Items tagged with Virgin Mobile
A government program designed to help low income individuals own a smartphone might be dealing participants more than they bargained for. Or more specifically, security researchers warn that the government-subsidized smartphone provided by Virgin Mobile's Lifeline Assurance Wireless program contains multiple instances of malware. At the heart of the controversy is the Unimax (UMX) U686CL. It is a low-end Android device that is said to cost just $35 to qualifying participants, though at the time of this writing, I can't find the handset at the Assurance Wireless online store. The next closest model is the Unimax U683CL, listed for $39. Researchers at Malwarebytes say they obtained the U686CL to...
Read more...
Earlier this month, Sprint unveiled a promotion that offered one year of unlimited service for free if you switched from a competing wireless carrier. It now looks as though Sprint’s prepaid arm, Virgin Mobile USA, is offering a similar promotion; although the prepaid service will cost you $1 for a full year of service. Unlimited talk, text, and data would typically cost $50 per month, but the new Inner Circle program will for a limited time offer you the $1 pricing. Similar to the Sprint promotion, you will have to pay the taxes on the service, and you must sign up for AutoPay in order to avoid paying a higher rate. Customers must sign up for Inner circle by July 31st in order to take advantage...
Read more...
Up to this point, T-Mobile's been the one shaking up the wireless industry with its "Un-carrier" initiatives that go against the grain. However, credit Virgin Mobile for being the first to launch no-contract data sharing plans in the U.S., though there's a small caveat -- they're exclusively available at Walmart locations. If you don't mind a trip to Wally World, then beginning tomorrow (January 17), you can access the new plans on four specific 4G LTE smartphones that come pre-loaded with the Virgin Mobile data sharing application. In addition, each multi-line plan will also come with a free Mobile Hotspot feature so that it's easier to share data from...
Read more...
In Samsung's world, the talk of the Galaxy is all about the recently unveiled S4 with its plethora of fancy new features and hardware enhancements, but don't go hating on its predecessor. The Galaxy S III is still a capable smartphone, which is why Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile are so excited to announce that they're now carrying Samsung's previous flagship device. "Samsung Galaxy S III is a premium smartphone designed to deliver one of the hottest handset experiences to consumers," said Jeff Hallock, senior vice president, Marketing-Sprint. "Offering this device on both Boost and Virgin Mobile with the value, choice and flexibility of their no-contract wireless plans makes moving from a long-term...
Read more...
The power of the Internet makes us wonder how we ever got along without it. Case in point: Kevin Burke, an independent developer, discovered a major security hole that left six million Virgin Mobile USA customers vulnerable to a relatively simple brute force attack. After alerting Virgin Mobile of the flaw a month ago and seeing no fix in sight, he decided to make the matter public "Virgin Mobile forces you to use your phone number as your username, and a 6-digit number as your password. This means there are only one million possible passwords you can choose," Burke explained in a blog post. "This is horribly insecure, Compare a 6-digit number with a randomly generated 8 letter password containing...
Read more...
Apple's iPhone sure does get around these days, and on June 29, you can add Virgin Mobile USA to the list of carriers offering the popular iOS device. Virgin Mobile made the announcement today, saying it will carry both the iPhone 4 and 4S with its Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans (carried out through Sprint's network) starting at $30 per month. "This month marks Virgin Mobile USA’s tenth birthday," said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. "And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone. That is the essence of ‘A Higher Calling.’" There's no contract to...
Read more...
Boost Mobile isn't the only prepaid carrier who's getting 4G service. Today, Virgin Mobile also announced 4G service with its no-contract plans. To accompany the announcement, Virgin Mobile announced the HTC EVO V 4G smartphone, Overdrive Pro 3G/4G mobile hotspot, and U600 3G/4G USB Stick. The HTC EVO V 4G will be available for $299.99 on May 31. This smartphone runs on Android 4.0 and HTC Sense 3.6. Key features include a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen, 1GB RAM/4GB ROM, and a 5MP camera. For Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go customers, the Overdrive Pro 3G/4G mobile hotspot by Sierra Wireless ($149.99) and the powerful U600 3G/4G USB Stick by Franklin Wireless ($99.99) will be available online beginning...
Read more...
Who says that you need a post-paid contract in order to get a decent smartphone? A few years back, you did, but things have changed dramatically. Now, some smartphones are trickling down to pre-paid carriers, with yesterdays "greatest" on the post-paid side becoming today's "good enough" on the pre-paid side. LG's Optimus Slider is an Android-powered handset with a slide-out keyboard and a terrific price for someone looking to snag their first smartphone. It'll be available on October 17th for $199.99, and that's off-contract. Compare that to most Android handsets coming out today, which retail for upwards of $500 off-contract, and you can see the vast difference. It'll be sold in Best Buy and...
Read more...
All good things must come to an end. With Sprint being the last major oasis for unlimited data plans, the news that subsidiary Virgin Mobile is going to begin throttling users is indeed negative. With competitors Verizon, and AT&T killing off their unlimited data plans and T-Mobile throttling users, customers desperate for data have been moving to Sprint or one of several small, contract-free carriers, like Virgin Mobile. However, Sprint announced last week that they would start throttling Virgin Mobile data users that went over a limit of 2.5GB. Many users are now questioning if this is a sign of things to come; while Sprint ads admonish T-Mobile for its "unlimited...
Read more...
In addition to the Android-Powered Photon 4G we showed you earlier, Sprint, along with its prepaid brands Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA, are teaming up with Motorola to launch more than 10 new Motorola devices in 2011. The Motorola TRIUMPH will be the first Virgin Mobile USA device from Motorola. This smartphone features a 1GHz processor, 4.1-inch WVGA touchscreen, two cameras, a slim design (less than 0.4 inches thick), HD-Video (720p) capture and HDMI output. Earlier this week, Sprint and Motorola also debuted the Motorola XPRT, which is the first Motorola smartphone powered by Android from Sprint to deliver enterprise-class security, personal productivity enhancements and international...
Read more...
Traditionally, prepaid carriers and MVNOs have had fairly lackluster phone options, particularly when it comes to smartphones. Basically, it's difficult to find a legitimately high-end smartphone on a prepaid carrier. The reason is pretty simple: high-end phones are expensive, and since prepaid phones are sold off contract, it's difficult to convince people to pay $500+ for a phone. Particularly when they aren't even interested in paying their phone bill on a contract. But this week, a breakthrough happened. Virgin Mobile launched what's likely the most serious and sophisticated smartphone on a prepaid carrier, ever. The Triumph is a 4.1" phone with a WVGA panel, aGPS, Wi-Fi, a Qualcomm MSM8655...
Read more...
If you're against pop culture, you should turn your nose up and dash away as soon as possible. Virgin Mobile has just debuted a new free music app in the Android Market, but it probably won't appeal to those who aren't in tune with the Top 40. At least not yet. Virgin Mobile Live 2.0 is the app's name, and it will give all Android users who dare download it access to a music stream hosted by DJ Abbey Braden, as well as past Virgin Mobile FreeFest performance videos, and “check in” features at events and performances, such as Lady Gaga concerts. Every status update from within the app will also sync to Facebook and Twitter, of course. Even performances from LIVE HOUSE at SXSW will...
Read more...
We had no reason to think that Virgin Mobile USA was kidding around with their new Broadband2Go teaser on the company's Facebook page, but now it's official. And it may very well up-end the mobile broadband industry. With post-paid carriers looking more and more these days like money hungry pipes, the pre-paid options are looking more and more suitable. And if you're in need of a new mobile Internet source, Virgin Mobile has the best deal going. The new Broadband2Go plan has added a $40/month option that doesn't require any long term contracts, and it will be available tomorrow online and rolling out at retail in the coming weeks. The plan is simpler than we could've ever imagined. $40 per month...
Read more...
And this here is why competition is a great thing. When AT&T ditched their mobile unlimited plans in favor of tiered plans, most assumed that the other major operators would follow suit. We're still waiting on the edge of our seats to see if that'll happen, but for now, AT&T remains the lone player who won't give smartphone users unlimited data for their phone. Granted, they're also the only carrier in the U.S. with the data-hungry iPhone, so we guess we can understand the situation a little bit. But now, Virgin Mobile USA is going against the AT&T grain with a couple of new Broadband2Go plans. These plans provide mobile Internet access on Sprint's network via the MiFi 2200 hotspot...
Read more...
It's getting easier and easier to avoid the major four mobile carriers in America, and more importantly, to avoid those long-term contracts that lock you in and refuse to let go. Of course, the biggest and most cutting-edge smartphones will continue to go to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, and all of them will require those 2-year contracts, but if you don't really care about what phone makes and receives your calls/texts, Virgin Mobile has a tempting new offer. PayLo is an all-new pay-as-you-go brand designed for light mobile users, offering a 400-minute plan for just $20/month and prepaid minutes as cheap as $0.05/min. The new plans and phones will be available online as well as at...
Read more...
With the addition of the MiFi 2200 to its Broadband2Go portfolio, Virgin Mobile is offering customers a prepaid Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that allows users with Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect to 3G Internet. This new Broadband2Go MiFi product doesn't require a contract, monthly subscription or activation fee. The Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot costs $149.99 and operates on the Sprint 3G network. With the MiFi 2200, users can create a mobile hotspot that can be shared among up to five users with a variety of Wi-Fi enabled devices. The MiFi 2200 supports many popular security standards, including WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WEP and SPI Firewall. Virgin Mobile USA First to Launch...
Read more...
Sprint has been on quite the roller coaster ride over the past couple of quarters, and while the latest one saw the company losing fewer postpaid subscribers than they had in past quarters, the numbers still weren't great. But over on the pre-paid side, things were different. Sprint has managed to stock up pre-paid subscribers, adding loads of customers who prefer to pay more for a phone up-front and pay their phone service month-by-month. The contract-free approach is definitely appealing during uncertain times, and Sprint has plenty of options for people. There's Boost Mobile, Assurance Wireless and Virgin Mobile, all of which are now under Sprint's umbrella. Virgin Mobile continues to be one...
Read more...
Well, isn't this an interesting development? Just a few short months after Virgin Mobile--one of the few remaining MVNOs left in America--introduced a delightful new pay-as-you-go mobile broadband plan, the company is now be swallowed whole by Sprint Nextel. If you're shocked to hear that the USA's sole Palm Pre carrier is busying buying up companies, you aren't alone.The news of the takeover comes as quite the shock to the entire industry, but we suppose we can at least understand it. You see, both Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile--the latter of which is already under Sprint's umbrella--utilize Sprint's infrastructure and network in order to serve customers, so it's not like Sprint wasn't already...
Read more...
We already knew that mobile broadband demand was on the up and up, and now we're seeing yet another US carrier get into the game. Unlike the Big 4 (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA), Virgin Mobile USA's approach is significantly different. With those other guys, you're forced into a 2-year agreement that only allows you 5GB of throughput per month. A tough pill to swallow, for sure. Virgin Mobile USA, on the other hand, is going against the grain by offering a pay-as-you-go plan, which in our minds, is totally more feasible for most users. Who seriously needs a mobile broadband stick each day of the year, for two years straight? Compare that to folks who could really use one...
Read more...
Recession got you down? Thinking of canceling that cellphone contract? Need a bailout in order to keep that texting habit alive? Virgin Mobile USA is looking to make the most of a bad situation (not to mention rival Boost Mobile's completely attractive $50 unlimited plan) by offering up a $49.99 Unlimited Plan that's sweeter than most similar alternatives. It should be noted that this particular plan doesn't include any data whatsoever, and furthermore, no text or multimedia messages are included. In other words, this plan is strictly for talking, but considering that there's no contract attached (it's prepaid with no activation or roaming chargers), it's still a solid deal. The plan will become...
Read more...
