Engadget Mobile http://www.engadgetmobile.com Engadget Mobile http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget Mobile http://www.engadgetmobile.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Boost joins the unlimited dollar-per-day bandwagon]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/05/11/boost-joins-the-unlimited-dollar-per-day-bandwagon/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/05/11/boost-joins-the-unlimited-dollar-per-day-bandwagon/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/05/11/boost-joins-the-unlimited-dollar-per-day-bandwagon/#commentsFiled under:


Sprint's Boost Mobile has unleashed the so-called "PAYGO Chat Plan" that offers unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited texting, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile for a dollar per day, with daytime minutes running 10 cents per. If the plan sounds vaguely familiar, it should -- it essentially mimics what T-Mobile and others are offering in the prepaid world these days.

[Via Phone Scoop]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobiledollar per dayDollarPerDaypaygopaygo chat planPaygoChatPlanunlimitedSun, 11 May 2008 23:43:00 EST<![CDATA[House bill proposes ban on in-flight cellphone use]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/04/17/house-bill-proposes-in-flight-cellphone-use/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/04/17/house-bill-proposes-in-flight-cellphone-use/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/04/17/house-bill-proposes-in-flight-cellphone-use/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This could -- at least temporarily -- put an end the nightmarish scenario involving you, lack of sleep, and some freakish chatty Cathy plopped next to you by the airline. Lead co-sponsor Rep. Peter DeFazio, hopes the "Hang Up" -- madly clever name here -- bill will stop Airlines from finding yet another avenue to gouge you and maintaining peace and harmony by banning any in-flight calling. Of course, the door will remain wide open for SMS, mail, IM, and other types of electronic conversation, but we're hoping Skype and friends are on the muzzle list, too.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airlineairlinesbillcallingHang UpHangUpin-flightThu, 17 Apr 2008 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Boost boosts the Motorola KRZR]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/03/05/boost-boosts-the-motorola-krzr/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/03/05/boost-boosts-the-motorola-krzr/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/03/05/boost-boosts-the-motorola-krzr/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Boost Mobile has launched Motorola's KRZR K1m this week, and while its freshness leaves something to be desired, the glossy black flip is instantly propelled to the very top rung of Boost's non-iDEN food chain above the w385 and c290, both of which also hail from Moto. The scrappy, youth-oriented Sprint division is using the K1m's launch to highlight Unlimited by Boost, its regional calling plan that is currently available in 13 states -- including the lovely islands of Hawaii. The Boost-ified MOTOKRZR is available now for $249.99, so get in on the circa-2006 action while the getting's good; heck, if you're really clever about it, you might even be able to use it as an excuse to move to Oahu.

[Via Slashphone]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobileclamshellflipk1k1mkrzrmotomotokrzrmotorolaWed, 05 Mar 2008 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Boost says "Aloha" to Hawaii with $35 unlimited plan]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/02/26/boost-says-aloha-to-hawaii-with-35-unlimited-plan/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/02/26/boost-says-aloha-to-hawaii-with-35-unlimited-plan/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/02/26/boost-says-aloha-to-hawaii-with-35-unlimited-plan/#commentsFiled under:

$99 unlimited plans are all well and good, but if 99 percent of your calls go to peeps that live down the street from you -- or the next island over, as the case may be -- that kind of cash outlay might be overkill. Boost is bringing its $35 per month unlimited calling plan to the tropical paradise with just one catch: it's in your home area only, which in Hawaii's case, means the islands themselves. Unlimited texting runs an extra $5, unlimited web runs another $5, and if you'd like to extend your home area to cover Cali and Vegas, that runs -- you guessed it -- yet one more Lincoln. Calls outside the home area run a stiff 15 cents per minute, though, so the penalty is stiff and swift if the plan gets abused. The deal is already on the market, so talk away -- in between surfing, fishing, soaking in the sun, and whatever else it is you lucky Hawaiians do.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobilehawaiiplanunlimitedTue, 26 Feb 2008 04:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Regulators put pressure on Sprint to remedy issues with iDEN network]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/19/regulators-put-pressure-on-sprint-to-remedy-issues-with-iden-net/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/19/regulators-put-pressure-on-sprint-to-remedy-issues-with-iden-net/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/19/regulators-put-pressure-on-sprint-to-remedy-issues-with-iden-net/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Although Sprint has coughed up some $1 billion over the past few years in order to nix the interference between 2,200 public safety agencies across the US and its iDEN network, it apparently hasn't done enough. Reportedly, the FCC has warned Sprint that it "could lose access to the signal spectrum used by its Nextel- and Boost Mobile-branded wireless services" if it doesn't remedy the problem by June of 2008. Supposedly, Sprint is "working hard" to settle the issue, but it's not wasting any time asking the US Court of Appeals to get involved. The carrier claims that these shut down threats could force it to halt signups of Nextel-branded customers, and furthermore, around three million public-safety workers would purportedly lose service if the FCC did indeed shut down the Nextel network. 'Course, industry analysts are suggesting that regulators wouldn't really go through with shutting it down, but if nothing else, this should light a fire under Sprint to expedite the process.

[Via PhoneScoop]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>direct connectDirectConnectfccidennextelpttregulationsregulatoryMon, 19 Nov 2007 20:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Boost's unlimited plan now available in 10 more markets]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/30/boosts-unlimited-plan-now-available-in-10-more-markets/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/30/boosts-unlimited-plan-now-available-in-10-more-markets/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/10/30/boosts-unlimited-plan-now-available-in-10-more-markets/#commentsFiled under:


Boost has been super quiet about its strategy for unlimited calling and world domination since rolling out plans to a handful of test markets many months ago, but the deal's still on the table and markets are getting added -- just at a glacial pace, that's all. Dubbed "Unlimited by Boost," the plan offers unlimited calling (hence the name) within the user's home market; outside that market, though, the voice runs a stiff 15 cents per minute. Subscribers in an additional ten states can get in on the action now, which comes contract-free like all other Boost offerings. Check it for $45 to $55 per month depending on location, while a plan that also includes unlimited data will be offered starting November 12 for $55 and up (again, depending on market).
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Amidst all the hubbub surrounding Motorola's latest batch of... dare we say, almost attractive iDEN candybars, Boost has gone ahead and made its variant, the i425t, official. As is often the case with iDEN equipment, features lag a bit in exchange for PTT supremacy; here, we get a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, GPS, integrated instant messaging, vibrating alert, and support for up to 600 contacts. That's right -- no camera or Bluetooth, though you will get your phone in a new eco-friendly "clamshell" packaging design that features end caps made of 35 percent post-consumer waste. Pick it up next month in two-tone titanium gray / black slate for $59.99 including $5 worth of call credit.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobilecandybari425i425tidenmotomotorolaWed, 22 Aug 2007 20:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola i425 walkie talkie phone for Boost Mobile]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/08/20/motorola-i425-walkie-talkie-phone-for-boost-mobile/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/08/20/motorola-i425-walkie-talkie-phone-for-boost-mobile/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/08/20/motorola-i425-walkie-talkie-phone-for-boost-mobile/#commentsFiled under: ,


Where Motorola pulled this one from we'll never know, but Irvine based Boost Mobile is soon to start distributing the i425, which is apparently the world's thinnest walkie talkie phone. Besides being one of the best looking Motorola phones in a while, the i425 features GPS, instant messaging, and is crafted out of 100% recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate material (whatever that is.) Before you go off and start extolling the virtues of the "new Moto," realize that one essential feature is missing from the phone. So, we ask you Motorola / Boost Mobile, why no Bluetooth?

[Thanks, James]

Continue reading Motorola i425 walkie talkie phone for Boost Mobile

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>i425MotorolaWalkie talkieWalkieTalkieMon, 20 Aug 2007 13:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Discount retailers want to sell more handsets]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/04/11/discount-retailers-want-to-sell-more-handsets/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/04/11/discount-retailers-want-to-sell-more-handsets/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/04/11/discount-retailers-want-to-sell-more-handsets/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

With 65% of U.S. mobile handset buyers going to carrier outlets and counters to buy all those handsets, that leaves the other 35% of US wireless customers looking at other sources for all those cellphones by our math; physical and online retailers pick up that slack. Which, exactly? Wireless Week reports that powerhouse retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Wal-Mart are (unsurprisingly) doing their part. Hey, are those calling plan commission bells we hear? Anyway, Wal-Mart has gained ground from the days of selling low-end phones and plans, offering a decent assortment from more than a few carriers these days; Best Buy is doing well also, while Radio Shack -- once chummy with several carriers -- is apparently being beaten badly by the bigger consumer electronics and discount chains, and the news that its outlets won't be getting the iPhone in store can't be easing the heartburn. Of course, we figure this kind of fierce competition can only be good news for consumers, so bring it on; if the big boxes want to beat carriers' corporate stores dollar-for-dollar on handsets, you're not going to hear a peep of complaint out of us.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BBYBest BuyBestBuyCCcellular phone salesCellularPhoneSalesCircuit CityCircuitCityRadio ShaskRadioShaskRetail handset salesRetailHandsetSalesWed, 11 Apr 2007 23:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Boost to offer unlimited plan?]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/03/30/boost-to-offer-unlimited-plan/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/03/30/boost-to-offer-unlimited-plan/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/03/30/boost-to-offer-unlimited-plan/#commentsFiled under:


Word on the street has it that Boost is poised to test-market an unlimited plan, though it's unknown at this point whether said plan would be voice only or would throw in all-you-can-eat data as well (a smart move, we reckon). If true, this lines up nicely with a previous rumor that Boost would start offering postpaid plans in the same vein as stablemate Nextel, but here's where it gets really juicy: the phone allegedly to be offered with the unlimited plan isn't an iDEN piece. We don't mean iDEN / CDMA hybrid, either -- it's a straight-up CDMA phone, the yawn-riffic Motorola C290. If that doesn't turn you off, and you live in Dallas, San Antonio, or Houston, look for the plan to hit shortly for $45 a month; meanwhile, folks in the Bay area can expect to shell out $50, and Southern California bears the brunt of it at $55.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobilec290clamshellflipidenmotomotorolaunlimitedFri, 30 Mar 2007 15:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Ericsson rolls pink camo Z530i]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/05/sony-ericsson-rolls-pink-camo-z530i/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/05/sony-ericsson-rolls-pink-camo-z530i/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/05/sony-ericsson-rolls-pink-camo-z530i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Huh? There's a phone in this picture? We kid, we kid -- pink camouflage is about as effective as a styrofoam paperweight, but then again, we don't think that's really the idea here (of course, with the forgettable VGA cam, this is a phone we wouldn't mind seeing disappear). Sony Ericsson has hooked up with Boost Mobile's Australian division to offer the Z530i in the user's choice of pink or black camo with matching Skullcandy headphones for that music collection you've got stored on the handset's Memory Stick Micro M2 slot. Look for it Down Under on Boost for $179 -- but seeing how it's a GSM piece, there's no chance of seeing this one migrate to Boost customers here in the States.

[Via textually.org]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobilecamocamouflageseskullcandysony ericssonSonyEricssonz530iTue, 05 Dec 2006 14:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Boost offers Motorola i885]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/11/12/boost-offers-motorola-i885/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/11/12/boost-offers-motorola-i885/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/11/12/boost-offers-motorola-i885/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Following hot on the heels of its corporate parent, Sprint Nextel, Boost Mobile has added its own variant of Nextel's Motorola i880 as the i885. It looks like the phone hasn't changed much from when we first scooped it way back in July, with the range-topping device bringing a 2 megapixel cam, microSD slot, and dedicated music controls to the table. Minor differences from its more uptight i880 sibling include a migration of the external controls from the phone's front to the side and a trick, lit Boost Mobile logo on the lower left of the flip. The i885 is shipping now for a stiff $350 -- but that's the price one must pay for prepaid iDEN supremacy these days.

[Thanks, Memo]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobileclamshellflipi885idenmotomotorolaSun, 12 Nov 2006 05:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Stalking simplified: Loopt's Mobile Friend Finder for Boost]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/09/16/stalking-simplified-loopts-mobile-friend-finder-for-boost/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/09/16/stalking-simplified-loopts-mobile-friend-finder-for-boost/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/09/16/stalking-simplified-loopts-mobile-friend-finder-for-boost/#commentsFiled under: ,

It seems there will likely come a day when everyone knows the latitude and longitude of everyone else in real time, we were just secretly hoping that we wouldn't see that day in our lifetime. Alas, Loopt's gone ahead and found a customer -- Boost Mobile -- for its friend-tracking system, which maps the location of buddies on a Google Local-like display. Happily, users must opt in before they can be tracked; once they do, the system will show current location, a settable status, and messages sent from other, uh, trackees. Of course, unless all your friends are on Boost, the system is of limited value, but we're pleased to know someone's out there keeping the Big Brother dream alive.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Loopt would like us to let you know that their service is entirely opt-in, and that only approved users can track your whereabouts.
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Where we come from, you can add colors, pinstripes, and all manner of designs to a boring phone -- at the end of the day, it's still the same boring phone. On the other hand, if we were to allow our eyes to gloss over the spec sheet, the dismal internal and external displays, and the fact that this still isn't an iDEN / CDMA hybrid, we can understand how we might manage to get excited about Boost dressing up its workhorse model. Besides the obvious alterations to its appearance, the i835g variant features a redesigned speakerphone mesh (of all things) and matching wallpapers and screensavers. It's available immediately for the same price as the basic i835 on which it's based.

[Via SlashGear]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobileclamshelldesigndesignerfashionflipi835i835gmotorolaThu, 14 Sep 2006 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA['07 plans for Boost: don't worry, Sprint still loves you]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/23/07-plans-for-boost-dont-worry-sprint-still-loves-you/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/23/07-plans-for-boost-dont-worry-sprint-still-loves-you/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/23/07-plans-for-boost-dont-worry-sprint-still-loves-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

After Sprint's threat to dial back Boost in favor of its more lucrative Nextel brand, the question begs asking: what's next for equipment? Anything? Yeah, we've got the i885 to look forward to (hopefully), but beyond that, we hadn't heard much to keep Boost customers excited through the end of the year and into 2007. Fear not, folks. Hot off the tip line, we have a scoop that should restore some of the hope dashed by now-departed COO Len Lauer in his vitriolic comments regarding the young, prepaid iDEN division. First off, we've heard that Boost will be adding postpaid options next year, which will interestingly threaten to put it in almost direct competition with sibling Nextel. Second, hybrid iDEN / CDMA devices will launch on Boost in Q1 of 2007, and at least some of them will offer EV-DO. Lastly -- drum roll, please -- our tipster has seen prototype devices with a distinct "Sidekick appeal," full QWERTY and all. If this is Sprint's way of killing a brand, then we've gotta say, there are worse fates.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobileidennextelsprintsprint-nextelWed, 23 Aug 2006 22:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Sprint to give Boost less boost]]>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/18/sprint-to-give-boost-less-boost/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/18/sprint-to-give-boost-less-boost/http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/08/18/sprint-to-give-boost-less-boost/#commentsFiled under: ,

Where we come from, common sense dictates that you push the products that are doing well for you and dial back the ones that aren't. Perhaps that's what separates us from the fancy-pants businessfolk within Sprint's corporate offices who've decided to "slow Boost down quite a bit." Boost's been doing extraordinarily well for Sprint, accounting now for some 8% of Sprint Nextel's customer base -- largely because it's an inexpensive way to get in on Nextel's iDEN PTT goodness -- and therein lies the problem, it seems. With the radio interference iDEN's had with public safety frequencies, Sprint's been forced to dial back its total iDEN capacity in some markets, and at the end of the day they'd rather give that limited capacity to their more lucrative Nextel customers than the prepaid Boost crowd. How Sprint ultimately intends to "slow Boost down" remains to be seen, but if you've been jonesin' for an i885, we might suggest you keep your eyes peeled and get it while the gettin's good.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Never mind giving Boost less boost; Sprint's giving execs the boot. COO Len Lauer, to be specific -- the very man responsible for the comments suggesting Sprint was ready to kick dust in Boost's eye. Whether those comments had anything to do with Lauer's departure is unclear, as is the current status of said plans, but we'll obviously have our ear to the ground on this story as it develops.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boostboost mobileBoostMobilefederalidennextelrebandingsprintsprint nextelSprintNextelFri, 18 Aug 2006 09:05:00 EST