iPhone 5s And iPhone 5c Now Available From Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile made it known late last month that it would be offering the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on October 1, and a quick look at the carrier's website shows that everything has gone according to schedule. Pricing wasn't described at the time, however, leaving the topic open for speculation based on how the company priced the iPhone 5. Because of the lack of contract subsidization, buyers will be forking over a fair bit of cash, but less than Apple is charging.

Virgin Mobile offers contract-free plans, with unlimited data and messaging (and a few hundred minutes of talk time) being priced at $35 monthly. While the plans are good for those who don't want to be locked into a contract, they have the downside of higher device prices due to the lack of subsidization. Such is the case for all the phones it offers, the iPhone models included, though it is offering a discount.

The iPhone 5s 16GB model is being offered for $549.99, which was the same price it had for the iPhone 5 when it started carrying the handset and about a hundred dollars cheaper than the price Apple has the smartphone for on its website. The 32GB model, meanwhile, is priced at $649.99, and the 64GB model is priced at $749.99, with both of the latter models being listed as "Web Only".

As expected, the iPhone 5c is a bit cheaper, with the 16GB model being priced at $449.99 and the 32GB model being priced at $549.99 — the larger capacity version is likewise listed as Web Only, however. As we'd mentioned last month, we expected a pricing structure akin to what is being offered, so there's no surprises here.

Virgin Mobile also is offering a trade-in promotion, offering credit for certain handsets. Taking a look at its trade-in tool, those with the Virgin Mobile iPhone 5 (16GB model) can get $240 in credit towards the newest iPhone models, for example.

SOURCE: Virgin Mobile