RadioShack to Offer No-Contract Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 Beginning Tomorrow

As announced earlier this month, Sprint subsidiary Virgin Mobile is set to begin offering the iPhone 5 later this week. While the no-contract carrier will offer the phone via its own website, select retailers, such as Best Buy and RadioShack, will also be carrying the Virgin Mobile iPhone 5.

According to a tipster, RadioShack will begin selling the contract-free Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 beginning tomorrow, both in store and online. 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.

Virgin Mobile's iPhones are available with no contract and plans begin at $35 a month, though the price can drop as low as $30 per month with auto pay. At the $35 price point, the phone comes with 300 minutes of talk time, unlimited messaging, and unlimited 3G data usage (throttled after 2.5GB). A $40 plan with 1200 minutes and a $50 plan with unlimited minutes are also available.

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NoCleverSNForMe

71 months ago

This is exactly what I was waiting for!... Six months ago.

Honestly. Six months ago this is exactly what I wanted: unsubsidized new-ish iPhone, reasonable pay-as-you-go plan. Now the next iPhone is around the corner. Why would I want to pay (slightly less than) unsubsidized for last year's phone?

Nice try. Too late guys.

You guys are hilarious. :)

Two points:

1) You're forgetting that the slightly less than unsubsidized price is coupled with RIDICULOUSLY cheap monthly rate plans ($30-$50/mo). I am in a fantastic Sprint area, so I can benefit from Virgin Mobile. I save hundreds of dollars a year, and I accept that I will have to be on last year's model for 9 months behind everyone else. So what? I have an extra $600 or more in my pocket while your brand-new-in-October iPhone 5 suddenly looks stale in front of the potentially new iPhone 5S. (By the way, the 4S was still a great phone when the 5 launched, and I'm sure the 5 will run iOS 7 just fine when the 5S is released).

2) You can't blame them for releasing it in June. Why would Sprint, the 100% owner of Virgin Mobile, offer its prepaid division the current iPhone at or right after its launch? As a customer, I would obviously choose the $30-$50/mo plans over their $80+fees-$110+fees/mo plans. They're playing it smart - releasing the 5 while it's still current and the 5S is around the corner.

I love that we all have different values - you value the latest iPhone over cheaper service. That's not a bad thing! I just want to open you up to the ideas of people who have different values from you (like me).

Have a great day!

Rating: 5 Votes

KazKam

71 months ago

Too late.

This is exactly what I was waiting for!... Six months ago.

Honestly. Six months ago this is exactly what I wanted: unsubsidized new-ish iPhone, reasonable pay-as-you-go plan. Now the next iPhone is around the corner. Why would I want to pay (slightly less than) unsubsidized for last year's phone?

Nice try. Too late guys.

Rating: 1 Votes

sebastian...

71 months ago

It's $30 for the cheapest plan. (300 min + unlimited text + unlimited LTE data, throttled after 2.5GB)

Funny differences between europe and usa.
Here we can get 8 GB data with full speed for 10 $ - and this is prepay - you are not obligated to pay every month if you don't want.
And maybe 7 $ for 2000 min voice.
But an unlocked iphone is more like 700 $ instead of 500 $ .
Or for 600 $ iphone in usa you pay 800 $ here.

I'm not sure which way is better.

Rating: 1 Votes

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