Sprint to Launch iPhone Through Prepaid Brand Virgin Mobile in Coming Weeks

Wonder if they'll get the iPhone 5....anyway this is good for everyone. More PayGo options we get, the cheaper these other plans will come down.

$35 / month sounds really sweet.
I'm guessing we're going to have to buy the phone up front though so not sure if I'll jump. If they're going to be almost the same price in the long run, I'd rather have AT&T.

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...? Just theorizing.

wordoflife said:

$35 / month sounds really sweet.
I'm guessing we're going to have to buy the phone up front though so not sure if I'll jump.

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What is bad about buying the phone up front when you save a ton over two years compared to everyone other plans.

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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Prof. said:

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...? Just theorizing.

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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.

As a developer, more carriers and more options is always welcome news.

I'm not with VM for my iPhone service, but have been tempted a couple of times. I do have the BB service, and apart from really lousy (and i Mean lousy) customer service, the speeds are constant and as advertised. I've been with O2 for my phones for years now, and maybe it's time to take another look at VM, trouble is, like all service providers they HATE folks who buy their own phones.

I'm contract free, buy all my phones, and can walk when I like....This they hate. But might take a look at VM...I'm thinking about changing my landline over too....Only kept it when my Mother was still with us...It was about the only thing she could remember in the end. The entire package from VM, minus the TV stuff which I don't want, seems good...Be interested to see what others here think.

I'm glad the iPhone is expanding to the prepaid realm in the US.

Prof. said:

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...? Just theorizing.

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I absolutely think it is. These carriers get a solid phone on a great OS. If people do have the option, i think about 3/5ths of people looking to buy a phone if they had the choice between an iPhone or Android would choose iOS. I think this is great news, more voices, more opinions, more users, more control. Good move apple!

Excess inventory of 3G or 3GS units? I wonder how much inventory Apple has of these things. Still great phones though.

NathanMuir said:

I'm glad the iPhone is expanding to the prepaid realm in the US.

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Agreed..it's already like this in Europe and other countries.

Can't wait if it's true. Can finally spend upfront on a nice phone and then have a bill that makes sense for my usage.

Ryth said:

Wonder if they'll get the iPhone 5....anyway this is good for everyone. More PayGo options we get, the cheaper these other plans will come down.

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It makes sense that the next generation iPhone will be launched with many more providers given that the fifth generation Qualcomm Gobi radio chipset will support nearly every Cellular technology including Voice over LTE (VoIP like; packet switched Voice).

The fifth generation chip supports TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, LTE on FDD and TDD networks worldwide and embedded GPS capability, plus HSPA+ and EV-DO, this covers even China Mobile's different cellular technologies (TD-SCDMA) and they have 655 million subscribers now, well above all the subscribers for every carrier in the US combined.

sk1wbw said:

Excess inventory of 3G or 3GS units? I wonder how much inventory Apple has of these things. Still great phones though.

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4 and 4s...Cricket is going to offer the 4 and 4s.

Do Americans need everything done for them by the carriers?

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.

Virgin Mobile is great. I'm on them right now with an LG Optimus V at (grandfathered) $25 per month for unlimited data, unlimited text, and 300 minutes. And since mine was the first edition of the Optimus, I have free unrooted tethering as well (they disabled this really quickly in the next batch of Optimus's).

Therbo said:

Do Americans need everything done for them by the carriers?

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.

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And you also pay full price for the phone. This won't be full price but $150 cheaper.

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.

This is both thoroughly exciting and thoroughly depressing to me. I'm with Virgin now on a grandfathered $25/mo plan with an LG Optimus V and while I love what I get for the price I pay, I was really wanting to move to a bigger carrier that allows roaming like Verizon or Sprint. One of my justifications for paying more for a bigger carrier was the ability to get an iPhone. All my defenses are broken down.

The only thing is going to be when Sprint launches LTE. Their current 4G is just WiMax, so even if they launched the iPhone 5, we'd be on 3G speeds. The good news is that since they are a CDMA carrier, they at least have to offer the iPhone 4.

Ryth said:

And you also pay full price for the phone. This won't be full price but $150 cheaper.

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.

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I've used T-Mobile on the iPhone, 3G worked fine.

AppleGuesser said:

I absolutely think it is. These carriers get a solid phone on a great OS. If people do have the option, i think about 3/5ths of people looking to buy a phone if they had the choice between an iPhone or Android would choose iOS. I think this is great news, more voices, more opinions, more users, more control. Good move apple!

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Not when they see the price. I doubt many people are gonna wanna shell out 500+ dollars on a phone in the US. Especially now that the nexus is only 399.99 without a contract.

Therbo said:

I've used T-Mobile on the iPhone, 3G worked fine.

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So do you live in those select tiny areas where it's available? Because you can't get 3G on Tmobile on an iPhone unless it's in those few areas where T-Mobile has changed spectrum.

Therbo said:

I've used T-Mobile on the iPhone, 3G worked fine.

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No it did not. Maybe you thought it did but it wasn't working. The iPhones gsm radio does not support T mobiles 3g's frequency.

blackhand1001 said:

No it did not. Maybe you thought it did but it wasn't working. The iPhones gsm radio does not support T mobiles 3g's frequency.

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Exactly. And why are people down voting you?

This is FACT.

Therbo said:

I've used T-Mobile on the iPhone, 3G worked fine.

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T-Mobile UK and T-Mobile US are two different networks.

T-Mobile UK uses the same network frequencies as all of the other UK mobile operators.

T-Mobile USA does not run on the same frequencies as the other GSM-based North American mobile operators like AT&T. For 3G data service, T-Mobile USA uses the AWS band which is not supported on the current nor previous iPhone models.

Oh wow. I left Virgin Mobile and switched to AT&T to get the iPhone back in 2009. Now Virgin Mobile is getting the iPhone. I wonder if I should switch back ...

They were crazy cheap, and didn't charge me for services I didn't use or want.

blackhand1001 said:

Not when they see the price. I doubt many people are gonna wanna shell out 500+ dollars on a phone in the US. Especially now that the nexus is only 399.99 without a contract.

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99% of people don't know that they can order a Galaxy Nexus at all.