The collection of AWS handsets just keeps getting bigger, as Cricket is announcing a pair of its own in the SCH-r430 MyShot and SCH-r210 Spex. As for the former, you can expect a flip phone design, 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, web browsing / messaging capabilities and oodles of mundaneness. As for the candybar-styled Spex, you'll find built-in Bluetooth, a 1.5-inch 128 x 128 resolution display, speakerphone support and little more. Granted, both phones are tri-band -- meaning that they'll play nice in PCS, Cellular and AWS markets -- and thankfully, you won't be asked to take out a second mortgage to call one your own. The duo is available now for $149.99 and $119.99, respectively.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Here's a deal that's pretty tough to beat, Cricket is offering unlimited EVDO Rev. 0 data for only $35 -- after discount -- a month. What do you need to get yourself signed up you ask? The Kyocera KPC650 data card which will set you back $59 after various deals and rebates, willingness to shell out $35 beans for all you can chew data, and a willingness to not sign a contract. Fair, no? Of course, the service's footprint is really limited right now, so if you don't live in Nashville, Spokane, the Central Valley of California, Santa Fe / Albuquerque, or Portland, you can ignore this article. If anybody out there is already hooked up with this seemingly reasonable offer, drop us a line and let us know if you've found any snags. Here's hoping the market expands, really soon now.

[Via Gearlog]

It doesn't look like much, but it's the innards of UTStarcom's unassuming CDM7126 flip that makes it a superstar. It turns out that this is the very first CDMA phone to launch in the US on AWS bandwidth, meaning that in addition to the typical 850 and 1900MHz support, this one adds in a little extra coverage punch via the new 1700MHz spectrum that T-Mobile is also sharing for its 3G services. We spied the CDM7126 at CES earlier this year -- hence the somewhat unusual picture -- and while we can't find it hiding out on carrier partner Cricket's website, residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma should be able to march into stores as soon as today to pick 'er up. Don't get too excited, though; other than the noteworthy use of AWS, the phone lacks EV-DO and an external display. Yikes!

[Via Phone Scoop]

Cricket customers can now pick up Kyocera's newest QWERTY-packin' clamshell for around $200, and aside from the slightly unattractive design, you will find quite a lot to keep your thumbs happy. Dubbed a "text messaging machine," the Lingo (also known as the M1000) boasts a standard numeric keypad on the outside and flips open to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. Furthermore, you'll get a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a Li-ion battery good for three hours of yappin' (or 200 hours in standby), voice recognition, dual color displays and a speakerphone to boot. If you're interested, it's available directly from Cricket as we speak.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Ooh, in your face, MetroPCS! Leap Wireless has rejected a multi-billion dollar stock swap proposed by its fellow regional carrier a couple weeks ago, citing... well, to be brief, a bum deal. MetroPCS was looking to trade each share of Leap for 2.75 shares of its own stock, a formula that actually values Leap at about $4.7 billion -- significantly below the $5.3 billion pegged the day merger discussions kicked off. Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson officially responded to the offer today, bluntly stating that it "dramatically undervalues" his company while citing Leap's strong growth, its prospects for future buildouts, and MetroPCS' infrastructure troubles in New York and Los Angeles as reasons why his shareholders deserve more bang for their buck. That being said, Hutcheson left room for further discussions; an eventual deal makes sense, considering that the two carriers' combined footprint would approximate that of a national carrier. Can MetroPCS pony up the requisite cash to be taken seriously here?

Leap Wireless' Cricket regional carrier is the latest carrier to add unlimited goodies to its plans -- and with Sprint getting into the game on multiple fronts, the timing seems impeccable. The deal seems pretty solid, too, with plans ranging from $35 for unlimited SMS, MMS, and local anytime minutes all the way up to $60 for home calling across all Cricket markets, 200 roaming minutes, and some other goodies like voicemail. Yeah, we said it, voicemail; in other words, Cricket's going to nickel and dime you a little bit, but still -- just $35 for unlimited texting and picture messaging is a steal in our books.

[Via Yakety Mobility Blog]