Virgin Mobile Offering iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c at $100 Off Regular Prices

[MacRumors]

In line with its previous announcement, Virgin Mobile USA began sales of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c yesterday, with the prepaid Sprint brand offering a $100 discount from normal unsubsidized pricing.

The 16 GB iPhone 5s is priced at $549 through Virgin Mobile, while the 16 GB iPhone 5c is selling for $449. Those models will be available both online and in retail stores while the 32 GB and 64 GB iPhone 5s and 32GB iPhone 5c are only available at Virgin Mobile's website.

Supplies appear to be somewhat limited at launch, with the yellow 16 GB iPhone 5c and all 32 GB iPhone 5c models with the exception of blue listed as out of stock. As for the iPhone 5s, all three gold variants and the silver 16 GB model are also unavailable. Interestingly, the 16 GB iPhone 5 remains available for $549, $100 more than the iPhone 5c, suggesting that pricing on the new models could be temporary.

Virgin Mobile first started carrying the iPhone in June 2012 with both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. It did not start selling the iPhone 5 until this June, nine months after the former flagship phone debuted on major U.S. carriers.

Article Link: Virgin Mobile Offering iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c at $100 Off Regular Prices

 

[till]

iPhone 5s on Virgin Mobile does not work on other carriers/networks overseas. It works on Sprint's Nationwide Network.

It's CDMA only. So what exactly is the point of paying full price?

 

[pauliaK]

Can I swich to another carrier or take it abroad after I paid full price for one of those? Or are those phones locked even if I pay in full right at the store?

Edit: It seems I got my question answered already.

 

[theBB]

It's CDMA only. So what exactly is the point of paying full price?

Lower monthly fees (abut $30 a month seems possible) and $100 discount on the phone.

 

[Wolfpup]

These are such awesome deals. If you've got good Sprint coverage where you use your phone, this is a no brainer. I *used* to, but weirdly Sprint's like 1 bar now while AT&T which until a few months ago barely got 1 bar of GSM is now 4ish bars of HSPA+. It's like the swapped (heck, for all I know they did in my area lol).

It's CDMA only. So what exactly is the point of paying full price?

1) It's not full price, it's discounted $100. That's the cheapest you're going to get it with any carrier, and is an amazing deal, particularly considering they've got them basically at launch.

2) Saying "what's the point if it's locked" which is what I assume you're saying...well what's the point of any cell phone then? In the U.S., most phones are locked. Verizon's isn't only because of a deal with the government (thank goodness), and T-Mobile's isn't because they're operating in a more European-like model now. But it's hardly new for a phone to be locked.

pauliaK, they're locked, but sometimes phones AREN'T locked for use abroad, or other weird things like that. I don't know if that applies here.

The Sprint iPhone is actually the best model, if not for it being locked. It'll work virtually anywhere in the world. It includes all the bands that the other model sold on Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile have plus more. If nothing else this should let it dial 911 on any carrier in the U.S.!

 

[mattfelsen]

The Sprint iPhone is actually the best model, if not for it being locked. It'll work virtually anywhere in the world. It includes all the bands that the other model sold on Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile have plus more.

Correct. See http://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/specs/ for a comparison of the wireless frequencies/bands across the different phones: Model A1533 GSM (AT&T/T-mobile), Model A1533 CDMA (Verizon) and Model A1453 (Sprint).

Unlike what staff from an Apple Store or iPhone Tech Support may tell you, the Sprint models, even if purchased full price/device only/no contract, are not unlocked, do not get unlocked at the time of purchase or "activation" (whether through iTunes or insertion of an active/inactive SIM for any carrier, Sprint or otherwise), and Sprint will not unlock them for you.

If you're after a versaltile phone rather than the cheapest possible plan (which Virgin Mobile currently is, no doubt), save yourself the grief and get a Verizon phone, which supports everything the Sprint version does (and AT&T/T-mobile variants) except for LTE bands 18 & 26, which aren't used by any US carriers. I am happily using my Verizon iPhone 5c on Solvaei, an MVNO which uses T-mobile's network.

 

[thogin]

This is almost a better deal than t-mobile's $30 plan, except you only get 2.5GB data before throttling instead of 5GB. The 300 minutes of voice is better than t-mobile's 100 minutes. That said, Sprint coverage is really bad in my town, so I'll stick with t-mobile.

 

[Wolfpup]

Correct. See http://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/specs/ for a comparison of the wireless frequencies/bands across the different phones: Model A1533 GSM (AT&T/T-mobile), Model A1533 CDMA (Verizon) and Model A1453 (Sprint).

Unlike what staff from an Apple Store or iPhone Tech Support may tell you, the Sprint models, even if purchased full price/device only/no contract, are not unlocked, do not get unlocked at the time of purchase or "activation" (whether through iTunes or insertion of an active/inactive SIM for any carrier, Sprint or otherwise), and Sprint will not unlock them for you.

If you're after a versaltile phone rather than the cheapest possible plan (which Virgin Mobile currently is, no doubt), save yourself the grief and get a Verizon phone, which supports everything the Sprint version does (and AT&T/T-mobile variants) except for LTE bands 18 & 26, which aren't used by any US carriers. I am happily using my Verizon iPhone 5c on Solvaei, an MVNO which uses T-mobile's network.

Did you have to buy your Verizon 5c from a physical Apple store? So far that's the only place I've heard will sell you one (unless you're on a ridiculous Verizon plan, of course).

I guess I plan on doing AT&T prepaid on a "T-Mobile" iPhone 5s, but if I could actually get a Verizon one that would at least leave me open to using Verizon in the future.

But anyway I still think these Virgin ones are awesome if you have coverage. $100 discount, and the plan is...well, depending on the minutes you need, like I THINK I could use the $40 plan, that's basically $10, 15, 20 cheaper than AT&T's various plans.

 

[japasneezemonk]

I'm getting the 5c. At $3O/month, there's not much to complain about.

 

[xmichaelp]

The price the 5c should have been!

It's.. tempting..

Then again, the 5s for 100 more is too.

 

[Tiger8]

5 is still $550

weird they did not discount it!

 

[japasneezemonk]

I am happily using my Verizon iPhone 5c on Solvaei, an MVNO which uses T-mobile's network.

Just hearing about Solavei leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I've met 2 people this month using Solavei, and they both were annoyingly persistent at trying to get me to try the service.

----------

weird they did not discount it!

maybe they are just selling old stock.

 

[iGrip]

That makes a lot of sense. These phones are competing with the other small screened phones like the HTC One Mini, and so they need to be priced accordingly.

 

[ascylto]

Virgin?

In the UK Virgin can't even get round to offering a nano-sim!

Virgin on the ridiculous!

 

[2457282]

It's CDMA only. So what exactly is the point of paying full price?

I agree. Doesnt CDMA still prevent you from web surfing while talking?

But I will plead ignorance that with all of them now offering LTE, not sure if this restriction is still in place (i had heard that it was for verizon, but cannot confirm).

 

[NoCleverSNForMe]

I agree. Doesnt CDMA still prevent you from web surfing while talking?

But I will plead ignorance that with all of them now offering LTE, not sure if this restriction is still in place (i had heard that it was for verizon, but cannot confirm).

Yes, CDMA iPhones (even those with LTE) do not allow you to talk and surf at the same time.

 

[Wolfpup]

Qualcomm CDMA that is, not HSPA, which is CDMA.

Ugh sorry, I can't help it LOL

 

[NoCleverSNForMe]

In the UK Virgin can't even get round to offering a nano-sim!

Virgin on the ridiculous!

Virgin Mobile in the USA has nothing to do with the European Virgin Mobile. The brand is licensed and franchised by Sprint in the USA. It is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary running under the Virgin brand. It is basically Sprint, but prepaid. It is not GSM like it is other countries.

Still sucks that the UK Virgin doesn't offer a nano-SIM, one year after the 5.

 

[calaverasgrande]

sure would be nice if folks who ordered two weeks ago could get phones too.

 

[Ryth]

I thought that the new 5s had all the spectrum's on it...there are no GSA or CDMA versions of the 5s are there?

I didn't think there was a specific version of the 5s anymore...

 

[Wolfpup]

I thought that the new 5s had all the spectrum's on it...there are no GSA or CDMA versions of the 5s are there?

I didn't think there was a specific version of the 5s anymore...

There are two sold in the US, from a hardware perspective. A Sprint model, and a model fro Verizon/T-Mobile/AT&T. The Sprint model supports everything the other one does, plus more, and would work virtually anywhere in the world...

Except that the Sprint and AT&T models are locked (the AT&T one is locked at least if you buy it from them). The Verizon one is unlocked only because of an agreement with the government which allowed them to purchase 700MHz spectrum. Otherwise I've zero doubt Verizon would be locking it too. T-Mobile's operating more like the European companies do, so it's not locked.

Besides that, Qualcomm CDMA support is disabled on the T-Mobile/AT&T models, even though it's in the hardware.

Soooo basically there are only two models, and one of them would actually support everything, except we have ridiculous issues of locking stuff to carriers, locking out Qualcomm CDMA, etc., which aren't technical issues, so effectively we're left with a ton of different models, that would all be identical if not for the ridiculous situation of carriers being able to lock things.

 

[sintra1]

In the UK Virgin can't even get round to offering a nano-sim!

Virgin on the ridiculous!

Virgin Mobile UK and VirginMobile USA are in NO WAY related.

The Virgin brand is just a franchise - In the USA the franchise is held by Sprint and used for their Pay AS You service.

In the UK the business and franchise is owned by Liberty Global a huge multi- national cable company. (also a US company)

The bearded one collects royalties.

 

[garya73]

Just hearing about Solavei leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I've met 2 people this month using Solavei, and they both were annoyingly persistent at trying to get me to try the service.

----------

Because they get a kickback from Solavei for signing up other people. From their website:

"Members have the opportunity to earn by sharing Solavei with friends, family and connections. Every time you enroll three members (a Trio) you will receive $20/month as long as those three members remain current with their account. You also earn $10/month for every three people signed up by people you enroll. In addition to Trios, you have the opportunity to earn Path Pay as your network grows. "

So if you sign up 3 people, your bill drops from $49 to $29. And if those three people sign up three people each, I guess your bill is nothing? (well, taxes). And from the looks of it, you can keep signing up people, and then start earning money from it.

Like a quasi-pyramid scheme, from the looks of it.

 

[Cogito555]

It's CDMA only. So what exactly is the point of paying full price?

Just unlock the phone and use it with your own carrier!!
(https://community.virginmobile.com....-base/How-do-I-unlock-my-Apple-iPhone/ta-p/80)

 

[BFG86]

Just unlock the phone and use it with your own carrier!!
(https://community.virginmobile.com....-base/How-do-I-unlock-my-Apple-iPhone/ta-p/80)

The site you linked is not Virgin Mobile US (Sprint)