Showdown of pay-as-you-go providers Boost and Cricket

With a slate of new stores, aggressive marketing campaigns and even a celebrity endorsement, fast-growing pay-as-you-go mobile phone providers Boost and Cricket are going head-to-head to snap up customers in the Baltimore area.

Boost Mobile opened its first exclusive retail store on East Monument Street last week, joining competitor Cricket, which started offering cellular service in the Baltimore-Washington region through its stores at the end of June. Both companies also have networks of independent dealers that sell phones and minutes.

“The Baltimore market has always been one of our key markets,” said Traci Jovanoic, Boost Mobile director of indirect sales. “It has been in our top 10 for locations.”

One of the bright spots in the telecom industry has been the no contract phone service providers like Boost, a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corp., and Cricket, owned by publicly traded Leap Wireless Inc. The companies’ marketing strategy is to charge one monthly fee for unlimited calling and texting, or a la carte options to build customized plans.

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Boost Rolls Out Red Moto i9

Don’t like black phones? If red is better, you’re in luck; Boost Mobile now has the red Motorola i9 Stature, a very high-end phone for the Nextel-powered provider and a great complement to Boost’s sassy $50-and-not-a-penny-more unlimited plan. The phone retails for the same price as the black i9: $299.99. A hit on the wallet to be sure, but not too bad considering all of the phone’s contract-free features. Plus, it’s red.

Boost Mobile Unveils Messaging Phone: i465 “Clutch”

Yesterday Boost Mobile introduced Motorola’s first ever QWERTY iDEN phone, the first-ever Boost-compatible QWERTY phone, in fact, available from anyone except RIM (BlackBerry). The cost: $129.99.

The big bar phone can do more than text, however. In addition to hallmark Boost features like nationwide walkie-talkie and GPS, the i465 has a 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording capability. The phone also has Bluetooth.

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