Helio launches

Alright kids, it's the moment we've all been waiting for (and by we, we mean the MVNO nerds). SK Telecom's and Earthlink's joint-venture Helio is officially lighting up today with their first two devices -- the Hero and Kickflip. We're all pretty well briefed to date on the capabilities and general offerings the service was supposed to have, so let's get to the plans and pricing, of which there are two types: the All-In Membership, which includes unlimited data, video, MMS, texting, nights and weekends, roaming, and long distance with the plan; and the A La Carte plan which is as the name implies. The All-In buys you 1,000 anytime minutes for $85, 1,500 for $100, or 2,500 minutes for $135 (which we think is a pretty good value, considering what some are charging for that many minutes and unlimited phone data); the A La Carte gets you a 500 minute $40 monthly plan straight up. Oh, and the devices now have prices, too: the Hero will set you back $275, and the Kickflip will ding you for $250. We have a sneaking feeling we know which will outsell the other. So if you're not ready to wait until the end of the month for their retail rollout to switch carriers (or join Helio as your first), fortunately you can just order direct and cut the middle man.

P.S. -More info on the media services Helio's offering over at Engadget Mobile.

[koffeekan @ May 2nd 2006 12:37AM]

as soon as my contract with cingular runs out i am SO getting one of those!

[medina @ Jan 3rd 2008 9:35PM]

i already have a contract with sprint. if i buy a Helio can i just switch the ESN. (Electronic Serial Number)

[FDB @ May 2nd 2006 12:51AM]

I see some cues from the iPod in the kickflip. Looks like a winner. Maybe if I was 16 I'd be interested. I'm assuming their using Sprint as their carrier so service won't be that great. It's a shame they are targeting this at the youth crowd because the interface seems great along w/ the screens and the data packages are reasonable. Throw in a QWERTY on the Kickflip 2 and I'm in.

[Kevin @ May 2nd 2006 1:02AM]

do those plans include unlimited n/w?

[James @ May 2nd 2006 1:12AM]

Love the new design...only a few more months till my cingular contract is up. I'll definitely consider this one.

[peter @ May 2nd 2006 1:14AM]

sprints sero beat this if you can get it.

[Christian @ May 2nd 2006 1:27AM]

Yep, unlimited nights and weekends included.

[sbstrd @ May 2nd 2006 4:12AM]

Bluetooth??? What a waste of money without being able to tether that thing using Bluetooth! How can it be for teen techies without having Bluetooth!?!

It will probably survive...about two the three months that is. Hopefully in a year we wont fine the owner crashing a Ferrari Enzo!

;)

[TrashTalkies @ May 2nd 2006 4:38AM]

I am so counting the days until my contract with Tmobile runs out. Pay about the same money for more services huzzah! And well like I said, I have Tmobile so if Helio runs on Sprint's network how much worse can it be than Tmobile?

[CeeJay @ May 2nd 2006 4:51AM]

But can it run Doom ?

[TZK @ May 2nd 2006 6:38AM]

Yes - it can run DOOM.

[Galley @ May 2nd 2006 8:58AM]

My Samsung A900 already does this for only an additional $15-25/month.

[josh @ May 2nd 2006 11:14AM]

For me, no qwerty, no buy-ie.

You gotta beat the sidekick/hiptop folks.

Otherwise, pretty cool lookin' service EarthLink. Show me a qwerty and I'll show you the money.

[Baffled @ May 2nd 2006 11:33AM]

#10: Are you actually bragging that you have something that performs the same tasks as what this article is talking about, but for more money?

Does this make sense to anyone else?

[Jamaicanbwoydre @ May 2nd 2006 11:43AM]

Damn, if this thing had GSM i'd be all in, i just bought a Sony Ericsson for use on cingular and my contract is up next month

[craig @ May 2nd 2006 12:37PM]

I like this but I wish they had a 500 min and unlimited data option. I am not a talk whore so I could not see my self paying for 1000 minutes. I like the idea of gettin IGN updates or Fox sports news updates straight to my home screen. Here is to hoping they will add some more phones and possibly restructure pricing with one additional price plan at like 60 bones with features talked about above.

[patchmonkey @ May 2nd 2006 12:47PM]

I'm getting one. After being in Japan for a few months, I can't go back to the craptastic phones in the US.

Plus, Helio lets you tether legally! It's GREAT!

[Lindsey @ May 2nd 2006 12:52PM]

What is tethering? Are you sure it uses Sprint's towers? Is there any roaming? I really want one, but can only find limited information.

[Jason @ May 2nd 2006 3:43PM]

I am interested, but I worry about the lack of M to M minutes. Currently I am on Sprint (ugh, I know!) and being able to call some of my friends and girlfriend who is on Sprint (now you know why I'm on Sprint) saves me a lot of minutes each month. My Cell is my only phone so I use it a lot. Since this is a MVNO they can't have many users to M to M minutes.

[Jason @ May 2nd 2006 3:47PM]

No Bluetooth? How could they not have Bluetooth?!?! Even cheap phones these days have that. I will wait for the next round of phones...

[raindog @ May 2nd 2006 6:38PM]

Seems a bit soon to reintroduce Helio as a brand name, but I suppose I only remember the last Helio because I'm one of the 12 or so people who bought one....

[reckless @ May 2nd 2006 8:34PM]

yeah, i don't care how much inspiration helio is taking from south korea, in america the hip kids with fancy phones also have laptops--that unlimited ev-do is only worthwhile if the phones support bluetooth DUN.

[Dark_sHadow @ May 2nd 2006 10:12PM]

Really, this is just for Teen's who yack all the time...

[DK @ May 3rd 2006 3:41PM]

yeah~ like many of you I'm counting my days till my contract is over with Cingular~ if you are a korean, I think if you are korean, you must get this phone, not because it's from korean company, because the service they are offering~ with the plans($85&up)you can send and recieve text to people in korea~(in korean) that cost me either 25 cent or 40 cent per message on my cingular service~ so If you have friend in south korea, it's a must~

[Let's Get Real @ May 3rd 2006 11:29PM]

Helio is just a MVNO folks. Which means an overpriced service plan folks. Sky and his South Korean friends are just a little late. If they were the first, then maybe they would end up with the same number of subscribers of Virgin Mobile and Boost.

Their phones stink. Anyone who argues different has forgot to mention that most european unlocked phones work on Cingular and T-Mobile, which outnumbers this little service offering by Helio. No bluetooth. Of course not. Sky is out having a good time, forgetting what people want, and trust me on this, it isn't Helio.

The major four own and operate their networks. Virgin, helio, boost do not. They run little funny call centers if you can call it that out of a single building and call themselves a carrier.

[Jimmy @ May 6th 2006 10:58AM]

I am a spammer: [e-mail]

[Clemente @ May 14th 2006 12:17PM]

What does MVNO mean? Im new to this ad havent heard of Helio before. Also what other new phone companies are pout there?? All I kno of is Amp'd.

[Katie @ May 15th 2006 6:46PM]

who is the provider?? does it come with cingular?

[Austin @ Jul 20th 2006 7:01PM]

Helio will not last more than a year, it is using cdma so its not capable of international roaming in most countries. Also no bluetooth or devices with qwerty? There coverage map shows everywhere in the US covered, how's that when your using sprints network?

[Demonis @ Aug 13th 2006 2:07AM]

Just got the Hero on the ALL-IN 500 anytime minute plan. My last phone/carrier was a Samsung A900 W/ Sprint. Love the carrier/service (Sprint) thats why Helio was a good choice, same great signal, even better phones, and a perfect data plan for me. Text/picture/video mail all free. Awsome media player and media capabilities, very nice camera phone. No bluetooth, so what... I used bluetooth on my A900 ONLY when I was driving, and thats because I drive a stick. So now I can spend less time on the phone, and more time watching the road. My only complaint is getting used to the menus... Theres just so much there, its hard to find your way around at first.

Also, I don't understand why everyone hates sprint so much, theres only one place in this country (this is after many trips out of state) that I have had a lack of signal for more than a few minutes.

[Pete @ Sep 19th 2006 12:23AM]

does anybody know how to activate or use this phone on SPRINT?

[James @ Sep 11th 2007 12:21AM]

Let me see it is now over a year later and Helio is still around, not out of business. They just released a really cool phone, Fin. The service plan prices are indeed coming down with market pressure; yet they are still here, and the haters out there who predicted doom are still predicting doom; simply adding another year--sounds like the end of the universe crowd :-)

[ChrisCulp @ Sep 28th 2007 3:18AM]

Ok KIDDIES I have had HELIO for almost a year now. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!! STAY WITH YOUR CURRENT CARRIER! Trust me. They go through a third party for insurance claims. It took me 2 months to get a new device, not to mention. Some of the helio media mover software wont work properly with windows XP home edition. Trust me. Ive been going through heck with helio since i signed up with them. Its why they have lost my business. Its a waste of time and money. Your device WILL NOT work the way they guarantee I promise you that. Mark my words, it will be one of the things you regret in life if you sign up with helio now.

[Medina @ Jan 3rd 2008 9:38PM]

I already have a contract with sprint. if i buy a Helio can i just switch the ESN. (Electronic Serial Number).

[medina @ Jan 3rd 2008 9:40PM]

I already have a contract with sprint. if i buy a Helio can i just switch the ESN. (Electronic Serial Number).

[Justin @ Feb 6th 2008 4:26PM]

THIS PLACE ROCKS!!! Retailers say, "Pick me..Pick me" Forget it!!!! Helio retailers submit their lowest price to AuthorizedMerchants.com, then AuthorizedMerchants tells customers who has the best price. It was too easy! I got my Ocean for $79 and I got a free car charger.