Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile will start throttling data speeds in March

January 19th, 2012   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

We knew it was coming. It was just a matter of when. We learned last year that Virgin Mobile would throttle the speeds of its heaviest data users. It will begin this practice on March 23rd, with users who exceed 2.5GB per month getting their speeds throttled. To be clear, this applies to Virgin smartphone customers using Beyond Talk plans. Throttled speeds are 256Kbps, which is something of a relic for old dial-up users. If a user gets throttled, he has to either way for the beginning of the next billing cycle, or otherwise pay for a new monthly plan immediately. Neither seems like an attractive option, but those are the breaks.

Via Android Central.

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Virgin Mobile offers free month of mobile broadband

November 11th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

In an effort to attract new mobile broadband users, Virgin Mobile is offering new Broadband2Go customers a free month of data when they sign up. This requires the purchase of a MiFi or USB modem, but once customers activate they’ll get a free month of data, which covers 500MB. That normally costs $20. After that customers can continue paying $20 for 500MB, or can switch to the 100MB plan for $10 or the 2.5GB plan for $50. The promotion runs through Tuesday, November 15, so make sure to visit Virgin Mobile’s website to sign up before it expires. Lines must be activated by December 12th.
 
Via FierceWireless.

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Virgin Mobile adds Samsung M575 to payLo

October 26th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

 
That’s the Samsung M575, the latest phone to hit Virgin Mobile payLo. It’s a simple handset, featuring a QWERTY keyboard, a media player, and up to 32GB of external storage. Thankfully, it does support 3G data, though the uses are limited. It fits perfectly into payLo’s budget-minded theme. You can grab one for $79.99 at Virgin Mobile’s website.
 
Via Phone Scoop.

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Virgin Mobile announces LG Optimus Slider and HTC Wildfire S

October 3rd, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

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We’ve seen the above picture recently — last week, in fact. It’s the LG Optimus Slider, and it is now officially coming to Virgin Mobile. Last week we detailed the Optimus Slider, noting its reasonably fast processor, 3.2-inch screen, sliding keyboard, and Android 2.3. As expected, it will cost $199.99. Virgin will release the handset on four different dates: October 17th on Virgin Mobile’s website, October 31st at Best Buy and Radio Shack, November 6th at Target, and November 13th through Sprint retail outlets.
 
Virgin also made two more announcements, including an update on data throttling and another Android handset.

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LG Optimus Slider coming to Virgin Mobile

September 27th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

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Another Android handset will soon make its way to Virgin Mobile. The LG Optimus Slider, which Verizon just released as the LG Enlighten, is coming soon, according to a Best Buy listing. It runs the latest version of the Android operating system, 2.3, meaning it has all the newest features of the Android platform. It’s also reasonably fast at 800MHz and has a fairly standard 3.2-inch touchscreen with full sliding keyboard. Really, it provides a newer alternative to the Samsung Intercept, which was Virgin’s first Android handset. It should drop next month for $199.99.
 
Via PhoneNews.com.

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Virgin Mobile going after T-Mobile postpaid customers

August 9th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

Apparently Virgin Mobile smells blood in the water. This week it launches an ad campaign that directly pleas with T-Mobile customers to make the switch. It does seem odd, indeed, that Virgin is targeting customers from a postpaid brand, but the opportunity is clearly there. T-Mobile is already losing customers, and Virgin sees the opportunity to satisfy them with their monthly prepaid plans. It would help, though, if the ad didn’t make a specious claim or two.

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Virgin Mobile to throttle Beyond Talk data speeds

July 14th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

Just last week we got the bad news that Virgin Mobile would raise the rates in the lower tier of its Beyond Talk plans. The changes weren’t all bad, but the $10 monthly increase of what was the greatest smartphone deal on the planet certainly hurt. There’s some more hurting coming, too. Virgin announced yesterday that while they would continue to advertise unlimited data on the Beyond Talk plans, users would only get 2.5GB at 3G speeds. After that customers can still use data without an additional fee, but the speed is dropped to 256Kbps. Basically, it’s the same deal as their mobile broadband plans. This change will place in October, so customers still have a few months to run amok. Virgin published an FAQ page to help clear up confusion.

Via Phone Scoop.

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Changes coming to Virgin Mobile

July 7th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    11 Comments

Be on the lookout for some plan changes at Virgin Mobile. The site PhoneNews.com got their hands on a PDF sent to dealers, and it details the various plan changes they’re making in the near future. The most notable is what you see above, to the Beyond Talk plans. The super awesome $25 plan gets a $10 bump to $35 per month, while the $50 plan goes to $55. It’s not all that bad, considering how great the old plans were. Now they’re just good, rather than spectacular. The $30 payLo plan will also include 1,500 minutes, 1,500 messages, and 30MB of web access, but apparently that is a “limited time allowance increase.” There’s no word on when these will go into effect, but it doesn’t figure to be long. Also, two phone-related issues after the break.

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Look for the Motorola Triumph on Virgin Mobile July 19th

June 23rd, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

It wasn’t found in the likeliest of places, but it appears that we now have a release date for the Motorola Triumph on Virgin Mobile. From the ad, found in People magazine, it looks like July 19th is the date. I can imagine plenty of Virgin customers going for that, since it will be the most powerful Android they’ve released to date.

Via Phandroid.

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Virgin Mobile getting Android-powered Motorola Triumph

June 10th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    3 Comments

Yesterday Motorola and Virgin Mobile announced a new Android handset, the Triumph. It resembles many of Motorola’s other Android handsets — it’s kind of like the Droid without the slide-out keyboard. It’s a larger device at 4.1 inches, and it features a 5 megapixel rear and VGA front-facing cameras. It runs fast at 1GHz, and, for the multimedia fans, it has an HDMI output. It also runs Android 2.2 out of the box, though at some point you have to figure it will get 2.3. This looks like the highest end handset to date for Virgin Mobile, and I can see plenty of users upgrading. There’s no price or release date set for it, but I would figure somewhere between $200 and $300 with a summer release date.

Via Phone Scoop. Hands-on video from Phandroid after the jump.

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Virgin Mobile released LG200 for payLo

May 18th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

On the same day that it brought back a $20 mobile broadband plan, Virgin Mobile has also introduced a new handset. The LG200 is a simple messaging phone that fewatures a full QWERTY keyboard, VGA camera, and a 2.2-inch screen. It will cost $69.99 and is available with any of Virgin’s payLo plans — the best of which is 1,500 minutes, 500 messages, and 10MB of data for $30 per month. You can get the LG200 and a payLo plan at Virgin Mobile’s website.

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Virgin Mobile re-introduces $20 mobile broadband plan

May 18th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

There has been plenty of change lately with Virgin Mobile‘s Broadband2Go plans. The latest is that it put a 2.5GB cap on the $50 plan, with slower speeds to follow once that cap is breached. They also have a $10 plan that provides 100MB during a 10-day window. Apparently they also have a $20 plan, sold only with the purchase of a device at Walmart, that provides 1GB of service. Now they’re opening that $20 plan up to everyone, but with a catch. If you sign up for the service at, say, Virgin Mobile’s website, you’ll get only 500MB of data for your $20. Clearly, it’s better if you get your broadband modem at Walmart so that you can take advantage of double the data for the same price.

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Virgin getting another Android handset?

April 25th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

It appears that Virgin Mobile is ready to launch another Android device. They already have the Samsung Instinct, which just got a Froyo update, and the LG Optimus V. Accroding to a rumor on Pocket Now, they’ll add a Motorola offering to the mix. The details are scant on this one, as we just have this simple shot and Pocket Now’s source on this one. We’ll pass along more information as it becomes available.

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Samsung Restore coming to Virgin Mobile

April 20th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

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Pictured above is the Samsung Restore, a handset headed for Virgin Mobile sometime in the near future. It’s billed as an eco-friendly handset, since it is built from recycled plastics and can be, in part, recycled itself. It looks like a new twist on the Samsung Messenger, a popular handset that many prepaid carriers offer. When available, it will cost $79.99.

Via Mobile Burn.

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Samsung Intercept (Virgin Mobile) getting Android 2.2 update

February 17th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    17 Comments

One of the most frequent questions about any Android handset is, when will it get an update to OS 2.2 (Froyo)? Many handsets will not get it. There was a good chance that the Samsung Intercept on Virgin Mobile would be stuck with Android 2.1 for the rest of its life. This is not true. On their official Twitter account, though, Virgin says that the Intercept will, in fact, get Froyo 2.2. It will come on March 25, so we have about five weeks to go. Still, that’s incredible news for those who bought that and regret it, because the Optimus comes with Android 2.2.

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Update on Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go plan

February 15th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    26 Comments

When we learned last week that Virgin Mobile was discontinuing its $40 unlimited Broadband2Go plan, we were promised an update from the company this week. As you can see in the screenshot above, we now have answers. The plan is now $50 per month and will only work at maximum speed for the first 2.5GB. That’s quite a change from even last month, when Virgin was slowing down users who exceeded 5GB. Customers can pay $50 after they exceed their 2.5GB cap in order to restore speeds. That’s going to get expensive very quickly.

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Expect more Android smartphones from Virgin Mobile

February 11th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

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According to a recent Engadget post, Virgin Mobile is gauging customer interest in another Android smartphone. This one, however, appears a bit more high end than its current offerings the LG Optimus V and the Samsung Intercept. Both of those have their highlights, but this one jumps ahead of the pack with a 1GHz processor, a 4.1-inch screen, 5 megapixel camera, and more. It’s still a bit behind the current times, but that’s not a totally bad thing. Plenty of people are happy with their phones that have these features. There is nothing solid on this at all, mind you. It’s just Virgin asking customers if they’d be interested.

Would you?

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Virgin Mobile discontinuing $40 unlimited Broadband2Go

February 10th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    13 Comments

A reader sent in a tip this morning, and this appears to be a significant development. We learned last month that Virgin Mobile planned to throttle speeds of Broadband2Go users who go over 5GB per month. Now it appears that the unlimited broadband plan will be eliminated completely. From Virgin’s terms of service:

$40 Broadband2Go Plan Expiring on February 15, 2011

Until February 14, 2011, you may purchase or switch to the $40 Broadband2Go plan described below. If as of February 15, 2011 the last plan you purchased was the $40 Broadband2Go plan, you may continue to purchase the $40 Broadband2Go plan until further notice or until you switch to one of the other Broadband2Go plans. Once you switch to another Broadband2Go plan, you will not be able to switch back to the $40 Broadband2Go plan. If as of February 15, 2011 the last plan you purchased was a plan other than $40 Broadband2Go plan, you will not be able to purchase or switch to the $40 Broadband2Go plan.

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Virgin introduces Kyocera S2100

February 2nd, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

Yesterday Virgin Mobile released the LG Optimus V, a nifty Android smartphone. Today’s phone announcement isn’t nearly as big, but it still can bring value to payLo customers. The Kyocera S2100, pictured above, doesn’t do much beyond make and receive calls, send and receive texts, and take grainy photos. But it’s a cheap clamshell option for those who have no need for a smartphone. Again, it’s available for customers of Virgin’s payLo plans, and it costs $39.99. You can get the S2100, and a payLo plan, at Virgin Mobile’s website.

Via Phone Scoop.

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LG Optimus V Android smartphone available at Virgin Mobile

February 1st, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

It has been at some retail stores since last week, but now it’s official. Virgin Mobile has officially announced the LG Optimus V. It’s an Android smartphone running OS version 2.2, so you have pretty much the latest software. It will cost $149.99, and it is available at Radio Shack stores. The press release also mentions availability at Virgin Mobile’s website, but at the time of this post it hasn’t shown up yet.

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Get the LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile, if you can

January 27th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

On Tuesday night, Engadget reported that a number of outlets, including Target stores, were already selling the LG Optimus V, an Android handset from Virgin Mobile. This is certainly ahead of the official release, since Virgin has not made an announcement. Want to see if your local Target is carrying it? PhoneNews.com has some useful instructions. You’ll have to ask for the internal SKU 080-02-0724, and then follow their steps for activation (it requires a workaround, since it’s not in Virgin’s activation system). If you’re on the fence about this, check out this hands on review at Howard Forums. The handset costs $150.

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Virgin Mobile to get LG Optimus One Android handset

January 24th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    3 Comments

For a while I’ve seen various forum posts noting that Virgin Mobile will get the LG Optimus One. It is an extremely popular entry level Android handset, and it amkes perfect sense for a prepaid carrier. It turns out that we’ll see it hitting Virgin shelves soon. Android Central has a shot of the price tag, which puts it at $149.99. We still don’t know exactly when it will become available, but shouldn’t be too long. The Optimus V, as it will be dubbed, should provide a nice alternative to the Samsung Intercept, which is currently Virgin’s only Android handset.

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Virgin Mobile comes clean about broadband speed throttling

January 12th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    6 Comments

Things move quickly these days. Yesterday we ran a story about Virgin Mobile‘s practice of throttling mobile broadband speeds once customers reach 5GB per month. That doesn’t seem right for a service that was advertised as having no limits. I have nothing against data throttling, as long as the company is up front about it. Yesterday, Virgin Mobile did just that. The company announced a 5GB cap for its $40 Broadband2Go plan. After customers reach that cap their speeds are reduced to 256 Kbps until either they renew early or the new month starts. This goes into effect on February 15.

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Virgin’s unlimited Broaband2Go includes 5GB cap

January 11th, 2011   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

Virgin Mobile made waves this past summer when it introduced a $40 unlimited mobile broadband plan. It was by far the cheapest in the industry, and best of all it didn’t include any caps. There were some functionality problems upon launch, but they seemed to go away — or, at least, people stopped complaining about them. Now we learn that there is actually a 5GB cap in place. Once you reach 5GB in a given month, Virgin can throttle your speeds to 256 Kbps. That’s better than overages, and you can renew your plan early in order to restore speed. The problem, of course, is that there is no way to know this unless you read the fine print in a Radio Shack flier. Virgin’s deal is still one of the best in the industry. I just wish they’d be more up front about its limitations.

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Virgin Mobile offers phone insurance

December 1st, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

Earlier in the year Boost Mobile made something of a splash by offering handset insurance. Most prepaid carriers do not offer this, so it was novel at the time. Now it appears that Sprint’s other prepaid arm, Virgin Mobile, is prepared to do the same. It costs $5 per month, and you can see the deductible chart above. As expected, it’s $100 per claim for the higher end devices, and a bit lower as you move down the line. You have to register for insurance within 15 days of buying a new handset. More information is available at http://www.virginmobileusa.com/help-support/phoneinsurance.html.

Via PhoneNews.com.

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Virgin Mobile to offer $20 Broadband2Go plan

November 18th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

Earlier this year Virgin Mobile made a splash by offering unlimited mobile broadband for $40 per month. That not only undercut the competition in price, but also overshot them on usage. Most other providers capped consumption at 5GB or less. Today they’ll launch another attractive plan. This one will cost $20 per month and will provide 1GB of data. That’s a good balance between Virgin’s $40 unlimited and $10 100MB plans. You’ll need a Virgin Mobile USB dongle or MiFi device in order to use the service, but you won’t have to sign a contract. You can find a device and sign up for the service at Walmart stores and at Walmart.com.

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Virgin adds another payLo plan and phone

October 21st, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

When Virgin Mobile introduced its payLo plans in July, I wondered what kind of advantage they offered. Customers basically had to pay $20 for the right to get minutes and messages at a certain rate — and the rate isn’t that much better than the industry standard, on the whole. Yesterday Virgin announced a new payLo plan, this one costing $30 per month. It includes 1,500 minutes, 500 messages (SMS, MMS, and IM), and 10MB of data. This makes it different than the other payLo plans, because it’s more like an actual monthly plan. You can sign up for the plan at Virgin Mobile’s website.

They also announced a new handset…

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Virgin to offer Android on $25 plan

September 30th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    3 Comments

Sometimes the biggest news is non-news. Last week Virgin Mobile announced the Samsung Intercept, its first Android-powered handset. Android is a powerful mobile OS, capable of major data usage. It would seem like a steal, then, to get unlimited messaging and data on that type of device for just $25 per month. Since Virgin charges an extra $10 for BlackBerry service, it seemed as though they might do the same for Android. But as PhoneNews.com notes, you’ll be able to get that unlimited service for the same $25 as you would any other non-BlackBerry handset.

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Virgin Mobile announces Samsung Intercept

September 22nd, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

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Late yesterday afternoon on its Facebook page Virgin Mobile announced the Samsung Intercept, the carrier’s first Android handset. We heard rumblings about the Intercept earlier this month, and the signs kept getting stronger. We still don’t know when it will hit Virgin or what it will cost, but we have been assured that it will be available sometime soon. The device has an 800MHz processor, so it’s relatively powerful but not top-of-the-line. It also contains 8GB of internal memory and, of course, access to the Android market. Other features include a 3.2 inch touchscreen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2 MP camera.

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Could Virgin be getting the Samsung Intercept?

September 9th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

We mostly deal with hard news here, but sometimes we’ll run into a rumor that’s too good to let pass. These normally come from reliable and credible Howard Forums users, and for the most part we haven’t been burned when going with one. The latest tidbit is the possibility of an Android handset on Virgin Mobile. It should be the Samsung Intercept, a device that launched on parent company Sprint in July. It’s a touchscreen slider that features a 3.2 megapixel camera and all the perks of Android. What makes me think that this is ripe for Virgin: the Intercept has an EV-DO Rev. 0 radio, while most newer 3G smartphones have an EV-DO Rev. A radio. This means slower speeds, which could be compatible with Virgin’s cheap data offerings. Again, we have no solid word on this yet, but it sounds like the device could be announced in the next few weeks. We’ll keep you updated.

Via HoFo, with a hat tip to reader Keshon for sending it in.

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Virgin to introduce $40 unlimited prepaid broadband

August 23rd, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    3 Comments

Something tells me that Virgin Mobile‘s new prepaid broadband plans will once again raise the question of what is defined as unlimited. Via IntoMobile we learn that the company plans to overhaul its Broadband2Go offering this week, going from three choices to two. That might seem bad, but when one of them is a $40 one-month plan that provides unlimited data, it actually seems pretty good. Great, even. Which makes me think that it’s too good to be true. I tried out Virgin’s broadband earlier this month using the MiFi, and I have to say the experience was excellent (review forthcoming). To get unlimited for $40 is a coup. You can also get a $10 plan that provides 100MB over 10 days.

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Virgin adds a pair of $20 prepaid plans

July 15th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    3 Comments

It wasn’t too long ago that Virgin Mobile changed things up and revamped their rates. The focus seemed to be on messaging and data users, though they did retain their basic pay-as-you-go rates. Now they’ve added two plans called payLo. They look a lot like plans with daily access fees, except the $20 covers either one month or 90 days, depending on which plan you choose.

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On the road this weekend? Get the MiFi on Virgin

July 2nd, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

Last week we got first wind that Virgin Mobile would launch the MiFi, a mobile hotspot that works with its Broadband2Go service. We had most of the details at hand at the time, so there wasn’t much new we learned when Virgin announced its launch this week. The one thing we did get was a price reduction on Virgin’s USB dongle, the Ovation MC760. That goes from $100 to $80. If you’re going to be away from the office this weekend but want to remain connected, this seems like one of the best deals out there. You can get the MiFi, the Ovation MC760, and a Broadband2Go plan at Radio Shack or Best Buy, or otherwise at Virgin Mobile’s website.

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Virgin Mobile to release prepaid wireless hotspot

June 24th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

A few months ago Virgin Mobile made a number of changes to its Broadband2Go plans. They have four plans that run from $10 for 100MB to $60 for 5GB. Those running the 5GB and even 1GB plans might have a new toy. Virgin will soon release the Novatel MiFi, a portable wireless hotspot. The device picks up the cellular data signal and broadcasts it as Wi-Fi, so multiple devices can access it. It’s not good for the lower plans, since laptops will easily gobble up those low usage caps, but it should work well for the bigger plans. The device will cost $149 and will be available on Monday, June 28 at Best Buy, Radio Shack and at Virgin Mobile’s website.

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Sprint announces Virgin Mobile overhaul

May 7th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

Not long after we heard about new plans from Virgin Mobile, its parent company, Sprint, made it official. The plans are exactly in line with the leaked promotional material. All plans include unlimited text, email, and data, and will run from $25, for 300 anytime minutes, to $60 for unlimited everything. Unlimited BlackBerry will cost $10 extra. Yet that wasn’t the only change for Virgin Mobile.

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New Virgin Mobile plans, phones leaked

May 5th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    2 Comments

We heard, not too long ago, that Virgin Mobile would get the Blackberry Curve 8530. At the same time we heard that they might change up their current rate plans. It looks like both are true. Via Phone Arena, we get a glimpse of the new Virgin phones and plans. Yes, it includes the 8530, but that’s not the most exciting part of this. As you can see above, the plans have changed considerably.

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Virgin Mobile to get BlackBerry Curve 8530

April 27th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    7 Comments

Just last week I wrote a post on our sister site, BBGeeks, profiling the needs of a prepaid BlackBerry user. At this point it’s tough to gauge exactly who benefits from the service plans and handset prices, but there are certainly advantages to taking a BlackBerry off contract. We know that Cricket will offer the BlackBerry Curve 8530 at some point this summer. According to a recent report from PhoneNews.com, we could be adding another carrier to the list. They caught a tidbit on RIM’s download page, which indicates that the Curve could hit Virgin Mobile sometime soon.

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Virgin makes changes to Broadband2Go plan

March 3rd, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

It seems to be Virgin Mobile‘s day. The second item of the day from them relates to their Broadband2Go offering, a prepaid high-speed data platform. Virgin has announced new prices, ones that are scaled a bit better to postpaid data rates and usage patterns. A quick table of the new rates after the jump.

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Virgin Mobile phasing out contract plans

March 3rd, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

When Virgin Mobile acquired Helio in 2008, they began offering contract plans. It took a while to get the Helio and VM systems to work together, but they finally got it done. Then, just about a year later, Sprint acquired Virgin Mobile, citing its focus on the prepaid sector. It never really crossed my mind to think about the fate of Helio, and I didn’t see much, if any, commentary on the topic. Yesterday we learned that Virgin will phase out its contract plans, with a complete cessation coming May 25. That gives current VM contract customers 12 weeks to find a new service provider. Virgin hopes that carrier will be Sprint.

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Virgin Mobile drops Helio brand, eyes changes this month?

February 8th, 2010   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

There was a time, not too long ago, when we heard news from Virgin Mobile at least three or four times a month. Since Sprint acquired them, however, we haven’t heard too much — even during the holiday season, when it seems we heard something from about every prepaid carrier. The lull in news could end soon, though. I missed it, but a few weeks back on Howard Forums a user claimed that big changes were coming February 16. Usually I let rumors like this go, but over the weekend another HoFo user noticed that Helio phones and plans are gone from Virgin Mobile’s website. Could this be a sign of things to come?

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Virgin Mobile launches service for low-income households

December 10th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    9 Comments

As civilization evolves, things that were once a luxury become a near necessity. This holds true with telecommunications. The home telephone was once a luxury, but quickly became a necessity. It seems we’re headed that way with cell phones (due in part, of course, to the decline of landlines). Yet there are many people, especially with the unemployment rate the highest it’s been in years, who cannot afford a cell phone. Tracfone runs its SafeLink program, which provides qualifying low-income individuals a free phone and 80 minutes per month. Virgin Mobile will now offer a similar program, called Assurance Wireless.

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Virgin Mobile now officially part of Sprint

November 25th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

It took about five months, but Sprint has finally completed its acquisition of Virgin Mobile. There’s nothing major in the announcement, just some formalities and paperwork. The deal is for $483 million, and it involves the retirement of Virgin Mobile’s debt. Virgin’s 5.2 million subscribers should lead Sprint to its first quarter of subscriber growth in over a year.

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Virgin Mobile introduces GPS service

October 15th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

The LG Rumor 2 is a recent addition to Virgin Mobile, and it’s received some hype over the past few months. That’s a mystery to some of our commenters, who think it’s just another junky mid-range phone for Virgin. Others, though, seem to love the device. Virgin is upgrading the experience of the phone by adding a GPS service. Dubbed Virgin Navigator, it will provide basic GPS functions like turn-by-turn directions, traffic, and local attractions like movies, businesses, and even local gas prices. Virgin customers using the Rumor 2 can get the service for $9.99 per month, or $2.99 for a day pass. Virgin Navigator is powered by Networks In Motion, earning it my seal of approval.

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Sprint, Virgin settle lawsuits, clear path for acquisition

October 9th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

Not even a week after Sprint announced it would acquire Virgin Mobile, one investor filed suit, claiming that Virgin settled for “substantially below” its market value. This was not the only suit of its kind. Four more investors filed suit in New Jersey state court, and another two filed in New Jersey federal court. The two parties removed those obstacles this week, agreeing to settle the suits. This leaves just one hurdle in the way before the deal can close.

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Gadget blog gives Virgin Broaband2Go “two thumbs up”

October 6th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

My first impression upon hearing about the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go prepaid Internet service was: way expensive. Yes, it’s prepaid, which is an advantage, but the convenience comes at a cost — one which is far above that of postpaid broadband plans. Scott at Gadling recently took Broadband2Go for a spin, and he found that the price is the only bad thing about the service. Not only does the connection work well, but the software Virgin employs does its job as well, If you’re thinking about getting Broadband2Go, make sure to check out Scott’s review.

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MetroPCS, Virgin locked in legal battle over MetroFlash

October 2nd, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

The headline from one year ago: MetroPCS sues Virgin Mobile over MetroFlash program. It sounded curious at the time. Why would MetroPCS sue Virgin Mobile over one of its own programs? News of the issue went on the down low after that, but this week we heard the latest development. Courthouse News has the breakdown. Metro sued Virgin because Virgin approached Metro asking it to cease its MetroFlash program, which reflashes CDMA phones to work on Metro’s network. This prompted Metro to file a preemptory suit against Virgin, which led to the inevitable countersuit from Virgin against Metro.

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Mystery company tried to acquire Virgin Mobile

September 8th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    4 Comments

Sprint’s recent acquisition of Virgin Mobile may have seemingly come out of nowhere for most of us, it had been in the works for quite a while. A recent story on Cellular News chronicles the process, which goes back to late last year. Yet that’s not the most interesting part of the story. According to the report, there was another company which submitted multiple bids to acquire Virgin. Theirs never matched Sprint’s, though, and the deal as we know it happened at the end of July.

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LG Rumor 2 definitely coming to Virgin Mobile

August 28th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    22 Comments

A few months ago, before we learned of the Virgin Mobile acquisition by Sprint, there were whispers that the LG Rumor 2 would hit the prepaid carrier. It got a couple of positive notes in the comments of that post, so those people are probably happy that this will happen. An Engadget Mobile reader picked it up in contest rules. Which, of course, you can enter if you want to win the Rumor 2.

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FTC approves Sprint-Virgin deal

August 25th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    No Comments

It’s one thing for two businesses to agree on a merger. It’s another for it to pass through the anti-trust regulators at the Federal Trade Commission. As we saw with the Verizon-Alltel merger, this can include a number of divestitures and other measures to maintain a level of competition in all markets. It appears that this won’t be an issue in Sprint’s acquisition of Virgin Mobile. The FTC approved the deal yesterday. Next up is the FCC. I wonder how the investor lawsuit against Virgin will affect the FCC’s decision process on this matter.

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Virgin files suit over unpaid Sugar Mama funds

August 17th, 2009   |    Virgin Mobile   |    1 Comment

A little over two months ago, Virgin Mobile announced the termination of its Sugar Mama service. Sugar Mama, run by Ultramercial, rewarded subscribers with free minutes in exchange for viewing ads and taking surveys. A little over two weeks ago we first caught wind that Virgin might sue Ultramercial, but then Sprint bought the company. The issue went away for a while, but late last week it surfaced again. mocoNews.net has dug up Virgin’s complaint against the Sugar Mama provider.

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