AT&T, Cricket and MetroPCS all launched new prepaid-focused offers, highlighting the continued battle among no-contract services
Competition among prepaid services continues to ratchet up as AT&T Mobility, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS all recently launched new promotions highlighting the aggressive playing field for noncontract services.
AT&T Mobility followed up news last week of a “buy-one-get-one” smartphone offer for its postpaid service with a new BOGO deal targeting its GoPhone prepaid service. The carrier said the GoPhone offer requires customers to activate both devices on rate plans beginning at $45 per month (or $40 for those selecting the Auto Pay feature), which includes unlimited domestic calling; unlimited text messaging within the U.S. and from the U.S. to more than 100 countries; and three gigabytes of high-speed data and the carrier’s Rollover Data feature.
The offer is set to start July 22, with eligible devices starting at $60.
AT&T Mobility’s previously launched postpaid BOGO offer is tied to the carrier’s Next device financing payment plan and limited to a handful of smartphones from Samsung and LG. AT&T Mobility in late May bolstered the unthrottled data allotment for its $45 and $60 per month GoPhone plans, adding an extra gigabyte of data to both plans.
Keeping it in the family, AT&T Mobility’s Cricket Wireless brand said beginning Aug. 5, it plans to package the Alcatel Idol 4 smartphone with virtual reality goggles for $190 with activation of a smartphone plan. The device sports a 5.2-inch screen, a 13-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera.
Cricket Wireless smartphone plans begin at $40 per month (or $35 per month with Auto Pay), which includes 2.5 GB of unthrottled data, and unlimited domestic calling and text messaging.
AT&T reported robust prepaid customer growth during the first quarter of the year, which included 500,000 direct net additions through its Cricket Wireless and GoPhone platforms.
Not to be outdone, T-Mobile US’ MetroPCS brand followed up on plans to expand the availability of Apple’s iPhone devices across its distribution footprint. The prepaid brand said customers can now purchase the iPhone 5s, 6s, 6s Plus or SE models either online or through its retail channels.
MetroPCS earlier this month initiated iPhone availability in Florida, before rolling out access nationwide. The ability to officially offer iPhone devices could provide a bump for MetroPCS as it looks to remain a growth driver for its parent company. T-Mobile US reported 807,000 net prepaid connections for the first quarter of this year on the back mostly of MetroPCS, which handily outpaced the 73,000 net prepaid additions posted during Q1 2015.
Highlighting the growing importance of prepaid growth, Verizon Wireless earlier this week bolstered its branded service with features from its postpaid plans in an attempt to re-ignite some interest in the flagging service offering.
Sprint is also in the midst of altering its prepaid strategy, having recently changed leadership of its Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA and branded Sprint Prepaid service, ahead of a long-simmering overhaul of the Virgin Mobile platform.
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