Hasta La Gadget!

Oh, hell. FreedomPop might really be onto something this time. The company best known for doling out 500MB of free mobile data per month to hotspots, iPods and home routers will step up its game later this summer with a free phone service for Android users… with a few caveats, that is. To get by on the cheap, you’ll need to make do with a relatively scant 200 voice minutes and 500MB of mobile data in order to avoid overage fees, but to FreedomPop’s credit, it’ll include unlimited texting as part of the mix. What’s more, if you happen to go over your minute allotment, you’ll be charged a rather reasonable $9.99, which brings unlimited voice to the table. As you might’ve suspected, data overages are the biggest caveat to FreedomPop’s service, which can cost between $10 and $20 per gigabyte.

The service will operate over Sprint’s network, which brings access to EV-DO and WiMAX, and also leverages VoIP for calls. While it won’t be available at launch, FreedomPop tells us that LTE may eventually worm its way into the offering. Sadly, the company isn’t ready to discuss which Android phones will be offered (or at what price points). As another sticking point, there’s a chance that number portability won’t make it into the beta launch, but FreedomPop assures us that it’s in the works. Even with the constraints and risk of overages, it seems that FreedomPop could still be a workable (and very inexpensive) solution if you lean on WiFi for most of your data usage. In fact, company reps tell us that 50 percent of its customers are able to get by without incurring overages or monthly fees. Think you have the self-restraint to be among them?

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile

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Source: FreedomPop

If you’re living on a tight budget but still need to keep in touch with loved ones who live abroad, you’ll be glad to know of a new calling plan from Ultra Mobile. The upstart MVNO offers discounted access to T-Mobile’s network, and for $19 per month, you’ll fetch unlimited text messages to 194 countries, 250 voice minutes (with $1.25 toward international calling), and 50MB of data usage. For comparison, Simple Mobile offers a $25 plan that includes unlimited international texting and domestic calling, but if you let your thumbs do most of the talking, Ultra Mobile brings a lot of value to the table. You can snag its $19 plan starting tomorrow, which might be the perfect match for whatever Nokia has up its sleeve.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile

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Source: FierceWireless

In a move that could only be viewed as a step in the right direction, Sprint has just made a major move in the battle against bloatware. It’s newly-unveiled Custom Branded Device Program is being introduced just as prepaid carriers are beginning to see something of a resurgence. In a nutshell, the initiative enables its MVNO partners (carriers like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to customize white-label Android phones. In case you needed to hear it another way, it’ll give those partners the ability to “completely de-brand devices from Sprint.” Of course, this opens the door for said partners to litter these phones with their own software, but it also provides an option to see phones in a manner that Americans rarely see unless they opt for pricier global (and unlocked) models.

Sprint is hoping that the program will allow its MVNO partners — carriers who sell phones under their own brand but actually rely on Sprint’s network for service — to “have greater, and potentially quicker, access to a large selection of completely de-branded marquee Android handsets out of Sprint and Boost Mobile device inventory with volume pricing included.” Presently, Sprint has three devices available for this program — LG Optimus G, LG Mach and Sprint Flash — but additional devices are expected to be added by the month’s end. Perhaps most interestingly, we reported back in July of 2011 that Sprint was making a “conscious decision to scale back bloatware on smartphones.” Here’s hoping that decision is soon realized.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint

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Source: Sprint

If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, alongside smartphone leaks, admissions of data throttling and a power play at the NFC Forum, we’re introducing a new, hand-picked selection of must-read mobile stories for the week. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of March 4th, 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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We’re pretty sure you’ve heard of the BlackBerry Z10 by now, but have you heard of Solavei? Let us jog your memory: Solavei is a virtual operator (MVNO) here in the US which rides atop T-Mobile’s GSM / EDGE / UMTS / HSPA+ network and offers unlimited voice, SMS and data for $49 a month, contract free. The company further sweetens the deal with discounts when you sign up friends. As for the Z10, you probably know that it’s already on sale in the UK and Canada but isn’t supposed to land on US carriers until mid-March. Well scratch that, because starting today Solavei is teaming up with GSM Nation to bring Blackberry’s flagship to its customers. We’ve confirmed with Solavei that pricing for the handset is a hefty $999 (unsubsidized, clearly). The company currently offers the ATIV S for $605, the Galaxy S III for $575, the Nexus 4 for $405 and the Ascend P1 for $391, to name a few. It also welcomes unlocked phones. Full PR after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry

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Source: Solavei