Now's Probably the Time to Consider One of These Burner Phones
We're living in a new era of political unpredictability. Who knows what race, religious group, or professional sector will be scrutinized tomorrow? If you’re concerned that your devices will be targeted for confiscation and search, heed caution now. Start carrying a burner phone---a handset you can wipe clean and destroy without much thought. We've rounded up some good options.
One note: The point of using a burner is to avoid leaving a trace of your phone activity. Our list of recommended phones (and one app!) comes with links to online retailers so you can read more about the devices, but if you're trying to stay private, you should buy both the phone and a pre-paid data allotment with cash. Most of these handsets (and the prepaid cards) are available at big-box stores here and abroad.
Alcatel A206 by TracFone
Using this phone will probably make you feel 10 years younger. It won't make you look 10 years younger, (sorry) nor will it run any smartphone apps. But it sends and receives phone calls and texts. Its biggest strength is battery life—it has a standby time of up to 17 days, and you get five hours of talk time. You don't get much else. If you can get by with a simple device, this is a good option. $15 at Fry's.
AlcatelSamsung S336C by Total Wireless
If you want to stick with a flip phone, but also desire basic luxuries such as internet and email access, this is a good choice. Don’t go out of the US with it though. Unlike TracFone, Total Wireless doesn’t offer international roaming. But it does work with a Bluetooth headset and it has a sound recorder—pretty good for a phone that costs as much as a burrito. $10 at Walmart.
Samsung
LG 306G by TracFone
This LG is the intersection of cheap and modern-ish. It has a touch screen, can connect to Wi-Fi, has 3G capabilities, and even comes with a 4GB microSD card. You lose some juice, though, as it has a talk time of just three hours. $8.50 at Walmart.
LGLG K3 by Boost Mobile
This is higher grade of burner phone. It runs Android 6.0, has 4G LTE and even includes a 5-megapixel camera. With the K3, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of a super-outdated phone or pay a bundle for the added features. Plus, Boost Mobile offers international roaming, so you can bring this with you across the border. $30 at Best Buy.
LG
LG Rebel 4G by TracFone
We have officially moved into full-fledged smart-burner-phone territory. This LG handset has Bluetooth 4.0, 4G data speeds, and a decent camera. Most prepaid Android phones you can get for less than $100 run way-old Android 4.4 KitKat. This one runs 5.1 Lollipop, which is still behind the times. But it's a smartphone for cheap. $60 from Walmart.
LGSamsung Galaxy J3
This is a burner phone for someone with a lot of cash to burn. Technically speaking, it is a prepaid, unlocked phone that could be used as a burner anywhere in the world. Though that may seem kind of ridiculous to toss such a pricey phone in the trash, it runs Android 6.0 so you can use Signal, Burner, and any number of security-minded apps. It works on any GSM network in the world—just add a prepaid SIM card. $180 at Best Buy.
Samsung
Burner App
This isn’t a phone; it's an app that anonymizes your texts and phone calls. When you call or text from inside Burner, the app maintains your anonymity by routing your message through a new phone number. It's a working phone number too, so you can give it out without worrying about revealing your identity. When things get hot, just delete the number and it goes out of service. Burner is available for iOS and Android devices, and while it may be the most convenient option on this list for most people, it won’t make you feel like you’re a flip-phone-carrying drug dealer from The Wire. $5 per month.
Burner
