By Virgin was quiet on the pricing and availability of their Samsung Intercept – which isn’t a Galaxy S phone, mind you – when they announced it, but today it’s enjoying a quiet release for the no-contract carrier. You can grab the device up for $249.99 exclusively at Target today, and at key retailers (Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc.) and Virgin Mobile’s website later on this month.
The Samsung Intercept has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and all of the goods that come with Android 2.1. Head on over to our forums – AndroidForums.com – where some fans of the phone and the carrier are already discussing it at the Samsung Intercept section.
[Update]: And now for the press release.
Virgin Mobile Energizes Mobile Marketplace by Introducing Android Handset on a Nationwide, No-Contract Plan
Samsung Intercept Delivers Smartphone Luxuries
with Monthly Unlimited PlansWARREN, N.J. – Oct. 4, 2010 – The line between prepaid and postpaid mobile offerings has become even more blurred as Virgin Mobile USA enters the Android™ smartphone market. Beginning today at Target stores nationwide, Virgin Mobile adds the Samsung Intercept™, running on the Android mobile operating system, to its affordable, no-contract lineup of handset and service offerings. The Intercept will roll out to other major retailers throughout the month and will be available for purchase at virginmobileusa.com by mid-October for $249.99.
“As smartphone users come up for contract renewal and examine their monthly costs, they will start to wonder why they are paying more each month when they can get similar services from Virgin Mobile at a fraction of the price,” said Bob Stohrer, vice president-Marketing, Virgin Mobile USA. “With the Samsung Intercept on Android, Virgin Mobile is leading its customers into new, eagerly awaited territory while expanding our potential customer base.”
The Android device gives Virgin Mobile customers full integration of social networking apps, Microsoft Outlook Exchange e-mail and advanced messaging capabilities. Users of the Samsung Intercept also have access to more than 80,000 applications currently available on the Android Market™, and can sign up for one of Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk™ plans which include e-mail, data and Web along with 300, 1200 or unlimited voices minutes per month and are perfect for the person always on the go.
In addition to a 3.2-inch touch-screen display, a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2 MP camera and video, the Samsung Intercept also comes preloaded with multiple applications, including such favorite social apps such as You Tube®, Facebook® and Google Talk™ as well as the Virgin Mobile Live app used to access Virgin Mobile’s branded music stream. Additional features include:
· Contact and calendar sync via ActiveSync
· Android Web browser
· Access to the Amazon® MP3 store
· Full integration of Google Apps™, such as Google Maps™, Google Talk, Gmail™ and Google Navigation™
· Document file viewer
· Portrait and landscape screen orientation
· Dedicated keys for quick access to social networking
· Numerous video and music file types supported
· Built-in music player
The Samsung Intercept, paired with Virgin Mobile’s no contract Beyond Talk service options at $25, $40 and $60 a month, offers one of the best smartphone values in the industry.
About Virgin Mobile USA
Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk™ plans for mobile phone service and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access. Virgin Mobile branded handsets are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Walmart. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Broadband2Go services. Purchase and experience Virgin Mobile on the Web and at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and www.virginmobileusa.com
NICE! $250 to own any major brand android phone is a good price.
I’m I reading this right? I could get unlimeted text mes. and data for $25 on an android phone. Can anybody come up with a reason why I would get my son a dumb phone by adding a line to my Verizon account for $10 and $15 for unlimited text mes. when he could have an android phone for the same price?
Virgin Mobile plans are awesome. The only downside to these plans are that they don’t have nights & weekends and mobile to mobile features so it’s pretty easy to use up the 300 minutes on the $25 plan (you also use up your minutes when calling your voicemail from your own phone!). However for text heavy and data users (such as teenagers etc.) it’s an awesome plan.
I ended up searching 4 targets to get this phone and have to give it my thumbs up so far. Coming from a Nexus One I was paying $40 per month but though that if I could only pay $25/mo and be able to sell my Nexus for an extra $200 over what the Intercept costs then it just might be worth it.
I still can’t believe I get data and text but I’m paying for is only $25/mo!
I have to say it was quite an adjustment getting used to the Intercept after coming from a blazing fast Nexus One. If you’ve had any type of 1ghz processor you can definitely feel a small lag on the Intercept that can translate to other “problems” before you learn to relax on the 7 extra seconds it takes to load webpages. Another problem at first was that I didn’t understand how the extra lag translated to the soft keys on the front of the phone (back, home) and would constantly think they are not working and pressing them multiple times in frustration when I actually just needed to get used to the 2-3 seconds of lag adjustment.
Coming from an N1 or Vibrant or Hd2 you will def had a small lag learning curve in the first few days but after that you relax and have a Zen moment that a slightly slower phone is ok when your saving almost $50/mo compared to what others are paying. No small chunk of change.
Another adjustment was getting used to the downgraded features of my N1 such as:
– 3 inch screen vs 3.7
– strange 240 by 400 resolution
– 3 megapixel camera with no flash
– 800 mghz processor
– plastic tft screen compared to glass amoled
– Rev0 vs RevA radio that picks up 3g speeds about
Both times I was ready to take back the Intercept “gahd how could I downgrade myself in all of these features?!” Or “gah why does this phone lag 2-4 seconds” but I realized I only wanted a phone for the specific features of:
– Messaging
– Google maps navigation
– Browsing the web at 1/2 the speed of my N1 (On 3g speedtests I get about 800 kbps vs 1600 on my N1)
– Playing emulators (Nesoid works great and now I have keyboard for real buttons!)
– Facebook
The Intercept takes care of all of these things perfectly for me which is why I can recommend it fully. $25/mo is an amazing deal and beats the hell out of anything that’s currently on the market. Its just that if your used to instant gratification then you’ll have to get used to waiting a second or two as the price for saving $50/mo.
Also just in case anyone was wondering, Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint network so coverage is the same as Sprint.
Hope this helps anyone out there on the fence. I’m happy I made the switch but you gotta give a few days to get used to the speed before getting frustrated.
@ap wow you should have wrote the story! I really enjoy reading what you said vs the guy that wrote the article..LOL nice
I WAS thinking of purchasing VM BB Curve with $25/month plan but now that his finally been released, I will be purchasing this instead. Android phone with unlimited data for $25/month….can’t beat that.
@ap Yeah your comment was better than the main story. Why doesnt anyone ever include specs in the pieces about new phones? That just seems obvious to me.
@ap … how were you paying $40/month when you had your nexus one? Did you not have a data plan? I have (had) t-mo and the cheapest plan I could get with voice+data+txt is around $80/month after taxes. I picked up the intercept today with the $40 1200 minute/unlimited data+txt plan, and coming from a MyTouch3G, it’s actually a slight upgrade. My only beef so far is the weird 240×400 resolution. Virgin Mobile is the best deal in wireless. Hopefully their market share grows so the big boys will sit up and take notice. I doubt it, as we have such an anti-competitive, anti-consumer culture in the US where big business gets to establish price fixing and virtual monopolies all under the guise of deregulation and a “free market”.
@gethoht…I think the $40/month is a typo because he later says that he is saving $50/month–that puts him at least $75/month on tmobile. There is definitely no tmobile plan with voice and data for $40/month.
I left one of the big three too as they couldn’t come close to this deal. In fact, this phone gets better coverage and reception vs my old and I pay half the monthly price. Also this is my first Android phone and I am totally floored by the app market. I had no idea there were so many apps. And so far every app worked. It’s really nice to d/l things that actually work properly without errors or compatibility problems. It’s rated as a mid-range Android phone but I don’t know any better. Comparing my old phone to this is literally impossible. The technology isn’t even in the same ballpark. I can’t believe you can talk into this thing to google things without typing. Are you kidding me??? That alone is worth it. I guess the only other phone that impressed me this much was my first ever cell phone I bought 15 years ago which honestly wasn’t that much different than my old phone except it could play mp3s… Anyway, this Samsung phone is best thing I bought in ages that doesn’t cost an arm and leg… and works well beyond all expectation.
plz send me price list of dual sim samsumng mobile,
early
This is one of the best deals out there hands down! I picked this up last week and between the phone and the plan I challenge anyone to find a better deal (I opted for the $40 a month 1200 talk unlimited everything else). I’ve heard people call this ‘my first android’ which is fine with me because it is my first android lol. As I type this I am listening to Pandora Radio on it! I can’t understand why anyone would choose a 2 year contract with a $70 a month plan over this.
Just switched to the Intercept from my AT&T iPhone 3GS. I have no idea why I was paying almost $100 for the same thing I could get for $25! Luckily I’ve only had my iPhone for a few days after seeing the add for the Intercept and their low plans. Now I’m happy with my phone service, and have money for more things!
I’m really hoping that Virgin Mobile get more seirous with their phones though. Only a Blackberry and Intercept to chose from for a smartphone? I understand they’re prepaid, and I do know Sprint just recently fully bought them out but I think by now they should have atleast a few more handsets.
I just got the google voice app on the samsung intercept {LUV IT BTW} and am curious 2 know if when i revieve calls thru google if my minutes get deducted.FYI if you decide to get this phone when activating put this kick back code and get an extra 60 mins FYUDoQOw try it we both get 60 mins
I’m Confused Does This Phone Record Video???
nevermind just re read that.
I bought this phone at Target right around Christmas time when it was on sale for $200. I have the unlimited data, unlimited text and 1200 minute plan for $40/month and love it! It’s plenty of minutes for a casual user and my iPhone friends are all envious of the $40 per month price! I have yet to find much of anything that this phone won’t do vs. the iPhone. It has basically the same functions and all the same apps available. I can see how a power-user might be irritated by the slightly slower performance, but for less than half the plan price, I would highly recommend it!
So what apps does this phone come with? And how much are additonal apps?
I love the $25 plan & really never had any major problems w/VM. I have been looking in2 other phones, & my boyfriend even got me a Smart Talk for Christmas but really want 2 stay w/VM. There are some features on the ST that I like but it doesn’t do what i had hoped & it’s going back. With the above phone, will it bring up full web sites even if it’s not set up 4 mobile & can u view things like tv shows on it?
I just switched from iPhone 3GS to the intercept with the 25 dollar plan and I must say I just use my iPhone as a more of a itouch device and call and text on my intercept plus the apps and everything r good. Service isn’t bad either. Love it.