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Walgreens' and Sprint's partnership expands to Chicago and Dallas
If your options for a new phone are limited by your budget, transportation options or not wanting to sign a contract, an expanded partnership between Sprint and Walgreens could help you out. The pair recently announced that by year's end, between the Chicago and Dallas-Ft. Worth metro areas the there will be some 80 new Sprint Express locations at the corner-store chain. The two promise further details will be announced within the next few months.
Cricket Wireless has an unlimited plan for $65 a month
Not be left in the dust by the likes of T-Mobile, Sprint or Verizon when it comes to pre-paid smartphone plans, AT&T is getting aggressive with its Cricket Wireless offering. For $65 a month ($70 if you opt out of auto-pay) you'll get unlimited talk, text and LTE data across North America. That price includes all taxes and fees as well, which should mean no surprises on a monthly basis.
Daily Update for October 14, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
AT&T-owned Aio Wireless launches prepaid service in Houston, Orlando and Tampa
Aio Wireless, a prepaid subsidiary of AT&T, is launching with a nationwide "unlimited" voice and data service. (As is so often the case, that buzzword comes in quotes because speeds will be throttled once you meet your plan's data cap.) The three plans range from $35 to $70 per month, and 4G downloads will reportedly top off at 4 Mbps. Customers can either choose from Aio's modest selection of handsets -- including the iPhone 5 and the Lumia 620 -- or bring a compatible, unlocked device of their own. The service will kick off in Houston, Orlando and Tampa, with additional markets launching later this year. Head past the break for the full press info.
AT&T to offer new $65 GoPhone monthly plan starting October 7th
Shared data's not for everyone, which is why AT&T's continuing to augment its prepaid offerings with additional GoPhone options. Announced today, the carrier's new $65 monthly plan is geared specifically towards smartphone users, combining unlimited talk and text with a 1GB allotment of data. And in tandem with this new package, the operator's also releasing the Fusion 2: a white-labeled Android device that's slated to retail for $99 -- no contract strings attached. Both are set to launch this October 7th, so if you're commitment-averse and in need of a new device, this could be the plan for you. Hit up the break for the full presser.
Daily Update for June 25, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Cricket now offers the iPhone with $55 'unlimited' everything plan
Cricket Wireless, the prepaid subsidiary of Leap, has just announced the availability of the iPhone 4 and 4S on its network. When they go on sale June 22nd, a 16GB 4S will set you back $500, while an 8GB 4 clocks in at a slightly more affordable $400. Both are available with Cricket's $55 "unlimited" everything plan, which includes all you can eat talk, text, and data -- provided your idea of "unlimited" data falls within its fair usage policies (in this case, 2.3GB of data). Cricket is hardly alone among America's smaller carriers in offering the iPhone, C-Spire as well as a number of regional carriers all stock Apple's wares. What makes this offering unique, is that Cricket is the first completely prepaid carrier to sell the handset. So, if you want an iPhone, but don't want the contract or the post-paid, usage-based fees? Well then, Cricket might just be your new best friend. Check out the PR after the break and hit up the source for more info.
Verizon intros $50 unlimited plan, takes a swing at pre-paid operators
In a direct shot at its lesser competitors, Verizon Wireless announced today the launch of a new $50 unlimited plan for pre-paid customers. Available starting this Thursday, the unlimited talk, text and web option'll rollout to all of the operator's retail locations, in addition to Walmart, Best Buy and Target. Users who opt for the plan won't get their pick of high-end smartphones, and will, instead, have to choose from a selection of four feature phones from LG, Samsung and Pantech. The move could seriously undercut growth for Sprint -- which operates Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile -- as well as smaller operators, like MetroPCS, that count pre-paid users as the majority of their customer base. It's not really an even fight, but with fellow industry titan AT&T already offering a similar non-contracted service, all's fair in this messy wireless war.
T-Mobile blesses contract-averse with Rocket 4G modem and better data plans
If you're waiting impatiently for the ability hook your laptop in to T-Mobile's blazingly fast 42Mbps HSPA+ network, you are going to have hold tight just a little bit longer. But here's some good news to tide you over: the 21Mbps capable Rocket 4G USB stick is here, and available starting April 17th with new prepaid data plans for those who prefer not to chain themselves to a two-year contract. The $30, 30-day plan will jump from 300MB to 1GB, and the $50 plan will be bumped from 1GB to 3GB. It's not as flashy as the 4G Mobile Hotspot nor as fast as the 42Mbps Rocket 3.0, but it's priced at a reasonable $59.99 -- and controlling the destiny of your mobile broadband soul must be worth something.
Sprint's Common Cents brand falls into the sofa cushions, replaced by Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk
It was some... curious timing. On May 6th of last year Sprint's new boy toy Virgin Mobile announced the Beyond Talk prepaid plan. Then, just a week later, Sprint launched its own, separate prepaid plan, Common Cents. Beyond Talk started at $25 a month for 300 minutes while Common Cents was $.07 per minute, all contact free. The latter of those two is now dying away, never catching on despite what must be said is a rather catchy name. Its users are being lumped into the Virgin payLo scheme, while Beyond Talk will take over the kiosks and marketing avenues currently occupied by Common Cents. There, with its rag-tag group of featurephones and data plans, it will continue the fight against the evil TracFone empire.
Virgin Mobile USA partners with Walmart for Broadband2Go offer, $20 a month for 1GB
If you took a gander at Virgin Mobile USA's latest Broadband2Go plans you might have noticed a bit of a hole between $10 a month for 100MB and $40 a month for unlimited data. Consider it plugged, with a new $20 monthly 1GB plan that starts today. That's quite a bit nicer than the previous $20 for 300MB plan, but of course there's a catch: it's available only at Walmart, and only to owners of a Novatel MiFi 2200 or Ovation MC720. We hate to say it, but this might just be worth putting aside your hate of all things Walton and making a run over to your local big box -- though a trip to Walmart.com would certainly be easier.
Clearwire's Rover service goes live, offers $5/day 4G service
Looks like the prepaid wireless data market is starting to heat up: Clearwire just launched its Rover service, which offers 4G wireless data for as little as $5 a day -- with two free days included when you first sign up. That's not bad if you just need a quick hit here or there, although you need to pony up $150 for that Rover Puck WiFi hotspot we saw at the FCC last month or $100 for a USB stick, and anything more than a day quickly becomes less of a deal at $20/week and $50/month. Oh, and it's 4G-only, so if you're not living or working in a WiMAX city you're out of luck. Still, those prices aren't terribly out of line with the competition, although we might be more inclined to choose Virgin's $40/mo prepaid MiFi and settle for 3G speeds while getting more coverage. Decisions, decisions -- what a wonderful problem to have. PR after the break.
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...
Virgin Mobile deals the Kyocera Wild Card
Virgin Mobile is officially dipping its toes into smartphone water with its latest offering, the Kyocera Wild Card. Of course, how deep into that particular pool both companies are going is a question for the ages. The Wild Card isn't exactly the most robust phone you'll ever get your hands on, though the flip-phone does offer a QWERTY keypad, dual screens, a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth integration, and a WAP browser. The hitch is that you'll have to view that browser on a 128 x 160 screen, which is painfully, embarrassingly small -- though they do throw in Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man to keep you distracted. Hey, for a price point of $99, you could do way, way worse. The phone is available now from your friendly neighborhood Virgin Mobile dealer.
