It will be but probably not until next summer at the earliest. I doubt they will ever give it to prepaid carriers at the exact same time as Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
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Virgin Mobile USA Opening Retail Stores in Chicago to Support iPhone Launch
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It will be but probably not until next summer at the earliest. I doubt they will ever give it to prepaid carriers at the exact same time as Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
10 stores, all in the same city? I mean, Chicago's big, but even Apple only has 5 stores in Manhattan
EDIT: More direct comparison, Apple has 2 stores in Chicago.
And going to have a third shortly.
Virgin Mobile store != Apple store. Now if you compared to to more like RadioShack or Cricket, 10 wouldn't be a bad number.
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I've had VM since April 2011, on the 1200 minutes, unlimited data/text for $40/month. I lived in Chicago for the past 5 years until a few weeks ago and am now back in the Detroit area. Looking at the maps - if you're in a spot who has coverage, VM is pretty much unbeatable dollar to dollar comparing their service and phone offerings.
Probably 100x more intriguing is the HTC One V announced for $200 today. So much cheaper than the iPhone and a solid phone as well. Might have to upgrade the Optimus V.
get that htc evo v thing for 299. Its the best deal on virgin and is a high end phone. Android 4.0 and 1.2ghz dual core with a 3d screen and camera (gimicky i know). The rest of it is very nice.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/htc-evo-v-phone.jsp
If you wanna spend a little bit less, theres the htc one v with a single core for 199. It also has android 4.0
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/htc-one-v-phone.jsp
I haven't seen solid information either. This is why I went with the VM deal. My prepaid usage has kicked up to $30/month (on AT&T PAYG), so getting the internet free on top of the $30 is a no brainer for me. Plus I am not walking the thin line using the straightalk/tmobile deal.
And hopefully, I am part of the people sending a message to the cell phone industry, that getting the phone I want on a dumb pipe is what people really want.
So if the 4s is a world phone, couldn't virgin or cricket or any other CDMA carrier let you use your factory unlocked 4s with them technically?
I understand them wanting to sell the hardware, but in my case I see no upside in buying a full price phone (that will be old in a few months when the 5 comes out) to have locked to virgin or cricket lowering the resell value. Straight talk sounds interesting thanks will look into that. If only tmobile would at least get to support 3G I'd jump over in a second.
I understand them wanting to sell the hardware, but in my case I see no upside in buying a full price phone (that will be old in a few months when the 5 comes out) to have locked to virgin or cricket lowering the resell value. Straight talk sounds interesting thanks will look into that. If only tmobile would at least get to support 3G I'd jump over in a second.
This is a serious limitation, considering the fact that they are not subsidizing the device. There is no point of getting a prepaid plan. If I don't like it, I cannot take my $650+ device to another prepaid provider. I hope people who are getting suckered into this plan, understand it.
I doubt most people will be educated about that, but this is the case with almost all CDMA phones. Think of all the people with bad phones on Verizon and Sprint? They can be stuck with some pieces of crap for nearly 2 years before being able to upgrade. Especially if the phone seems great within the first month (to the user).
With the iPhone, I know what I am getting phone-wise. If I don't find the service acceptable within 30 days with VM, I will return the phone.
Yes, but most of those phones are CDMA only. Even if it's a global phone, it's under contract and subsidized by Verizon or Sprint. I think you are better off buying the phone out of contract from apple directly and use it with a $30 T-mobile plan (after they get their 1900MHZ 3g) or use an AT&T mvno like pageplus.
Are you able to use an unlocked iPhone 4S on Virgin Mobile or do you have to get the phone specifically through Virgin?
Hey there! Yes, just like any other Virgin Mobile phone, you have to get the device directly from Virgin.
There are some people who "flash" their phones successfully, but I'm just going to go ahead and buy one direct so I don't have to worry about any missing features.
Yep, same. I'm getting mine bright and early tomorrow. The thing people don 't realize is that if the coverage is good where you are, this is a better deal by far. Even if you went with Straight Talk for $40, that is still $240 more after two years. So even if you have to sell the iPhone tethered to Virgin, I can guarantee you that someone will buy it (assuming nothing dramatic changes in the phone markets) and even if you have to sell it a bit less, will it really be $240 less? There is only so low an iPhone can go... as a soon-to-be-college student, I'll be on wifi most of the time on campus (and I know I have good reception there anyway at over 1mbps 3G) and I will use my google voice number if I run low on minutes. Virgin is by far the best!
Virgin mobile stores aren't new outside of the US. Canada has had kiosks for years, and launched their first walk-in store last year. They've also had the iPhone for at least a year or two.
By far the best? Please pass that smoke
Virgin (SPRINT) has a coverage map that just screams 1996. Outside a major metro you can hang it right up. And data speeds...well, you'll be lucky to get to that 2.3GB or whatever the throttle point is.
Straight Talk provides VASTLY superior coverage (service on both AT&T and T-Mobile towers, plus many smaller regional GSM providers) and VASTLY higher data speeds. No special phone required.
By far the best? Please pass that smoke
Virgin (SPRINT) has a coverage map that just screams 1996. Outside a major metro you can hang it right up. And data speeds...well, you'll be lucky to get to that 2.3GB or whatever the throttle point is.
Straight Talk provides VASTLY superior coverage (service on both AT&T and T-Mobile towers, plus many smaller regional GSM providers) and VASTLY higher data speeds. No special phone required.
Yeah, but I'd counter that with - Virgin Mobile USA is an official carrier for the iPhone, which means visual voicemail is fully supported, MMS is built right in, etc.
The lack of visual voicemail is where Straight Talk and T-Mobile lose me. And you can't use Google Voice since you can't forward calls on a prepaid phone.
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Just a heads up that Virgin Mobile in the USA is completely different.
The "Virgin Mobile" brand is being licensed by Sprint for one of their two prepaid brands. So when you come to the US, you'll find that Virgin Mobile is a CDMA prepaid carrier and nothing more. (Visit their website at www.virginmobileusa.com to confirm)
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Really? I was thinking January. If it comes out in October, I can see it being a 90 or 120 day exclusive to the postpaid carriers...but then making it available to prepaid in the spring.
I'll be in line this spring!
There are several million of us here! I think even 10 stores is on the small side.10 stores, all in the same city? I mean, Chicago's big, but even Apple only has 5 stores in Manhattan
EDIT: More direct comparison, Apple has 2 stores in Chicago.
I would suggest you both look at the HTC EVO V 4G. It is only $300 off contact, and has a long list of very attractive features, even compared to any price point. It has a 1.2ghz dual core CPU, WiMax support, a 4.3in. 3D display, an FM radio, 1GB RAM, etc... I have one and I absolutely love it.
I have one and it is excellent. It is one of the best phones for sale right now on any network, and at only $300 unsubsidized, it is an absolute steal.
The only archaic company here is Apple. Their lack of support for newer wireless standards, such as high speed HSDPA+ installations, WiMax, LTE, and LTE Advanced is what is causing "1996" speeds for iOS users. Here are some speed tests from my Virgin Mobile USA HTC EVO V 4G with WiMax support around the Chicagoland area. I still only pay $35 a month, even with the "4G" service. Also, I should note that the "4G" WiMax service is not throttled, and you can transmit as many GB's as you want with no slow down.
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Actually, you can use Google Voice (Voicemail) with a prepaid phone. At least on the AT&T side of the equation. I believe T-Mobile doesn't support conditional forwarding but it works a charm on AT&T.
I always found Visual Voicemail more of a gimmick than a must have feature and I can certainly live without it (or use Google Voice, which I do, heavily) for the superior coverage and speeds which Straight Talk provides.
And make no mistake, I'm not pimping Straight Talk. I realize it isn't the best choice for every user. There are known caveats (particularly data use) which must be taken in to account. It's just that I see ST as so dramatically superior to these other prepaid options (Cricket, Virgin, et al.)
True, but virgin usa uses cdma that is why it was late to the game! Most gsm carriers world wide always get the iphone way before any cdma carriers. True story.
And surely, you realize Sprint's WiMax coverage map is even more pathetic than the Virgin Mobile map? You are talking about a VERY small minority of users who will have access to that. LTE is the future across the board, not WiMax.
For every rule, one can find an exception. Just realize you are the exception and not the rule.
According to Clearwire, who manages the WiMax network for Sprint, their network covers over 130 million people in the U.S. That is more than 1/3 of the entire population, and is not a small number by any stretch of the imagination. Saying I am in the very small minority is ridiculous. Also, one needs to look at how Clearwire is actually representing their build out. For example, they list that they have service in Chicago, as one of their 80 markets, but it is so much more than that. To name a few, in the Chicago market alone the large surrounding towns of Elgin, Schaumburg, Waukegan, Zion, Joliet, Aurora, Naperville, Wheaton, Arlington Heights, Evanston, Crystal Lake, and Gary and Hammond IN also have service. The combined population of the metro area is around 8 million plus. If Clearwire listed every single city as a 4G market they would have thousands of markets, far surpassing any other provider.
http://www.clearwire.com/company/our-network
http://www.clear.com/coverage/
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This opening is not a surprise, but support for the iPhone is....Here in the UK VM want nothing to do with it (at least they didn't last time I checked) I have BB from them and the service is excellent...Wanted to put my 4S on a plan with them too, but they said no.
Maybe they will only allow it if you buy the phone from them on an extend contract?
Maybe they will only allow it if you buy the phone from them on an extend contract?
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Virgin and iPhone?
Hmm didn't see this coming but thats cool, apple is just trying to get anyone on board now with iPhones, lol anyone agree?
Hmm didn't see this coming but thats cool, apple is just trying to get anyone on board now with iPhones, lol anyone agree?
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By far the best? Please pass that smoke
Virgin (SPRINT) has a coverage map that just screams 1996. Outside a major metro you can hang it right up. And data speeds...well, you'll be lucky to get to that 2.3GB or whatever the throttle point is.
Straight Talk provides VASTLY superior coverage (service on both AT&T and T-Mobile towers, plus many smaller regional GSM providers) and VASTLY higher data speeds. No special phone required.
Ok, the end was a little sarcastic... but for many people who stay close to the cities and surrounding areas and who travel to few places around the country (or if they travel just stay near cities) Virgin is totally fine. Sure having a 99% coverage map is cool to say, but the population who actually needs that much is a small minority. Again Straight Talk may be a good deal, but as a college student I don't need their expanded coverage and I will argue that there data speeds are not "VASTLY higher" based on usage with my phone.
Well, it's more of an implied that the $650 you pay to secure a phone with Virgin Mobile is in a way a contract (or an investment so to speak). So, if you really think about it, if you go with ATT or Verizon with their $199 iPhone, then break the contract which is going to cost you ETF of around $350 (or less depending on where you are on your contract). That is still less than the Virgin Mobile iPhone cost. And on the plus side, if you early terminate with ATT and pay the fee, you can request it to be unlocked.
Not quite sure what the point is here, but I just thought about that.
Not quite sure what the point is here, but I just thought about that.