DO NOT buy a Tracfone FROM TRACFONE. I made that mistake earlier this year, and when it was defective I returned it and they played the “oh sorry, our warehouse is out of stock” game for about a month and finally I disputed it to my credit card in order to get a refund. Never again.

Watch sites like QVC and HSN for deals. About 2 months ago, I got a A53 with a case and a car charger and a wall charger and 1 YEAR SERVICE, for about $120. The phone itself came in the same Tracfone packaging that you would get anywhere else. And if I have a warranty problem, replacement would be through the retailer, not TF.

PLEASE do not modify your charger.

You do not seem to understand how USB-C charging works. The phone asks the charger what charging protocols (voltage/current combinations) it can support. Then the phone tells the charger what to send initially, and ask for changes as the charging proceeds. If the charger supports USB PD/PPS mode, then the charger sends the correct voltage level to the phone, and the phone does not have to do any voltage conversion (meaning that the phone does not heat up). If the charger does not support PD/PPS, then the phone will deal with it. The suggestion that “the charger’s voltage drops at a greater rate than what the phone likes” is just not possible unless there is a cable problem where the cable is dissipating too much power itself.

A charger that works with A50/A51 cannot possibly be “too weak” to work with A14.

I might try a different cable. The USB-C cable that came with the phone should be good.

Reviews of A52, A53, A54 seem to imply that they are all quite similar. Not worth replacing an A52 if it is still working well. Find a different birthday present.