Virgin Mobile to launch prepaid plans with 3G BlackBerry. Will MetroPCS customers notice ?
Sprint PCS has always be a maverick of sorts in the wireless industry. Coming up with new and different ways to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. In a bold move a few months ago, Sprint purchased nationwide prepaid service provider Virgin Mobile to add to its own existing pre-paid line up, Boost Mobile. Today Sprint announced their plan to launch new prepaid plans for Virgin Mobile called “Beyond Talkâ€. It looks like these plans and pricing are for all types of users, starting with a $25.00 plan that offers 300 min a month unlimited texting and for just $10.00 more you get unlimited BlackBerry data service on Sprints 3G network. So if you don’t talk much but you do text and use a bunch of Social Media services, like BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo messenger, and such, this could be a really good option for you. There is also an unlimited service plan with unlimited talk, text, and BlackBerry data for about $60.00 which includes your taxes and other regulatory fees. Let’s have a look at the new plans:
Introducing Virgin Mobile “Beyond Talk†plans:
- 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.
Keep in mind that even though the first two plans say email and data with the plan, this does not include BlackBerry service. This is email and web browsing on a standard mobile phone. You will need to add a $10.00 BlackBerry data plan to the service. But if you really don’t talk much, their $25 or $40 plan plus $10.00 for BlackBerry service is actually a pretty good deal. Virgin will be launching their BlackBerry service with the Blackberry CurveTM 8530 smartphone which supports 3G services on Sprints 3G network. The BlackBerry 8530 features the new optical track pad, Wi-Fi connectivity, dedicated media keys, and 2 MP camera, and its best feature to me is that it offers 3G service. The Blackberry Curve 8530 smartphone will be available for $299.99 according to Sprint. Also since the 8530 should come with BlackBerry OS 5.0 or be upgradable. This would be the first prepaid BlackBerry I’ve seen that supports 3G, Wi-Fi, and hopefully OS 5.0.
This could be a game changer for other dedicated Prepaid only providers like MetroPCS, who does offer prepaid BlackBerry service. Even though MetroPCS was one of the first Prepaid carriers to offer BlackBerry service, it still hasn’t changed its offering line-up of the BlackBerry 8330 as the only BlackBerry available at $349.00 bucks. Also the lack of 3G service has had more than a few MetroPCS BlackBerry users grumbling. MetroPCS’s coverage has greatly improved over the last few years, but is still lacking compared to Virgin Mobile who uses Sprint PCS’s nationwide foot print. On the plus side, MetroPCS’s current golden goose is their unlimited international texting feature and their unlimited calling international calling option for just $10 a month. So far none of the big 4 carriers can even touch those features, let alone on an unlimited pre paid option. MetroPCS is working on expanding their coverage, and upgrading their network to 3G services, so hopefully those looking for prepaid BlackBerry service will find great options to choose from.
To read excerpts from Sprint’s press release, just hit the more link.
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.”
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 CurveTM 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.com at the end of May.
* Maps and other navigational applications.
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 48 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
