J.D. Power and Associates announced on Thursday that Verizon Wireless ranked highest in the company’s 2011 Wireless Customer Care Performance Study, Volume 2. The carrier’s overall score was 770/1000, which was above the average 761 score in the ‘full service’ category. T-Mobile came in second place with a score of 766, followed by Sprint (752) and AT&T (751). J.D. Power and Associates also noted that non-contract customers have shorter wait times than customers with contracts (5.5 minutes versus 4.4 minutes). “There is also a disparity between the contract and non-contract segments in terms of the quality of the experience with the service representative,” J.D. Power and Associates senior director of wireless services Kirk Parsons said. “In particular, non-contract customers are considerably less satisfied than are contract customers in the areas of knowledge about plans; personal concern for customers; and apathy towards customers.” Boost Mobile ranked the best among non-contract carriers with a score of 763. Read on for the full press release.

LATEST J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES STUDY RANKS VERIZON WIRELESS HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER CARE

Survey Places Company First Among Major National Providers In U.S. Wireless Industry

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless, provider of the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network and the fastest, most advanced 4G LTE network in the world, has been ranked highest in customer care among the major national wireless phone service providers in J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Wireless Customer Care Performance StudySM – Volume 2, released today.

Verizon Wireless received a score of 770, which led the segment and was above the industry average.  The study was based on feedback gathered from wireless customers of the four major U.S. providers by J.D. Power and Associates in the first six months of 2011.

“Our goal at Verizon Wireless has consistently been to offer an outstanding customer experience, and our standing in this latest survey is yet one more signal that our customers vote us the best wireless company in the U.S.,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless.  “We will continue to work hard to ensure that our customers can count on the best network; the best service, and the best lineup of smartphones, tablets and other innovative and reliable wireless devices from the best wireless company: Verizon Wireless.”

Verizon Wireless offers customers many reasons to choose and stay with the company. Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network and the fastest, most advanced 4G LTE network in the world, and offers quality products and services backed by its award-winning customer service.  For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

The company’s “most reliable network” claim is based on network studies performed by test men and test women who conduct more than 3.5 million voice call attempts and more than 19 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless’ and other national wireless carriers’ networks while traveling more than 1 million miles in specially equipped, company-owned quality test vehicles.  For more information about Verizon Wireless testing, go to: http://aboutus.vzw.com/bestnetwork/reliability.html.

We’re here live at the Boost Mobile’s media event in New York City where the prepaid carrier just announced the Samsung Galaxy Prevail — its first CDMA Android powered smartphone. The Galaxy Prevail runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 2 megapixel rear-facing camera, Bluetooth, and free subscription to Telenav for voice-guided turn-by-turn directions. During our initial hands-on, it was immediately clear that the Galaxy Prevail does not have the same hardware prowess as other Samsung devices with the Galaxy namesake. There’s no 4-inch Super AMOLED display, it’s incapable of recording 720p video, and it felt a bit sluggish navigating through menus and panning on web pages. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker, though, as the Galaxy Prevail is available for a very reasonable $179.99 contract-free. When used with Boost Mobile’s $50 all-you-can-eat smartphone plan — which includes unlimited talk, text, and web browsing — the deal gets even sweeter. It’s certainly a welcome addition to Boost’s portfolio, especially for those looking to save a few bucks without sacrificing all that a smartphone can offer, but certainly isn’t going to woo many (read: any) users away from their current Android handset.

Today, Samsung and Boost Mobile jointly introduced a new member of the Galaxy family, the Galaxy Prevail. Running a fairly-stock iteration of Android 2.2 (Froyo), the device sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 2 megapixel rear-facing camera, Bluetooth, GPS, and microSD card slot (support for up to a 32GB card). The device is the first CDMA, Android-based device to be offered by the prepaid wireless carrier. The Galaxy Prevail will be available in “late April” for $179.99 contract free. Pair the handset with Boost Mobile’s $50 monthly unlimited plan, and you have yourself a pretty nice setup. The full press release is after the break and we’ll have our hands-on posted momentarily.

Why Settle When You Can “Prevail” with the new Android-powered Phone from Boost Mobile and Samsung

The new Samsung Galaxy Prevail combines all the features of Android with Boost Mobile’s $50 Monthly Unlimited plan, which includes nationwide talk, text, Web, e-mail and payments that shrink

IRVINE, Calif. – Boost Mobile, the top carrier in the recent 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index StudySM, unlocks the power of Android with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Prevail™, available exclusively with Boost Mobile on the Nationwide Sprint Network. As the first CDMA Android device on Boost Mobile, the Galaxy Prevail is designed to provide an uncompromised Android experience while maintaining the great value of Boost’s $50 Monthly Unlimited plan with no hidden fees and no contracts required.

The Galaxy Prevail will be available late April for $179.99 (excluding taxes) at Boost Mobile’s exclusive retail stores, select independent wireless dealer locations across the country and at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping. By the middle of May, the Galaxy Prevail will be available in select retail outlets nationwide.

”We are excited to partner with Samsung to launch this innovative touchscreen phone for wireless users who are interested in upgrading to an Android experience without spending more on their monthly plan,” said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile. “The Samsung Galaxy Prevail delivers the power of the Android platform to our customers’ fingertips while bringing tremendous value to our customers’ wallets.”

The Galaxy Prevail will be available on Boost Mobile’s $50 Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage plan, where the longer you stay, the less you pay simply by making on-time payments. For every six on-time payments, a Boost Mobile customer’s monthly cost will shrink by $5, eventually getting down to as low as $35 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text, Web, e-mail, IM and calls to 411. Payments do not need to be consecutive to qualify for the next savings milestone. The first wave of Boost customers will be hitting their first six-month milestone this month and will be paying $45 per month for Monthly Unlimited service.

Galaxy Prevail features include:

· Android 2.2 with Access to Android Market™

· 3.2-inch touchscreen

· 2MP camera with video

· GPS enabled · Bluetooth® capable

· Easy access to Gmail™ and Google Talk™

· Wireless Web enabled

· Switch between portrait and landscape

· Speakerphone with voice-activated dialing

· Telenav navigation, free and unlimited

· Supports microSD™ cards up to 32GB (2GB card included)

· Voice mail, caller ID, call waiting and three-way calling

With Android, consumers can create their own arsenal of fun and productivity by selecting from more than 100,000 applications. In addition to the features listed above, the Galaxy Prevail’s preloaded applications include SCVNGR™, Poynt™, Twidroyd™, Facebook©, Hookt™, ThinkFree Office© and YouTube©.

Customers can also protect their Samsung Galaxy Prevail with Phone Insurance that is now available for Boost Monthly Unlimited customers. For $5 per month customers are covered if their device breaks, is lost, stolen or damaged – even by liquid. Go to www.boostmobile.com for more information.

In response to the tsunami and earthquake, Boost Mobile has announced that it’s joining other U.S. carriers in waiving fees for texts and calls to Japan. It will credit international fees for text messages and surcharges made for voice calls to Japan for a one-month period. Boost Mobile says its airtime rate of $0.10 per minute still applies for customers on its Pay As You Go Plan. Credits will be retroactive from March 11th and will be honored through April 11th, 2011. Hit the jump for the official statement.

Boost Mobile Offers Fee Waivers and Credits for Wireless Calls and Texts To and From Japan

Here at Boost Mobile we are saddened by the events in Japan and our hearts go out to those impacted by this tragedy. To aid wireless customers in making critical contact with family, friends and emergency personnel in Japan following last week’s earthquake and resulting tsunamis, Boost Mobile is waiving and/or crediting all standard text messaging and international fees for customers sending and receiving text messages to/from Japan. In addition, Boost is waiving and/or crediting all surcharges for voice calls made to Japan. The standard airtime rate of 10 cents per minute will still apply for customers on our Pay As You Go plan. Credits will be retroactive from March 11 and continue through April 10, 2011.

Just like we said last night, June 20th will see the U.S. retail release of the Motorola i1. It will be available from Boost Mobile retailers as well as from both Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile. Pricing was not disclosed (we imagine it to be around $350), but we did get confirmation that you’ll be able to hook up the world’s first Push-to-Talk Android smartphone to Boost’s $50 unlimited voice and data plan.

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Some huge news this evening in the world of prepaid mobiles as Sprint has announced its new strategies for Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. With some 60 million Americans using prepaid mobiles, Sprint feels the time is right to make an all-out assault on the market. Said Sprint’s Dan Schulman: “This is the year that prepaid moves to the forefront of the wireless industry. In the first quarter of 2010, more than half of the mobile gross additions in the U.S. selected prepaid, and we predict that approximately 70% of the net adds in 2010 will choose plans without a contract,” adding that “the no-contract market has clearly moved beyond the credit-challenged and lower income segments.” Here’s what’s in the pipeline.

As of May 12th, Virgin Mobile will begin offering Beyond Talk plans. Ranging from $25 to $60 per month, each plan includes unlimited SMS/MMS, email, data and web. The $25 plan includes 300 minutes, the $40 plan 1,200 minutes and the $60 plan has unlimited minutes. Throw in an extra $10 per month and you’ll be able to hook a BlackBerry up to BIS. Yes, you read that right. $35 for a BlackBerry with unlimited data. If you’re a bit puzzled as to why Virgin is more focused on data and texts over voice minutes, the reason is simple: the amount of voice minutes used by young adults continues to plummet as email, IM and SMS grows at a rate of 150% during the years 2007 to 2009. Factor in 1800% growth in mobile data in this segment and it’s pretty obvious Virgin is one of the few companies that actually caters to the demands of its customers. This brings us to its new handsets. Virgin Mobile will be bringing the LG Rumor Touch and Rumor 2 ($149.99 and $89.99, both only available off contract), and Kyocera Loft ($69.99) into the fold with the BlackBerry Curve 8530 launching at the end of May with a retail price of $299.99.

As for Boost, not much is new in terms of plans (keep in mind it just announced that unlimited calls to 411, email and IM were recently added to its $50 unlimited plan which also includes all the talking, texting and web you wish), but now we know for sure that it will soon be carrying the Samsung Rant and Kyocera Incognito, Mirror and Juno.

Hit up the jump to check out the press release.

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.”

“This is the year that prepaid moves to the forefront of the wireless industry,” said Dan Schulman, president of Sprint’s prepaid group.  “In the first quarter of 2010, more than half of the mobile gross additions in the U.S. selected prepaid, and we predict that approximately 70% of the net adds in 2010 will choose plans without a contract.”

“With almost 60 million people now on prepaid service,” Schulman continued, “the no-contract market has clearly moved beyond the credit-challenged and lower income segments.  The prepaid market has changed dramatically, with customers across multiple demographics and lifestyles demanding a wide variety of handsets, features, and plans tailored to their specific needs and wants.”

Sprint’s prepaid portfolio will initially be driven by four brands, with each focused on a specific audience.  “The launch of this portfolio goes far beyond changing prices,” explained Schulman.  “We are introducing innovative and attractive offers for specific groups of customers based on usage and habits – from those who are on limited budgets and use their phones infrequently to those who want high-end devices to use for all their communications, entertainment and social networking.”

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 Curve™ 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.om at the end of May.

• The LG Rumor Touch™ at $149.99 is the first full touch interface handset from Virgin Mobile and is only available without a contract on these plans. Customers can use all the data they want and message all of their friends easily and simply with a Beyond Talk plan. This handset is ideal for the super-connected with an external memory drive that can store up to 16GB of data.

• The very popular LG Rumor 2™ QWERTY launched last year, also only available without a contract from Virgin Mobile.  For $89.99, it allows customers to message quickly and easily with preloaded apps like the Ultimate Inbox, threaded messaging and Connect social networking. The popular Opera Mini web browser is included as well.

• The Kyocera Loft QWERTY for $69.99 suits message-savvy customers perfectly with an embedded instant messaging and email application, and message threading for SMS and MMS in a single inbox. The camera phone includes the networking features mentioned above as well as a Google Maps and other navigational applications.

Virgin Mobile USA continues to serve its current base of prepaid customers with a wide range of handsets, monthly unlimited plans, Minute Packs, Texters Delight and Broadband2Go.

Broadband

Broadband2Go, launched last year under the Virgin Mobile label, also targets the needs of the high data-using crowd that wants easy wireless Internet access wherever they are but doesn’t want to sign a long-term contract.

“Since we expanded distribution, lowered the price, and added more data capacity without changing prices, sales have tripled,” said Schulman.  “We’ll continue to enhance this product line as well, possibly under multiple brands to include new services and the very latest in high speed networks, including 4G where available.”

Broadband2Go operates on Sprint’s Nationwide Network, unlike other prepaid broadband offers.

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile continues its popularity by focusing on consumers who love to talk and text and stay connected with the best value and straightforward monthly unlimited pricing.  With more than 25% of U.S households now wireless-only for voice, Boost offers value and service that is second to none.  This week, Boost added unlimited 411 calls, email and instant messaging to its $50 Monthly Unlimited plan, which also features unlimited talk, text and web access.

Boost’s ever-increasing suite of CDMA handsets, introduced in late January, is driving significant consumer demand.  The Blackberry Curve 8830 smartphone, launched earlier this year, is joined by the Samsung Rant™ and, from Sanyo by Kyocera, the Incognito™, Mirro™ SCP3810 and Juno™ on the CDMA side.  Depending on a customer’s choice of features, Boost Mobile also is available on the Nextel National Network for push-to-talk technology.

Assurance Wireless

First launched late last year, Assurance Wireless is a free wireless service developed specifically for the 37 million eligible low-income households who need it most. Qualifying customers – often cash-constrained individuals eligible for government- assistance programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) – receive a free cell phone and 200 free minutes of airtime for local and long-distance calling every month.

Sprint is “proud to offer this valuable program,” according to Schulman, which is currently available in Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia and will continue to expand as individual states approve the program. To date, hundreds of thousands have signed up for this uniquely tailored offer.  Sprint anticipates that Assurance Wireless will be available in approximately 25 states by the end of 2010.

A New Pay By the Minute Brand

During Sprint’s first quarter earnings call, reference was made to another new brand to launch this month targeting budget-conscious customers who spend less than $30 per month and are focused on the value they pay per minute.  Roughly 63% of the no-contract market chooses to pay by the minute or by the day.

“There are millions of people who don’t want or can’t afford smartphones and expensive data plans,” said Schulman.  “This is the traditional no-frills prepaid customer base.  For these ‘basic communicators,’ we are creating a fresh brand with industry-leading value and consumer-friendly offers.”  Designed to resonate directly with cost-conscious consumers, this new brand is expected to initially debut at retail in approximately 16 markets.

For those of you who love CDMA and fear contracts, we have some good news for you. A new connect has come through with some details on three new handsets to be offered by U.S. prepaid provider Boost Mobile. Our source indicates that starting January 13, Boost will be offering the BlackBerry 8330 for $249 and will pair it with an unlimited talk, text and web plan for $70/month. The Sanyo Incognito will be offered for $149 and the Sanyo Mirro for $99, both with unlimited talk, text and web for $50/month. We’ve got the additional screen captures queued up for you after the break. So the only question left is, any Boost Mobile fans out there and anyone itching to grab a BlackBerry 8330?

So maybe the uniquely styled Motorola Clutch i465 wasn’t exactly your bag, and a QWERTY keypad doesn’t interest you much. You’re a simple guy or gal and you just want a basic handset that is compact, can play a song or two, snap the occasional outdoor photo and of course allow you to walkie talkie with the rest of your Boost Mobile-bearing friends. Ta da! Say hello to the Motorola i856, a handset that sports pretty dated fare where major carriers are concerned but as far as Boost goes, it might not be half bad. It doesn’t have the (relative) glitz of the i9 but its compact size, 2.2-inch display, sliding 0-9 keypad, 1.3 megapixel camera, dedicated media key, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD support and of course PTT support make it a definite contender on Boost. Anyone digging it? Hit the jump for some more angles.

Thanks, Captain Donovan McAhab!

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Ok, so it’s probably not the most exciting phone you’ll see here on BGR today but Boost Mobile users may be happy to learn they finally have a QWERTY option. The uniquely styled Motorola i465 Clutch is now available to the masses and the price point is more than fair — $129.99 out the door. As far as specs go; Push to Talk / Walkie Talkie, threaded SMS and MMS, POP3 email support, Bluetooth and a VGA camera are the highlights. Oh, and did we mention the QWERTY keypad? It’s easy to dismiss this little ugly duckling of a handset but if you’re a Boost customer who has been waiting for a real messaging option, the Clutch is going to be… Umm… Pretty clutch.

[Via Phone Arena]

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It won’t be winning any beauty pageants any time soon but Boost Mobile users waiting for a relatively rugged QWERTY handset will soon have a new option in the Motorola Clutch i465. Sprint and Boost obviously recognize that messaging is a bit of a hot topic these days and as such, we can expect the carrier to start rolling out a few QWERTY handsets to ensure its text-hungry customers are covered. First up, for better or worse, is the Clutch. It’s styling is certainly polarizing but love it or hate it, Moto managed to pack in a fairly decent feature set (relatively speaking). Highlights include Push to Talk of course, threaded SMS and MMS, POP3 email support, Bluetooth and a VGA camera. No, it’s not going to knock your socks off but relative to the rest of Boost’s lineup, this new Moto is an ok option if it’s released at a decent price point. The Clutch i465 will be available in Q2 of this year.

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News from Boost Mobile this morning brings its subscribers a new international texting and walkie talkie option that will definitely turn heads. Dubbed International Connect, the $10 plan enhancement affords customers unlimited SMS and PTT from the US to Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile. Though the new International Connect option is hardly worldwide as the header on Boost’s press release would lead you to believe, it’s still a hell of a package for $10. No? Hit the jump for the full release or we’ll send Mickey Avalon to do a live show in your front yard.

Boost Mobile Adds Worldwide Texting Option to Monthly Unlimited Plan

International Connect Includes Unlimited Worldwide Texting and Walkie-Talkie From the U.S. to Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile for an Additional $10 a Month

IRVINE, CA–(March 31, 2009) – Furthering its commitment to offer simple and affordable service pricing options to prepaid customers, Boost Mobile today launched International Connect, a $10 per month add-on for Monthly Unlimited customers which includes unlimited international text messaging and Walkie-Talkie in and between the U.S., Canada, Baja California (Mexico) and to select areas of South America from the U.S., Canada and Baja California (Mexico) for one flat charge.

“The International Connect $10 enhancement to the $50 Monthly Unlimited plan is a great value for the growing number of Latinos who want quality wireless service without a contract,” said Mirna Aceituno, manager of Hispanic marketing for Boost Mobile. “Boost Mobile is making it easier to stay connected to family and friends in Latin America for a price that won’t put a strain on your wallet.”

SERVICE

Boost Mobile now offers an array of service plans allowing customers to pay by the month, day or minute. Flexible service options such as the Boost Mobile Monthly Unlimited plan for $50 per month includes anytime calling, text messaging, wireless Web and Boost Walkie-Talkie with a nationwide home calling area with coverage in more than 15,800 cities for a flat rate of $50 per month.

In addition to the Monthly Unlimited plan, Boost service billing options include an anytime rate of 10 cents per minute and the $1/Day Chat Plan that features unlimited text messaging, unlimited nights and weekend calling and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to approximately 40 million customers on the Boost Mobile, Sprint, and Nextel network. Chat Plan nights are Monday through Friday from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and weekends are from 9 p.m. on Fridays to 7 a.m. on Mondays. As with all Boost Mobile service plans, there are no credit checks, hidden charges or contracts.*

Boost Pay As You Go service is ideal for a wide range of consumers, including those who prefer to pay in advance and are uncomfortable with monthly service obligations; budget-minded customers who use prepaid service to control spending. Boost Mobile phones and service can be purchased at participating wireless dealers and major retail locations or at www.boostmobile.com.

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We’ve been following the Motorola i9 here on BGR since it was just a glimmer in its Boost’s eye. It was finally made official by Sprint / Boost Mobile earlier this month and now we’re closer than ever to Boost’s sleekest handset yet becoming a reality. As you can see, the i9 is now live on the site and while it’s listed as coming soon you can expect that to change to a buy now link before you know it. No real surprises here as the specs and pricing are old news but it’ll be nice to finally see a modern phone come to market from Boost. Maybe we’ll send one Fat Joe’s way… Anyone else getting ready to shell out $300 for this bad boy?

Thanks, Sean!

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Ahh the battle of the unlimited plans. Last month we learned of a new offering from Boost Mobile that seemed as though it would come in as the obvious winner, for those in areas well-covered by Sprint’s iDEN network at least. $50 each month, unlimited everything – or so we thought. As has become an unfortunate commonplace among service providers in various industries, unlimited doesn’t always mean unlimited and Zatz Not Funny! has inadvertently uncovered some troubling verbiage in the terms and conditions tied to Boost’s monthly unlimited plan. While searching for a new wireless broadband service provider, Zatz learned that Boost prohibits “unreasonable” usage and uses familiarly vague language to give the company an out in the event a subscriber is costing it too much money with heavy usage.

So, Boost unlimited subscribers, you should probably be aware that according to Boost’s terms you cannot use your handset to participate on conference calls, exchange an “unusually high” number of messages or place an “abnormally high number of calls”. You also cannot have atypical web usage and your calls cannot be repeatedly of an “unusually long” duration. How many calls are too many? How much web is too much? How many messages constitute an “unusually high” amount? Apparently, that’s for Boost to decide if it chooses to cut you off. Companies have been sued and fined time and time again for these shenanigans and we wouldn’t be surprised if Boost is well on its way to learning that the hard way. Hey Attorney General Cuomo… Where you at?

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If you’re one of the lucky ones that I’ve let follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that yesterday the BGR team hit Fat Joe and Akon’s music video shoot for “One”. Fat Joe’s a BGR buddy, but Akon has eluded our HD camcorders until now. Check out our brief interviews with both of them on the tour bus. Quick takeaways? Joe uses a Boost Mobile i880, Akon uses a BlackBerry Bold, and RIM, AT&T and Colorware need to start cutting us some checks.

A little over a week ago a Boost flyer advertising its new unlimited all-you-eat plan hinted that the i9 was “coming soon”. The wait is now over as Sprint and Boost Mobile officially announced the new Motorola Stature i9. The ultra slim i9 is a mere 15mm thick and sports a touch sensitive exterior flip with ModeShift that changes the exterior keys based upon the user’s current application. The i9 also packs a 3.1MP camera with flash and auto focus, integrated music player, GPS, Bluetooth and, being an iDEN phone, rock solid PTT functionality. The new Moto will be available for Boost Mobile towards the end of February with Sprint getting the device soon thereafter. It will set you back $299 from Boost Mobile without a contract (ouch) and $199 from Sprint Nextel after a $50 mail-in-rebate and a 2 year agreement.

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