, Gift cards, and many more. You can save lots of cash buying from Walmart. Here is a list of phones that are compatible with the Tracfone SafeLink program and available at Walmart retailers.
1. Tracfone LG STYLO 4 Phone
To stay connected, LG STYLO 4 is obviously a smart choice. These phones are compatible with the Tracfone SafeLink program and available at Walmart. It’s a value phone featuring many advanced technologies at a budget price. This device is operated by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, Android 8.1 Oreo OS, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage. The storage can expand to 2 TB through a microSD card. A Li-Ion, Non-Removable battery of 3300 mAh capacity provides Talktime upto 11 hours.
A 6.2 inches IPS display with 1080×2160 pixels resolution is used in LG STYLO 4, which also serves as a capacitive touchscreen. It can display high-resolution videos and pictures smoothly. The 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5 MP front camera can capture 30 fps and 1080×1920 pixel videos.
LG STYLO 4 is fashioned with Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyroscope, and Fingerprint sensors. It allows HTML, HTML5, CSS 3 to run on an internet browser. This phone has Stylus to write on the touchscreen. LG STYLO 4 is hearing aid compatible.
The LG Stylo 4 can work on AT&T / T-Mobile networks, and it is 4G LTE capable, too. For pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices, it equips with Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. This phone has built-in 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi for high-speed internet connectivity. It’s quite slim, having dimensions of 160 x 77.7 x 8.1 mm.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Economic
- High resolution (1080×2160 pixels) display
- 16M color display
- Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyroscope and Fingerprint sensors
- 4G LTE network connectivity
- High speed internet connectivity
- 13 MP front camera with LED flash
- Battery backup may not be satisfactory for some user
2. Tracfone Apple iPhone SE 4G LTE
You don’t have to worry about little coffee, tea, or soda splashing over your Apple iPhone SE because it is water-resistant to 1 meter for 30 minutes. It’s a great $g LTE phone which fits comfortably in a back pocket or small purse (0.71 x 6.71 x 13.82 cm). It runs on the A13 Bionic chip, which is one of the fastest smartphone chips, and iOS 13. The 4.7-inch retina display shows hi-def videos and photos along with cutting edge augmented reality apps smoothly.
The most attractive feature of the Apple iPhone SE would be the camera management feature. The 12MP rear and 7MP front cameras have next-generation HDR features that can detect faces and adjust light around one to capture natural skin tone. Apart from that, there are six studio-quality portrait lighting effects and the depth-control option to capture perfect photos every time.
Apple iPhone SE also captures high definition videos with super quality audio. Thanks to stereo audio recording options, it can record fine quality sounds. Since this device is AirPod compatible, you can share the same playlist by pairing two AirPods with this phone.
This phone can accommodate dual SIM ((Nano and eSIM)), and it is connected via 4G LTE network. Apple iPhone SE can be charged up using wireless charger or 18-watt first charger connector, which charges zero to 50% within 30 minutes. Once fully charged, it can support 13 hours of video time. These phones are compatible with the SafeLink Tracfone program and available at Walmart.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Fast microchip
- Splash resistant
- Advance camera features
- Studio quality photos
- High quality audio capturing
- Long battery life
- Fast charging option
- Dual SIM
- Costly
- The phone is locked and can’t be used in some areas.
3. BLU C6 C031P Unlocked GSM Dual-SIM Android Phone
Every time you watch your favorite movie or video clip on the BLU C6 smartphone, you have to appreciate the visual quality because the 5.5”, 720 x 1280 pixels HD display has 267 ppi pixel density. The outer casing of the phone is quite stylish having a brilliant metallic paint finish, a black or white curved glass display, and a sleek design. The dimensions are 5.99 x 3.06 x 0.37 inches and it weighs 10.6 ounces. The Quad-Core 1.3 GHz chip inside the 6580 MediaTek chipset with 1 GB RAM utilizes the Android OS (Go Edition).
BLU C6 has 16 GB built-in storage space, which can expand upto 64 GB using a microSD card to store your favorite pictures and videos. To take high-resolution pictures, you will have two rear cameras of 8 MP and 2 MP with flash. For selfies, a front camera 5 MP with LED flash is placed in front. A 2500 mAh non-removable Lithium polymer battery powers the device. BLU c6 is a 3G network phone with 4.0, A2DP Bluetooth connectivity, and it uses WI-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Hotspot for internet connectivity.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- One of the best budget phone under $100
- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
- High resolution display
- Selfie camera with LED flash
- Dual rear camera
- Aesthetic design and finishing
- 3G phone
4. SAMSUNG Galaxy A20s
If you are looking for a smartphone that is a perfect blend of performance and style, SAMSUNG Galaxy A20s can be the right choice for you. Equipped with upgraded features compared with its predecessor Galaxy A20, you will get a bigger screen, better cameras, and better performance. It has glossy and shiny finishing with a 6.4-inch bezel-less display. This display is IPS LCD type with a resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels (~264 ppi density) and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. A teardrop notch at the top of the display gives it an aesthetic look and inside the notch a 5 MP selfie camera is positioned which can capture 1080 p high-resolution videos at 30 fps frame rate.
For rendering high-quality videos and games, the Galaxy A20s includes Adreno 506. The brain of this device is Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 on Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (14 nm) chipset. This series has three different varieties of storage and memory configuration, 32GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM. It utilizes Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.0.
With three high-resolution cameras( 13MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens + an 8MP sensor with an ultra-wide lens + a 5MP depth sensor), you will be able to capture great wide-angle photos with excellent details and good color accuracy.
SAMSUNG Galaxy A20s has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, and USB Type-C for mobile and data connectivity. Various sensors like Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass increase the device’s manifold’s functionality. For audio output, Galaxy A20s features a loudspeaker and 3.5 mm standard audio jack. This smartphone runs on Li-Po 4000 mAh, a non-removable battery, and it can be charged via a 15-watt fast charger.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Stylish outlook
- Octa-core processor
- Additional GPU
- Multiple rear cameras for capturing panoramic photos
- 4000 mAh battery with fast charging option
- Cutting edge sensors
- Selfie camera doesn’t work well in low light condition
5. Google Pixel 3 – Smartphone – 4G LTE
With one of the best smartphone cameras, Google Pixel 3 performs exceptionally well in low light conditions. These Google Pixel phones are compatible with Tracfone Safelink program and available at Walmart. It has a single camera of 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide) on the back, and two 8 MP selfie cameras in front. Cutting edge technologies like machine learning-based portrait mode and synthetic fill flash take photos with defocused background and better brightness on the face. Other advanced features of Google Pixel 3 cameras are dual-LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama, night sight, astrophotography mode, top shot, Google lens, and many more.
The hardware specification of Google Pixel 3 would be Snapdragon 845 chipset, Pixel Visual Core (PVC) chip, and 4 GB of RAM with 64 or 128 GB of internal storage. For mobile and internet connectivity, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® 5.0 + LE, NFC, GPS technology are included. The 5.5-inch FHD OLED display has a resolution of 2160 × 1080 with 443 ppi pixel density. The battery capacity would be 2195 mAh with a 10-watt charging option. If a third party wireless charger is used, the charging rate is reduced to 5 watt.
Google Pixel 3 measures H: 145.6 mm x W: 68.2 mm x D: 7.9 mm, and it weighs 148 g. The outer casing is available in three colors, ‘Just Black’ (all black), ‘Clearly White’ (white with a mint green power button), and ‘Not Pink’ (pink, with an orange power button. The IP68 water protection rating ensures safety against accidental splashing, and it is water-resistant to 1.5 m of water for up to 30 minutes. The phone has stereo loudspeakers in front of the device.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Superb camera performances
- IP68 water protection rating
- High resolution display
- Option for wireless charging
- Stereo loudspeaker
- No headphone jack
- Some complaints about battery life
6. SAMSUNG Unlocked Galaxy A50
You can expect the design and performance from SAMSUNG Galaxy A50 at a mid-level price range. This smartphone features quite an impressive hardware profile such as an Octa-core, 2300 MHz, ARM Cortex-A73 and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit, 10 nm CPU, and a Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. For memory and storage, the Galaxy A series comes with four different combinations ranging from 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage to 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage capacity, which is further expandable by microSD card upto 512 GB.
The infinite Super AMOLED display is surely another brilliant feature of the SAMSUNG Galaxy A50. The 6.4 inches infinite screen covers 84.9% of the body, and it’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The screen resolution is 1080 x 2340 pixels with approximately 403 ppi density. A 25 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide) selfie camera is placed on the small teardrop notch at the top of the screen, and there is almost no bezel. A camera array consisting of a 25MP wide camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP depth sensor camera is positioned in the back. These cameras have HDR and other advanced features.
This device runs on Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5, and it measures 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm. The smartphone’s weight is 166g, and it is available for single or dual SIM options with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 G+5 GHz, VHT80, Bluetooth v5 (LTE), USB-C connectivity. Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass ANT+, Bixby natural language commands, and dictation sensors are also included.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Quite advance smart for given price range
- Brilliant display
- High quality camera with advanced features
- Fast microchip and fluid operation
- Noise cancellation feature
- Excellent call quality
- The Fingerprint sensor doesn’t perform well sometimes.
7. Tracfone SAMSUNG Galaxy S7 4G LTE
When it is about SAMSUNG smartphones, you can always expect stunning displays, and you won’t be disappointed about SAMSUNG Galaxy S7 4G LTE as well. The super AMOLED 5.1-inch QHD panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution is like any other flagship device from SAMSUNG. AMOLED displays can produce a sharper black hue than ordinary displays. High pixel density ensures crisp and sharp image display with vivid colors because of 16M color depth. For gaming applications and hi-def videos, the smartphone has a Mali-T880 MP12 graphic processor.
SAMSUNG Galaxy S7 runs on Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Mongoose & 4×1.6 GHz Cortex-A53) processor inside Exynos 8890 Octa (14 nm) chipset utilizing Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system, which is upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo), TouchWiz UI. This phone’s storage and memory spaces are 32GB 4GB RAM or 64GB 4GB RAM. The storage can add microSDXC, which uses a shared SIM slot. Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot are available for high speed internet connection. There are also Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX connectivity, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, and micro USB 2.0, USB On-The-Go.
A 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide) camera is placed in the rear of this smartphone, which features LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama mode. The selfie camera 5 MP, f/1.7, 22mm (wide) features a dual video call, Auto-HDR. The IP68 packaging of SAMSUNG Galaxy S7 consists of glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), and aluminum frame that repels water and dust. This 152 grams phone measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm. Various sensors like Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2, ANT+, S-Voice natural language commands, and dictation are also included for advanced features.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Cutting edge hardware technology
- AMOLED display
- High resolution cameras on rear and front of the phone
- Sleek outer case made of glass front and aluminium fame
- Gorilla glass protector
- Advanced camera features
- Additional GPU
- Single rear camera
- Flickering video playback
8. Tracfone SAMSUNG Galaxy J3 Orbit
SAMSUNG Galaxy J3 Orbit features some excellent upgrades from the previous model, the J3 Luna Pro. J3 orbit features Android 8.0 Oreo, 1.35 GHz Octa-core processor, and Exynos 7884A chipset with 2 GB RAM, which performs brilliantly handling multitasking and more demanding operations. But the device’s size is the same as its predecessor, 5.62” x 2.76” x 0.35” inches and the 5″ display with HD resolution (1280×720) and touchscreen fit in smaller hands quite comfortably. It weighs 144g, and the back cover has glossy finishing with a glass cover to protect the rear camera.
The 5 MP front camera is fitted alongside the Samsung logo, which lies above the display resulting in a thick bezel. Equipped with autofocus function, 8 MP rear camera can capture pictures with fine details in perfect light condition. Built-in camera apps and dedicated Mali-T720 GPU provide satisfactory gaming and HD experience. The 9 GB of internal 16 GB storage space is available for the user, and it can be increased up to 400 GB microSDXC (dedicated slot).
For internet connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot technologies are available. You can also share large files via Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE protocol, and micro USB 2.0. Galaxy J3 orbit features sensors like accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass. It has M3/T3 Hearing aid capability and 3.5 mm standard audio jack. A 2600 mAh Li-ion removable battery powers the device.
- Available in Walmart: YES
- Great look for a budget phone
- Gorilla glass protector
- Slim dimension
- Dedicated GPU
- Excellent call quality
- Multicore processor for multi tasking
- Smaller screen than average smartphones
- Thick bezel
- Software lag
Key Features to Look Before Buying SafeLink Compatible Phones at Walmart
- Carrier locked phones: when you are buying a smartphone, your first priority is to check whether it is compatible with the mobile company you want to get your service from. For Safelink compatible phones, text the word BYOP to 611611 number from your mobile. The “Keep Your Own Smartphone plan” allows the user to migrate to the Safelink carrier without changing their own devices.
- Call quality: nowadays, we do so many things on our smartphones and we tend to forget the basic functionality of a phone which is to talk with someone distant. And the voice quality may differ between carriers, phones, and even calls on the same phone. There are various codecs and cellular technologies utilized today for HD voice qualities.
- Processor: higher clock speed of the CPU means faster and smooth operation. Besides, multi-core processors perform well when handling multitasking.
- Memory: only a fast processor is not enough for fast operation, the large amount of built-in memory is also essential for running games or large apps. So, it is important to check out the RAM size of the smartphone. Don’t get confused with memory and storage capacity. Both of their capacity is expressed in GB or gigabyte. But there is a primary difference between them, the RAM (random access memory) stores the data required to run a program, and the storage space is where this data is stored when it is not running. It is possible to retrieve data from RAM very quickly and hence larger the RAM, faster the smartphone.
- Battery life: hi-tech flagship smartphones are rather power-hungry and it takes a while to recharge them. If you want to play games or run a large app, the battery will run out of charge faster. So, look for the battery capacity expressed in mAh unit. The large rating means more battery life, but it will take more time, too when recharging.
- Display: for enjoying HD videos or photos, top quality HD display is a must-have criterion for a smartphone. AMOLED displays are cutting-edge technology and they can display remarkable colors, deep black hues, and super sharp contrast ratios. Another technology used in LCD display is called IPS which ensures wide viewing angle and brighter pictures.
- Camera and built-in camera apps: the HD camera with high pixel counts is required to capture high definition still photos and videos. There are additional camera features like autofocus, panorama, HDR, and others available in smartphones to assist you in taking professional quality pictures. A LED flash will illuminate the subject in dark.
- Hearing aid compatibility: if you have a hearing impairment, you will need this feature in your phone. Not every smartphone is hearing aid compatible. So, you have to look for this feature particularly when purchasing a device.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use any phone with SafeLink?
You must have GSM-compatible phones to get SafeLink service because this service uses the GSM carrier only. CDMA phones will not work with SafeLink but phones with both CDMA and GSM radio are compatible with SafeLink.
What phone companies are compatible with SafeLink?
Virtually, any GSM phone, whether feature or smartphone, should work with SafeLink. But you have to check for carrier-locked phones. They might have some issues with the SafeLink carrier.
How do I get my Walmart Family Mobile Discount?
Walmart Family Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator that borrows the network of other companies and offers discounted cell phone plans. You will get a 33% associate discount, which applies to all monthly wireless plans with unlimited talk, text, and data for thirty days of service, ranging from $16.57 with 1 GB of high-speed data to $33.22 with 15 GB of high-speed data once activated.
Besides, Walmart’s family plans pack may save you some cash if you purchase one for multiple users. For unlimited talk, text, and data, you have to spend $49.88/month for a single line, where $149.40/month will suffice for 5 lines or users. It may not be the cheapest carrier, but you will be able to save a substantial amount every month.
Can Walmart upgrade my Safelink phone?
If you are eligible for the SafeLink program, you are also eligible for the BYOP program where you can keep your own phone and upgrade your old phone for advanced smartphones. SafeLink will automatically issue the upgraded smartphone for free.
Will my SafeLink SIM card work in a Tracfone?
Yes, and most probably you will receive a Tracfone smartphone when you apply for SafeLink LifeLine plans. However, if you decide to use your own phone, the SIM will be locked to that phone as soon as you power up your phone after inserting it for the first time.
How do I know if my phone is compatible with SafeLink?
You have to send a text message by the word BYOP to 611611 from your phone. You will receive the pertinent information in return.
Final Recap
SafeLink is a great initiative from the government to help people stay connected who are struggling with their financial conditions. But you have to be eligible for this service according to the U.S. government’s criteria. Once you are qualified, you can enjoy free talk time and other amazing offers from SafeLink.