Pay-as-you-go iPhone Rumored to Hit to Virgin Mobile

Sprint will apparently announce the pre-paid phone this week.

Though the majority of iPhone rumors these days are centered on the next iPhone, iPhone 5, that device isn't expected for a few more months. Though it could make an appearance at WWDC, just like iPhones 2G through 4, it's widely expected Apple will instead announce the iPhone 5 on the one year anniversary of the iPhone 4S in the fall. So what do we have in the mean time? Rumors about the current iPhone heading to new places.

According to the latest rumors, the iPhone 4S will soon arrive on Virgin Mobile. Not only that, but the phone will be available on a PAYG (pay-as-you-go) basis. The news comes courtesy of a report in the Wall Street Journal, which cites people familiar with the company's plans in reporting Sprint will announce a pre-paid iPhone for its MVNO subsidiary. That's right, Sprint is apparently following Cricket into pre-paid iPhone territory.

Sprint hasn't had the iPhone for all that long. The company only became an official carrier with the launch of the iPhone 4S last October. However, its thought that the provider struck a hefty deal multi-billion dollar deal with Apple that spans four years. The WSJ hints that Sprint's move to put the iPhone on Virgin Mobile could be a strategic move to ensure it doesn't fall short of that commitment.

If the Wall Street Journal's sources are correct, Sprint will announce Virgin Mobile's pre-paid iPhone before the week is out. Stay tuned!

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Other Comments

-3

beardguy , June 7, 2012 3:34 AM

No thanks, I'll keep my Android.

Besides, I bet these pay as you go plans are a total ripoff.
8

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 3:42 AM

I sure feel ripped off paying $25 a month for unlimited data, unlimited texting, and 300 minutes of airtime. Oh wait, ripped off is how I used to feel when I wasn't on a PAYG plan. Sure, I paid a little more for my ANDROID phone - the monthly savings more than make up for that.
-4

aoneone , June 7, 2012 3:43 AM

It has been almost 1 full year since having no cell phone and I am living life so much easier without stress and saving a TON of money. I just use Gmails free telephone service and emails to communicate ^_^ But I am retired at age 30 so i can do this muahahaha
1

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 3:50 AM

Unless I am mistaken, this is no different to what we have in Australia. I have a pre-paid iPhone 4S with Vodafone. It's great with no long-term contract to fullfill and I can freely hop from one carrier to another if not satified with the phone service. Currently I am on a (AUD)$30 pre-paid per month , including $550 worth of calls, 1Gb data and infinite sms to personal phones in Australia and global roaming abilites. More than what i need and I use it for work as well.

Tony
1

beardguy , June 7, 2012 4:05 AM

Curious, how much did you guys pay for your phones on pay as you go?

I remember doing the math, and it just didn't add up to much of a discount to go with the PAYG.
0

sliem , June 7, 2012 4:50 AM

I pay $100 a year on pay as you go with no data plan. 10c a minute is all I need. Need to talk long time? use home phone (VOIP).
0

g00fysmiley , June 7, 2012 4:53 AM

beardguyNo thanks, I'll keep my Android. Besides, I bet these pay as you go plans are a total ripoff.

yea my wife's android phone on virgin mobile... she gets unlimited data, unlimited txt and 300 talk mins that she uses maybe 10-15 of a month for 25 bucks such a rip off. i use sprint and she usually has the same coverage as I do on my samsung galaxy nexus that I pay 64.95 for unlimited data/txts and 450 min on sprint... which is still a better deal than big red or at&t
1

Shin-san , June 7, 2012 4:53 AM

beardguyCurious, how much did you guys pay for your phones on pay as you go? I remember doing the math, and it just didn't add up to much of a discount to go with the PAYG.
The phones can be as cheap as $15 for a simple phone, $79-379 for an Android (note that the $79-200 phones are on the low-end), and etc.

I wonder if this will cost an arm-and-a-leg though because an iPhone without a contract before this costs $500-600.
0

g00fysmiley , June 7, 2012 4:54 AM

beardguyCurious, how much did you guys pay for your phones on pay as you go? I remember doing the math, and it just didn't add up to much of a discount to go with the PAYG.

oh and phone prices. we paid $200 for a samsung galaxy intercept about a year and a half ago which she still uses. so compared to my $200 galaxy nexus she's cost alot less... though granted her phone isn't as good
0

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 5:30 AM

beardguy: Your knowledge of prepaid is out-of-date by about 10 years. Any of the following will give you unlimited minutes, data and texts for around $50/month on prepaid, and Android phones from $100:

Virgin Mobile
Straight Talk
Cricket
Metro PCS
T-Mobile
and others

Unlimited everything on a 2 year contract with Sprint/Verizon/AT&T is going to cost you about $100/month or more.
0

ttg_Avenged , June 7, 2012 5:40 AM

SWEET, now don't make the phone 650$ and we gotta' deal!
0

sykozis , June 7, 2012 6:25 AM

moustachemombeardguy: Your knowledge of prepaid is out-of-date by about 10 years. Any of the following will give you unlimited minutes, data and texts for around $50/month on prepaid, and Android phones from $100:Virgin MobileStraight TalkCricketMetro PCST-Mobileand othersUnlimited everything on a 2 year contract with Sprint/Verizon/AT&T is going to cost you about $100/month or more.

Neither Verizon or AT&T offer unlimited data.... Only Sprint and T-Mobile do.

Straight Talk depends on the phone you buy as they use Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile's networks. You can get an Android phone with Straight Talk on Sprint or T-Mobile's networks but not Verizon's.

Boost Mobile is also one of Sprint's pre-paid companies. Boost Mobile will discount the monthly price if you pay "on time" every month. It's actually a pretty good deal since it can discount the price by $10-15 a month over time, but the initial service price ranges from $50 to $60 depending on the phone. The phones are pretty reasonably priced though.
0

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 8:25 AM

strait talk also uses ATT gsm, android at that from ZTE..and the BYOP plan (I sell them every day) look in the bottom corner of the boxes, CDMA-S is sprint, GSM-A is att CDMA-V is verizon (which does offer an android device at least on Net10 which is another subsidiary of tracfone...)
0

livebriand , June 7, 2012 8:46 AM

@skyozis T-Mobile's data isn't really unlimited - they throttle you after a few GB. That said, their $30/month plan (technically unlimited but really 5GB data, 100 minutes, unlimited texting) looks like a pretty sweet deal. I'm about to get that and an unlocked Nexus. Good bye Verizon!
2

Zingam_Duo , June 7, 2012 10:26 AM

aoneoneIt has been almost 1 full year since having no cell phone and I am living life so much easier without stress and saving a TON of money. I just use Gmails free telephone service and emails to communicate ^_^ But I am retired at age 30 so i can do this muahahaha

How can you be retarded at the age of 30?

Mod edit: Should be retired, not retarded (if you don't see the obvious).
0

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 2:14 PM

This is how it works in Aus and has been the case for as long as I can remember.
0

anonymous@guest , June 7, 2012 2:20 PM

We get our phones for free in Aus which is effectively the same as this PAYG scheme.
0

eddieroolz , June 7, 2012 7:59 PM

It is an interesting proposition. A lot better experience to use than many off-the-shelf Android phones, and not tied to a contract.
0

tlm man , June 8, 2012 12:36 AM

My Motorola Triumph was $300 USD when it first hit Virgin Mobile. Now it is $279 USD, IIRC. Even assuming a $100 difference in price, the difference is made up in 3 or 4 months max considering I too was grandfathered in with the $25/mo unlimited sms, data, and 300 min plan. And as others have said, service is comparable.

Definitely the way to go, unless you absolutely need to rely on a data connection (work purposes, etc). VM's is sufficient but certainly less than desireable.
0

hoof_hearted , June 8, 2012 12:55 AM

http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

Pay-as-you-go iPhone Rumored to Hit to Virgin Mobile

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