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Virgin Mobile turns Spitzer scandal into marketing gold
Poor, poor client number 9, Eliot Spitzer. Having suffered a humiliating week in the US press, corporate Canada is now taking its shot at the disgraced New York governor. That's the actual print ad which Virgin Mobile will run in Toronto newspapers this week with the following subtext: "At Virgin Mobile, you're more than just a number. When you call us we'll treat you like a person, not a client. Whether you're #9 or #900, you'll get hooked up with somebody who'll finally treat you just how you want to be treated." Let's just see if Spitzer swallows the jab, or comes out fighting this unauthorized use of his image. Full text blow-up after the break. [Via Textually]
Virgin Mobile stock takes a beating, revenue not forecasted to grow
Hot on the heels of dismal news from the Helio camp comes word that frowns are all the rage over at Virgin Mobile, too. After warning that "current quarter subscriber growth would fall to a range of 5,000 to 20,000" (compared to a net gain of 210,000 in Q4) and expressing concerns that the weakness in the US economy would further harm its chances at having a stupendous decent year, shares of its stock sank some 54-percent to $2.30 (but did manage to recover somewhat). Potentially more worrisome, however, was the pessimistic views from analysts; for instance, Bear Stearns' Phil Cusick noted that after two disappointing quarters in a row, he felt that the "softening economy and increased competition had eliminated management's ability to forecast its business." Of course, when the street expects your revenue to increase by some 20-percent and you calmly explain that it downright "will not grow this year," we suppose the stock drop isn't all that shocking.[Via mocoNews]
Everyone else sued over picture caller ID
A four-pack of carriers is getting sued over the infringement of three 2007 patents that appear to center around the concept of picture caller ID -- but here's the best part, it's actually a different dude from a different company than the one that sued Apple. US Cellular, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Helio are all named in the suit, suggesting that either the remainder of major US carriers have already licensed the technology, or this so-called Intellect Wireless just has a very bizarre way of choosing its defendants. So here's our question: what picture caller ID technology was patented by some random company in 2007 that these guys could possibly be violating?
Virgin Mobile launches in India, but don't call it an MVNO
Emphasizing that Virgin Mobile India's launch is a "brand franchise," not an MVNO, Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson has unveiled the partnership with Tata Teleservices to bring the company's marque to a range of CDMA handsets in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile markets. The franchising scheme is an interesting one because it allows both Tata and Virgin to hook up with other partners, and indeed, Branson has already said that he'll be shopping the service to GSM carriers later this year. As part of the launch, Virgin Mobile is touting ten "industry firsts" -- and while most of them are marketing mumbo jumbo, it's notable that every single phone offered by the carrier MVNO brand features a color display and FM radio. The service is available now.[Via mocoNews]
Virgin Mobile deploys automated phone activation
Who wants to talk to customer service if they don't have to? Lucky Virgin Mobile customers (and soon-to-be customers) just got a free pass to spend a little less time on the horn with company reps thanks to the MVNO's deployment of Telespree's over-the-air provisioning wizardry. Apparently, the entire process now requires zero human intervention from beginning to end for both new customers and upgrades alike. Kinda ironic that we're buying a phone to talk to others and we no longer have to talk to others, isn't it?
Lawsuit claims Virgin Mobile told a little lie to boost IPO showing
Virgin Mobile's October IPO raked in a solid $412.5 million -- a little bit off its highest estimate, yeah, but still boatloads (and when we say "boatloads," we mean "hundreds of millions of dollars") higher than what it had thought it could get when it first announced its intentions to go public. A new class action suit alleges that the $412.5M figure was inflated, though, by Virgin's fudging of third quarter revenue figures which conveniently have since been revised down to indicate a $7.3M loss. Unfortunate coincidence? Maybe, but Virgin's stock fell a solid 14.4 percent on news of the redone numbers, so we can understand that a few shareholders might be grumbling about the sitch. Meanwhile, the MVNO's form letter reaction to the news is in full effect, claiming that the lawsuit is "completely without merit," so we're guessing this one's gonna be tied up in the legal system for a hot minute or two.
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.
Virgin Mobile Canada lands Motorola KRZR
At CAN $299, the Motorola KRZR that just plopped into Virgin Mobile Canada's lineup is the most expensive handset in its stable. Featuring all the bells and whistles of the same handset released this time last year by the other carriers, we're honestly a bit surprised by the pretty heavy price point. No word on that lovely $10 unlimited data plan being available on this handset -- perhaps its "tetherability" is a stumbling point? -- but trust us, we'll be keeping our eyes wide to see what develops.[Via HowardChui.com]
Virgin Mobile's IPO nets $412.5M, not quite what it hoped for
It seems the $467.5 million Virgin thought it could muster in its IPO filing was a little optimistic -- though it still fared far better than it thought it would a few months back. Shares of Virgin Mobile started trading today on the New York Stock Exchange at $15 a share; multiply that by 27.5 million and you arrive at a healthy $412.5 million in proceeds. Most of the money is earmarked to repay debts and to buy back 16.7 percent of Sprint's ownership, making the relatively successful prepaid MVNO a more independent entity. No word yet on whether it can spare a few dimes to research bringing higher-tech handsets to its lineup, unfortunately (bear in mind this is the carrier that just discovered Bluetooth a few months back).[Via mocoNews]
Virgin Mobile Canada gets unlimited data for $10, two new phones
Look familiar? Yep, Virgin Mobile's Canadian outpost is getting two phones that should ring a bell for Sprint peeps in these parts: the Samsung m300 and m510 flips. The m300 doesn't look half bad, but its spec sheet's pretty forgettable: 1xRTT data, VGA cam, you get the idea; pick 'er up for $99 CAD. The $199 m510, though, is where things start to get interesting. Simultaneously with the phone's launch, Virgin is firing up its "Tidal Wave" unlimited data plan (sounds vaguely Helio-esque, does it not?) for just $10 a month -- way cheaper than any competing plan up there -- the only catch is that the m510 is the one and only device that they'll let you hook up to it. We're sure the connection's pretty restrictive (laptop tethering hopefuls, sorry, you're still stuck with far more expensive plans) but Virgin says you have "unlimited megabytes for surfing the mobile web." Lucky thing the m510's down with EV-DO, that's for darned sure.Read - Samsung m300Read - Samsung m510Read - Tidal Wave Data Pak[Thanks, Stewart M.]
Virgin Mobile finally files for IPO, looking for $467.5M
It may not be quite the $506 million it was looking for a few months ago, but $467.5 million still seems like a princely take for a young MVNO that had expected a mere $100 million when it initially announced plans to file for an IPO early this year. The initial public offering for 27.5 million shares of "VM" has finally been filed, with Virgin Mobile looking to pocket $15 to $17 per share. Revenues from the sale will go toward paying back debt and "general purposes," which we're guessing -- nay, hoping -- equates to reinvestment in the company's offerings (bear in mind that this is the same Virgin Mobile that started offering its first Bluetooth enabled handset just a few weeks back). The move will reduce ownership by both of the company's corporate parents; Sprint's stake falls from 47 percent to 17.2 percent, while Virgin Group drops from 47 percent to 35.7 percent. It's been stated that Virgin Group won't see any cash from the IPO, so we're guessing Sprint will considering its far lower post-IPO share. Cha-ching! [Via Phone Scoop]
Kyocera's Wild Card for Virgin Mobile does 3G
Bluetooth fever: catch it! Virgin finally caught wind of this newfangled Bluetooth standard with its most recent release, the Super Slice, and we're glad to see the trend continues. Hints of the Switch_Back's replacement -- christened "Wild Card" apparently -- are starting to circulate around Virgin's US site, and fans of the original are probably going to like what they see. The center d-pad placement on the QWERTY keyboard and the smallish innter display both carry over, while Bluetooth is a key add-on. It gets better, though: the Wild Card looks set to possibly become Virgin's first 3G device, with "high-speed data service" specifically mentioned on page 9 of the user's manual. Bleeding edge, eh? What's next, Virgin, a 2 megapixel cam?[Thanks, Mitchell K.]Read - Small picture of the Wild CardRead - Kyocera Wild Card user's manual [Warning: PDF link]
Virgin Mobile intros Super Slice, its first Bluetooth phone
Would ya believe Virgin is just now getting down with that whole Bluetooth fad? No, seriously, it's true, and it has a name: Super Slice. As the moniker implies, the 10.2mm thick candybar is the successor to last year's Slice, a phone also sourced from UTStarcom. Features include a VGA cam, up to 270 minutes of talk time, speakerphone, a fresh user interface, and a refreshing price: $59.99 contract free (Virgin's prepaid, after all) when it rolls out to shelves in the middle of the month.
LG says "Aloha" to Virgin Mobile
Pardon the pun -- it can't be helped. Virgin Mobile is known for keeping its handsets on the lower end, owing largely to the fact that the MVNO does the lion's share of its business with prepaid accounts (read: contract-free phones). In fact, two of its existing clamshells lack an external display -- a nearly standard feature on all but the most inexpensive flips -- so it comes as no surprise that the newly-introduced LG Aloha is in the same vein. Features include a color display, speakerphone, and support for up to 199 contacts, but that's about it -- if you need a camera or Bluetooth, look elsewhere. Grab it starting in September for $34.99.[Via Phone Scoop]
Engadget interviews Sir Richard Branson!
Our own Paul Miller found himself jet-setting on Virgin America's inaugural flight with none other than Sir Richard Branson -- that's right, he's a knight and he could probably kick our asses -- of Virgin Group fame. Naturally, the topic of Virgin Mobile came up in the discussion. What does Sir Richard think of his little MVNO project here in the States? Read on to find out!
The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group
Yesterday we sat down with Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group, in the first class cabin of Air Colbert on the inaugural flight of Virgin America. Richard's day started with a rush through NY rain to make the plane that morning, and was losing his voice on top of it, but he was nice enough to spend a some minutes with us chatting up a few of his myriad of companies. We requested to speak to him about Virgin Galactic, but he isn't allowed to comment on the current situation due to an ongoing investigation into the explosion at Scaled Composites.Thank you for talking with us today. Congratulations on the flight!Thank you very much.How are you liking it?[Laughs] Well, I'm biased. And we've spent years and years trying to get this Virgin born and off the ground, and so many people have put so much time and effort and sweat and toil into it. Our competitors have tried to smother it at birth and make sure it never happened, but now it's finally happened. It's the perfect birth, I can't think of anything I'd change. She's a beautiful baby, has got beautiful eyes, and I'm very very proud of her, very proud of what everyone's done to get this.It's definitely been a well publicized fight to make this happen, what made it worth three and a half years to launch Virgin America?I think anybody who's traveled on the legacy carriers in America will know why people have to fight to try to compete with them. The quality of their service is almost non-existent. I wouldn't say that's particularly the fault of their crews, it's the tools that those crews have been given by their masters, or they haven't been given any tools, and the end result has been... If you look at any poll of the best airlines in the world, I've never seen an American carrier come anywhere but very very near the bottom. So, in a situation like that, it's right for Virgin to come in and shake up that industry. The very fact that we come in and we offer that equality will mean that will lift those legacy carriers, it'll be actually good for them. They'll have to compete back, and I'm sure they will. But, you know, it's up to our team that we always remain one step ahead.
HTC Trilogy gets clawed back by Virgin Mobile
Remember the abomination handset lovingly called the Lobster 700TV? Well, British Telecom's Movio service -- with Virgin Mobile as the only customer -- is pulling the plug due to a "review of its wholesale solutions." Lets hope the thousands of people who picked this thing up are big on DAB radio, because that is all that will be left come end of year. We're pretty sure that with a sexy handset, not an ugly, cut in half, Nokia 6600 mutant, this may well have enjoyed at least a modicum of success.[Thanks, Leigh]
Virgin Mobile aims for $506 million in IPO
Lying in sharp contrast to Amp'd's less-than-stellar fortunes, Virgin Mobile USA -- a joint venture of Virgin and Sprint operated very differently from its European cousin -- is actually hoping to do even better than originally expected. The MVNO had said in May that it hoped to raise up to $100 million through an initial public offering of shares (stock symbol "VM" in case you're curious), but that figure has now skyrocketed up to a rather shocking figure of $508 million. Virgin Mobile hopes to use the cash to pay off a handful of debts it accrued in the process of getting its business off the ground, something Amp'd hasn't quite managed to do just yet.
Virgin Mobile to file for IPO
Virgin Mobile's distinction of being the first MVNO in the U.S. means it is the "granddaddy" of virtual operators, at least stateside. Enough bragging time has now gone by apparently, as Virgin Mobile has filed for an initial public offering (IPO). The move will take the company public where shares of the company will be traded in the U.S. marketplace. Some pundits believe this signals a maturation of the MVNO segment in the U.S. wireless landscape, but don't tell that to the scrappy folks at Amp'd Mobile or Helio, will ya? Anyhoo, Virgin Mobile has filed to be listed as "VM" on the New York Stock Exchange and it's possible the company will raise up to $100 million in the offering. That wad of cash will most likely be used to pay off debt and give a certain, unknown sum to Sprint Nextel, the carrier representing the American half of the joint venture -- the other half, of course, being Virgin proper.
Discount retailers want to sell more handsets
With 65% of U.S. mobile handset buyers going to carrier outlets and counters to buy all those handsets, that leaves the other 35% of US wireless customers looking at other sources for all those cellphones by our math; physical and online retailers pick up that slack. Which, exactly? Wireless Week reports that powerhouse retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Wal-Mart are (unsurprisingly) doing their part. Hey, are those calling plan commission bells we hear? Anyway, Wal-Mart has gained ground from the days of selling low-end phones and plans, offering a decent assortment from more than a few carriers these days; Best Buy is doing well also, while Radio Shack -- once chummy with several carriers -- is apparently being beaten badly by the bigger consumer electronics and discount chains, and the news that its outlets won't be getting the iPhone in store can't be easing the heartburn. Of course, we figure this kind of fierce competition can only be good news for consumers, so bring it on; if the big boxes want to beat carriers' corporate stores dollar-for-dollar on handsets, you're not going to hear a peep of complaint out of us.
