Tag Archives: contract free

Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July: we go hands-on

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Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July, promises cheapaschips Android 23 video

Motorola isn't letting the Atrix HD hog all the spotlight today. If you'd like your smartphone a little more to-the-point, the MOTOSMART distills just about everything cellular to its fundamentals. It's as frugal as can be -- the tiny full-touch phone packs a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a 3-megapixel rear camera and the same MotoSwitch-layered Android 2.3 we saw half a year ago with the MOTOLUXE. Then again, that essentialism is really the focus, isn't it? The MOTOSMART will cost just £100 ($155) SIM-free when it hits T-Mobile UK and other parts of Europe by the end of the month, so the barrier to entry is more like a speed bump. Click past the break for the video, some brief impressions, and the source for the hard details in the Italian-only listing that Motorola has so far.

Gallery: Motorola Motosmart hands-on

Continue reading Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July: we go hands-on

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Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July: we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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nTelos starts selling iPhone without contract, Apple’s prepaid sphere grows a little larger

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nTelos starts selling iPhone without contract, Apple's prepaid sphere grows a little larger

Virginia's nTelos was part of a big regional carrier push for the iPhone in April. At the time, though, the only real option at the carrier was to spring for one of the company's full-fledged smartphone plans, usually on-contract -- not a bad value at $80, but a tougher case to make when there's Cricket and Virgin Mobile iPhones available with a cheaper rate. As of today, nTelos is offering a much sweeter deal for the commitment-phobic. If the $550-plus full price of an iPhone 4 or 4S stays palatable, the option is now open to go prepaid at $55 a month for unlimited voice, messaging and data with nTelos' FRAWG Nationwide Unlimited Everything plan. You'll still want to reside in the state for nTelos to truly make sense, but if you regularly cheer the Hokies with pride, going the Apple route just got a lot more flexible.

[Thanks, Garrett]

nTelos starts selling iPhone without contract, Apple's prepaid sphere grows a little larger originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One V quietly pops up at Virgin Mobile USA for $200, iPhone tags along for online orders

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HTC One V quietly pops up at Virgin Mobile USA for $200, iPhone tags along for online orders

HTC had broadcast its intentions to bring the One V to the US this summer, and that's exactly what it's doing, even if it's keeping the formalities to a minimum. Virgin Mobile has started selling the entry Android 4.0 phone without fanfare at a very tempting $200 contract-free -- certainly the lowest American price we've seen so far for joining the Sense 4.0 party. The hardware still won't floor anyone, but Virgin Mobile Live is tossed in to perk up the experience. Should Google's platform just not be your bag, you'll also be glad to know that Virgin has recently started taking online orders for its prepaid iPhones, which officially hit the shops on Friday. With their $550 and $650 no-contract prices, though, some may question just how Retina their displays really need to be.

[Thanks, Marcus]

HTC One V quietly pops up at Virgin Mobile USA for $200, iPhone tags along for online orders originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVirgin Mobile (One V), (iPhone 4), (iPhone 4S)  | Email this | Comments

Boost Mobile takes BlackBerry Curve 9310 to the US, spices it up with $30 unlimited BBM, voice and text plan

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Boost Mobile takes BlackBerry Curve 9310 to the US, spices it up with $30 unlimited BBM, voice and text plan

RIM gave the impression when it unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and 9220 that its lowest-cost Curves were doubtful prospects for the US. Thankfully, that's been proven wrong by Boost Mobile, which just launched the 9320's CDMA cousin, the Curve 9310. The message-manic BlackBerry comes to Sprint's prepaid network with its BBM key intact as well as BlackBerry 7.1, a 3.2-megapixel camera and that all-important low price: at $100 contract-free, it's one of the cheapest ways to leap into smartphones in the US. To top it off, Boost is throwing in a very tantalizing BBM Unlimited plan. The deal offers unlimited calling, text messaging and (naturally) BBM; although it starts at $45 per month, it gradually dips down to a very reasonable $30 per month if owners pay their bills properly for six months. Both the Curve 9310 and its companion plan will be available July 10th, giving us time to find the needed spare change under our couch cushions.

Boost Mobile takes BlackBerry Curve 9310 to the US, spices it up with $30 unlimited BBM, voice and text plan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei Activa 4G gets your 4G LTE fix on MetroPCS for $149 contract-free

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Huawei Activa 4G gets your 4G LTE fix on MetroPCS for $149 offcontract

MetroPCS is known for offering 4G LTE smartphones on the cheap, but it's going for a record today. The Activa 4G isn't just Huawei's first LTE smartphone in the US, it's temporarily the least expensive LTE phone in the country at $149 contract-free for a "limited time." Digging around, it's certainly possible to find out how Huawei and MetroPCS reached that price: the 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 screen, 800MHz processor and five-megapixel rear shooter won't have Verizon Galaxy S III customers developing second thoughts. Still, there is a front VGA camera on the Android 2.3-toting phone, and MetroPCS preloads a copy of the movie Kung-Fu Panda 2 on the bundled 4GB microSD card. You won't have to wait at all if it sounds like a bargain, as the Activa 4G is already sitting in stores real and virtual as you read this.

Huawei Activa 4G gets your 4G LTE fix on MetroPCS for $149 contract-free originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US (update)

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Here's an expansion of mobile competition in the US that comes out of left field, even for us: GameStop as a cellular provider. GameStop Mobile, as it's called, is that rare bird of an AT&T-based MVNO that relies on a bring-your-own-device strategy. As long as your hardware works on AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands and isn't locked to another carrier, you can bring any GSM- and HSPA-based phone (or data-only device) and use it contract-free: rates start at anything from a strictly pay-as-you-go $5 through to a $55 monthly plan with unlimited voice and text, if just an anemic 500MB of data. Tablet owners and other data-only fans can pay the same $55 for 1GB per month -- a bit stiff considering that those on AT&T proper can get 5GB of data for slightly less. No doubt this is to take advantage of iPad and iPhone trade-ins, PlayStation Vitas and the overall rise of unlocked devices. We're just wondering whether GameStop will catch a few customers subscribing as they pick up their Diablo III pre-orders or else face the uncertain future that befalls many MVNOs.

Update: As our friends at Joystiq have pointed out, the GameStop Mobile website is no longer publicly accessible. Looks like someone may have pulled the switch a bit too earlier.

GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile launches new contract-free, data-only plans

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T-mobile Store SF

Not all of us want to be locked into a long term contract with a wireless carrier. Especially when it comes to data-only devices that might not get used on a regular basis. For those that want to grab a 4G dongle or a mobile hotspot and go, without the need sign their life over, T-Mobile is launching four new pre-paid data options. The 4G passes start at $15 for 300MB over the course of a week, all the way up to 5GB for $50 over the course of a month. The plans are available on the Sonic 4G and plain ol' T-Mobile 4G mobile hotspots as well as the Rocket 3.0 laptop stick, but tablet users can also hop on the bandwagon. The Galaxy Tab 10.1, 7,0 Plus and SpringBoard are all eligible for the No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes. You can start topping off your megabytes instead of your minutes on May 20th. For more details check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading T-Mobile launches new contract-free, data-only plans

T-Mobile launches new contract-free, data-only plans originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup

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Verizon Gets new prepaid plans

And just like that Verizon has revamped its prepaid pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, May 1st, the carrier will be offering unlimited talk and text packaged with 1GB of data for $80 a month. The new offering will be available first with the Samsung Illusion, a disappointingly 3G handset, though, one that wont demand a two year commitment to Big Red. Verizon is also adding the Jetpack MiFi 4510L LTE mobile hotspot to its contract-free offerings for $130. Prepaid plans for the 4G wireless hotspot start at $15 for 250 MB a week, but quickly climb to $60 and $90 for 3GB and 10GB, respectively. For more info check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup

Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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