Mobile phone contracts provide a relatively easy way to get a shiny new smartphone, however there are also those who already have a capable device on hand that prefer to go the no-contract route. That being the case, it looks like Verizon Wireless has recently bumped the data allowances on their prepaid 3G smartphone plans.
Tag Archives: prepaid
AT&T offers iPhone 5 through pre-paid Aio Wireless
Posted by Gsurface
on May 11, 2013
No comments
AT&T launched a new wireless subsidiary called Aio Wireless on Thursday that offers phones like the iPhone 5 with no annual contract.
Computerworld News
Verizon introduces $35 prepaid plans for feature phones
Posted by Gsurface
on April 12, 2013
No comments
While smartphones may be the way of the dragon for a lot of subscribers nowadays, there are still plenty of luddites to go around. It turns out that feature phones (a.k.a. not smartphones) are still fairly prevalent in today’s world, and Verizon just announced a new plan for those types of users to take advantage
Sprint allows its prepaid carrier partners to de-brand Android phones, rid devices of bloatware
Posted by Gsurface
on March 20, 2013
No comments
In a move that could only be viewed as a step in the right direction, Sprint has just made a major move in the battle against bloatware. It’s newly-unveiled Custom Branded Device Program is being introduced just as prepaid carriers are beginning to see something of a resurgence. In a nutshell, the initiative enables its MVNO partners (carriers like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to customize white-label Android phones. In case you needed to hear it another way, it’ll give those partners the ability to “completely de-brand devices from Sprint.” Of course, this opens the door for said partners to litter these phones with their own software, but it also provides an option to see phones in a manner that Americans rarely see unless they opt for pricier global (and unlocked) models.
Sprint is hoping that the program will allow its MVNO partners — carriers who sell phones under their own brand but actually rely on Sprint’s network for service — to “have greater, and potentially quicker, access to a large selection of completely de-branded marquee Android handsets out of Sprint and Boost Mobile device inventory with volume pricing included.” Presently, Sprint has three devices available for this program — LG Optimus G, LG Mach and Sprint Flash — but additional devices are expected to be added by the month’s end. Perhaps most interestingly, we reported back in July of 2011 that Sprint was making a “conscious decision to scale back bloatware on smartphones.” Here’s hoping that decision is soon realized.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
Source: Sprint
T-Mobile announces GoSmart Mobile unlimited prepaid service
Posted by Gsurface
on February 20, 2013
No comments
T-Mobile has announced a new service that gives users access to inexpensive unlimited prepaid plans. Call the GoSmart Mobile plans, they start at $ 30 a month, and are aimed at those who don’t want to be locked into a contract, and who want to avoid high monthly costs without sacrificing in their mobile usage. According
Verizon launches prepaid plans for 3G phones starting at $60
Posted by Gsurface
on February 1, 2013
No comments
The lowest tier plan includes unlimited talk, texts, and 500 MB of data. For $ 70 a month, customers receive 2 GB of data in addition to unlimited talk and texts. [Read more]
CNET News
T-Mobile begins testing for prepaid mobile brand, could launch next year
Posted by Gsurface
on December 9, 2012
No comments
Even though T-Mobile plans to go completely prepaid in 2013 and get rid of subsidies altogether, it’s been confirmed that the carrier is launching a separate prepaid brand called GoSmart Mobile, which is currently be tested in “select market”, and could launch sometime next year if the company is happy with the results of the
T-Mobile confirms trials for GoSmart Mobile prepaid, may take it US-wide in 2013
Posted by Gsurface
on December 8, 2012
No comments
Despite T-Mobile USA being very comfortable with prepaid service, it hasn’t jumped in with both feet like its potential partner MetroPCS or its arch-rival Sprint. The company has just confirmed to FierceWireless that it’s not waiting for a merger to experiment further; it’s currently trialing GoSmart Mobile, a prepaid-only network that uses data speed, not caps, as the incentive to jump to higher tiers. Paying $ 30 per month offers unlimited calling and texting with no internet access whatsoever, while $ 35 a month includes unlimited 2G data and $ 45 upgrades to 3G. While that’s not as good a deal for data as Virgin Mobile, it’s better for those who truly prefer unlimited voice. The carrier hasn’t said how it would balance the new service with its MetroPCS, but it has some time to sort this out when any possible nationwide launch won’t take place until 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile
Via: FierceWireless
Source: GoSmart Mobile
Prepaid or postpaid?: The fight for your cell phone dollars (Smartphones Unlocked)
Posted by Gsurface
on November 12, 2012
No comments
No-contract carriers can slice your smartphone bill over the course of two years. But you may still opt for a pricier contract instead. [Read more]
CNET News
Skype prepaid cards hit UK
Posted by Gsurface
on November 5, 2012
No comments
Skype has rolled out prepaid cards for the UK market, making cellphone calls, text messaging, video calls, or WiFi hotspot access straightforward without a credit card. The new cards, which will be available in £10 and £20 values, will be offered at Asda, Currys, PC World, Sainsburys’, and WHSmith across the UK, and can be
Skype launches prepaid cards in UK: Available in over 1,400 stores, credit starts from £10
Posted by Gsurface
on November 5, 2012
No comments
Skype has unveiled a series of prepaid cards for the UK, offering users without a credit card the ability to top-up their accounts starting from £10. A second £20 card will also be available in UK retailers including Asda, Currys, PC World, Sainsburys and bookseller WHSmith, with both denominations redeemable globally through the Microsoft company’s online portal. While Mexico got there first, we’ve been told that more countries can expect their own currency-specific cards later this year. You’ll be able to use the prepaid credit to pay for Skype subscriptions, including unlimited world calling bundles starting from £8.49 per month — all in time for that incoming Windows Phone 8 app.
Filed under: Wireless, Internet, Microsoft
Skype launches prepaid cards in UK: Available in over 1,400 stores, credit starts from £10 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Unhappy about Verizon unlimited data plan? Ditch ‘em for prepaid
Posted by Gsurface
on August 10, 2012
No comments
Verizon Wireless customers with unlimited data plans are not happy that they’ll have to pay full price for phones to keep their unlimited service in the future, CNET’s Marguerite Reardon offers advice about alternatives in this edition of Ask Maggie.
[Read more]
CNET News
Skype pre-paid subscription cards launched in Mexico
Posted by Gsurface
on August 9, 2012
No comments
Adapting to locals, Skype has now introduced a new payment option focused on those who may not have credit cards.
[Read more]
CNET News
NPD: Apple, Samsung control 55 percent of the smartphone market, prepaid sales up 91 percent
Posted by Gsurface
on August 8, 2012
No comments
According to NPD DisplaySearch, Apple and Samsung control more than half of the American smartphone market. The second-quarter figures reveal that while contract phone sales are flatter than month-old soda, those for pre-paid handsets have shot up by 91 percent compared to the same quarter last year. The upswing is credited to last year’s flagship handsets falling down the price ladder, snaring lower-income customers who were unable to afford to be early adopters. Cornering that element of the market has helped the battling duo increase their sales by 43 percent, leaving the rest of the technology pantheon scraping around for crumbs. Speaking of which, HTC is a distant third, having 15 percent of the market, while Motorola (12 percent) and LG (six percent) round out the top five.
Filed under: Cellphones
NPD: Apple, Samsung control 55 percent of the smartphone market, prepaid sales up 91 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
CNET | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Cricket ships Huawei Ascend Q, offers Android chatting for $140 prepaid
Posted by Gsurface
on August 2, 2012
No comments
Huawei had said it would deliver the Ascend Q in August, and it didn’t waste a moment — Cricket is selling the Android 2.3 messager as of today for $ 140 on its prepaid smartphone plans. While the OS, 800MHz processor, 3.2-inch display and fixed-focus 3.2-megapixel camera won’t knock any socks off, we found the Ascend Q a solid phone for compulsive chatters when we tried it last month. There’s also a 4GB microSD card in the box to get the ball rolling. One minor surprise: Muve Music is getting a minor boost through DTS audio processing that reportedly fills out the sound. As long as there’s no expectations of a media extravaganza, Huawei’s new hardware could be one of the better bargains in Cricket’s stable.
Filed under: Cellphones
Cricket ships Huawei Ascend Q, offers Android chatting for $ 140 prepaid originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
C-Spire debuts pre-paid tablet and hotspot plans
Posted by Gsurface
on July 15, 2012
No comments
As far as regional carriers go, C-Spire is a pretty big deal. Which makes it all the more surprising that the company hasn’t offered standalone pre-paid data plans until now. The southern cellphone network now has three tiers of pre-paid access for your tablet or Mi-Fi, beginning with a $ 15 100MB package that expires after a week. $ 30 nets you 300MB over two weeks, while the top tier grants you a whole month’s access and 1GB of data — but will set you back a rather steep $ 50. Of course, there’s always post-paid solutions for the more demanding, that start at $ 20 for 1GB per-month and go up to $ 50 for 5GB. For more, check out the PR after the break.
Continue reading C-Spire debuts pre-paid tablet and hotspot plans
C-Spire debuts pre-paid tablet and hotspot plans originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
nTelos starts selling iPhone without contract, Apple’s prepaid sphere grows a little larger
Posted by Gsurface
on July 7, 2012
No comments
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.
Is there any reason not to get a prepaid phone?
Posted by Gsurface
on June 27, 2012
No comments
Prepaid mobile plans can save consumers beaucoup bucks. So is there any reason to not to go prepaid? Ask Maggie’s Marguerite Reardon answers.
[Read more]
CNET News
Cricket prepaid iPhone goes on sale
Posted by Gsurface
on June 24, 2012
No comments
In what is no doubt an example of the first time this has ever been said – people were lining up outside Cricket mobile storefronts. That’s because the company has just begun to sell its version of the iPhone 4S. What makes Cricket a very interesting player in the ever-expanding roster of iPhone service providers
Cricket starts prepaid iPhone 4S sales
Posted by Gsurface
on June 23, 2012
No comments
Wireless carrier says some customers lined up at the door to get their hands on the popular device.
[Read more]
CNET News
Why a prepaid iPhone is an amazing deal for bargain hunters
Posted by Gsurface
on June 8, 2012
No comments
Even though it’ll cost you full price for an iPhone on a prepaid carrier, Ask Maggie explains how it will still save you nearly $ 1,000 by going prepaid for the iPhone.
[Read more]
CNET News
Cricket to sell pre-paid, no-contract iPhone starting June 22
Posted by Gsurface
on May 31, 2012
No comments
Cricket Communications will offer the first pre-paid iPhone in the U.S. starting June 22, the company announced Thursday.
Computerworld News
Leap Wireless to sell prepaid iPhone
Posted by Gsurface
on May 31, 2012
No comments
Apple iPhone enters prepaid world with Cricket
Posted by Gsurface
on May 31, 2012
No comments
Want a prepaid version of the iPhone? It’ll cost you.
[Read more]
CNET News
Amazon offers prepaid 4G LTE data in Japan, gets you online 500MB at a time
Posted by Gsurface
on May 29, 2012
No comments
Amazon has decided that offering 3G-capable Kindles isn’t enough of an involvement in the cellular world — it’s now getting into the business of offering the bits themselves. Through a tie-up with NTT DoCoMo-using MVNO Japan Communications, Amazon is selling prepaid SIM cards for LTE data. Each slice of plastic and circuitry will provide a 500MB block of sweet, sweet 4G for ¥1,980 ($ 25). There’s a very good chance we’d burn through that in a day, but it’ll let you get an NTT DoCoMo-ready smartphone or Arrows Tab online in a pinch. The Japanese can snap up the cards later in the month, while those of us in the US will just have to hope that Amazon can make a similar (if hopefully cheaper) deal closer to home.
Amazon offers prepaid 4G LTE data in Japan, gets you online 500MB at a time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 21:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Electronista | 
Nikkei (subscription required) | Email this | Comments
Engadget
American Express Uses Zynga’s Farmville To Lure New Prepaid Card Users
Posted by Gsurface
on May 22, 2012
No comments
Zynga and American Express are back together again in a new deal that will give prepaid card carriers ways to earn extra Farm Cash.
American Express, which has long been known for catering to high-end consumers, is moving downmarket. They’ve got a new platform called Serve, which is kind of a catchall service that supports many payment methods from traditional plastic cards with magnetic stripes to NFC to QR codes to basic online payments. The partnership with Zynga is meant to onboard new Amex customers and could give the credit card company the so-called Farmville demographic.
“Zynga has a very large customer base,” said David Messenger, American Express’ executive vice president of enterprise growth. “This partnership isn’t for existing credit and charge card customers. It’s about trying to appeal to a new segment. These customers may be millennials. They may be somewhat underserved in terms of banking. They may only use debit, cash and check.”
TechCrunch
Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup
Posted by Gsurface
on April 30, 2012
No comments
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.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
AT&T boosts prepaid GoPhone plans with more data
Posted by Gsurface
on April 18, 2012
No comments
AT&T has revamped its GoPhone plans to be more competitive in the fast-growing prepaid market. Its new GoPhone data plans will now offer at least double the data, while remaining at the same price. There are three tiers, including a 50MB plan for $ 5 per month, a 200MB plan for $ 15 per month, and a
Smartphones Invade the Prepaid Market
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
No comments
jfruh writes “When tech geeks debate the state of the smartphone world, they usually focus on the iPhone and its high-end Android rivals from the major carriers. But Android is rapidly entering the lower-end world of contractless prepaid phones that you can buy at 7-11 or Wal-Mart. 63 percent of prepaid phones sold in 2011 were smartphones, and while they might not offer cutting-edge hardware or easy customization, they do provide a smartphone experience without an onerous contract.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Huawei Fusion arrives at AT&T, lets you Go prepaid with Gingerbread for $125
Posted by Gsurface
on March 24, 2012
No comments
Hey, not everyone needs a bunch-of-core superphone tied down to a two-year contract, so it’s always nice to have some solid prepaid options, right? If you shook your head yes to that, you’ll be pleased to know that AT&T’s just added the Android Gingerbread-loaded Huawei Fusion to its GoPhone lineup. The device features a 3.5-inch (320 x 480) display up front, while on back there’s a 3.2-megapixel shooter. Other goodies include Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio functionality and support for up to 32GB of storage via MicroSD. If your still nodding your noggin, the Fusion and its (essentially) utilitarian specs can be yours for the keeping, sans contractual commitment, for just $ 125. You’ll find more info at the links below.
Huawei Fusion arrives at AT&T, lets you Go prepaid with Gingerbread for $ 125 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Google Wallet supports prepaid cards once again, afflicted users get $5 in compensation
Posted by Gsurface
on March 21, 2012
No comments
Google Wallet’s prepaid experiment hasn’t been the smoothest of endeavors, but the company wants to make up for all the headaches — with cash. A few weeks ago, Google disabled a feature that allowed users to add a Google Prepaid Card to their wallets after either removing it, or resetting their apps. The move came in response to mounting security concerns, but those issues have been allayed with the latest version of Google Wallet, meaning that users can now re-add their prepaid cards and hoover up all the money that was previously on them. To make up for the “inconvenience,” Google has added an extra $ 5 to every prepaid card, and sent an email out to all its customers to let them know about it. So if you count yourself among the legions of inconvenienced, be sure to add your card and spend that $ 5 on something sublime.
Google Wallet supports prepaid cards once again, afflicted users get $ 5 in compensation originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
M3 Android NFC Communicator mixes something old, something new for prepaid subs
Posted by Gsurface
on February 23, 2012
No comments
Malaysia may not be on the tip of anyone’s tongue when wireless comes to mind, but that’s not stopping local outfit DMD Mobile from attempting to make its mark. Set for an official unveiling at next week’s Mobile World Congress, the M3 Android NFC Communicator is the outfit’s clumsily titled stab at the prepaid market in South Asia and the Middle East. The touchscreen handset, to be available in both 2.6-inch portrait QWERTY and 3.2-inch candybar form factors, comes loaded up with a surprising mix of last- and current-gen specs: 650Mhz single-core CPU running a skinned version of Gingerbread 2.3.5, support for dual-band HSPA+ (850 / 2100MHz) and quadband GSM, VGA front-facing / 3MP rear cameras, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and NFC. Sure, it’s not the most thrilling of forward-looking devices to surface this year, but priced at RM500 (that’s about US$ 165), it’s certainly more of a great deal than it is bargain bin entry. Hit up the source below for additional info on this low-hanging mobile fruit.
M3 Android NFC Communicator mixes something old, something new for prepaid subs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink The Star | DMD Mobile | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Google kills use of prepaid credit cards via Google Wallet
Posted by Gsurface
on February 13, 2012
No comments
Last week we learned that if you’re using an Android smart phone there was a way the PIN for your Google Wallet can be accessed using an app called Wallet Cracker. Since that hack surfaced, Google has maintained that its wallet service is secure. However, Google is taking steps to protect the prepaid credit cards [...]
SlashGear
Provisioning for prepaid Google Wallet cards on hold while PIN-related security hole gets fixed
Posted by Gsurface
on February 12, 2012
No comments
Remember that Google Wallet exploit from a few days ago? The one that would allow ‘brute-force’ PIN attacks, but only on rooted Android devices? Well, another PIN-related security hole was discovered soon after, putting even non-rooted Androids at risk. As Android Central points out, should your phone make its way into the wrong hands, your Google Wallet PIN number could be reassigned, allowing access to the prepaid account attached to the phone itself — yikes. As such, the folks at Mountain View have taken action, shuttering provisions to prepaid cards until it finds a permanent fix for the problem. Despite the troubles, Google is sticking by its original tune, stating that Google Wallet offers multiples levels of protection (when used on official builds of Android) that go beyond traditional plastic cards, including your phone’s lock screen. There’s no estimate on when things will be back to normal, but you’ll find Google’s assessments and assurances about this situation at the source link below.
Provisioning for prepaid Google Wallet cards on hold while PIN-related security hole gets fixed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Android Central | Google | Email this | Comments
Engadget
How Pre-Paid Energy Services Aid In Rural Electrification
Posted by Gsurface
on February 11, 2012
No comments
First time accepted submitter superfast-scooter writes “I wanted to let the community know of a research project I’ve been fortunate to be part of — it’s a rural electrification project called SharedSolar at the Modi Research Group at Columbia University. The project has 17 pilot sites in sub-Saharan Africa to-date, providing prepaid energy services to over 3000 people who did not have access to electricity — a fraction of the over 1.3 Billion worldwide. The lab has been developing custom software applications to integrate off-the-shelf hardware components, and also provide the operational and management mechanisms needed. Communications with the sites are over the mobile networks. Consumers can recharge their accounts using either cellphones, or visit a designated local vendor who can do it at the site using an Android app. Software residing locally makes each site autonomous, and the online platform allows for remote visibility, localized consumer interactions and integration with payment solutions. And we’re planning on deploying soon in Haiti and Kenya.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Visa aims at developing countries with new international prepaid mobile payment service
Posted by Gsurface
on November 17, 2011
No comments
Shortly after announcing its new digital wallet service V.me for developed markets, Visa also made a presence at Mobile Asia Congress in Hong Kong to promote its new prepaid mobile money platform aimed at the under-banked and the unbanked consumers. By utilizing its recently-acquired Fundamo (which currently has more than 10 million mobile payment subscribers), Visa aims to leverage on the vast number of mobile phone users in developing countries — many of whom are already using local but carrier-bound mobile payment systems — in order to offer a globally interoperable mobile payment network.
This overlaying platform is said to be more secure, much cheaper and more convenient than the likes of Western Union, especially when you can simply make mobile-to-mobile payments when sending money across countries. Nigeria and Uganda will be the first countries to get a taste of this early next year courtesy of telecommunications provider MTN Group, and eventually more developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America will join the list. Full press release after the break.
Visa aims at developing countries with new international prepaid mobile payment service originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Double portion of prepaid LG Android handsets coming to Net10
Posted by Gsurface
on October 4, 2011
No comments
The upcoming battle of the budget Androids just won two new recruits courtesy of Net10. The MVNO is offering up the LG Optimus Net prepaid with a 3.2-inch HVGA display, 800MHz processor, 3MP camera (though Net10′s site wrongly mentions 5MP), Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G and an included 4GB microSD card expandable to 32GB. There’s also a slider version called the Optimus Q, which we’re trying very hard not to confuse with last year’s Optimus Q and which actually looks like a variant of Virgin Mobile’s Optimus Slider. There’s no price tag in sight, but contrary to the saying you probably can afford it.
[Thanks, Dwayne]
Double portion of prepaid LG Android handsets coming to Net10 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Net10 | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Recent Comments