The prepaid carrier has a large comparison chart set up on its website, showing the benefits of switching from T-Mobile to its own service. This includes several listed reasons, including undercutting T-Mobile’s Unlimited monthly plan pricing by $5 and faster reduced speeds when users hit their 2.5GB data limit. It is also specifically hocking its Samsung GALAXY S 2 handset.

Both T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile offer the Samsung GALAXY S 2, with the latter offering it for $299.99 on a prepaid plan over the $400+ charged by T-Mobile. Tallying this all up, users who elect to switch from T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile’s chart shows the 2-year cost coming in at $1,320 versus the slightly higher $1,440 – not a huge difference, but noteworthy.

The chart doesn’t make it easy to determine whether that final price is after taking the rebate, or is in addition to it. It does, however, tally it all up to a total savings of $334 over the course of those two years, with that working out to $120 in savings plus the additional $100 rebate and the $114 lower price on for the S 2. If you already have a Galaxy handset and you’re a happy T-Mobile user, that price may not be much incentive to switch, but if you’re in the market for a new carrier, Virgin Mobile will welcome you with open arms.

[via Electronista]

The smartphone will be available online only starting today and will be available in national retail and participating dealers by the middle of March. The phone will work on the Virgin Mobile No-Contract Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plan starting at $35 per month. The Victory 4G LTE runs Android 4.1.

The device also has S Beam technology inside allowing users to share video files, photos, documents, and more by tapping two S Beam devices together. The smartphone uses a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and has a four-inch display. The rear camera is a five-megapixel unit and it can capture HD video as well.

The front facing camera is a 1.3 megapixel unit and the phone has integrated Bluetooth 4.0 technology. The smartphone is NFC capable and has integrated Wi-Fi. It’s unclear how much internal storage the phone has, but it does have a microSD card slot for storage expansion supporting cards up to 32 GB.

[via Virgin Mobile]

The smartphone supports 3G web connectivity and runs Android 4.0. The device has Swype text input that allows users to enter text using the on-screen keyboard without lifting a finger. The device also has a special Eco Mode that helps extend the battery life.

Under the hood, the smartphone has a 1 GHz QUALCOMM Snapdragon processor combined with 512 MB of RAM. Integrated storage is only 4 GB, but the Event has a microSD card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage. The smartphone measures 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46-inches and weighs 4.1 ounces.

Connectivity options for the device include integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The battery promises talk time of 8.7 hours and standby time of 6.25 days. The Kyocera Event will be available exclusively from RadioShack starting on March 3.

[via Virgin Mobile]

In order to qualify for the current unlocking program, iPhone owners have to meet certain requirements that are revealed by the leaked memos. For starters, the iPhone must be owned outright, and cannot be on a contract plan. The iPhone owner must be a post-paid Bell or Virgin customer as well. Those who don’t meet all three requirements are out of luck.

Information that the two companies planned to offer an iPhone unlocking service first appeared over at iPhone In Canada, but was lacking in details. With this leaked memo, we get a nice glimpse into the stipulations and fee, but also a notice that additional information will be available in the near future. Says the leaked memo, the eligibility guidelines will be expanded during the “next Phase in 2013.”

Reads the Virgin Mobile leaked image: “Hey Peeps! Virgin Mobile is getting into the Holiday spirit by supporting our Members with unlocking their sweet iPhone! Starting Monday, November 26th, you’ll play the role of Santa’s little helper and assist in their request to unlock their iPhone.” Customers can take advantage of this service via Bell’s Credit and Prevention line, or via Virgin Care for Virgin Mobile customers.

[via Mobile Syrup]

The Galaxy S II 4G is now available in Titanium in addition to white. The handset is priced at $369.99, and can be used as a mobile hotspot for an additional $15 per month. You can nab the Virgin Mobile version of the Galaxy S II 4G from the carrier itself or from a retail store; you’ll have to head over to Radio Shack, however, if you want the Titanium version.

Virgin Mobile USA’s Director Mark Lederman offered this statement. “[The] Samsung Galaxy S II adds tremendous value to Virgin Mobile’s all-smartphone lineup. Coupled with our affordable unlimited data & messaging plans starting at just $35 per month, this is an ideal package for those who think they have to go to postpaid carriers for the hottest devices and to save money.”

The Galaxy S II 4G features a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Inside you’ll find a 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos processor. There’s an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera, as well as a microSD card expansion slot that supports up to 32GB. The handset features Bluetooth 3.0 and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You can check out our review of the device here.

[via Virgin Mobile]

Sure, it’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s an affordable entry-level smartphone that should be suited to first time users of Android. The price certainly makes it attractive too thanks to the lack of a two-year contract, so you could always jump to one of Virgin Mobile’s other phones once you’ve outgrown the Chaser. Virgin has outfitted the handset with a number of bundled apps to get your started, including Facebook, Twitter, and Virgin Mobile Live.

The company says the smartphone should be available on its website right now, although Virgin notes that the phone will begin rolling out to retail stores throughout September and October. Looks like the phone has already proved popular though, as it’s showing as out of stock on Virgin’s website. Head over here to keep an eye out for the next wave if this sounds like the entry-level phone for you.

That’s not bad at all for the price. It might be lacking on storage, but you’ll get a free 2GB microSD card slot in the box, and the phone supports cards up to 32GB cards in size. The phone may be running Gingerbread, but you weren’t really expecting Ice Cream Sandwich at this price point, were you? Connectivity includes Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, GPS, and tri-band 3G. It’s not too thick or heavy at 11.5mm and 120g, and a 1,400mAh battery should keep you going for a full day.

Virgin Media will be offering the ZTE Kis starting from today. You should be able to pick on up either on Virgin’s website, or by giving them a call and ordering one directly. Virgin will be throwing in 1GB of data per month over 12 months for free as well, which should come with the mandatory £10 top-up that you purchase with the handset.

While Virgin Media claim that the plan comes with unlimited data, the reality is that after 2.5GB you’ll start to see some throttling. Having said that, the deal does work out cheaper in the long run compared to AT&T or Verizon if you’re willing to shoulder the initial cost of the phone.

Virgin Mobile joins Cricket Wireless as yet another MVNO to offer prepaid plans for the iPhone. Cricket offers the cheaper phone ($499.99 for the 4S), but you’ll be spreading the savings over a higher monthly tariff ($55 for an unlimited plan).

Would you really spring for an iPhone 4S at this stage when the next iPhone is on the horizon? Rumors have indicated that the next iteration of Apple’s smartphone will come with a larger 4-inch display and a bump in resolution to 1136×640. Apple is said to have redesigned core apps for the device to take advantage of the increased real estate, and will encourage developers to do the same. Alleged parts for the next iPhone have also made several appearances, indicating the use of a smaller 19-pin dock connector and two-tone metallic back.

Carriers use device subsidies to lure you in: they know a five hundred dollar phone is a turn-off to most shoppers. They’re not discounting it out of the goodness of their own heart, however; with the subsidy comes a contract, usually two years in length, and the operator makes back what they’ve subsidized up front with the calling plan fees.

Paying for the phone itself upfront, however, as Virgin Mobile demands you do, can add up to big savings. For an iPhone 4S, total cost of ownership over two years with Virgin’s new offer is $1,369. Look to AT&T and that jumps to $1,640 (with no inclusive messaging and just 300MB of monthly data); Verizon, meanwhile, would charge $1,880 (again, with no inclusive messaging but with 2GB of data).

Virgin Mobile isn’t the only one willing to cut you some contract slack if you pay more upfront. Verizon offers month-to-month iPhone plans if you pay full-whack for the iPhone 4S, basically matching its CDMA rival with $649.99 for the 16GB model. The difference is that Virgin Mobile’s monthly fees are considerably cheaper, even when you’re not tied into an agreement.

So, while $30 per month gets you 300 minutes, unlimited messaging and 2.5GB of “unlimited” data per month on Virgin Mobile, Verizon’s cheapest monthly spend is still $69.99. That gets you more minutes – 450 in fact – but no bundled messaging and 2GB of data. If you want unlimited (again, still with that 2.5GB limit) across the board on Virgin Mobile it’s $50 per month, versus $119.99 for unlimited calls and messages on Verizon (though still with 2GB of data; the carrier offers 5GB or 10GB for $20 or $30 more a month, respectively, but Virgin Mobile offers no way of bypassing its fair use data policy).

It’s not quite the Independence Day from carriers that we’ve been demanding for years - unlike in countries where GSM is the prevalent standard, you can’t just take the Virgin Mobile iPhone and decide to drop, say, a T-Mobile USA SIM into it instead - but it’s a good step in the right direction. The lingering message is that, while hundreds of dollars of subsidies might get you in the door, you’re playing directly into carriers’ pockets.

This news will likely be seen as another blow to T-Mobile who remains the only one of the four top mobile carriers in the USA to not have the iPhone in their store. We have heard, on the other hand, that the pink network may be offering off-contract deals to iPhone owners sometime in the future – when, though, is still a mystery.

Leap is set to start selling the iPhone on the 22nd of June for $499.99 in its 16GB iteration as the iPhone 4S and for $399.99 as the iPhone 4 with just 8GB of internal storage. These prices are very likely similar to what Virgin Mobile will be selling the devices for when they’re allowed to offer the device later this year. Virgin Mobile currently offers a $35 a month unlimited data plan with throttled speeds after 2.5GB of use, while Leap’s similar plan is $55 for unlimited data, text, and talk, also with a throttling clause after just a couple of GB per month.

Have a peek at our timeline of iPhone news from the past couple of weeks to see what you’ll be grabbing this summer.

One of the best phones that you can get to the plan is the Samsung M575 available for $49.99. It has a slide out QWERTY keyboard for texting and 2.4-inch screen along with a two-megapixel camera that can also record video. The payLo program has no activation fee and no contract. Users can pay for service monthly with credit or debit cards online or purchase Virgin Mobile Top-Up cards.

The phones and plan will be available for purchase at over 40,000 retail stores, including Best Buy and RadioShack locations. Target will also carry the phones and Top-Up cards. The service operates on the Sprint network.

[via Yahoo]

Despite being considered the lower-end device, the HTC One V is certainly trying to raise the bar for low- to mid-tier smartphones. It features a quality build that fits a 3.7-inch Super-LCD WVGA display on a slim 9.24mm aluminum unibody chassis. It will run HTC Sense 4.0 on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which means it could be the first smartphone with the latest Android iteration to hit Metro PCS, Virgin Mobile, and US Cellular.

Although pricing hasn’t been announced for the device yet, what will keep its price on the low end is its single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and its 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, although it does utilize a new f/2.0 lens that can still great stills. It also has a microSD card slot, which the other two One handsets in the series do not. For more details on the HTC One V make sure to check out our hands-on.

[via Android Community]

Retailer Clove, for instance, has the Tania listed as expected in-stock from the week commencing February 13. ZTE would only tell us that the 1GHz single-core smartphone should arrive with carriers before the end of March, however.

Despite being built to a budget, the Tania’s spec sheet holds up well in comparison to its rivals. The handset has 512MB of RAM and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, though no front-facing camera and a mere 4GB of integrated storage. There’s 14.4Mbps HSDPA along with WiFi b/g/n and the usual bevy of sensors.

Our biggest complaint is the display, with ZTE’s choice of WVGA panel suffering from noticeably poor viewing angles. More details on that in our full preview of the Tania.

Alternatively, you can grab the HSPA+ Nexus for CA$649.99, if you want to use a SIM you already have. It’s a pentaband model – supporting the 850/900/1700/1900/2100 UMTS/WCDMA bands – so if you decide to take a quick trip up from the US to grab one in Canada, you’ll then be able to use it on T-Mobile USA or AT&T when you get home.

Fellow Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless has already confirmed it will be offering the Galaxy Nexus from January 2012, meanwhile. That leaves us waiting on the LTE model for Verizon in the US, which earlier rumors tipped as arriving tomorrow, December 9, but more recent leaks indicate has been pushed back perhaps into next week.

More on the Galaxy Nexus in our full review.

[via Android Community]

You can head back to our reviews of the Wildfire S to see everything you need to know about this first HTC device to be released on Virgin Mobile – Chris Davies and Cory Gunther present, or you can just check out this rundown: color options include the white you see here in the USA already or the silver you saw abroad, the first now coming from RadioShack and the second from Best Buy. This device has a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, 3G and Wi-fi, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It’s also got a single-core 600MHz processor and HTC Sense (not the newest version, mind you, but certainly within reason for the price you’ll pay.)

Then there’s the LG Optimus Slider, a device which has a 3.2-inch touchscreen with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and what they’re saying is a “bright screen.” That’s a bit unsettling, but LG devices generally do come correct when it comes to displays, so we’ll just have to see when we get the device in-hand. UPDATE: it’s actually a HVGA Capacitive Touch Display, so that’s fair. This device will come with Android 2.3, microSD slot for up to 32GB card, a tiny 3.2 megapixel camera on the back, and Bluetooth 3.0. Sound like a solid device to you?

Virgin Mobile’s current talk and data plans are in flux – have a look at some details below, then head to our post from earlier today entitled Virgin Mobile postpones data throttling until 2012. Red and pink for the win!

Virgin Mobile USA Beyond Talk plans start at just $35 a month for 300 minutes of voice and include unlimited messaging and data. For those looking for a bit more talk time the $45 plan offers 1,200 minutes of voice, and the $55 plan offers unlimited voice minutes each month. All plans include unlimited messaging and data.

“We have decided to delay the reduction of data speeds until 2012 to ensure we have all of the necessary systems in place so that our customer experience will remain positive,” said Virgin Mobile spokeswoman Beth Evegan. “We will provide further information on timing beforehand so our customers have advance notification.”

The original plan was to throttle the data speeds of those users that surpass 2.5GB of data per month. This threshold would amount to about 3 percent of its customers and would only affect the current billing cycle, with speeds reverted back to normal for the next billing cycle until usage surpasses the limit again.

Rival carriers Verizon and AT&T have recently implemented data throttling polices. Verizon’s most recent “network optimization” initiative took effect earlier this month and targets the top 5 percent of its heaviest 3G data users, but the throttling occurs for the remainder of the billing cycle plus one extra billing cycle thereafter. AT&T announced a similar throttling policy back in July that will begin in the first week of October.

[via FierceWireless]

Nearly every single week, you’ll find a new set of devices on sale with a 2-year contract attached on any of the 4 contract-based brands working with the Target brand. All four of the biggest mobile carriers are included, blue, pink, yellow, and red, the lot of them, then Target also carries off-contract devices as well. These off-contract brands (Virgin Mobile, for example) are displayed to the right of the main smartphone wall in a separate section that lets the consumer know that these devices aren’t on par with the main four brands – not necessarily bad for either camp, but they certainly are separate.

The endcap generally holds four smartphones, though if you take a look today you’ll likely find three smartphones and an LTE USB modem from Verizon. At least seven manufacturers of devices are carried by Target, though those working with Android appear to be given the upper hand being shown at the top left of the cellphone collection, with brands like Nokia and BlackBerry being closer to the bottom right. As you browse the physical Target store (as we’ve been speaking about thus far) you’ll find little differentiation between carriers of devices, instead showing all smartphones in a mixed configuration on the whole. The iPhone 4 is featured amongst these Android devices with a slightly different display – note though that none of these smartphones are working units, having instead simple behind-display printed images or nothing at all to show on their screen.

The iPad 2 is prevalently featured one or two aisles in and away from the smartphones. Aside the iPad 2 display is a similar format display showing off several iPod devices. While the iPod display is the same as the iPad 2 display (the original iPad has taken a back seat since the iPad 2 was released, but Target does still sell them online), the iPad 2 display has a working unit playing a display-only in-store demonstration video. Another aisle or two away is a display of two Android tablets with one or both of them having a clear plastic shield over them so that they may not be worked with by customers. This is also true of the iPad 2 and all of the iPods, each of these Apple products being shown behind a large plastic cover.

As far as promoting the Target brand THROUGH Mobile, check out this excerpt from the Target Annual Report 2010 for stock investors:

We are rapidly expanding MOBILE AND WEB SOLUTIONS for our guests, giving them greater convenience by allowing them to shop from just about anywhere in the world. Mobile Commerce Daily named Target “2010 Mobile Retailer of the Year.”

In addition to being able to shop the Target Brand from the internet and have it shipped to your home, you can check out the Target Mobile app for several different platforms now, your Target addiction fully encouraged as the consumer grabs a weekly ad with little to no effort on their part. On this same note, the way the Target on mobile devices method is being promoted to stock investors, reports you’ll find showing only the iPhone and the iPad 2, while online, customers are treated to Apple iOS devices as well as Android in the main promo images.

Designers working for Target are given press images of all of the mobile devices they’ll be working with for advertisements and coupon announcements each week, and all devices are shown in their purest form with the carrier name of each device displayed on their screens — occasionally this rule is broken with a basic press-release-style homescreen shown off instead. On the whole, Target uses straight up Helvetica fonts in several different weights and colors (mostly red and black) to write about all of their products, mobile devices included.

Tablets

Back in June, yours truly took some issue with the way the two Android tablets, Motorola XOOM and Acer Iconia Tab A500, were being displayed. You can read that story over on Android Community if you wish, but here’s the skinny: these two tablets were out, clamped by metal talons and available for the touching, but were not plugged into power sources of any kind. Thusly they were off, and if a person familiar with either tablet were to tap the power button they’d find that the tablets were either completely or nearly out of power, this resulting in what every Target electronics employee that I’ve spoken with over the past few months has described as little to no sales.

This is no way to promote any piece of gear, much more important is the on-state of these particular gadgets because tablet computing is still relatively new and, though everyone and their mother has likely touched an iPad before, Android tablets were (and still are) mysterious to the public. Since that time, Target has wised up slightly by actually having power cords running to both tablets. They now both show display-only videos – if you’re lucky – though now there are plastic covers over both tablets so that the consumer cannot mess around with the tablet at will. Of course they’ve not taken the time to cover the power buttons again, so any hooligan can turn the tablets off then on again if they wish, revealing a ready-to-use yet inaccessible tablet computer to cry over.

In addition, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is now available at your local Target location, but you wont find it on display. You can find it down the aisle in the glass-fronted and locked cabinet with the rest of the electronics that, in contrast with the Galaxy Tab, are available for the browsing in the rest of the aisle. How many Galaxy Tab 10.1 units do you think Target has sold in-store? Though they’ve improved their situation with power feeds so that they can be ON during the day, how many XOOM and Iconia Tab A500 units do you think Target sells in-store?

The iPad is a different situation. Though the fault of almost certain lackluster current and future Android tablet sales rest on both the shoulders of the manufacturers as well as Target in this case, Apple has provided the world with much more than adequate incentive for people to purchase an iPad 2 or an iPod of any sort. Apple has promoted the iPad 2 (and the original iPad) not as a tablet computer, but as an iPad. You may have a tablet computer, says society at large, but if you don’t have an iPad, you simply do not have an iPad. The same is and has been true about iPods of all sorts since the beginning. An MP3 player is like wearing a piece of tire as a sandal compared to Apple’s iPod, much closer to a high-quality hightop or otherwise classy footwear – cool and recognizable.

Smartphones

This is the point at which I’m not sure of the logistics of the devices Target is able to display (or not), but the chain being the top-class brand that it is, I have a feeling some weight could be pulled to increase the likelyhood of the following situation. Target, you’ve got all four top carriers willing to show their devices in your store, then in your other hand you’ve got a perfectly legit and well-working Target app for multiple platforms. Why do you not have, first of all, working smartphone units in the aisle like each of the individual carriers do in their mobile stores? Second, why do you not have working units with the Target mobile app running on them?

My only hypothesis can be that Target isn’t making the revenue necessary to make these improvements to their smartphone section of the store, otherwise there’s no good reason why Target can’t pay for the insurance and training necessary to make these mobile devices display and work with the software they’re packaged with run to the fullest. I don’t buy a television from Target unless I see it showing me brilliant images on the wall, I’m certainly not going to buy a smartphone unless I can see it working in my hands at the tap of its display.

Wrap-Up

Target, you’re not the only retailer in the market that does this. Market, if you want the mobile business to grow at a rate that’s much greater than it is right this moment, you’ve got to show every man, woman, and child how these devices work, and you’ve got to do it at Target. Apple has taken the initiative and has working iOS devices in their Apple-centric stores, Android and the rest of the brands (for the most part) have working devices sitting in all manner of carrier stores, but to reach the everyday midwest-minded citizen, you’ve got to let them explore the devices inside their comfort zone, and their comfort zone is the big red living room: Target.

What you’re about to see is something so breathtakingly hilarious that you’d better sit down before you watch it. Virgin Mobile uses this advertisement to promote their unlimited web, data, messaging, and email plan at $35 a month, daring T-Mobile (and whoever else wants to join the party) to create a better plan. Virgin also pokes fun at the idea that AT&T may be taking over T-Mobile and that they’ve got the nation’s lowest customer approval ratings (based on American Customer Satisfaction Index 2011 Virgin Mobile tells us.) Bob Stohrer, vice president of Marketing for Virgin Mobile, notes the following:

“T-Mobile has anointed itself as the value leader in wireless, yet they’ve conveniently left Virgin Mobile out of their comparison set, so we’re crashing their party. No matter how you dress their plans up, they’re no match for Virgin Mobile’s no-contract, Unlimited Data offering at $35/month coupled with Android-powered phones like the new Motorola Triumph. … It’s a competitive market and we’re not going to shy away from an opportunity to debate things publicly so that consumers can see both sides of a story.” – Bob Stohrer

We’ve conveniently got a full review of said Motorola Triumph if you’d like to take a look. It’s an extremely simple top-tier Android device running a cool vanilla flavoring of Android with a hefty display and a lovely soft plastic casing. Check out the birth of Sparah below, made earlier this year by Virgin Mobile:

UPDATE: An official statement on the ad featured in this post has been released by T-Mobile’s Communications Director Hernan Daguerre:

“Virgin’s new ad proves that our successful Monthly4G no annual contract plans are putting pressure on their business. And this is because consumers looking for a great prepaid rate plan also want cutting-edge devices on a nationwide 4G network, which is exactly what they get from T-Mobile. It’s flattering to see their marketing efforts center around our advertising properties, but consumers will see right through their gimmicks.” – Hernan Daguerre

Do you agree? Are you a customer of either side’s network?

Not only does it come in at a great price, but it’s a Motorola phone running stock vanilla Android 2.2 Froyo with no custom user interface or overlay, no moto blur. This is completely stock Android as Google intended it to be. Pair that with a simple yet powerful phone and no contract, this sounds like the perfect phone for a lot of users. Before I get started here is our full hands-on and unboxing.

Hands-on video

Hardware

To quickly go over the hardware we have a 4.1″ 480×800 resolution display, a 5 MP camera with VGA for front video chat, and single LED flash. The Triumph does have HDMI-out as well and this is all powered by a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It also has 512 MB memory as well as an included 2GB MicroSD card for storage. The overall design is something you’ll recognize right away if you’ve ever held a Motorola Droid or the Droid X as it features a very similar squared design as well as a extra soft touch coating on the back in matte black.

The Micro USB charging port and HDMI-out are nicely placed on the bottom of the device with the unlock/power button on the left edge of the phone versus the top. The power, volume rocker, and camera are all accented in an aluminum silver finish to make things look sharp. One big part of hardware I wanted to mention was what appears to be stereo speakers. The very bottom on each edge of the device is a decent sized speaker grill and sound comes out extremely loud and clear from both sides, the back cover doesn’t come off or I’d do a little inspection. I wish all phones had the loud volume this phone does. My Sensation sounds like a tin can in comparison.

Software & Performance

Like mentioned above the phone comes in running a completely stock, base version of Android 2.2 Froyo. Motorola added nothing to the user interface or widgets and this is completely how Google released it. I personally am a huge fan of vanilla android and would prefer not to use OEM UI overlays. Motorola’s Moto Blur software has been the least favorite for me so this was refreshing to see. As expected with basically very similar internals to something like the myTouch 4G performance is great. It runs smooth and seamless and I didn’t have any slowdowns ever.

Virgin did add some bloatware but much and i mean MUCH less than most carriers do. Pre-installed applications other than standard apps are airG Chat, Poynt for finding businesses and stores nearby, Where, and Virgin Mobile Live — that is it. I’ve seen devices come with upwards of 15 or more pre-installed apps so to only see a few is nice as we can install what we need when that time comes from the market. It did have Twidroyd and Facebook but those don’t count as bloatware because most people use social network apps right?

Also running a few benchmark apps the Motorola Triumph was right where I expected with Quadrant scoring around 1700 give or take. Comparing that with similar spec’d devices it sounds just about right as we have a 1 Ghz CPU here and it’s single core.

Overall I really enjoyed using the stock Android 2.2 on this device, I’ve been using HTC Sense lately and even though its nice I do enjoy the stock Android experience.

Camera & Battery Life

The Motorola Triumph comes in with a 5 MP single LED flash camera and although it does a pretty decent job I was a bit surprised with the quality. It didn’t seem to take as great of pictures as I was expecting but overall they are pretty decent. I took a few with medium room lighting and it manages ok. The camera also is 720p capable for video recording as well as the front facing VGA camera. Here are a few test photos with the Triumph camera.

The battery is only 1380 mAh compared to most phones having a 1520 or so battery so I was a bit concerned with battery life. The battery lasted through a full day of use with browsing, twitter, and the usual phone calls and texting but I did find myself reaching for my charger more than I have in the past. I’d say it gets close to a full days work with a single charge but you might want to have a charger in your car just to be safe.

Wrap-Up

To wrap things up I’ll start by saying for anyone using Virgin Mobile that have yet to try an Android device this would be the perfect device for you. It is simple, and clean, with a very sleek design as well as running completely stock Android. This is a great phone to introduce someone into a smartphone, or Android in general. With good build quality like Motorola is known for, higher end mid-range specs and a 4.1″ screen you can’t go wrong for $300 off contact.

This phone is a huge step for Virgin Mobile as it’s not just a pay as you go cheap feature phone you’ll use for a few months and forget about. Users wont pay for a few months and then stop using the service like with the average flip phone, this is a quality device someone can use for years to come with Virgin Mobile. It is available as of last week and can be yours for just $299. I highly recommend this phone to anyone considering moving to pay as you go, or that currently uses Virgin Mobile.

Its not that I have anything against Motorola’s Blur or whatever you want to call its android UI overlay (shh i really don’t) its that I really just love stock vanilla Android. Toss that on a thin, simple and basic design like the Triumph and you might have a winner. Not to mention you get to pay as you go and get it off-contract over on Virgin. Anyone else liking the sound of this yet? It features a 4.1″ display, 5 MP shooter on the rear with VGA around front, it can record in full 720p and even features HDMI-Out because its all running on a 1 Ghz processor. It’s no dual-core but it will more than get the job done.

This will most likely be the flagship Android phone for Virgin Mobile and it aims to put most mid-range phones on the backburner with its elegant design along with the competitively priced carrier. I wont be buying that purple Exhibit 4G on T-Mobile if I can get this Triumph instead.

Overall it has a very clean and thin design, the edges are nicely curved where it looks good but doesn’t feel squared. I’ve said the word simple a few times in this post because that is what I think of when I look at the phone. Not simple in a bad way but just a simple and clean design (no weird diamond shaped cameras like the Charge) and I actually like and appreciate the design direction. It has the same soft touch coat on the back we are used to from Motorola and it feels good in the hands.

Hands-on video

If the recently released Best Buy pre-order price is to be believed users should be able to snag this up contract-free for the low price of just $299. It officially will be available for Virgin Mobile come Wednesday, July 20th and we will have a full review just in time so stay tuned so you can get a better idea before you make a decision.

The carriers parent company says that less than 3% of the customers on Virgin Mobile USA use more than 2.5GB of data per month. After the users hit the 2.5GB number, they will see their data speeds slowed down, this will result in slow page load times, media streaming, and file downloads. The data speed will be capped at 256Kbps and remain at that speed until the next billing cycle.

If you are a big fan of streaming things like Netflix, it might not take you that long to hit that 2.5GB limit. Still, I think slowing speeds for users is better that charging overage fees. Those overage fees can add up very quickly. Virgin Mobile President David Trimble said that lowered the data speeds was the best way for the company to deal with exploding data use.

[via AllthingsD]

Virgin Mobile is today announcing their new data, voice, and text plans, all of them right along the lines of $55 and under. That’s pretty darn cheap when you consider the massive amounts of cash you’re laying down per month with some other bigger carriers. But is it worth it? Will you be able to find a phone on Virgin that you like as much as say… that cool new T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide? I don’t know man, we’ll just have to see!

Here’s the prices Virgin is sending out today: with a new Virgin Mobile plan, you’ll be lowering your monthly price of unlimited data, voice, and text to $55. If you don’t give a hoot about voice OR don’t use enough to need unlimited, you can also get a $35 plan with unlimited data and 300 voice minutes per month. And all of this is WITHOUT a contract!

Effective July 20, plans will be as follows: $35 for unlimited messaging and data with 300 anytime minutes, $45 for unlimited data and messaging with 1200 anytime minutes, and $55 for unlimited everything. And if you’re already a Virgin Mobile member and for some reason want to keep your old plan, you can upgrade to new devices without incurring additional costs.

Sound like a deal for you? Check out our sister-site Android Community’s review of the LG Optimus V and see if it strikes your fancy!

The TRIUMPH doesn’t have cutting edge specs, but for the price, it’s a pretty good mid-range Android smartphone. It will have a 4.1-inch 800 x 400 resolution WVGA touchscreen display along with a VGA front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. It supports 720p HD playback and HDMI-out and runs on a 1GHz processor.

It will ship with Android 2.2 Froyo, rather than Gingerbread, but it will be an almost vanilla install without the notorious MotoBlur UI. And, it will be the first to have the Virgin Mobile Live 2.0 app that’s essentially the carrier’s own branded music and media streaming service. To pre-order the Motorola TRIUMPH without contract, visit Best Buy. Also, make sure to check out our hands-on with the TRIUMPH.

The device sports a 4.1-inch 800 x 400 resolution WVGA touchscreen display with a VGA front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. The back camera is capable of 720p HD video capture and HDMI-out playback of 720p, which is a first on Virgin. It will also boast the Virgin Mobile Live 2.0 app, making it the first smartphone to do so. The app gives you access to Virgin Mobile branded music stream and consists of social networking music apps, live performance videos, and special “check-in” features.

The Motorola TRIUMPH runs Android 2.2 Froyo with Flash support plus Android Webkit Browser and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The device feels good in the hands with a soft touch design and is relatively thin at 0.4-inch and weighs 143g or 5.04 ounces. It’s slated to arrive later this summer.

This device has a 4.1-inch 800 x 400 pixel resolution WVGA touchscreen display with a VGA camera on the front and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. It’s got the ability to capture HD video at 720p and has HDMI-out playback of 720p, and features a big FIRST on Virgin. This device has the Virgin Mobile Live 2.0 app and is the first smartphone to contain such an app. This app will allow you access to the Virgin Mobile branded music stream. What this app consists of is a social networking music application that’ll give you access to a music stream hosted by none other than a musician by the name of DJ Abbey Braden, live music performance videos, and special “check in” features at special events. Basically this is a Virgin Mobie lover phone.

This phone has a 1GHz processor, runs Android 2.2 Froyo, and has Flash support, plus “Android Webkit Browser” as they’ve called it here in New York today. The device is made with a soft touch design so it’ll be lovely to handle, it weighs in at 143g (5.04 ounces), and its dimensions are 4.8” x 2.5” x 0.4”, making it relatively thin. Certainly a good competitor for the rest of the Androids on Verizon, the last one we looked at being the LG Optimus V on Android Community. Also a generally lovely Android in its own right.

The handset can be picked up at Radio Shack stores and online for $149.99. Later in the month, the Optimus V will also land at other retailers where you can buy minutes and devices for Virgin Mobile already. The Optimus V runs Android and has access to the Android Market. The screen on the smartphone is 3.2-inches.

It supports WiFi and 3G connectivity and it has a 3.2MP camera with video capability. It ships with some apps pre-loaded for YouTube and Google Talk. The Optimus V has many other features and can be synced with contacts and calendars and it has a music player integrated.

The plan continues to be a solid option for those wary of long-term contracts, however, offering no-commitment subscriptions which can be activated for a single month and then allowed to lapse, rather than demanding a two-year agreement. As the carriers never tire of telling us, most users won’t get anywhere near the 5GB limit, but it’s a disappointing change all the same; still, at least you won’t be charged any more nor cut off altogether once you exceed the new cap.

From Around the Web:

Apple’s FaceTime a Missing Feature in the Middle East: It looks like some interesting things are happening to the iPhone 4 that’s getting ready to launch in Middle Eastern countries like Yemen, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. TUAW noticed that the official Apple pages, where the iPhone 4 is gloriously shown off, doesn’t actually showcase anything related to the FaceTime video calling feature. Speculation is robust, with people thinking that the image shown on the Apple site, whether it be the woman’s face or her hair, is causing the confusion — but one thing is for sure, FaceTime is nowhere to be found in the features section of the iPhone 4 in those countries. With the device set to launch in the region soon, it looks like we’ll find out the reason sooner than later.

R3 Media Network

SlashGear

RIM BlackPad Tablet Getting Announced Next Week, Maybe
NVIDIA Kepler Coming in 2011, Maxwell in 2013
Motorola Droid X Getting Android 2.2 Tomorrow
Mac Pro 2010 Gets Reviewed

Android Community

GMail Gets Updated for Android 2.2 Devices
Samsung Galaxy Tab Having Trouble Scaling Apps?

SlashPhone

Samsung Intercept Heading to Virgin Mobile
Samsung Wave Sells 1 Million Units in Europe

The Virgin MiFi will use Sprint’s EVDO Rev.A network, and share the 3G connection with up to five WiFi-connected clients.  The MVNO’s rates range from $10 for 100MB to $60 for 5GB, with various tiers in-between, and the length for which the data is valid depends on the amount you top-up.

Battery life is estimated at 4hrs, which is in line with the Sprint and Verizon versions.  According to Virgin Mobile, the MiFi will go on sale at Best Buy, Radio Shack and via their online store from June 28th 2010.

[via PhoneMag]

Meanwhile Virgin Mobile are yet to confirm the exact launch date for their Wildfire, and nor have they confirmed pricing, but we’d imagine that the handset will be roughly the same as it is on T-Mobile and at around the same price.  The smartphone has already shown up for SIM-free preorder at Expansys, priced at £249.99 ($357) and expected to arrive on July 26th.

The HTC Wildfire has a 3.2-inch QVGA capacitive touchscreen supporting multitouch, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and UMTS/HSPA.  It runs Android 2.1 complete with the latest version of HTC Sense, and includes a new Application Sharing app that makes recommending third-party software easier.  More in our hands-on report.

HTC Wildfire demo:

[via SlashPhone]

The new “Beyond Talk” plans under the Virgin Mobile umbrella are those most likely to give AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon sleepless nights.  Kicking off at $25 for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes of voice per month, you can also add in unlimited BlackBerry service for just $10 more.  $40 and $60 plans boost talktime to 1,200 or unlimited minutes.

It’s all part of what Dan Schulman, president of Sprint’s prepaid group, calls “a continuing evolution in wireless consumer behavior – increased use of text and data services as a form of wireless communication over talk.”  The three new plans will be available from May 12th 2010.  To go with the plans, Virgin Mobile will offer the BlackBerry Curve 8530 ($299.99), the LG Rumor Touch ($149.99), the LG Rumor 2 ($89.99) and Kyocera Loft ($69.99).

Meanwhile Boost have added unlimited 411 calls, email and instant messaging to their $50 unlimited talk, text and web access plan, and there will be new handsets coming too: the Samsung Rant and the Sanyo Incognito, Mirro SCP3810 and Juno.  Sprint also say they have another new brand expected to launch this month, which will target “budget-conscious customers who spend less than $30 per month and are focused on the value they pay per minute,” described as a “traditional no-frills prepaid” service for “basic communicators”.

Press Release:

SPRINT’S PREPAID MULTI-BRAND STRATEGY FOCUSES ON DISTINCT CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

Differentiated Brands Old & New Aim to Serve Increasingly Diverse Audiences, Tackle Specific Competitors

WARREN, N.J. – May 6, 2010 – Sprint [NYSE:S] today officially unveiled its comprehensive multi-segment approach to the prepaid wireless marketplace. Since Sprint’s acquisition of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc., the company has rolled out a series of new prepaid products, enhancements and industry-advancing products, each designed to appeal to specific customers in the wireless space.

“We brought together the resources and experience of the Boost and Virgin Mobile teams in late 2009,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Since that time, we have been developing the critical pieces of our multi-brand prepaid strategy. Our approach to the prepaid market can truly set us apart from the competition with tailored offers that will address specific needs in this growing market.”

“This is the year that prepaid moves to the forefront of the wireless industry,” said Dan Schulman, president of Sprint’s prepaid group. “In the first quarter of 2010, more than half of the mobile gross additions in the U.S. selected prepaid, and we predict that approximately 70% of the net adds in 2010 will choose plans without a contract.”

“With almost 60 million people now on prepaid service,” Schulman continued, “the no-contract market has clearly moved beyond the credit-challenged and lower income segments. The prepaid market has changed dramatically, with customers across multiple demographics and lifestyles demanding a wide variety of handsets, features, and plans tailored to their specific needs and wants.”

Sprint’s prepaid portfolio will initially be driven by four brands, with each focused on a specific audience. “The launch of this portfolio goes far beyond changing prices,” explained Schulman. “We are introducing innovative and attractive offers for specific groups of customers based on usage and habits – from those who are on limited budgets and use their phones infrequently to those who want high-end devices to use for all their communications, entertainment and social networking.”

Virgin Mobile USA

Reinventing prepaid wireless once again, Virgin Mobile will introduce an innovative new value proposition that focuses on serving customers who use text and data services to power constant connection with their social networks.

With unlimited messaging, email, data and web included on all plans starting at just $25 a month and a new high-end handset lineup, Virgin Mobile will offer a clear alternative for customers who want a data-driven service without expensive annual contracts and thousands of unnecessary voice minutes. With the addition of the lowest-priced BlackBerry® service plan in the market, Virgin Mobile will provide real value for individuals looking to stay connected without compromising on handset or service quality.

The way youth and young adults communicate has changed dramatically over the past few years. Data from Nielsen shows that usage patterns for postpaid mobile subscribers aged 18-34 shifted from 2007 to 2009. Minutes of talk dropped over 10% while messages sent and received grew by more than 150%. The amount of data usage within this group grew by over 1800% during the same time period.

Beyond Talk™

On May 12, Virgin Mobile will unveil three new “Beyond Talk” plans that all include unlimited messaging, email, data and web [with no incremental fees or taxes]:

The revolutionary $25 plan is the industry’s lowest price point for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes of voice per month, ideal for high-end device users seeking an unbeatable price to enable the text and data services they need.
The $40 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 1,200 minutes of voice per month — the perfect value for those seeking an affordable plan with everything they need.
The $60 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with unlimited voice to offer great value for high-end smartphone users expecting an unlimited plan to cost much more.
For the first time, Virgin Mobile customers can add Blackberry® data service to any of these plans for just $10 more, enabling an unprecedented $35 plan consisting of both voice calling and Blackberry data service.

“Our new offers target a continuing evolution in wireless consumer behavior – increased use of text and data services as a form of wireless communication over talk,” explained Schulman. “These Beyond Talk plans offer the most accessible solution for customers seeking that data-driven lifestyle — unlimited text and data on their terms without a contract, at prices they will love, without requiring them to buy extra minutes they don’t need.”

New Handsets

Virgin Mobile’s new handset lineup proves that a two-year contract isn’t necessary to get a hot data-driven device:

The Blackberry Curve™ 8530 smartphone is a particularly desirable device without a contract. Key features include an approachable form factor, full-QWERTY keyboard, optical track pad, Wi-Fi connectivity, dedicated media keys, and 2 MP camera. The Blackberry Curve 8530 smartphone will be available for $299.99 at retail and at www.virginmobileusa.om at the end of May.

The LG Rumor Touch™ at $149.99 is the first full touch interface handset from Virgin Mobile and is only available without a contract on these plans. Customers can use all the data they want and message all of their friends easily and simply with a Beyond Talk plan. This handset is ideal for the super-connected with an external memory drive that can store up to 16GB of data.

The very popular LG Rumor 2™ QWERTY launched last year, also only available without a contract from Virgin Mobile. For $89.99, it allows customers to message quickly and easily with preloaded apps like the Ultimate Inbox, threaded messaging and Connect social networking. The popular Opera Mini web browser is included as well.

The Kyocera Loft QWERTY for $69.99 suits message-savvy customers perfectly with an embedded instant messaging and email application, and message threading for SMS and MMS in a single inbox. The camera phone includes the networking features mentioned above as well as a Google Maps and other navigational applications.

Virgin Mobile USA continues to serve its current base of prepaid customers with a wide range of handsets, monthly unlimited plans, Minute Packs, Texters Delight and Broadband2Go.

Broadband

Broadband2Go, launched last year under the Virgin Mobile label, also targets the needs of the high data-using crowd that wants easy wireless Internet access wherever they are but doesn’t want to sign a long-term contract.

“Since we expanded distribution, lowered the price, and added more data capacity without changing prices, sales have tripled,” said Schulman. “We’ll continue to enhance this product line as well, possibly under multiple brands to include new services and the very latest in high speed networks, including 4G where available.”

Broadband2Go operates on Sprint’s Nationwide Network, unlike other prepaid broadband offers.

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile continues its popularity by focusing on consumers who love to talk and text and stay connected with the best value and straightforward monthly unlimited pricing. With more than 25% of U.S households now wireless-only for voice, Boost offers value and service that is second to none. This week, Boost added unlimited 411 calls, email and instant messaging to its $50 Monthly Unlimited plan, which also features unlimited talk, text and web access.

Boost’s ever-increasing suite of CDMA handsets, introduced in late January, is driving significant consumer demand. The Blackberry Curve 8830 smartphone, launched earlier this year, is joined by the Samsung Rant™ and, from Sanyo by Kyocera, the Incognito™, Mirro™ SCP3810 and Juno™ on the CDMA side. Depending on a customer’s choice of features, Boost Mobile also is available on the Nextel National Network for push-to-talk technology.

Assurance Wireless

First launched late last year, Assurance Wireless is a free wireless service developed specifically for the 37 million eligible low-income households who need it most. Qualifying customers – often cash-constrained individuals eligible for government- assistance programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) – receive a free cell phone and 200 free minutes of airtime for local and long-distance calling every month.

Sprint is “proud to offer this valuable program,” according to Schulman, which is currently available in Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia and will continue to expand as individual states approve the program. To date, hundreds of thousands have signed up for this uniquely tailored offer. Sprint anticipates that Assurance Wireless will be available in approximately 25 states by the end of 2010.

A New Pay By the Minute Brand

During Sprint’s first quarter earnings call, reference was made to another new brand to launch this month targeting budget-conscious customers who spend less than $30 per month and are focused on the value they pay per minute. Roughly 63% of the no-contract market chooses to pay by the minute or by the day.

“There are millions of people who don’t want or can’t afford smartphones and expensive data plans,” said Schulman. “This is the traditional no-frills prepaid customer base. For these ‘basic communicators,’ we are creating a fresh brand with industry-leading value and consumer-friendly offers.” Designed to resonate directly with cost-conscious consumers, this new brand is expected to initially debut at retail in approximately 16 markets.

The figures do not include Sprint’s recent acquisition of MVNO Virgin Mobile, which is estimated to cost the carrier $483m.  However subsidiary Boost Mobile puts in a strong showing, with revenue growth from its pre-pay users offset revenue declines from post-paid subscribers. 

As for the future, Sprint expect post-paid and total subscriber full-year losses to be an improvement over 2008.  They’re also expecting capital expenditure to be less than in 2008, though that does not include investment in WiMAX.

As part of the deal, Sprint will pay off all of Virgin Mobile USA’s outstanding debt, which is expected to amount to around $205m.  The acquisition will not, however, net them ownership of the Virgin Mobile USA brand; this will continue to be licensed from the Virgin Group at a cost of $12.7m for the period from now until December 31st 2021.

Virgin Mobile USA was the final remaining significant MVNO operating in the US.  The company acquired CDMA rival Helio back in June 2008.

Press Release:

Sprint Nextel To Acquire Virgin Mobile USA

Strengthens Company’s Prepaid Position in Wireless Market with Iconic Consumer Brand

Public Shareholders to Receive $5.50 per Share

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & WARREN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 28, 2009– Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) and Virgin Mobile USA, Inc., (NYSE:VM) announced today that their boards of directors have approved a definitive agreement for Sprint to acquire Virgin Mobile USA for a total equity value of approximately $483 million, which includes the value of Sprint’s current 13.1% fully diluted ownership interest in Virgin Mobile USA. In addition, at closing Sprint will retire all of Virgin Mobile USA’s outstanding debt, which is $248 million net of cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2009, but is expected to be no more than $205 million net of cash and cash equivalents on Sept. 30, 2009.

This acquisition will strengthen Sprint’s position in the growing prepaid segment by bringing together under one umbrella the iconic Virgin Mobile brand with Sprint’s successful Boost Mobile business. These complementary prepaid brands, each with a distinctive offer, style and appeal to different customer demographics, will continue to serve existing and prospective customers following the completion of the transaction.

Following the closing of the transaction, Sprint’s prepaid business will be led by Dan Schulman, current Virgin Mobile USA chief executive officer, who will report directly to Dan Hesse, Sprint Nextel president and chief executive officer. Bringing exceptional telecom leadership credentials to Sprint, Schulman will be responsible for the business strategy and growth of the prepaid segment. Matt Carter will continue to lead Boost Mobile and will report to Schulman.

“The acquisition of Virgin Mobile USA positions Sprint for even greater success in the prepaid wireless segment,” said Hesse. “Prepaid is growing at an unprecedented rate with consumers keenly focused on value. Virgin Mobile is an iconic brand in the marketplace that will complement our Boost Mobile brand.”

“I have known Dan Schulman for many years, and I feel very fortunate that a leader with Dan’s talents is joining Sprint to take us to even greater heights in prepaid,” added Hesse.

“Virgin Mobile USA redefined the U.S. prepaid segment when we launched seven years ago,” said Schulman. “Sprint is committed to growing its prepaid business and this transaction will provide us with the resources and opportunities to compete more aggressively, and strengthen our position in prepaid.”

Transaction Benefits

Strengthens Sprint’s position in the fast growing prepaid segment.
Enhances cross selling of full suite of Sprint products and services across a larger target audience.
Free cash flow accretive for Sprint before synergies.
Synergies to be derived from general and administrative reductions, operational efficiencies, and streamlined distribution.
Sprint gains deeper managerial talent with additional expertise in the prepaid segment.
Terms of the Transaction

Under the terms of the agreement, Virgin Mobile USA stockholders will receive shares of common stock of Sprint based on the exchange ratios described in more detail below, and cash in lieu of fractional shares.

Virgin Mobile USA Public Stockholders:

Each public stockholder, holding in aggregate approximately 39.7 million shares on a fully diluted basis or 43.3% ownership, will receive Sprint shares having a 10-day average closing price equivalent to $5.50 per Virgin Mobile USA share, subject to the collar referenced below.

The exchange ratio for public stockholders will be based on Sprint’s 10-day average closing share price ending two trading days prior to closing.
The exchange ratio will be subject to a collar such that in no event will the exchange ratio be lower than 1.0630 or higher than 1.3668.
The Virgin Group:

The exchange ratio for the Virgin Group will in all circumstances be equal to 93.09% of the exchange ratio for the public stockholders equating generally to $5.12 per Virgin Mobile USA share for common stock owned by the Virgin Group (including shares into which preferred stock held by it is convertible.)
Preferred shares owned by Virgin Group will be converted into common stock based on the Virgin Group exchange ratio at a conversion price of $8.50.
Virgin Group owns approximately 26.0 million shares on a fully diluted basis or 28.3% ownership, of Virgin Mobile USA.
SK Telecom:

The exchange ratio for the SK Telecom will in all circumstances be equal to 89.84% of the exchange ratio for the public stockholders, equating generally to $4.94 per Virgin Mobile USA share for common stock owned by SK Telecom (including shares into which preferred stock held by it is convertible.)
Preferred shares owned by SK Telecom will be converted into common stock based on the SK Telecom exchange ratio at a conversion price of $8.50.
SK Telecom owns approximately 14.0 million shares on a fully diluted basis or 15.3% ownership, of Virgin Mobile USA.
Based on the terms of the agreement, Sprint currently expects to issue between 81.4 million and 104.7 million shares of its common stock in exchange for all Virgin Mobile USA common stock, excluding Sprint’s 13.1% stake, and all Virgin Mobile USA preferred stock.

Following the closing of the transaction, Virgin Mobile USA will continue to license the Virgin Mobile USA brand from the Virgin Group under the terms of an amended and restated Trademark License Agreement. Sprint will pay $12.7 million for the initial term, which will continue through the end of 2021. The agreement contains several renewal provisions that will allow Virgin Mobile USA to extend the term until 2047.

Sprint will pay Virgin Group approximately $50 million at closing as payment in full for net operating losses available to be utilized by Virgin Mobile USA in the future under the Tax Receivable Agreement.

All of Virgin Mobile USA’s outstanding debt will be retired at the closing of the transaction including amounts due under the Senior Secured Credit Facility and the Related Party Subordinated Secured Revolving Credit Agreements.

The payments at the closing of the transaction for the Trademark License Agreement, the Tax Receivable Agreement and Virgin Mobile USA’s subordinated debt will be made either in cash or stock, at Sprint’s option.

The transaction is subject to various closing conditions, including the approval of the transaction agreement by Virgin Mobile USA’s stockholders, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. The Virgin Group and SK Telecom have agreed to vote a portion of the Virgin Mobile USA voting shares owned by them that, when aggregated with the voting shares owned by Sprint, comprise approximately 40% of the outstanding voting power. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009 or in early 2010.

Sprint was advised by Wells Fargo Securities and King & Spalding. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Colonnade Advisors LLC and Foros Advisors LLC are acting as financial advisors to an independent special committee of the Board of Directors of Virgin Mobile and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. also has provided a fairness opinion to the committee. Virgin Mobile USA was also advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

About Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. [NYSE:VM], through its operating company Virgin Mobile USA, L.P., offers millions of customers control, flexibility and choice through Virgin Mobile’s Plans Without Annual Contracts. Its full slate of smart, stylish and affordable handsets are available at approximately 40,000 top retailers nationwide and online at http://www.virginmobileusa.com/, with Top-Up cards available at almost 150,000 locations.

The USB modem itself will be priced at $149.99 when it goes on sale from late June.  On top of that, you can buy 100MB of data use for $10, 250MB for $20, 500MB for $40 and 1GB for $60; all but the 100MB package expire after 30 days, with the cheapest offering needing to be used within 10 days.  Virgin Mobile have designed a new monitoring site, which can be used to track data use, when your package will expire, and to buy more access.

Compatible with Macs and PCs, the dongle also includes a microSD slot happy with up to 16GB cards.  Virgin Mobile USA use Sprint’s data network, so anywhere they have coverage you should be good to go.  This is really a deal for anyone unwilling or unable to sign a data contract: for the money, regular users will get a better deal committing to two years.

Update: Virgin Mobile tell us that, right now, the dongle only supports XP and Vista.  Mac and Linux compatibility is promised “in the weeks ahead”.

Press Release:

Virgin Mobile USA to Introduce Broadband2Go — 3G Nationwide Wireless Internet Access With No Annual Contract

Available Exclusively at Best Buy Mobile; New Product by Novatel Wireless Expands VMU Addressable Market

WARREN, NJ — (MARKET WIRE) — 06/10/2009 — Virgin Mobile USA (NYSE: VM) today announced the launch of Broadband2Go, a 3G nationwide wireless Internet service without an annual contract, monthly subscription or activation fee. With Broadband2Go, Virgin Mobile USA extends the popularity of prepaid cell phone service, which the company transformed, to online access.

Operating on the Sprint Nationwide Network and developed in conjunction with Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL), the MC760 Broadband2Go device carries the distinction of being the world’s smallest EV-DO Rev. A modem. It will be available exclusively at Best Buy Mobile starting in late June for $149.99, and is the first prepaid broadband product Best Buy Mobile is offering.

“Forget the long-term contracts, monthly bills or desperately seeking a local coffee shop for Wi-Fi. Prepaid mobile broadband is ideal for students, families on the go, freelancers, anyone who needs wireless Internet access…and wants to pay only when they use it,” said Bob Stohrer, CMO, Virgin Mobile USA. “We’ve already demonstrated the benefit of no annual contracts and the ability to tailor spending to individual needs. Broadband2Go is another way to give consumers value, flexibility and convenience.”

“As the exclusive retailer, we are extremely excited to bring this nationwide no-contract mobile broadband solution to our customers for the first time,” said Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score. “We believe this product will dramatically alter the marketplace and significantly change the way consumers spend their money connecting to the Internet. For Best Buy Mobile, it aligns perfectly with our goal of providing value and choice to our customers who are looking to get more out of their mobile life.” Virgin Mobile USA’s partnership with Best Buy Mobile will also make the new Broadband2Go available at airport kiosks later this summer.

Broadband2Go My Account Portal ScreenShotLike Virgin Mobile USA’s mobile phone service, activation is simple and megabytes can be added as often as needed with credit/debit cards or Virgin Mobile Top-Up cards. Top-Up cards can be used to purchase data usage from 100MB to 1 gigabyte on the pay-as-you-go model. A new Broadband2Go-branded Top-Up card for $20, which customers may use to purchase 250MB good for 30 days, translating roughly into 12 hours of web browsing. Other data plans are available at $10, $40 and $60, and any VMU Top-Up card can be used.

Designed to be extremely durable and compact, the Broadband2Go device combines a variety of innovative features into its tiny form factor including an integrated microSD™ slot allowing for the seamless storage and transport of up to 16GB of files, photos or videos on a hot-swappable, removable SD storage card [sold separately]. At just over two inches long and weighing less than an ounce, the device is designed to work with any laptop, tablet PC or desktop running Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems and equipped with a Type-A USB port. The MC760 features an internal, advanced dual band diversity antenna, as well as an optional external antenna for enhanced performance on the fringe areas of networks and in highly mobile environments.

“We’re delighted to work with Virgin Mobile USA to deliver mobile broadband solutions that provide industry leading performance and unprecedented functionality for our customers,” said Peter Leparulo, chairman and CEO, Novatel Wireless. “The MC760 combines powerful performance and high capacity removable memory storage with a sleek form factor to provide the ultimate connectivity solution for users on the go.”

Virgin Mobile USA’s Broadband2Go requires no activation fee and there are no roaming charges. Customers have a real-time usage meter to monitor and check “Remaining Megabytes of Use” at any time. From the Broadband2Go My Account page, customers are provided with approximate estimates for how many hours of web-browsing, video-viewing and number of emails each plan will generally handle.

According to market research firm Infonetics(1), sales of mobile broadband cards topped $4.1 billion worldwide in 2008, and IDC reports that represents approximately 7.1 million U.S. subscribers. Growth from 2007 to 2008 was 60%, and IDC also says the 3G mobile broadband market is expected to grow to $10.4 billion in 2012.

For more information, visit www.virginmobileusa.com.

People that are flying to and from several cities including San Diego, San Francisco, LA, Boston, Las Vegas and Washington, DC will be able to use this Wi-Fi service while in the air. Only after the flight is cleared for electronics use, of course.

The service started on flights only between New York and San Francisco, but this expansion is a big step in the right direction. The service is run by Gogo and offers several pricing options. If you have a computer, you’ll be charged $6 for brief night flights, $10 for short day flights and $13 for any flight that lasts longer than three hours. iPhone and other handset users can expect to pay an $8 flat rate.

The service uses DOCSIS 3 cable modem standard and will be offered to 100 testers only during this trial. But here’s the kicker: the test speed is supposedly 200Mbps! Oh, how I would love to be one of those lucky 100. If I used Virgin Media. And if I lived in the UK. But I digress.

The fastest service in the US currently is Optimum Online but it is only capable of 101Mbps. So, a handful of people in the UK are currently getting double the speed US broadband customers get. I’m jealous. Apparently, the speeds are fast enough to stream HD and 3D video. The trial will last for six months, but it’s unclear if this super-fast connection speed will be available to a broader audience upon the test’s completion.

The Unlimited plan for $49.99 also abolishes roaming charges as well, meaning you can call anywhere in the country as long as you have signal for the $49.99 a month. As standard with no-contract phone plans, there’s no credit checks or anything like that, but as a result, there’s no subsidization of the phones, so you’re likely paying full price for a fewer-feature phone. The new Texter’s Delight plans offer people who text more often than talk the chance to spend their monthly bill on more texts than minutes. 1000 texts for $14.99 a month or Unlimited for $19.99 will give users all that texting, IMing, and MMS ability and the option to make phone calls for only $0.10 a minute. The new Pink Slip Protection plan is built into the new suite of minute plans on Virgin Mobile: the $29.99, $39.99, and $49.99 Unlimited plans. Texter’s Delight customers will also have the option. The Pink Slip Protection is retro-active for customers who opt-in for the program through June 30th. To qualify, a customer must have been a Virgin Mobile customer for 2 consecutive months.

This plan will compete directly with the Boost Mobile $50 unlimited minute plan being offered currently by the iDEN carrier. These Pay as you Go and Pre-Pay plans are great for poor college students and others who might not have the credit or steady income to support an expensive phone habit for two years. Personally, I would like to see more pre-pay options and fewer contract-based plans. I wouldn’t mind paying full price for the devices if I had the choice to leave my carrier whenever I wanted. It would force better customer service from the companies, and prevent consumers from being locked into contracts they can’t pay. It would be a better environment for consumers overall. So I say congratulations to Virgin and Boost Mobile for giving us choice in a very scary market. Now please get some phones that are actually cool.

Other Kyocera X-tc specs include a QVGA 262k color display, dedicated music keys, mobile web access, email and IM.  There’s also access to Facebook Mobile, a microSD cards slot and voice dialing, all in a body just 4.37 x 2.05 x 0.68 inches and weighing 3.89oz.  It’s available now, priced at $99 with no contract.

As for the Kyocera JAX, it’s saying something when the most exciting part of a phone are its ringtones.  Still, it’s a relatively skinny little thing at 13mm thick, with a basic 128 x 160 display, web browser and SMS support.  No word on when it might be available, but I can’t imagine there are many people holding their breath.

[via Unwired View]

There are three “All In” plans on offer, each with inclusive text and video messaging, data access, GPS Buddy Beacon and MySpace/YouTube access, priced from $65 per month to $99 per month (varying with the number of included minutes).  Meanwhile the “A la carte” plans start from $40 per month but you’ll be paying extra for data and accessing services, both likely pastimes with the Ocean 2.  Both sets of plans include unlimited mobile to mobile calls and unlimited evening (after 7pm) and weekend calls.

You can see our first impressions and a video unboxing and hardware walkaround of the Virgin Mobile Helio Ocean 2 here.  We’ll be reviewing the handset over the next week or so, to see whether it’s the double-sliding Messiah for Virgin Mobile subscribers or too little, too late given the state of the mobile market.

[thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

In the box, there’s the USB sync cable, Helio-branded charm, wired headset, AC adapter and a CD along with printed documentation. The packaging itself still concentrates on Helio more than it does Virgin Mobile.

First impressions of the handset are good, with the build quality being high and the plastics feeling sturdy. As with the first-gen Ocean, the slide-out QWERTY keyboard (which has now switched levels with the numeric keypad) mechanism seems strong and is flex-free, snapping neatly into place. There’s minimal twist or shift when closed up, either, although this is of course a brand new device, and it’s altogether slicker and slimmer.

Other changes over the first-gen Ocean include an improved display, of which our initial impression is that it’s much brighter and has better color saturation, but seems a little small at 2.6-inches. Meanwhile the touch-sensitive control pad is going to take some getting used to.

The QWERTY keys are larger and easier to press, and while it’s unmistakably an Ocean handset they’ve done a good job bringing it up to date. Where Helio devices always shined was the software package, particularly the location-based services, and it’s those which we’ll be looking at closely for our review. Until then, enjoy the unboxing video and initial gallery!