Virgin Mobile Intros Samsung Mantra, Data Card

Virgin Mobile has officially entered the wireless data card business, though their product of that sort won’t arrive until the end of this month. In more immediate news, $59.99 will now buy you a Bluetooth-equipped camera phone, the Samsung Mantra.

The Mantra has a mere VGA camera, but Bluetooth and the Samsung name are two pluses on the new flip phone on Virgin Mobile’s Sprint-powered service. However the UTStarCom Arc offers the same features for $10 less, if you can live with not having a name brand phone with a normal form factor.

The broadband card is more interesting. It’s not the best deal out there; the card weighs in at a hefty $149.99 from Best Buy, and data plans are skimpy, offering only 1GB of data for a $60 monthly fee. In contrast, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T offer 5GB of data access for that amount.

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Budget shopping tips: Cell phones

Almost everyone needs a cell phone these days, but owning one can be expensive. Here are a few tips to make the most of your dollar when it comes to cell phones and carrier plans.

Get only what you need
Sure that Apple iPhone 3G is sexy, and sure that Palm Pre is all the rage. But will you actually use all the features on those phones? If the answer is no, then resist the urge to jump on the hype bandwagon. If all you want a cell phone for is making calls, a basic cell phone will do just fine. Of course, if you do want extra features like a keyboard for messaging or a camera for taking photos, then you’ll have to do your research to find the best one for the lowest price. If you already have a phone – stick with it! You don’t always have to get the latest and greatest device if your phone still works. The best way to save money is to not spend it at all.

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Go prepaid if you’re fickle
If you’re fickle with carriers and don’t want to pay a penalty for cancelling contracts, the prepaid route might be good for you. Prepaid plans are also good for those who only use their cell phones occasionally, or for emergency purposes, since you pay per minute or day of use…

Read more at CNet

Verizon Launches Campaign around 99¢

Today, select taxis in New York City are offering rides for a mere 99 cents. In a few weeks Mr. Softee Ice Cream will be offering 99-cent treats. The company behind both promotions: Verizon Wireless, who wants to bring home the value of their 99¢-per-day prepaid wireless plan.

In trying economic times like these, everyone wants to get the most value for their money. As such, people are gravitating toward prepaid phones, since their pay-per-minute model allows users to be in control of their cell phone bills. Verizon, long a carrier focused on contract-bound buyers to the near-complete exclusion of prepaid, thus has to make an about-face in order to keep gaining customers in a country-wide recession like this one. Granted, Verizon’s network has been home to other comapnies’ prepaid subscribers, such as Page Plus, Tracfone and Straight Talk, but Verizon has downplayed the market themselves…until now.

What does 99¢ buy on Verizon’s own prepaid program? Unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling and ten-cent minutes to other providers and texts. This isn’t much compared with other providers, who require no daily fee to get even cheaper rates, however Verizon’s mobile to mobile community numbers over 85 million at this point, so chances are that if you’re a heavy talker you’ll get your 99 cents worth.

For more info on Verizon’s antics, check out BrandWatch’s article.

Tracfone Intros Straight Talk: 1000 minutes, texts and more for $30

Tracfone is known for its airtime balance displays, contract-class coverage and nononsense phones and features. Now they’re tryng something different, and that “something different” looks very, very good for the prepaid market.

The plan: 1000 minutes, 1000 messages, 30 MB of web and no-extra-charge directory assistance. The network: Verizon Wireless, for the same coverage as Page Plus Cellular and Verizon’s own (rather lackluster, compared to this anyway) prepaid service. The phones: the Motorola Razr v3a, the Motorola w385 or the LG 200c. The price: a mere $30 per month.

Tracfone’s choice of Verizon as the only network for this new service is a departure from their other plans, which heavily favor AT&T and include free roaming just like a modern contract plan. Then again, this allows Tracfone to pass cheap per-minute rates on to Straight Talk customers and, with Verizon’s purchase of Alltel, their network is huge anyway.

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T-Mobile Offers Prepaid BlackBerry

Looks like T-Mobile is now, through a partnership with Best Buy and possibly Target, pushing Bleackberries on their prepaid service, making them first operator to do this on a national scale. MetroPCS also offers a Blackberry, but service is limited to their regional coverage area, and the dual-band Blackberry Curve doesn’t work in newer MetroPCS markets.

The Blackberry in question is the “Pearl II“, a more media-focused model with RIM’s SureType keyboard rather than a full QWERTY part. The smartphone has a 2-megapixel camera, WiFi, Stereo Bluetooth and a full-size headphone jack. The price for the phone is $299.99, expensive compared to postpaid (where it’s often given away to entice people into expensive data plans) but $50 less than the usual non-contract price.

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Richardson’s MetroPCS plans to build on niche with frugal cellphone users

Richardson-based MetroPCS Communications Inc. has been on an undeniable tear recently, targeting cellphone users who are keeping a tighter rein on their pocketbooks.

The question is whether the young wireless provider can hold on to those thrifty customers as the economy improves and a penny-pincher’s fancy turns to thoughts of iPhones. Read more

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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Page Plus Cellular Intros Texting Packages

Page Plus Cellular today introduced “Power Text” text messaging packages, available on all plans except their 1500-minute-and-text Talk ‘n’ Text offering. They’re aimed at heavy texters, and cost less than one penny per message, continuing the trend of ultra-cheap prepaid wireless service that Page Plus is famous for.

The plans available provide 2000 or 5000 texts for $10.95 and $19.95 per month, respectively. That’s 0.4-0.55¢ per text. Page Plus doesn’t have an unlimited text option, but the 5000 message plan should be more than enough for even heavier texters. The $10.95 plan is slightly more expensive than most prepaid providers’ 1000-message packs, though other providers include MMS in their messaging packs, since the service is still seldom used in comparison to texting.

Page Pluss normal per-text rates are 8¢ per message on their no-daily-fee plan, or 15¢ on night & weekend or unlimited plans. Overage texts on the Talk ‘n’ Text plan are also 15¢ apiece