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Verizon slashes daily unlimited prepaid voice rate in half, now $1.99
This won't have much relevance to the lot of us that no longer user our voices to communicate, choosing instead to discuss current events with our friends just blocks away in 160-character chunks fired off on cramped QWERTY keyboards -- but if you look at carrying a phone as more of a necessary evil than a lifestyle accessory, this might be of interest. Verizon has cut its daily prepaid rate for unlimited voice on dumbphones from $3.99 to $1.99, a half-off fire sale that seems a nod to the fact that voice is less important (and cheaper for carriers to offer) than ever before. Notably, the messaging rate doubled at the same time, going from one cent to two -- doesn't sound like much, but if you're belting off a couple thousand texts a month, this might not be the best option for you. Instead, AT&T -- which most regard as Verizon's closest competitor and mortal enemy -- recently lowered its per-day prepaid rate from $3 to $2 and includes unlimited texting in the package.
Page Plus Cellular adds annual prepaid plan: $80 a year for 2,000 minutes
Voice-only wireless customers who couldn't possibly care less about messaging or data probably aren't reading this site to hear the news, but if they were, they'd find out that prepaid carrier Page Plus Cellular has just added a pretty wild new plan that lets you pay $80 in exchange for 2,000 voice minutes that expire annually. Let us phrase that a different way: $80 a year for 2,000 minutes. That's not going to do your average smartphone user much good, but if you know someone that carries a phone in their car, purse, or pocket (usually uncharged, may we add) for the sole purpose of making the occasional emergency call, this might be a solid option. Follow the break for the full press release.
US Cellular rolls out trio of new prepaid plans with unlimited messaging
Texting fanatic? Are your poor, overused thumbs calloused beyond recognition? Well, friend, US Cellular has some new prepaid plans that might be right up your alley. The new $29, $39, and $49 offerings all include bottomless buckets of text and picture messages, paired with 200, 400, or 1,000 voice minutes, respectively -- but let's be honest, if you're texting that much, you probably aren't on the horn that often anyhow. Even better, the $39 plan bundles 5GB of data, which seems to make it the sweet spot if you tend to go light on calling and heavy on the texts and browsing. Follow the break for the full press release.
T-Mobile prepaid account management on the fritz for the past week, Web DayPasses hard to buy
A quick gander at T-Mobile's official support forums suggests that the carrier's prepaid customers have been in a world of hurt for the past few days -- or the ones that use data, at least. The problem seems to be that visiting the page where you top up on $1.49 Web DayPasses for daily web access produced one of a number of errors, which effectively means that your phone has been reduced to a calling and texting machine... and let's be honest: we're only in this for the data, right? Calls to customer service have apparently rooted out that the Thanksgiving holiday accounted for part of the delay in getting the issue fixed, but as far as we know, it's still not totally back to normal -- so let us know what you're seeing in comments. [Thanks, Edward]
Virgin's payLo service breaks the $20 mold, adds third plan for $30
Virgin Mobile has been attacking the ultra-low end segments of the market with its two-pack of payLo prepaid plans this year, both of which retail for $20. Well, if you're looking for a slightly fancier package, Virgin is answering the call today with the introduction of a third payLo plan at the $30 mark, offering 1,500 voice minutes, 500 messages, and 10MB of data per month. That marks the first time that a payLo plan has included either data or text buckets -- and considering how important both of those are these days, we imagine the new plan will find a taker or two. Interested? It's available immediately.
T-Mobile busts out new prepaid plans with data options, mix-and-match voice and text
Come October 18, T-Mobile USA will be shaking things up in the prepaid market with a handful of new options that finally acknowledge users -- yes, even those on prepaid plans -- are gobbling data in droves. Unlimited voice and text with 2GB of data will run $70 a month; the same plan with just 100MB of data will run $50, and for $30, you'll be able to get a pretty interesting concept that includes any combination of 1,500 minutes and text messages plus 30MB of data. For $1.49 per day, you'll be able to sign up for a Web DayPass, which gives you unlimited browsing capability on any data-capable phone; T-Mobile tells us BES isn't currently supported, but that shouldn't be an issue for most. If straight-up data is more your thing, you'll want to check out the T-Mobile Jet (pictured), T-Mobile's first dedicated prepaid data stick. The new modem commemorates the launch of a handful of prepaid data options, including $10 for a weekly allowance of 100MB, $30 for 300MB monthly, and $50 for 1GB monthly. We'd hoped that T-Mobile would resist the urge to cap data and follow through with the bandwidth throttling option instead, but then again, we suppose things work a little differently in the prepaid market. Look for the Jet to hit retail online on the 18th of this month, followed by in-store availability on the 20th. Follow the break for the full press release.
T-Mobile's Passes prepaid data plans leak out
We've been saying prepaid data plans are going to be the next big wave in mobile, and it looks like T-Mobile's getting on board -- we were just sent this employee training sheet detailing the upcoming Passes plans. All of T-Mobile's mobile broadband products are eligible, which is nice, but the plans themselves are a bit lame -- $10 gets you 100MB of data or a weeks' access, whichever comes first, $30 gets you 300MB or a a month's worth of access, while $50 nets you 1GB or 30 days. That's an odd blend of tiered data pricing and prepaid limits, and it compares poorly to T-Mobile's standard $39 / month data plan with a 5GB cap. But hey -- flexibility isn't cheap. Expect to see this one launched at CTIA for October release -- the docs say the new plans will arrive with a new Jet USB modem and a prepaid SIM card retail package as well.
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%
AT&T lowering some GoPhone plan pricing this weekend, adding bundled data option
Prepaid wireless plans are seeing a resurgence in popularity lately, due in part to the fact that top-tier carriers like Verizon are getting with the program and adding prepaid smartphones into the mix. AT&T is looking to get a little more competitive with its GoPhone brand this weekend, it seems, taking a gander at this chart we've obtained that shows a few options actually decreasing in price -- an absolute rarity for this business. Notably, the unlimited daily talk and text plan will be dropping from $3 to $2, and the per-minute "simple plan" will be dropping from 25 cents to 10 cents. The 1MB and 100MB data add-ons remain the same at $4.99 and $19.99, but there'll also be a new $75 unlimited talk and text plan that bundles 200MB of data into the mix with additional kilobytes charged at one cent each. Starting to make postpaid look a little lame, isn't it? Look for it all to go into effect this Sunday, October 3. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] Update: Confirmed -- here's the press release.
Clearwire starts selling roaming WiMAX Day Passes in US and Japan, unlimited data awaits
Got some Intel-powered WiMAX equipment, a Clear subscription, and a yearning to spend some time in Japan? Then we've got great news for you, sailor! Clearwire has just hooked up with UQ to provide Day Passes over in the land of earthquakes and sushi. These act as one-day roaming permits for your WiMAX needs, furnishing you with unlimited 4G access and costing a measly ¥600 ($7) a pop. So basically, it's the Clear Rover gone international. Clearwire's also talking business with other global partners and the ultimate idea seems to be for it to hook up with all the big WiMAX purveyors and set up an affordable 4G roaming network for its internationally minded customers. The full press release awaits after the break.
Verizon officially announces prepaid smartphone data packages
After a flood of leaks, Verizon's just officially announced its prepaid data plan for smartphones. The new 3G Prepaid data package will offer smartphone users "unlimited" data for $30 a month, while feature phone users can score 25MB of data a month for $10 with a 20-cent-per-meg overage fee -- all contract-free, of course. The prepaid smartphones include all of Verizon's Android phones, the Pre and Pixi Plus, as well as most recent BlackBerrys, which is a pretty solid list of choices -- and you can sign up for them today or online on September 28. Of course, you're still on the hook for a full price phone and a voice plan (and there's no mention of texting), so whether or not this works out to be a deal is up to you, but we're definitely seeing the prepaid data market start to significantly heat up, and we like it. PR with full device list after the break.
Prepaid Droid, BlackBerry and Palm phones coming to Verizon? (update: confirmed, box spotting)
We'd heard a few rumors of some new prepaid offerings from Verizon recently, but it now looks like the carrier could really be about to expand things in a big way -- at least if some purportedly authentic leaked documents are any indication. Apparently received by Android Does from a helpful tipster, the documents list a whole new lineup of prepaid phones, including a slew of BlackBerrys, the Palm Pre and Pixi Plus, and just about every Android-based phone Verizon offers (including all of the Droids and even the yet-to-be released Samsung Fascinate -- again listed for September 9th). While there's no indication of prepaid pricing for the phones themselves, they would apparently be available with an unlimited $30 a month data plan, which would have to be tacked on top of a minimum $45 a month voice plan. Yeah, that's pretty aggressive for Verizon any way you slice it -- maybe too aggressive to be true? [Thanks, Bryan] Update: Well, it looks like this chances of this happening just got a whole lot better -- head on past the break for a shot we received of a Verizon Prepaid BlackBerry Curve box. If you look closely at the back of the box, you'll also notice that the pricing matches up with the leaked documents, including monthly plans from $45 to 75 a month, and unlimited email and web for $30 a month. What's more, while there's no shots just yet, we're hearing that the prepaid Droids are also a go (with the same plans), and that at least the Droid 2 has been specifically mentioned. Update 2: As if that wasn't enough, we've also now gotten a handful more tips confirming that this is the real deal, and that it will apparently include BlackBerry, Android and Palm phones only (at least when it comes to smartphones). Update 3: And just in case you still don't believe us, we just got screenshots of Verizon's inventory system listing all the current Droids, the LG Ally, the Motorola Devour, the Palm Pre / Pixi Plus, and a host of Blackberrys as pre-paid capable phones. Check it in the gallery. %Gallery-100821%
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.
Motorola Bali and Rambler flip phones hitting Boost Mobile on August 11
Boost Mobile does a fine enough job advertising its $50 monthly unlimited plan, but how's about the phone selection? If you're a fan of flips, Motorola has a new duo headed to the aforesaid operator next month. First up is the Rambler (shown right), which boasts a full QWERTY keypad, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, stereo Bluetooth, IM / email capability and inbuilt GPS. The Bali, on the other hand, rocks a more traditional input surface along with an MP3 player, external touch controls and a microSD slot. Both handsets will go on sale August 11th, with the Rambler running $99.99 and the Bali $149.99. Who said Boost never gave you more (keys) for less (dough)?
Verizon launching $80 5GB prepaid data plan next month, FiveSpot too?
At present, Verizon only offers prepaid mobile broadband in buckets ranging from 100MB up to 1GB at prices from $15 to $50. Problem is, 1GB goes by in about two seconds if you're YouTubin' your way through a layover in Atlanta, enjoying a little too much Hulu and Pandora, or torrenting a few ISOs (perfectly legal ones, of course) -- so to that end, we're hearing that a 5GB option will be launching on August 23 for a breathtaking $80. Presumably, it'd be good for 30 days from the date of purchase the same as the current 1GB plan, though we don't know that from the information we have. Sounds a little ridiculous to us, but we suppose that's the price of contract freedom on a top-tier network these days. On a related note, we're now hearing that the FiveSpot mobile hotspot we told you about is lined up for a late August launch as well, though we don't have an exact day, and it'll be officially replacing the MiFi -- makes sense. If you already have a MiFi and you don't do much international travel, it doesn't seem like there's a compelling reason to upgrade, but globetrotters are definitely going to want to check this out. [Thanks, RBF]
Virgin Mobile rolls out payLo: your choice of two $20 prepaid plans
Ironically, we doubt payLo's presumed namesake -- J-Lo -- is going to be taking advantage of this service with her zillions upon zillions of entrepreneurial profits, but Virgin Mobile's new line of plans should find a happy home with plenty of customers. The service actually consists of two pay-as-you-go plans from which you can choose, both running $20: 400 voice minutes good for a month, or three months at 20 cents a minute. If voice isn't your thing, you'll be paying 15 cents per text, 25 cents per MMS, and $1.50 per megabyte of data per day -- so needless to say, this setup is for light users looking for an ultra-cheap way to carry around an ultra-cheap phone. There's a market for that, we're pretty sure. [Thanks, Jusaon]
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]
Virgin Mobile launching prepaid MiFi next week
The spotlight on Sprint's MiFi has definitely faded since the launch of the Overdrive and EVO 4G -- both of which can kick it into high 4G gear when in range -- but Sprint subsidiary Virgin Mobile is bringing Novatel's groundbreaking mobile hotspot back into the forefront by taking it to the prepaid world. What that means is that you'll be paying $149 for the MiFi itself -- contract free, naturally -- plus any of a number of prepaid data rates ranging from $10 for 100MB all the way up to $60 for 5GB. It's said to be launching next Monday online and in Best Buy and Radio Shack locations -- so if you're an occasional data user, this might be about the best option on the block.
T-Mobile rolls out fresh unlimited prepaid voice and text plans
So those rumored new prepaid options for T-Mobile's American customers have turned out to be delightfully legit, and they're being made available pronto. To be specific, there are two new options coming into the fold: a $50 unlimited voice and text plan along with a $15 unlimited messaging plan that lumps in voice for 10 cents a minute -- potentially perfect for those of us who've migrated a solid 90 percent of our communication from calling to texting. It's also similar in theory to a plan being floated by Sprint's Common Cents Mobile, offering the same deal for $20 plus 7 cents per minute with its round-down feature -- in other words, Common Cents is probably the better option among the two if you do significantly more calling, though you'll be stuck with a bargain-basement selection of CDMA handsets. Both of T-Mobile's new options go live this Wednesday.
Common Cents Mobile becomes Sprint's latest prepaid brand, exclusive to Walmart
That new prepaid business for the anti-power user crowd that Sprint was fixing to launch? Yeah, it's here and it's official: meet Common Cents Mobile. Billed as a way to help folks "cut unnecessary costs," Common Cents Mobile is about as simple as it gets, offering pay-as-you-go 7-cent minutes and 7-cent text messages, plus unlimited messaging for $20 a month and data for $1 per megabyte per day. The bigger news, though, might be that voice minutes round down, which is a first in the US market as far as we know (in other words, frugal customers will want to make sure they hang up 59 seconds into the minute). As you might expect, the handset selection is bare-bones and easy on the pocketbook, consisting of the LG 101 at $19.77, the Samsung M340 at $39.77, and Kyocera's portrait QWERTY S2300 coming in at $69.77 -- all totally contract-free, of course. Look for these all to launch in select Walmarts across the land starting this Saturday, May 15. Follow the break for the full press release.
