Beginning on June 22nd, consumers in the United States will be able to purchase a new iPhone to be used alongside prepaid wireless service. Regional carrier Cricket, owned by Leap Wireless, will offer Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 off contract alongside its $55 unlimited talk, text and data plan. Though labeled as unlimited, the plan includes 2.3GB of full-speed data, and speeds will be throttled once that threshold is reached. While the news marks the start of a new chapter for Apple’s current iPhone models, the high hardware cost compared to other prepaid smartphones may be a substantial barrier for many subscribers. Cricket plans to charge $399.99 for the 8GB iPhone 4 and $499.99 for the 16GB version of the iPhone 4S. Apple’s iPhone 3GS is seen as a much more compelling handset for prepaid carriers, which may soon begin offering the 3-year-old device for between $200 and $250 off contract. Cricket’s full press release follows below.

Apple’s iPhone 3GS was unveiled nearly 3 years ago in June 2009, and some found its familiar styling and modest hardware upgrades to be disappointing. The handset went on to be Apple’s best-selling smartphone until its successor launched the following year, and the iPhone 4 would be Apple’s best-selling iPhone until the iPhone 4S launched last year and drove the biggest quarter in Apple’s history. The iPhone 3GS will be 3 years and 3 generations old when Apple’s sixth iPhone is unveiled later this year, but one analyst believes the Cupertino, California based company is ready to breathe new life into the handset.

According to Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek, Apple has signed a deal with a “major global distributor” that will target emerging markets around the globe by making the iPhone 3GS available as a less expensive prepaid phone. The analyst doesn’t provide much detail surrounding the deal in his note to clients, though he does believe the wholesale cost of Apple’s third-generation iPhone will drop from $375 to the $200 to $250 range.

Ever the Apple bull, Jefferies also upped its iPhone estimates for the June quarter while the rest of Wall Street panics and Apple’s stock price tumbles. Misek wrote that firms aren’t properly accounting for iPhone production in Hon Hai’s new Brazil plant, and he believes Apple will build between 28 million and 30 million iPhones this quarter, ahead of the Street’s estimates, which range from 26 million to 28 million units on average.

Verizon Wireless on Monday announced a new prepaid plan that offers unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data for $80. The monthly plan is only being offered on the 3G Samsung Illusion, which can be had for $169.99 and will be available at Best Buy, Target, RadioShack and Walmart. Verizon also announced three different prepaid plans for its Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. The nation’s largest carrier is offering 250MB of data for usage for a week for $15, 3GB of data per month for $60, and 10GB a month for $90. The Verizon Jetpack 4510L will be available for $129.99. Verizon’s press release follows below.

Verizon Wireless Announces New Prepaid Plans

Unlimited Talk, Text and 1 GB of Data Smartphone Plan for $80 per Month; First Prepaid 4G Jetpack Offers a Variety of Mobile Broadband Data Plan OptionsBASKING

RIDGE, N.J., April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless today announced the availability of a new prepaid plan beginning May 1, offering unlimited talk and text messaging, as well as 1 GB of data for $80 per month. This monthly plan, available on the prepaid Samsung Illusion™, provides customers with an affordable, flexible option to take advantage of the nation’s largest, most reliable 3G network without the commitment of an annual contract. The Samsung Illusion prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $169.99. In the coming weeks, the Samsung Illusion prepaid will also be available at Best Buy®, Target®, RadioShack and Walmart.Additionally, starting May 1, customers can purchase a prepaid Verizon Jetpack™ 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 4510L and take advantage of new prepaid Mobile Broadband plans. With the prepaid Jetpack, customers can now create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously. Prepaid 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans are as follows:

• $15 for 250 MB of data weekly
• $60 for 3 GB of data monthly
• $90 for 10 GB of data monthly

The Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510L prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $129.99. In the coming weeks, it will also be available at Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart.

Walmart and T-Mobile Introduce Exclusive No-Annual Contract 4G Offering

BELLEVUE, Wash., and BENTONVILLE, Ark. — October 3, 2011 — With increased consumer demand for both no-annual contract wireless plans and faster data speeds, Walmart and T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced today that T-Mobile will launch a $30 unlimited web and text monthly 4G prepaid service plan — providing customers great value on a no-annual contract 4G data offering. The plan will be sold exclusively in-store at more than 2,200 Walmart stores and online at www.walmart.com and www.T-Mobile.com and is expected to launch Oct. 16.

The new flexible and affordable plan will provide Walmart customers with access to America’s Largest 4G Network™. In a survey of Walmart customers, approximately 60 percent cited that having a high-speed data network was a key factor in the purchase of a wireless service plan. With this new offering, available for $30 per month and no annual contract, customers can enjoy unlimited Web, with the first 5 GB at up to 4G speeds; unlimited text; and 100 minutes of talk, with 10 cents per minute after the first 100 minutes.

In further expansion of this offer, Walmart is increasing its line-up of affordable T-Mobile phones to six, including the addition of Walmart’s first 4G prepaid handset.

“Walmart is proud to offer our customers fast and affordable mobile options, especially as texting and social networking become a regular form of communication,” said Seong Ohm, senior vice president of entertainment, Walmart U.S. “Together with our suppliers we continue to ensure the products our customers want and need — from the latest smartphone and TV to groceries and toys — are available at every day low prices.”

“T-Mobile is thrilled to offer this exclusive, affordable service plan, designed specifically with heavy text and data users in mind, to meet the demand for prepaid, which is expected to double by 2015,” said Amy McCune, vice president of national retail, T-Mobile USA. “Walmart is known for providing consumers incredible value, making T-Mobile an ideal partner, and T-Mobile is delivering great prices, convenient options and a reliable nationwide 4G network, which we know Walmart customers appreciate.”

Apple will unveil two new iPhone models next month, an all new iPhone 5 and a revamped iPhone 4 that will address the entry-level smartphone market. Deutsche Bank Securities analyst Chris Whitmore on Monday rehashed a research note he distributed this past June, which suggested Apple would unveil an iPhone 5 and an “iPhone 4S” in September. The iPhone 5 would be Apple’s brand new flagship smartphone, and the 4S would be a low-cost version of the current iPhone 4 model priced around $349 unlocked. The analyst’s new note mirrors those sentiments, though Whitmore now offers a few additional details. Read on for more.

Whitmore now sees the iPhone 5 as featuring a completely revamped design highlighted by a unibody aluminum case. The analyst’s description of an aluminum case could align with renders BGR published exclusively earlier this month. Regarding the iPhone 4S, Whitmore says it will be a tweaked version of Apple’s iPhone 4 that will cost between $300 and $350 without a contract. The new low pricing could allow Apple to address the prepaid market with its new low-cost handset, or it could allow carriers to offer the device for free with a postpaid contract.

The analyst’s note also mentions that the iPhone 5 will feature a better camera and a slightly bigger display, as has been rumored numerous times to date. The combination of a high-end redesigned iPhone 5 and an entry-level iPhone 4S is expected to expand Apple’s addressable market dramatically, and Whitmore notes that a low-cost 4S could make Apple’s smartphone an option for more than 1 billion prepaid customers.

Apple is expected to unveil one or more new iPhone models at a press conference on October 4th.

In an effort to edge in on MetroPCS and Sprint-owned Boost and Virgin Mobile, Verizon Wireless will introduce a brand new $50 monthly prepaid this week that includes unlimited text, talk and web, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The new plan, which first launched back in April as “Unleashed” in limited markets, will be available to customers in Verizon stores, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. The new plan is much cheaper than Verizon’s current unlimited talk and text prepaid option, which currently costs $94.99 per month. “This is a very competitive market, and we want to make sure we have a price portfolio to fit a greater number of customers,” Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney said. “In these times there are some people who would prefer living on a prepaid plan.” Read on for more.

Here’s what Verizon’s competitors charge: AT&T’s GoPhone service offers the same unlimited options and costs $50 per month. Virgin Mobile’s service costs $55 per month although there are cheaper options for customers who want fewer minutes. MetroPCS offers a nationwide unlimited plan for $45 per month but customers can also opt for more expensive 4G prepaid packages. Boost Mobile’s service costs $50 per month but can drop as low as $35 per month as part of its “monthly shrinkage” perk for making on-time payments.

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Apple is preparing to launch a new, less expensive iPhone 4 model that will become available at the end of September alongside the iPhone 5, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Citing multiple anonymous sources, the news organization says that the retooled iPhone 4 will feature a smaller 8GB flash drive manufactured by an unnamed South Korean company. Apple has sourced flash drives for its current iPhone models from Toshiba and Samsung. Reuters also contradicts recent reports that the iPhone 5 will launch in early October, writing instead that Apple is “targeting an end-September launch for the next-generation iPhone 5.” The report restates numerous others that claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger display, a new antenna design and an 8-megapixel camera.

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T-Mobile announced on Tuesday that it is now offering the LG GS170, a prepaid phone, in 6,000 Family Dollar stores around the United States. As you might expect from a phone being sold at a dollar store, the $30 GS170 offers a relatively basic feature set. It offers a large keypad, a VGA camera, Bluetooth 2.1 and support for e-mail. The phone will be available with T-Mobile’s no annual contract Monthly 4G plans, which includes the carrier’s $50 unlimited talk, text and web option. “T-Mobile’s track record for providing quality service and customer support fits well with our culture and commitment to the customer, and we are very excited to take our partnership to the next level and begin selling the company’s devices as well,” Family Dollar divisional vice president Bob Giles said, suggesting that Family Dollar will begin to stock more T-Mobile devices in the future. Read on for the full press release.

T-Mobile USA and Family Dollar Partner to Make Prepaid More Accessible and Affordable

T-Mobile introduces prepaid device to Family Dollar stores across America

BELLEVUE, Wash., and MATHEWS, N.C. — Aug. 16, 2011 — Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. announced the availability of a T-Mobile prepaid device — to complement T-Mobile’s innovative prepaid plans and services — in nearly 6,000 Family Dollar locations, one of the fastest-growing discount retail chains in the United States.

Family Dollar customers now have convenient access to an affordable T-Mobile prepaid phone, the LG GS170. Available for $30 (plus taxes and fees), the LG GS170 offers an intuitive user interface with one-touch speakerphone, large visible keys and a high-resolution color display. In addition, the LG GS170 features a VGA camera, MP3 ringtone capability, Bluetooth® 2.1, text and picture messaging capability, and email support packaged in a sleek, pocket-size design.

“T-Mobile is excited to work with Family Dollar to offer an affordable prepaid device to its customers who seek value and convenience when shopping,” said Amy McCune, vice president of national retail, T-Mobile USA. “T-Mobile is delivering great prices, simplicity and a nationwide 4G network with our prepaid products, which we know Family Dollar customers will find appealing.”

Family Dollar customers can take advantage of T-Mobile’s affordable No Annual Contract Monthly4G plans, including the $50 per month plan featuring unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited Web, with no overage charges and the first 100 MB of data at up to 4G speeds*, on America’s Largest 4G Network™ for an unlimited and economical way to stay in touch.

Family Dollar stores will highlight T-Mobile’s products, along with other wireless offerings, in colorful new endcap displays that are conveniently placed in front of each Family Dollar store. In-store promotions and marketing collateral will help customers easily locate and learn more about these new T-Mobile products.

“We have had a great relationship with T-Mobile since 2003 and believe that this partnership has been a key factor in Family Dollar becoming one of the nation’s largest national retailers of mobile airtime,” said Bob Giles, divisional vice president for Family Dollar. “T-Mobile’s track record for providing quality service and customer support fits well with our culture and commitment to the customer, and we are very excited to take our partnership to the next level and begin selling the company’s devices as well.”

All invoicing, shipping and supply functions, as well as other operational and fulfillment needs, will be handled through a partnership with Brightstar Corp.

*Monthly4G plans provide access to wireless service for 30 days; capable device required to achieve 4G speeds. After high-speed allotment is used, speeds slowed to up to 2G speeds for remainder of month. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere. See coverage details at T-Mobile.com.

An earlier report claiming Apple intends to hold a media event on September 7th to unveil new iPods or even its highly anticipated iPhone 5 are mistaken, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop reported on Friday afternoon. With a very solid track record to his credit, Dalrymple says his sources indicate that Apple will not hold any event or unveil a next-generation iPhone on that date. No information was provided in terms of when Apple’s customary September event might take place, however a separate report from TiPb suggests Apple’s next iPhone — be it the “iPhone 4S” or the iPhone 5 — will hit the market on October 7th. TiPb also reports that Apple’s third-generation iPad 3 will not launch at the same time as the next-gen iPhone, but rather next spring, in line with Apple’s traditional annual iPad release schedule.

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While the Daytona 500 kicks off a race to the top each year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Nokia 500 is a race to the bottom. Nokia on Monday announced a new Symbian-powered smartphone that will aggressively attack emerging markets and smartphone users on a budget. The €150 ($217) Nokia 500 costs about what most popular smartphones do after subsidies, and it features specs we’re not used to seeing on entry-level devices. Highlights include a 1GHz processor, a 3.2-inch 640 x 360-pixel touchscreen display, a 5-megapixel camera, 2GB of storage and HSPA data. It also weighs just 93 grams, making it the lightest Symbian smartphone to date. As attractive as this handset could be in the low-end market, it begs the question: how long will it be until Nokia can attack young demographics and emerging markets this aggressively with entry-level smartphones powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS? Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has said on numerous occasions that Nokia will be able to push affordable Windows Phones out to market very quickly, but €150 before subsidies is not an easy price point to hit. Nokia did not specify a launch date for the Nokia 500, saying only that it will be available before the end of the year. A pair of videos showcasing the new Nokia 500 follow below.

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Images of what is claimed to be an entry-level iPhone 4 prototype have surfaced online courtesy of a site called Tinthe. The same site in the past published photos of an engineering sample white iPhone that featured what is said to have been a very early test build of iOS 4, in addition to having the white plastic MacBook before announcement and release. The iPhone this time around appears to be an iPhone 4-like device, except the user that uploaded the photos claims it’s more of an “iPhone 4 lite” with plastic casing on the front and rear opposed to the glass exterior the current model features. From the photos however, this to me looks like a pre-production white iPhone 4 at best, and at the very worst, an aftermarket conversion kit commonly found on the streets of China and online. Additionally, the phone looks like it’s jailbroken which wouldn’t make much sense. Lastly, we exclusively reported that Apple would be selling its least expensive iPhone product, the iPhone 3GS, alongside the iPhone 4 and soon-to-be introduced iPhone 5. Why would Apple want to have a lower-cost iPhone 4 that looked like the company’s now high-end — and soon to be mid-end — iPhone 4? If you’re still not convinced that this product is either not ever being released, or is an aftermarket creation, there are a few more photos after the break for you.

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Apple will not release an “iPhone mini,” a second prepaid model or even a redesigned iPhone 5 in September, BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman claimed in a note to investors on Monday evening. Instead, the Cupertino-based tech giant will stay true to earlier rumors and simply issue a modest spec bump wrapped in the current iPhone 4 case. Earlier on Monday, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore claimed that Apple would be unveiling two new iPhone models this coming September, a redesigned iPhone 5 and a second budget iPhone to attack the prepaid market. But Apple will do no such thing according to Bachman, and he lowered his forecast for the September quarter as a result. Bachman now sees Apple shipping 17 million iPhone handsets in the quarter rather than 18 million. He also says the iPhone 3GS will continue to be the low-end iPhone, suggesting that the bump from iPhone 4 to “iPhone 4S” won’t even be significant enough to warrant making the current iPhone 4 model Apple’s $99 offering.

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Apple will release not one, but two new iPhone models this September, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore wrote in a note to investors on Monday. The Cupertino-based tech giant has a new iPhone 5 model lined up to replace the current iPhone 4, but it also has the rumored “iPhone 4S” in the works — a supposed modest upgrade that will maintain the same physical design as the current iPhone model. The 4S model, Whitmore believes, will launch as a $349 prepaid phone with a data plan that works much like the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G; users will be able to choose from multiple data plans and purchase them on a monthly basis without being locked into a contract. “With Nokia and RIMM struggling, the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate the mid range smart-phone market (i.e. $300-500 category) to dramatically expand its [total addressable market] and market share,” Whitemore wrote.

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The Motorola Photon 4G from Sprint wasn’t the only Motorola device that got official a little while ago. The company has introduced a low cost Android handset for prepaid carrier Virgin Mobile, and it definitely tries to set the bar for what a prepaid phone is in today’s market. For starters, the Motorola Triumph’s styling is eerily similar to the first Motorola DROID, just thinner, and without the slide-out keyboard. The unit is solid, and while we noticed a bit of resistance using the display, Motorola informed us that it wasn’t a final production unit and that could change. Pricing wasn’t communicated to us, but it sure looks like it will be the prepaid Android handset to beat so far. Check out another image of the Triumph after the break.

T-Mobile USA introduced two new 4G prepaid plans on Tuesday. These plans are in addition to the new prepaid options the carrier announced on May 23rd. One costs $50 per month and provides unlimited text, talk, and 100MB of data. The second offers 5GB of data, and unlimited talk and text for $70 per month. As usual, any subscriber that surpasses the data allotment will see their data speeds drop considerably until the next billing cycle begins. Hit the break for T-Mobile’s press release.

T-Mobile Offers Monthly4G Plans Featuring Unlimited Talk, Text and Web With No Annual Contract

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced  two new No Annual Contract, unlimited Monthly4G plans starting at $50 per month, bringing more choice and value to customers on America’s Largest 4G Network™. The new plans make it easier than ever for customers to step up to a rich data experience across T-Mobile’s entire portfolio of Android™-powered, Windows® Phone and BlackBerry® smartphones without an annual contract.

“Consumers today want more value and simplicity in how they purchase wireless,” said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “And that’s exactly what we’re delivering with our new Monthly4G plans — providing customers with the nationwide network, great prices and a choice of any of our latest smartphones.”

With Monthly4G plans, customers can enjoy unlimited Talk, unlimited Text and unlimited Web service on their smartphone from T-Mobile. Monthly4G plans start at $50 per month for unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited Web with the first 100 MB of data at up to 4G speeds, or $70 per month for unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited Web with the first 5 GB of data at up to 4G speeds*.

In addition to the Monthly4G No Annual Contract plans, which became available May 22, T-Mobile continues to offer a 1500 Talk and Text plan with 30 MB of data for $30 per month, as well as Pay As You Go plans for as low as 10 cents per minute for voice calls. To find the T-Mobile plan that best fits their needs, customers can visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

* Monthly4G plans provide access to wireless service for 30 days; capable device required to achieve 4G speeds. After high-speed allotment is used, speeds slowed for remainder of month. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere. See coverage details at T-Mobile.com.

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