Remember that SCH-R550 that appeared in the FCC's lair back in June? It's okay, we know you don't, but Cricket is looking to jar your memory by introducing it as the Samsung JetSet. The AWS-compatible handset packs a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth capabilities, built-in multimedia player, a microSD card slot and little else (but we suppose that's the point). This feather-weight morsel of a clamshell can be picked up now for $199.99.

Cricket Communications is well known for offering contract-less / prepaid options for wireless users who'd rather not be shackled down by any given carrier, and today we're checking out yet another option for those still not satisfied by current offerings. The PAYGo service, which is being launched initially in Cincinnati / Dayton, Savannah / Hilton Head and Houston, offers customers the ability to pay for three varying levels of usage on a per-day basis. The Cricket EZ, UTStarcom CDM7126 and Samsung MyShot can be activated on the plan, which only charges you for days you make or receive calls / text messages. For $1 per day, subscribers get unlimited local calling along with voicemail, caller ID and three-way calling, while the $2 per day plan adds unlimited text / picture messaging; the $3 / day plan throws in limited US long distance, international texting to 100+ nations and mobile web / directory assistance.

[Via phonescoop]

While the world still tries to decide if its really into mobile TV or not, Cricket is moving forward with plans assuming that she is. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless has just announced a flat-rate unlimited mobile video service that will enable users with "select handsets" to view one-to-four-minute-long video clips for $5 per month. Watching the clips won't tack on any additional data charges, and as for content, customers can look for clips from FUEL TV, Hollywood Insider and an array of other sources. Nah, there's no live TV (yet), but the pricing sure is admirable.

[Via phonescoop]

Citing concerns over competition (or lack thereof), Leap Wireless has formally asked the FCC to ixnay on the urchasepay of Alltel by Verizon. The argument's a pretty well-worn one at this point, focusing on roaming agreements that the regional carrier relies on to let its customers go about their business when outside the reach of Leap towers and the concern that the merger will lead to the collapse of some of those agreements. In Leap's case, dead roaming agreements quickly lead to coverage gaps and a significantly impaired ability to do competitive business. Though the FCC is forcing a number of concessions to preserve competition in the wake of a merger, Leap clearly doesn't think it's going far enough; indeed, Verizon's promise to honor existing roaming agreements after the merger goes through is nothing more than a promise at this point, and not an explicit part of the conditions that the FCC is demanding. The proposed acquisition has built up a ton of steam and is widely expected to breeze through the regulatory process anyway, so Leap's move might be largely symbolic -- but at least they've got their customers' best interests in mind here.

[Via MobileBurn]

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]

It really doesn't come as a surprise following Leap's less-than-enthusiastic response, but yeah, it's official: MetroPCS' offer is no more. The statement MetroPCS issued regarding the whole ordeal is actually kinda sad, revealing that the company "has not been able to engage Leap in meaningful negotiations" -- in other words, it got the cold shoulder. "Talk to the hand," if you will. For its part, though, Metro insists it's still in great shape, touting its recent Los Angeles launch with several more markets in store for '08 and '09. Still has to smart a little, though.

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?

Are we about to have another national carrier on our hands? MetroPCS has put together a $5.3 billion stock swap offer for Leap Wireless -- perhaps better known for its Cricket brand -- potentially pairing two regionals to create the nation's fifth-largest carrier, displacing Alltel in the process and combining regional licenses to create a rather generous coverage footprint. Of course, this is all based on the assumption that Leap's cool with the plan; at this point, all we know is that MetroPCS sent a nice little letter to Leap's board of directors. If everything goes according to plan, though, and the appropriate regulatory bodies approve, expect the two to close on the deal in spring of next year.

Cricket customers needing a non-EV-DO handset in Nokia's standard candybar shape needn't look any longer. Leap Wireless announced that the Nokia 6275i is now immediately available from its Cricket retail locations for $199.99. Although the lack of EV-DO disturbs us a bit, the 6275i still offers a 2 megapixel cam with flash, MP3 capability, microSD slot, infrared, Bluetooth, USB and of course, the staple FM radio that Nokia seems to be in love with. The 6275's physical size, at 4.29 x 1.68 x 0.677 inches, is a tad portly for 2007, although at 3.7 ounces it is still pretty light. But Cricket, come on -- $199.99 for this? We're thinking free out the door with a new contract, mkay?

Cricket Wireless has announced the Samsung Siren as available. With Samsung having such a plethora of handset options available to almost every global wireless carrier these days, this is the first Sammy for Cricket, ever. While the SCH-A870 is nothing to write home about (it's over a year old already), its slick red-and-black (hence, Siren) scheme looks good enough for any Cricket customer's pocket. Standard fare is available here, with Bluetooth, VGA cam (yuck), voice recognition, a 160 x 128 screen rez (double yuck) and VibeTonz all onboard. VibeTonz (we wish we'd see this more, Samsung) lets a customer experience vibration patterns that match an audible ringtone. That feature alone may be a sole reason for some Cricket customers to pick this unit up soon.

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]

Excuse our lack of shock on this one, but if you believe what the nation's rural carriers are saying, the Big Four aren't playing nice with roaming agreements. Thanks to extensive build-outs, the days when Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile relied heavily on mom-and-pop companies to provide rural coverage are long gone. The opposite, however, is not true: customers of rural carriers are virtually always roaming when they venture into civilization. The inequity is leading to some unpleasant pricing schemes that are making business tough if you don't own a national network. USA Today specifically cites NTCH, SouthernLinc, and Leap Wireless as getting the shaft from Sprint, Nextel (both pre-merger), and Verizon respectively, all of whom have made roaming prohibitively expensive or disallowed it entirely. So far, the FCC hasn't put its foot down, but an investigation is underway and rural carriers are calling for the enforcement of consistent, reasonable roaming rates. Hey, FCC, while you're at it, can you enforce a consistent rate of $2/gallon for gas? No?