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Leaked Verizon Unleashed pricing sheets detail $50 unlimited talk / text plans
Just in case you're still dissatisfied after taking a peek at one leaked Verizon screenshot today, well... here's numero dos. The folks at Droid-Life managed to get their paws on a couple of monochrome sheets that look more like VZW promotional material than anything else, and if Sprint's Simply Everything plan thought it had the whole market locked down, it might just have another thing coming. Best we can tell, the impending (?) 'Unleashed' pricing options will allow customers to choose a contract-free $50 / month unlimited calling and texting plan, with "Mobile Web" access thrown in as well for featurephones. 'Course, you'd have to pony up extra for legitimate data on a legitimate smartphone, but it's hardly a bad place to start -- particularly for those who are growing increasingly tired of locking themselves into two-year agreements. Hard to say if the carrier is planning to actually implement any of this, but why waste the intern's time mocking it up, right? [Thanks, Mio]
Virgin Mobile rolls out Android-based Samsung Intercept: $249 prepaid
Not much of a surprise here, but Virgin Mobile has just officially announced that it's now offering the Samsung Intercept -- the carrier's first Android handset. Running a reasonable $249 prepaid -- and exclusive to Target for the next few weeks -- the phone boasts a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, a sliding QWERTY keypad, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and all the basic Android amenities you'd expect (it's shipping with Android 2.1). Of course, that $249 is quite a bit higher than the $99 it demands on-contract on Sprint, but Virgin promises you'll save 25 percent or more in the long-run if you pair the phone with one of its prepaid plans, which run between $25 and $60 per month. Hit up the gallery below for a couple of bigger images, and head on past the break for the full press release. %Gallery-104211%
Virgin Mobile's pre-paid MIFI spotted, purchased, unboxed, and photographed
Sure, Virgin Mobile's MIFI isn't due out until Monday -- but that hasn't stopped one lucky shopper from finding one on the shelves of his local Best Buy yesterday. The enigmatic reader (only identified by the initials "NS") even went so far as to include some unboxing pictures for our (and your) pleasure. Between this, and Sprint's recent Beyond Talk announcement, it looks like 2010 is shaping up to be a good year for pre-paid wireless. [Thanks, NS]
Senators push for tracking of pre-paid cellphones
New York Senator Chuck Schumer has already taken aim at texting while driving, and it looks like he's now set his sights on pre-paid cellphones, which he says can also be dangerous -- when in the wrong hands, at least. To that end, he and Republican co-sponsor John Cornyn of Texas have introduced legislation that would give authorities the ability to identify the owners of pre-paid cellphones, which they say is long overdue "because for years, terrorists, drug kingpins and gang members have stayed one step ahead of the law by using prepaid phones that are hard to trace." That new tracking ability would also consequently place some new requirements on cellphone carriers and people buying the phones -- specifically, anyone buying a pre-paid cellphone would be required to present identification before buying a phone, and cellphone carriers would have to keep that information on file for 18 months after the phone has been deactivated. Of course, the legislation still has a ways to go before it becomes law, but Schumer says it at least has a good chance of winning support from the Obama administration. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Mobilicity launches service in Toronto: all plans unlimited, no contracts to speak of
My, talk about a breath of fresh air. Canadian wireless subscribers have long since dealt with inhumane three-year contracts on mainstays like Rogers and Bell, signing over their cellular soul on a whim in order to get a marginally subsidized phone and a guaranteed bill for 36 months. We've heard for awhile now that Mobilicity was jonesing to change things up in the Great White North, and change it has. Shortly after receiving an all-important green light from the CRTC, the company has gone live with mobile service in Toronto, with a number of other large Canadian cities to follow in the months ahead. What's most unique about the service, however, is that every single plan it sells is unlimited in nature, and there's nary a contract to be found -- you simply pick the phone you want, the plan you want, and then you pay upfront. It's most akin to the various prepaid options here in the States (Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, etc.), but still -- it's a lovely alternative to have if you're a Canuck. Unlimited calling and texting can be had for just $35 per month, while $65 per month nets you unlimited everything (including global texting, US long distance calling and data usage). The phone selection ain't half bad either, with the only major "gotcha" being that extra roaming fees can apply if you use your mobile outside of metro Toronto (or in the future, away from the carrier's specific coverage cities). Hit up the source link to get the facts straight from the horse's moose's mouth. [Thanks, Endi]
Sprint and Virgin Mobile announces Beyond Talk $25 prepaid plan, new prepaid brand
Sprint Nextel, through its Virgin Mobile brand, has announced a pretty big shift in its business model by offering new prepaid plans that begin at a mind-blowing $25 a month. Starting on May 12, three new Beyond Talk plans will include unlimited messaging, email, data, and web, as well as 300 minutes ($25), 1,200 minutes ($40), or unlimited minutes ($60) of talk time. And that ain't all -- BlackBerry data service can be added for an additional $10. Of course, you'll be paying full price for your phone, but at least the selection is indeed better than the usual pre-paid fare, including the Blackberry Curve 8530 ($300) and LG Rumor Touch ($150). We don't know how the other carriers are going to respond, but this does prompt the question: would you put up with Sprint's handset selection for a plan this cheap? PR after the break. Update: The Wall Street Journal has it that Sprint is also fixing to launch an entirely new prepaid brand, and while it declined to share a name for the new branch, it did confess that it "will let customers pay upfront for cell service by the minute rather than signing up for a month at a time." As you may expect, it'll be aimed at "middle-aged Americans who only use cellphones occasionally to make calls," and it'll join Boost Mobile, Assurance Wireless and Virgin Mobile in Sprint's rapidly expanding stable of prepaid sub-brands. Is it difficult to tell these guys love the prepaid and can't quite figure out how to make ends meet on the postpaid side? Nah...
No-contract $30 / $45 Straight Talk wireless plans storm Walmart
Remember when TracFone horrified the world with its Straight Talk phone selection back in July? Clearly the suits in Bentonville weren't so scared, as now Walmart is latching on to that very plan and claiming it as its own. In over 3,200 of the outfit's retail stores across America, consumers will be able to snag an admittedly pathetic cellie and a rather decent calling plan for just $30 a month. Three Hamiltons gets you 1,000 voice minutes, 1,000 texts and 30MB of mobile web access, not to mention nationwide coverage and free 411 calls. If that's not quite enough, a $45 per month option provides unlimited everything (voice / SMS / mobile web). Of course, the price of using an antediluvian LG 220, LG Slider 290 or Samsung 451 can't be measured in mere dollars, but hey, humiliation's only temporary -- right? %Gallery-75572%
Czech Republic and Slovakia hot for prepaid satellite service
Now, here's a concept: prepaid DTH satellite service. In fact, it's a reality in Czech Republic and Slovakia, and evidently locals are all about it. Reportedly, there is a grand total of over half a million active card customers between the two nations, making it the "leading satellite platform in the Czech Republic and second largest in Slovakia." Tough to say if this prepaid gig would even work elsewhere, but you can certainly color us (read: the "sick of contracts" crowd) intrigued.
Verizon prepaid customers get new messaging plan
Heads-up, INpulse users! Okay, sorry for calling you out like that, but Verizon Wireless has a new messaging plan on the horizon that may please those of you texting your bill straight to absurdity. Beginning on July 14th, VZW prepaid customers can choose to get unlimited text, picture and video messaging to all other Verizon customers nationwide in addition to 250 messages to anyone else for $10 per month. Huzzah?[Via phoneArena]
T-Mobile's prepaid refill system goes down; free minutes for all
File this under extremely annoying. According to T-Mobile, all systems for re-upping users prepaid phone minutes (online, phone-based, and refill hotspots) are not only currently inoperable, but have not been functioning correctly for the past three days. As a result, no minutes can be added to customers phones, but T-Mobile says that users of its prepaid service can continue to make calls from their phone with no charge until at least 11 pm tonight, even if they have no minutes remaining. The company hopes to correct the problems they're having by this evening, and we'll bring you more info as it becomes available. In the meantime, use this freebie to catch up with grandma!Update: Just to clarify, as far as we know this problem is affecting T-Mobile customers in the US. Also, the representative with whom we spoke said that calls would be free until 11 pm -- we have yet to hear an official announcement, however, so proceed with caution.[Thanks, Eric]
Pantech C120 heads to Cingular prepaid
In case you haven't heard, Cingular has an official corporate policy of not talking to us (no, seriously) so forgive us in taking a few days to gather all the requisite details of Pantech's new C120 for Cingular's GoPhone prepaid service. The diminutive candybar serves as Pantech's followup to the crazy-small C300 clamshell; like the C300, it's initially available exclusively through GoPhone, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it head over to postpaid before terribly long. Considering the handset moves for $140 contract-free, the C120 holds its own with a 128 x 128 color display, speakerphone, and VGA cam, but with a mere 2.5MB of memory on board, don't expect to fill 'er up with your favorite tunes.[Via Slashphone]
WoW Pre-Paid Game Cards on Sale
For all of you who, like me, choose to subscribe to WoW via pre-paid time cards, Amazon.com currently has the best price on them that I've yet to come across. The cards are now on sale for $24.99 (several dollars less than my local retail outlet), and if you purchase anything else to push your total over the $25.00 mark, then shipping is free. Heck, just do what I did...buy 2 cards!No idea how long this price will last, so get 'em while they're hot...
