Speculation and Rumors on upcoming phones, part 2

**VmoFan** · 05-31-2012, 08:47 AM

Hopefully virgin mobile will get the IPhone 4/4s soon like cricket is next month.

**Joe Petner** · 05-31-2012, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by soylentgreen77

3g service on a phone using Netflix
31 minutes = 240 megabytes
For an average of 480 megabytes an hour
If a movie is 2 ½ hours long: 1080 megabytes (or 1 gig)
That is basically 5 movies a month (give or take the total time of the movie).

I watch Netflix during lunch on a laptop, so I don’t have to worry about 3g (not that my phone could actually stay connected anyway). If I did use actual 3g then 10 gigs would get me through no problem.

BUT, I work about 3 miles from home, I don’t take a bus or the subway. I am not sitting and waiting for the bus or the subway, etc. Many, many others do.

What may seem like an unreasonable amount of data to you, is something another person could use up pretty quickly, given how often they may just be sitting there and waiting. I have had to sit and wait before in Chicago….for hours. If I would have had my phone, I could have easily gone through a gig or two of data just that day. For some people, waiting like that is a daily occurance.

I didnt realize netflix streamed that much per hour. However, I watch netflix all the time, but I do it where there is wifi. Just because an app downloads movies @ 400+mb an hour doesn't entitle us to watch it whenever we want. Perhaps everyone cant watch netflix whenever they want on the 3G/4G network. Maybe music will have to do, or rip some video to your phone's SD card ahead of time.

**bendee** · 05-31-2012, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by VmoFan

Hopefully virgin mobile will get the IPhone 4/4s soon like cricket is next month.

This greatly increases the chances, although my guess is Papa Sprint is more reluctant to give it to Virgin/Boost than Apple is. It wouldn't shock me to see them get the 4/4S once the new iPhone LTE is out, but Sprint would hold them back for now, as it would cannibalize the business too much.

Additionally, for those who are about to jump on the Cricket bandwagon - the iPhone is not AWS-compatible, so any Cricket Tri-Band markets will not get coverage, or at best significantly reduced coverage. This includes most of the Northeast US (Boston through DC), Chicago, St. Louis, and Las Vegas.

**leapoffaithmobi** · 05-31-2012, 11:20 AM

Cricket is finally getting the iphone i wonder when it might come to vm or boost my sister can't wait to get this phone she bugs me about it everyday i personally can't wait for a certain Samsung wimax andorid phone to come also the htc evo v 4g and evo design are officially out today

http://pocketnow.com/2012/05/31/cric...repaid-lineup/

http://www.phonedog.com/2012/05/31/c...ne-on-june-22/

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/HTC-EVO-V-4G_id5321

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/HTC...sign-4G_id5465

http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/c...everything-pl/

**billm261** · 05-31-2012, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by bendee

This greatly increases the chances, although my guess is Papa Sprint is more reluctant to give it to Virgin/Boost than Apple is. It wouldn't shock me to see them get the 4/4S once the new iPhone LTE is out, but Sprint would hold them back for now, as it would cannibalize the business too much.

It may not cannibalize postpaid as much as you think at that price point for the device.

In the case of the iPhone 4 it is 300.00 cheaper on a 2 year contract.

However your service is 600.00 more (25.00 x 24)for that 2 year period using a 55.00 a month prepaid plan vs the 80 a month postpaid offering.

So, you spend 300 more to be on contract but you also get unlimited data, roaming, & US support. Over a 2 year period I don't think 300.00 is enough to sway everyone.

When Sprint gets the iPhone5 it's going to be an LTE device. I think then we will see the 4 trickle onto prepaid with its own special rate plan.

**Churner** · 05-31-2012, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by billm261

It may not cannibalize postpaid as much as you think at that price point for the device.

I agree. A $400 and $500 price point will hold people back. Not many prepaid subs have that kind of cash lying around.

**JDubTrey** · 05-31-2012, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by billm261

It may not cannibalize postpaid as much as you think at that price point for the device.

In the case of the iPhone 4 it is 300.00 cheaper on a 2 year contract.

However your service is 600.00 more (25.00 x 24)for that 2 year period using a 55.00 a month prepaid plan vs the 80 a month postpaid offering.

So, you spend 300 more to be on contract but you also get unlimited data, roaming, & US support. Over a 2 year period I don't think 300.00 is enough to sway everyone.

When Sprint gets the iPhone5 it's going to be an LTE device. I think then we will see the 4 trickle onto prepaid with its own special rate plan.

So using your $80 postpaid vs $55 Cricket comparison, that's a savings of $25 a month as you also said.

Assuming that $100 is the going iPhone 4 rate and Cricket is slinging it for $400, it would take you a year to break even (assuming you have good cricket coverage). It would take 16 months to break even with the 4s.

That's not bad to me. If I wanted an iPhone and was coming from a postpaid voice + data plan, that would be something I'd consider. I'm more of an android phone (but iOS tablet) guy ...plus I'm used to VM prices (not one of the big 4 carriers). In other words, there's no way I'm getting it....but there's a demo that might think it's worth it.

**vmobi** · 05-31-2012, 09:13 PM

Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29952/27.1940; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)

Originally Posted by Churner

Originally Posted by billm261

It may not cannibalize postpaid as much as you think at that price point for the device.

I agree. A $400 and $500 price point will hold people back. Not many prepaid subs have that kind of cash lying around.

$400 to$500 price points at those mvno's are $300 to $400 price points at Sprint's in-house prepaid brands.

With Sprint paying bonuses to dealers that convert (port-in) subscribers from metropcs and cricket service, they will defintely offer the iPhone 4/4s product on both Virgin and Boost, and likely at current service price points without a required "iPhone plan"...

An iPhone 4s starting @ $399 would sure hit the spot for a great number of people still sitting on the fence waiting for the right device to jump into prepaid Virgin Mobile USA.

A $299 iPhone 4 would cause most of the remaining $25 BT subs to upgrade to the current BT service options.

If I were to guess about an iPhone launch date... based on current developments... VM Roaming... new High end androids... a July 2012 ToS update... all things seem to indicate somthing new will soon be available This Summer maybe as early as July. i wonder iF iT iS ....

**JDubTrey** · 05-31-2012, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by vmobi

Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29952/27.1940; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)

$400 to$500 price points at those mvno's are $300 to $400 price points at Sprint's in-house prepaid brands.

With Sprint paying bonuses to dealers that convert (port-in) subscribers from metropcs and cricket service, they will defintely offer the iPhone 4/4s product on both Virgin and Boost, and likely at current service price points without a required "iPhone plan"...

I'm not a candidate for this phone...and I'm not sure how many people will be (out of contract; want an iphone; will find some appropriate tradeoff for the higher handset price; will pass on a chance to get the iphone "5"; etc).

Even beyond all that, VM users are used to comparison shopping for the handset as well. Apple probably will tightly control the retail outlets and how much they sell this thing for, even for the VM version.

One thing in VM's favor is that a $35 iPhone plan would bring people in droves (even if you couldn't really bargain hunt for the phone itself).

...which then makes me think it won't happen.

**billm261** · 05-31-2012, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by JDubTrey

One thing in VM's favor is that a $35 iPhone plan would bring people in droves (even if you couldn't really bargain hunt for the phone itself).

...which then makes me think it won't happen.

They are a good phone. At 399.00 Sprint is taking a small hit on the 4. Sprint pays around 500.00 just for the 4 according to some in the Sprint thread.

Of someone really really wants a prepaid iPhone4 and really really wants it on VM they will pay for a higher priced calling plan.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using HowardForums

**vmobi** · 06-01-2012, 08:54 AM

Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29952/27.1940; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)

Originally Posted by billm261

Originally Posted by JDubTrey

One thing in VM's favor is that a $35 iPhone plan would bring people in droves (even if you couldn't really bargain hunt for the phone itself).

...which then makes me think it won't happen.

They are a good phone. At 399.00 Sprint is taking a small hit on the 4. Sprint pays around 500.00 just for the 4 according to some in the Sprint thread.

Of someone really really wants a prepaid iPhone4 and really really wants it on VM they will pay for a higher priced calling plan.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using HowardForums

That's true about the iPhone crowd, they usually do pay more for the devices, and rightfully so, since it has proven/positioned itself to be a best in class device.

With the massive prepaid gains that Sprint is experiencing each quarter they are probably starting to look for a way to increase monthly prepaid profits. The slow gradual increase via the service plans is working, but the iPhone can provide a substantial increase if limited to Unlimited Service plans only. If introduced on Boost, as is Rumored, and it is not eligible for the Shrinkage promotion, then you can expect a similar "Required" service option on Virgin Mobile (if Sprint provides both brands access to the device). I suspect that Boost is the Sprint prepaid brand that will debut with the iPhone since they will also be implementing a very Unpopular Data Throttle onto the service at that time.
To deflect any attention from the 3G data throttle, Sprint will probably also introduce the iPhone at prices that are lower than the competition. Either way it is a huge win for Prepaid subscribers to finally have access to a premiere device like the iPhone. I hope Sprint does not arrive late to the party this time, since VZW has been rumored to be getting ready to bring the iPhone to its own prepaid service since December. Waiting in this case could translate to millions of dollars in long term sales and losing out on an opportunity to gain valuable deffections from VZW.

**roomaku** · 06-01-2012, 09:12 AM

So apparentely Boost might be getting the iPhone before Virgin

Still if they have shrinkage it's tempting. Unfortunately this means the iPhone probably wont come to Virgin because they rarely share phones or have the same phones. But we cans till hope right? Anyway looks like Im still just waiting for the ONe V

http://www.technobuffalo.com/compani...rly-september/

**vmobi** · 06-01-2012, 09:56 AM

Wirelessly posted (Virgin Mobile HTC WFS: Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/7.29952/27.1940; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/11.10)

Originally Posted by roomaku

So apparentely Boost might be getting the iPhone before Virgin

Still if they have shrinkage it's tempting. Unfortunately this means the iPhone probably wont come to Virgin because they rarely share phones or have the same phones. But we cans till hope right? Anyway looks like Im still just waiting for the ONe V

http://www.technobuffalo.com/compani...rly-september/

Your thoughts are similar to those expressed by others when Boost Mobile introduced the Blackberry 8330.
Which was then followed up with Virgin Mobile providing the Blackberry 8530 a few months later. No need to wait for the device, if you want it on Sprint prepaid, it will soon be available.
There are current service differences that have prevented subscribers from commiting to Boost Mobile. These are electronic devices that we depend on, Virgin Mobile's warranty service is best in class (even better than Sprint post paid), Sprint should provide that service to Boost Mobile subscribers too. The worst experience any prepaid subscriber can go through is purchasing a Full Priced device that is deffective and then having to send it off for repairs and being left without a phone during the process. Virgin Mobile provides warranty service, and Boost Mobile should too, especially with premium devices with price tags over $200.

**Bob Coxner** · 06-01-2012, 11:12 AM

More substantial rumors about the iPhone and Boost:

http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/01/apple-...prepaid-rumor/

edit: sorry, guess BGR was just quoting TechnoBuffalo