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MarketWatch reports that Sprint will announce later this week that it will begin offering the iPhone on a prepaid basis through its Virgin Mobile brand. The announcement will come just days after Leap Wireless announced that it would begin offering the iPhone on a prepaid basis through its Cricket brand beginning June 22.
The Overland Park, Kan., carrier will announce this week it will offer the popular smartphone on its Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go brand starting as soon as July 1, according to people familiar with the company's plans. Sprint follows Leap Wireless International Inc. in selling the device with prepaid service.
By offering the iPhone, Sprint may help satisfy its commitment to Apple to buy $15.5 billion of the phones over four years, an aggressive bet as more carriers are getting access to the once-exclusive device. Sprint's prepaid service, which also includes the Boost Mobile brand, has been its lone area of growth as contract customers have fled.
Virgin Mobile's pricing for the iPhone remains unknown, and it is also unclear whether Sprint's Boost Mobile brand will also gain access to the device. Boost had been rumored last week to be adding the iPhone in September.
Virgin Mobile's existing smartphone plans begin at $35 per month with unlimited data (throttled after 2.5 GB), although the report notes that it is unknown whether the iPhone would be eligible for the carrier's cheapest plans.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Do Americans need everything done for them by the carriers?
And you also pay full price for the phone. This won't be full price but $150 cheaper.You get a PAYG Virgin Mobile SIM-Card.
You buy an iPhone
You put the PAYG Virgin Mobile SIM-card in the iPhone.
It just works.
You can do that on TMobile right now because its GSM and uses a SIM Card. The issue is you are on the Edge network and don't get 3G speeds even.
Also isnt Virgin Mobile USA on a CDMA network, similar to Verizon and Sprint? The unlocked iPhone 4S can only be used on other GSM networks like T-Mobile.
I think this is horrible news. The iPhone has been viewed in the top tiers of phones since its introduction. If you go to a carrier such as Virgin, you are dumbing it down. It will tarnish the view and reputation of iPhone and iOS. Steve would have never allowed this. The majority of people that use Virgin usually have a lower socioeconomic status, or are teenagers. This is where iPhone will become Android. Bad.
Of course! and from your signature, I see that you are from the higher socioeconomic status, good for you man! isn't it wonderful being you?
$35 / month sounds really sweet.
What is bad about buying the phone up front when you save a ton over two years compared to everyone other plans.I'm guessing we're going to have to buy the phone up front though so not sure if I'll jump.
I'd love a $35 option but I guess is it will be around $40 or $50 for the plan. In reality, that is all I need if even that. Im near Wifi 90% of the time and barely even talk via voice anymore since most conversations for hooking up with people and meeting them come via either email, or chat/texting.
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With the iPhone coming to all these pre-paid and regional carriers, I wonder if this is Apple's response to Android and its dominant market share...? :confused: Just theorizing.
It should be. The iPhone should be on every carrier. It should be up to the buyer to choose his plan/carrier. The majority of carriers are r-ping everyone.On average you are looking at $2K over 2 years with Sprint/AT&T/Verizon. If you have the unlimited plan its almost $3.2K. That's fricking ABSURD.
I want a paygo option. I shouldn't have to pay for more if I don't use, need it.
And people went nuts when that happened. I remember quotes like "have you seen the type of people that go to Wal Mart?"
There's an odd dichotomy among people who like Apple.
Many people genuinely prefer Apple because they have rationally observed that many of Apple's products are better engineered, and offer a better user experience overall, than the competition. That's enough evidence for them to reach the conclusion that they should give preference to Apple over other manufacturers as they evaluate their purchasing decisions.
But then there are others. People who seem to use their ownership of Apple products as a status symbol. They want to turn their noses up at everybody else who has the lack or worthiness or poor taste to be using any non-Apple product. The notion that their exclusive Apple products might gain a wider user base through more accessible pricing really seems to come as a threat to their egos.
I think this is horrible news. The iPhone has been viewed in the top tiers of phones since its introduction. If you go to a carrier such as Virgin, you are dumbing it down. It will tarnish the view and reputation of iPhone and iOS. Steve would have never allowed this. The majority of people that use Virgin usually have a lower socioeconomic status, or are teenagers. This is where iPhone will become Android. Bad.
It won't tarnish anything. Apple won't allow features to be removed regardless of what carrier the phone is at.
If anything, this gives users more options for a carrier. People forever complained that the iPhone was only on AT&T, and now that it's showing up on lots of carriers, folks are complaining that it's on too many carriers now?
Ya'll are never satisfied, are you? Or is this just a troll post? :)