Radio Shack
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RadioShack starts selling Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 tomorrow
Virgin Mobile announced a few days ago that it would soon begin carrying the iPhone 5 without the need for a two-year contract. As such, a 16 GB iPhone 5 can be had for US$549.99 while the 32 GB and 64 GB will retail for $649.99 and $749.99 respectively. We are now seeing reports that the consumers looking to pick up a 16 GB iPhone 5 and sign up for Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk plan will be able to pick up a device at Radio Shack starting tomorrow. What's more, the nationwide electronics retailer will reportedly be offering trade-in discounts for users with older devices. MacRumors reports: The entry-level 16GB iPhone 5 will retail for $549.99, and customers with an eligible trade-in can receive $50 off the purchase price before July 27. RadioShack is also offering new discounts for Virgin Mobile's iPhone 4 and 4S. The iPhone 4S retails for $400 while the iPhone 4 retails for $300. RadioShack is introducing a $50 promotional discount on the older iPhones until July 6, which can be coupled with the $50 trade-in discount. That drops the price of a contract-free iPhone 4 to $200 with an eligible trade-in. A monthly iPhone plan on Virgin Mobile is only $35/month, or $30 if users sign up for automatic monthly payments. Interested users should be aware that while the cheap monthly plan offers full-speed data at both 3G and 4G, there is a 2.5 GB/month limit that, once reached, reduces data speeds down to 256Kbps for the rest of the monthly billing cycle.
Cricket and RadioShack confirm No-Contract Wireless, ship two Huawei phones to celebrate
RadioShack might have had a difficult time keeping a lid on its partnership with Cricket, but that doesn't mean we aren't interested in the official news. Launching under the expected RadioShack No-Contract Wireless banner, the unfettered phone service includes lets shoppers pick either $25 or $35 plans for basic feature phones or, more importantly, some tempting $50 and $60 smartphone plans. On top of unlimited domestic voice and messaging, these last two rates offer a respective 1GB and 2.5GB of data before throttling kicks in, with hotspot support, international text messaging and visual voicemail reserved for the highest-end tier. You'll find just two Huawei phones if you wander into a RadioShack store for the Wednesday launch: the $40 Pillar, a keyboard-touting basic phone, and a white-tinged, $150 Mercury Ice that iterates on the Android 2.3-toting Mercury only in the change of color. We're promised two additional, unnamed phones before the end of the month, and smartphones on the No-Contract service will be the only Cricket devices shipping with 8GB microSDHC cards to feed that Muve Music habit. The nitty-gritty of the hardware and plans await after the break.
Google Play gift cards officially announced, now rolling out to Target, RadioShack and GameStop
We've seen hints of them in the Google Play app and some pretty clear evidence of them in the wild, and now Google has finally officially announced the availability of Google Play gift cards. Those are available in $10, $25 and $50 denominations, and will be rolling out to Target, RadioShack and GameStop retail stores in the United States over the next few weeks (no word on availability outside the US just yet). According to Google, they'll also be available on Walmart.com later this month, but not in Walmart stores for the time being. As you'd expect, the cards can be used to purchase anything on Google Play, including movies, music and books in addition to apps (or in-app items). [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
RadioShack Mobile leak suggests Cricket Wireless-based MVNO on the way
Tired, perhaps, of juggling mainstream cellular carriers, RadioShack may be launching its own wireless branding. According to a tip we've received, the Shack is gearing up to launch RadioShack Mobile, a no-contract MVNO based on Cricket Wireless. A pair of leaked screenshots (above and after the break) seem to show a RadioShack Mobile-ready HTC One V listing and a snippet of an accompanying product page that promises low monthly rates without the shackles of a 2-year agreement. The Cricket connection? That can be found under the page's "getting started" section, which lists an activation number that pipes into Cricket's customer service line. Details on pricing and plans are scarce, but we're being told that RadioShack Mobile is expected to mirror Cricket's existing offerings, and may also offer the Huawei Mercury, the Huawei Pillar and a 4.3-inch Android device from Alcatel. We contacted RadioShack for a statement and were told that it couldn't comment on rumors or speculation. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Radio Shack discounts iPhone 4S, 4 by $50
Earlier this week, RadioShack announced via Twitter that the iPhone 4 and 4S will be on sale for a limited time. Following in the footsteps of Target, the electronics retailer is slashing the price on all models by $50 until June 30. This offer is only available in stores as Radio Shack does not sell the iPhone on its online website. [Via Electronista]
AT&T confirms HTC One X to land May 6th for $199 (update)
If you were waiting for confirmation as to when you might be able to get your hands on the HTC One X in the US, circle May the 6th on your calendar. AT&T has just confirmed that this is when the flagship handset will launch, at a price of $199 (with a two year commitment.) It's the dual-core LTE version, of course, and is also the first phone to launch with Ice Cream Sandwich on the network. If you want a slice, pre-orders will be open from April 22nd, or head on down to the source link for more info. Update: Looks like it'll go for just $149.99 if you pre-order from Radio Shack between May 6th and 12th. Proof's in the shot just after the break. [Thanks, Marko]
Where to buy an iPad on Friday
If you missed the launch day pre-orders and want to get an iPad on Friday, you should start planning your strategy now. Like any good consumer, you'll need to decide which store will have the most iPads and the smallest line so you can maximize your chances of getting the model that you want. In the past, customers have lined up in advance and waited at least overnight to get their hands on the latest iPad. This year, it's all up for grabs because Apple had an ample supply of pre-order tablets that'll be delivered on launch day. A lot of people who wanted an iPad already pre-ordered one and will have one in their hands on Friday. If you plan on hustling down to a store on Friday, here is a list of retailers that'll have a limited supply of iPads on sale. A few pro tips: be sure to call ahead to make sure the store will be selling the iPad, get there early as sales are first come, first-served and ask about any procedures if there happens to be a line. Apple retail stores Apple confirmed today that its retail stores will open at 8 am on Friday for the big iPad launch. Lines tend to be longer at Apple Stores because that's where most people go. Apple Stores usually have the most inventory and racks of accessories for the tablet device. It's also the first retailer to open so you can always wait there first and then head to another retailer if you walk away empty-handed. Wireless carriers If you want a 4G iPad, then you might want to start at your local wireless carrier. The carrier's retail stores can sell you the device and get you setup with a data plan at the same time. Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless in the US will be carrying the iPad at launch. Best Buy Best Buy is a popular spot for customers to grab an iPad. The electronics chain carries a variety of Apple devices and will likely have an assortment of accessories as well. There's no indication that Best Buy will be opening early, so I would make plans to be there during normal store hours. In the past, Best Buy has used a voucher system so early comers can get a number and leave. This way they don't have to wait in line for hours. Radio Shack Radio Shack was the only third-party retailer to accept pre-orders for the iPad last week. You could buy a $50 in-store gift card to lock in a device and return on Friday to claim it. Radio Shack won't have the same stock as the Apple Stores, but it is less traveled. If you didn't pre-order, you still should call ahead to make sure they have iPads in stock. Sam's Club Sam's Club will open at 10 am on Friday and offer the new iPad to members on a first-come, first-served basis. Only select stores (store list) will carry the iPad so you'll want to call ahead and find out which stores will have available inventory. Limit one per Membership. Target Target is a another well-known retailer that'll sell the iPad on Friday, but not many people realize the store sells Apple devices. Last year, my local store still had inventory a week after launch when every other retailer was sold out. You can even trade in a working iPad and receive up to $350 in Target store credit (64GB 3G+Wi-Fi iPad 2 version). This money can be used towards the purchase of the new iPad, or any item at Target purchase. Target REDCard users will receive 5 percent savings on the purchase of the new iPad as well. Depending on where you live, finding an iPad in your local Target may be hit or miss so be sure to check ahead before trekking down to the store. Stores will be open regular hours. Walmart When you think of Apple, you don't often think of Walmart but the retailer is an authorized Apple reseller just like Target, Radio Shack and Sam's CLub. Walmart carries several of Apple's mobile and music devices and will have the new iPad on Friday. Walmart will also keep its normal store hours and will have inventory on a first-come, first-served basis. You can use the store locator to find a Walmart in your area that'll have the iPad on Friday.
Radio Shack starting up iPad pre-orders
According to a CNET report, Radio Shack has become the first third-party retailer to accept pre-orders for Apple's new iPad. To pre-order through Radio Shack, you have to purchase a US$50 gift card and go into a physical store to place your order. Radio Shack is an authorized Apple reseller, and the chain currently sells the both the WiFi and WiFi+3G iPad 2 through its stores. As CNET points out, the Shack is also one of the few iPad resellers that accepts trade-ins of older iPads when purchasing a new model. We've reached out to Radio Shack to verify this report, but have not yet heard back. Update: A few Radio Shack employees reached out to us to confirm this report. They also point out that Radio Shack has a trade-in program for older iPad models and other electronics.
Radio Shack drops iPad 2 prices $20-50, swears it has nothing to do with the iPad 3
There's a lot of signs pointing to the release of a brand new iPad floating around these days: myriad rumors, retina displays, and even Apple event invites. Now, a freshly taken pic from an anonymous tipster has given us a little more grease for the iPad 3 rumor mill. As you can see above, starting today all iPad 2 SKUs at Radio Shack are getting $20-50 lopped off their prices, which sure seems like a good way to clear out stock to make room for a newer, pricier version. And, the good news for Apple fans doesn't stop there, as the Shack will also be discounting the iPhone 4 and 4S by $25 from March 1st - 4th. So, is this more evidence of the iPad 3, or just a retailer trying to move more product? We'll know for sure next week.[Thanks, Anonymous]
16 GB iPhone 4 still available at some Radio Shack locations
If you're in the market for a cheap iPhone 4, you may want to call your local Radio Shack. A leaked document provided to 9to5Mac suggests the electronics retailer still has inventory of both the 8 GB and 16 GB models. The two iPhone 4 models are available for US$99 with a new two-year contract. This offer extends to all US carriers with an iPhone which includes Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Supplies are limited so you may want to move fast. If you're on the fence about buying an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 4S, you can check out Chris Rawson's article that highlights some of the differences between the two handsets. You may also want to wait for the iPhone 5 which is rumored to launch later this year.
Holiday Gift Guide: Procrastinator's Edition
You know who you are. It's Christmas Eve, your stockings are yet to be hung with care, and there's a dismayingly large gap in the "gift gotten" column of your personal Nice list -- or maybe you haven't figured out what the last three days of Hanukkah are going to look like when it comes to gift exchanges. Don't panic; we're right there with you. While physical gifts may be more difficult (though not completely impossible) to get at this stage, the intangible options are still on the table. Some of the best ideas for late gifting were summed up this week by Andy Ihnatko in the Chicago Sun-Times and Chris Breen at Macworld, so be sure to check their lists (twice, even). If you've got a pair of giftees on your list who are craving new cellphones -- or, more to the point, slightly previous-generation cellphones -- MacRumors notes that Best Buy stores are running a special 2-for-1 deal on the iPhone 4 32GB model, today only. Apple no longer has the 32GB iPhone 4 on the product list, so this is an inventory dump; still, it's an inventory dump that works in your favor. Both phones need new 2-year contracts. The growth in the installed base and reach of iOS devices means that you no longer have to head for a specialty retailer (or an Apple store) to get compatible accessories. Every local Radio Shack, Walgreen's, CVS, Staples or Rite-Aid carries iPhone and iPad accessories, albeit often cheap and crappy ones. An extra pair of iPhone-friendly headphones or a set of iPad screen covers would make a dandy 'light' gift, and an SD card or Bluetooth mouse could make the holiday brighter. As Chris Breen's story points out, sometimes the best gift is the one you give of yourself. Assisting a family member with app updates, backup setup or remote access configuration might help them all year long. Making sure that Logmein or iChat are properly configured for remote support can also save you aggravation and travel time later on when that new Mac starts behaving oddly. You can always send a pretty email certificate that your relatives can print out and stick up on the wall for quick reference. The list of digital-only gifts is, of course, very long -- Andy I's story cites most of the usual suspects, including of course gift certificates for all the nicest places. He points out that a Flickr Pro account is ideal for shutterbugs, and that while Spotify doesn't offer gift subscriptions, streaming music competitors Rdio and Pandora both do; so does Netflix, for that matter. Andy also noted something I knew long ago but had forgotten: you can gift an entire iTunes playlist, even if you don't own all the songs in the list. Just drag tracks directly from the iTunes store listing into the playlist, then under the Store menu in iTunes, choose 'Share Playlist...' -- you'll get a dialog offering to publish or gift the playlist. Keep in mind that gifts of individual tracks or full playlists are only redeemable in the country of purchase; you can't do iTunes gifts for far-flung overseas family. Finally, there are the gifts that really keep on giving: learning opportunities and charitable contributions. You could simply send some dough to your recipient's favorite cause, but the fun of giving might be enhanced by one of these charitable apps. For the Mac or iOS user who wants to expand their horizons and sharpen their skills, there are plenty of solid last-minute additions to place under the virtual tree. Both the Amazon and Apple ebook stores include instructional titles like the Missing Manual, Apress or Take Control offerings. (New Mac OS X 10.7 Lion users might particularly appreciate this one.) For visual learners, it's easy to get great tutorial content from vendors like lynda.com, covering a wide range of creative computing topics. This year's crop of screencast content is particularly rich for Apple's new Final Cut Pro X, with great courseware from Larry Jordan, Manhattan Edit Workshop and Izzyvideo among others. As you scramble to find something perfect at the last second, take a mindful moment to breathe, relax and enjoy your blessings with your family. Of course, thanks to the honey-voiced hypnotherapist Andrew Johnson, there's also an app or two for that.
Transistor pioneer Norman Krim dies at 98
A man who helped make our world smaller died last week. As noted in the New York Times obituary linked below, Norman Krim didn't invent the transistor, but he was a driving force behind its use, having persuaded his employer, Raytheon, to manufacture them on a large scale. They were designed for use in hearings aids initially but, as IEEE Spectrum's Harry Goldstein explains, some later batches proved too "noisy" for that purpose and wound up in the hands of hobbyists instead, who used them in a variety of electronic projects. Krim was also intent on making things smaller even before the transistor, and led a team at Raytheon in the late 1930s that developed miniaturized vacuum tubes for use in battery-powered radios. Later in his career, he was also involved the early days of the Radio Shack chain, buying two stores in Boston then expanding to seven before selling the business to the Tandy Corporation. He was 98.
Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube
You tried to shoot a quick handheld movie with your smartphone the other night. And it wound up looking like you shot it in the middle of an earthquake. Before putting your video editing application's "Analyze for Stabilization" feature to the test, have a gander at Glidetrack's Mobislyder. Essentially a combination of a roll track and a skateboard, the Mobislyder ships with a variety of mounts to fit a selection of smartphones, camcorders and compact cameras. This, combined with four non-rolling feet and a swivel mount, allow the Mobislyder to be used at almost any low angle. That thing you're peering at above is available for $135, which could be a solid deal for a good, steady, sliding platform to shoot from. Or, it could be $96 more than the parts you picked up from Radio Shack and Home Depot to perform the exact same function. A full video demo awaits after the break.
Square makes a larger mark on the brick-and-mortar scene, available in more outlets
Best Buy, Target, Walmart, The Shack, Apple. All of the above are now proudly selling the Square credit card reader, according to a tweet sent out by CEO Jack Dorsey. It's great news for anyone willing to shell out a ten-spot in order to conduct business from their iOS device right away, rather than waiting between two and five days for a free one to show up in the mail. If you need one today, you'd best be calling up your local retail outlet to make sure they have some in stock.
Radio Shack inventory screen pegs iPhone 5 for Sprint
Could it be? Are the rumors true? If this screenshot, apparently culled from Radio Shack's inventory system, is any indication, Sprint will indeed be among the carriers offering the iPhone 5. That lines up just right with previous reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, slating the phone to hit the Now Network in mid-October. There's no indication of actual dates at this point, but if Sprint's getting Apple's next-gen iPhone, we're guessing we'll hear more about it on Tuesday.[Thanks, Anon]
Virgin Mobile announces LG Optimus Slider, sneakily postpones data throttling until 2012
Virgin Mobile was originally intending to celebrate the new month by flipping the switch on throttled data, but it decided to push those plans back and announce a couple new phones instead. The prepaid carrier announced the upcoming launch of the LG Optimus Slider (note: it's not the Optimus Note) and the HTC Wildfire S in October and, in the same press release, nonchalantly mentioned that it would delay reducing throughput speeds for heavy users until sometime next year. No word on why this came about, but we'll take good news whenever we can get it. The LG Optimus Slider is an Android 2.3 device with a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 3.2MP camera and 1,500mAh battery, and will be available online beginning October 16th for $200 and in Sprint stores October 30th. The HTC Wildfire S will show up in silver at Best Buy and in white at Radio Shack starting October 23rd, and can be yours for $200 as well. We can imagine which announcement you're most excited for. Check out both press releases in their glory after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 12, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 12, 2011: Vodacom South Africa has joined the data throttling club, though this carrier is taking a slightly different spin: BlackBerry users consuming more than 100MB of data each month will find their download speeds downgraded to GPRS or EDGE. The company claims this will only affect less than five percent of its BlackBerry customers. [via N4BB] Bada fans: the Samsung Wave 578 is featured on Orange's site as "coming soon." [via The Inquirer] Motorola announced the availability of the Fire and Fire XT in India this week. [via Motorola] The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is now being sold at Vodafone UK. [via Vodafone] Parrot announced the most recent addition to its lineup of Bluetooth products, called the Minikit+, a refresh of its popular hands-free speakerphone. The new model offers simultaneous pairing and voice commands. [via Parrot] Research in Motion is hoping to put the NFC functionality in OS 7 to good use, as it announced that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9330 as well as the Curve 9350 / 9360 will support HID's iCLASS digital keys, which means corporate folks will able to use their smartphone as an access card. [via PhoneScoop] While digging through the Droid Bionic's webtop app, the names of two unknown Motorola phones were discovered: the Edison and the Common. Little is known about the Common, but a recent FCC filing mentioned the Edison and is speculated to be the follow-up to the Atrix, albeit sans LTE as originally hoped. [via Droid-Life] The manager of the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, Matt Bencke, wrote a post pleading developers to submit their Mango-compatible apps as soon as possible, as the new update is coming to existing phones soon and it's obviously very important to have Windows Phone 7.5 run as smooth as possible. [via WMPowerUser] A leaked Radio Shack roadmap indicates the HTC Vigor should be available in stores by October 20th, and the QWERTY-packing Samsung Stratosphere will be up for online ordering as early as October 6th. As this is a third-party retailer, we can't say with surety that these dates reflect the carrier's official release. [via Droid-Life]
LG Marquee caught on candid camera, is this Sprint's Optimus Black?
Is this a case of smartphone identity crisis, or just a repurposed chassis? Whatever the case may be, LG's got a Marquee handset ready to shore up Sprint's future line-up. The leaked shot comes courtesy of a now private video spotted by Android Central, and was taken at a Dallas-based Radio Shack Business Summit. It's evident from the one Mr. Blurrycam screen cap on display that the phone's currently running a vanilla build of Gingerbread, and sports a minimalistic design that's reminiscent of the Optimus Black. We can't be certain the two are indeed twins, however that leaked roadmap did indicate a stateside October bow for the Optimus Black -- this could simply be a rebrand for the Now Network.
Mild-mannered RadioShack employee outs Google Wallet's launch date?
Okay, there's a possibility that our growing anxiousness for Google Wallet is distorting our perceptions. Or, perhaps we're merely days from its debut. Let's put it this way: new information from RadioShack suggests the retailer will begin accepting Google Wallet transactions on September 1st. While this fundamentally means that NFC readers will be in place -- which isn't earth-shattering news -- The Shack is one of Google Wallet's launch partners, and it seems the company is priming its employees for the revolution late next week. Like Fox Mulder, we want to believe. Worst case scenario, we now have proof that Google's launch partners are gearing up for its arrival. Hey, we're looking forward to handing over our phones to complete strangers. Aren't you? Update: We're hearing this is more likely just another retailer ramping up for a launch later in the month, so don't get too eager for something shocking to happen on 9/1. Also, of course you don't need to hand over your phone to use Google Wallet. Customer-facing NFC readers mean it can stay very much on your person and out of the hands of sure-handed, dashing, and handsome retail workers. [Thanks, Abed]
AT&T postponing the LG Thrill 4G to September 4?
Are you excited that a 3D phone is coming to AT&T? If you answered yes, sit down and think happy thoughts, because we're now hearing that the Thrill 4G -- aka the LG Optimus 3D -- may be delayed once more. According to a screenshot leaked from Radio Shack, the ill-fated device is getting pushed back to a tentative September 4th launch date for unknown reasons. As such, the reseller's putting a halt on pre-orders of the phone until further notice. We've reached out to AT&T for official comment and will let you know if we hear anything back. Regardless, at the rate this phone is going, the Thrill is quickly devolving into a depression.
