When you first click over to the Mantra's product page, your immediate thought is "why the hell would I pay $59.99 for this?" But then, it all comes back to you -- the fact that Virgin has no contracts, for example -- and you realize that it makes perfect sense that the MVNO would be charging a hair under $60 to get Bluetooth, a pair of color displays, and a VGA camera. In an age where heavy subsidies have become the norm, we bet it can be a tough sell for anyone coming from the world of postpaid, but then again, there's definitely something to be said for having the freedom to walk away after a couple months if you like. The Mantra's available now, and if you buy, don't bother bringing your signin' pen -- you won't need it.

Were it not for Helio, Virgin wouldn't be a carrier that we'd associate with anything other than the most basic handsets -- and data cards certainly don't seem like they'd be on any company exec's mind. Thing is, direct competitor Cricket recently got into this game with a $40 unlimited contract-free data plan, so it's a segment that's getting more difficult to ignore -- even in the most heavily value-weighted side of the business. We've nabbed a screen shot out of Best Buy's inventory system that shows a "Broadband 2GO" device (at least, we think that's what it says) scheduled to hit shelves on June 14 for $149.99 -- not the cheapest modem in the world, but again, there's no contract involved here. Data is data, so if the reception's good and the speeds are decent, why not?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Sound familiar? Ultra-cheap unlimited plans are doing well (in some cases, too well) for everyone that's offering them these days, and it seems that Virgin is no exception to the rule. Following the April 15 launch of its $49.99 unlimited plan, the company announced during its earnings call this week that it's seen a five-times-over boost in unlimited plan adds (yeah, bargain pricing will do that), which dovetails nicely with the MVNO's claim earlier in the year that the crappy economy really set it up for big wins in '09. Notably, the quarter saw income rise 301 percent year-over-year to $19.1 million while operating revenues rose 2 percent to $337.3 million, so things are looking up for these guys just months after financials were looking weak -- so strong, in fact, that they've revised their full year cash flow and earnings upwards. Does this mean we get new Helio gear soon?

[Via mocoNews]

Virgin Mobile's sundry networks around the globe are a curious hodgepodge of locally-owned and Virgin-led ventures; in the States, for example, a bunch of random companies have skin in the game, including Sprint and SK Telecom. Up in Canada, the MVNO began life as a 50 / 50 joint venture between Bell and Virgin -- and Bell has now agreed to snap up Virgin's stake in the firm for CAD $142 million, which works out to about $121 million. To make sure the brand stays around for a good, long time to come, Bell has also announced that it has secured an "exclusive, long-term" licensing deal with Virgin to use the Virgin Mobile marque. It sounds like Bell has every intention of continuing to operate Virgin Mobile as a separate entity, though it'll combine some retail efforts and work to streamline operations by jointly acquiring handsets and the like. Considering that Bell's about to flip the switch on its HSPA network, it seems like this could end up working out swimmingly for Virgin subscribers up there.

[Via MobileSyrup]

As far as we can tell, this totally nondescript candybar that just "rocked" the FCC as the C300 from Haier doesn't appear under the official Virgin lineup by any catchy name yet, which would put it solidly in the unreleased, unannounced category. Our normal instinct when that happens is to get excited -- maybe break out the bubbly and celebrate our fascinating find with a night of sinful debauchery -- but in this case, this thing is so positively uninspiring that we're having trouble getting fired up about the ordeal. The phone's ugly (at best) and ultra low-end -- you won't even find a camera on this one -- so we're guessing you'll find this in your local CVS for $20 or so within a few weeks, quite possibly without the fanfare of an official press release. One thing we can say for certain: this won't be a Helio-branded device, if you catch our drift.

Update: Rich over at Phone Scoop points out that the C300 is CDMA800 only, which would seem to preclude it for action on Virgin Mobile USA; makes you wonder why they bothered with an FCC approval then, but who are we to question Haier's wisdom?

Virgin Mobile's CEO, Dan Schulman, stated while at the Dow Jones Wireless Innovations Conference last week that Virgin's planning on adding some more touchscreen to its world. What sets is, of course, your and our first question, but sadly it's one we don't have an answer for, yet. Though whatever it or they end up being, he went on to say that it is part of a move to smarter phones targeted at low to middle-income youth on prepaid. Of course, Virgin's core business is the prepaid world, though contracts are always available if you're inspired to stick about. With CTIA just around the corner, we're thinking we could hear a little more then.

[Via Crave]

There ain't anything fancy about Samsung's m320, but that's why it's completely free on a 3-year contract. A number of months after splashing down on Sprint, the flip phone has arrived in the Great North, bringing with it Bluetooth, a VGA camera, speakerphone, calling / texting capabilities and a 1.9-inch 145 x 128 pixel inside display. Oh, and if you're looking for the no-strings-attached version, that'll run you $79.99.

[Via MobileSyrup]

Well, it looks like the budget-friendly carrier options in Canada just got a little less budget-friendly, as Virgin Mobile has hiked its monthly rates by about 17% across the board, and added a new $35 "account setup fee." That makes the new $25 "Starter" plan the least expensive option available, with it including 100 text messages, 100 minutes, and 1,000 evening and weekend minutes. Other plans will run you $30, $40, or $50 a month (each $5 more expensive than before), while the top-end $60 a month plan is the only to remain unchanged. Additional bundle packages have also received a hike, and will now run you anywhere from $11 to $22. According to MobileSyrup, there's a number of reasons for the rate increases, including the fact that the discount carrier apparently hasn't posted a profit since its launch in 2005, and that they're now looking to build some actual walk-in stores, in addition to the usual kiosks. Even more interestingly, they're also saying that the price increases could be in anticipation of some pricier handsets in the offing, perhaps even including the BlackBerry Storm by the end of the year.

Scant few companies prefer a crappy economy in which to do business, but Virgin's latest financials suggest that this kind of operating environment might just be the sweet spot. 'Course, Virgin's US offerings are all about "value" -- prepaid and all -- and it seems that the Sprint-based MVNO is getting mad play from that angle, reporting close to a quarter million net adds in the fourth quarter of '08. For the record, that compares with forecasts of 60 to 100K -- and yes, granted, they closed on the Helio deal in the quarter, but beating estimates is always awesome.

[Via mocoNews]

Listen, we know that something's going on with Sprint -- take the move toward leased access for WiMAX on Clear and the recent big sale of cell towers, for example -- but this is just getting fishier and fishier. Now, it looks like Sprint is trying to up its total subscriber count by paying Virgin Mobile an additional $2 per customer it signs through the end of the year while also dropping the minimum wireless services tab it was previously obligated to pay. Apparently it takes about 11 -- yes, eleven -- Virgin customers to equal the revenue generated from just one Sprint customer, and since the carrier's organic subscriber tally has been on the decline lately, maybe it's starting to rely on its MVNOs to pick up some of the slack.

[Via mocoNews]

With acquisitions frequently come layoffs, and Virgin Mobile's submitting to that ages-old tradition today by announcing a workforce reduction of 45 folks in its New Jersey and California offices -- a total of about 10 percent of its 400-strong team. With the closure of the company's Helio buy, it makes sense that there'd be some redundancy, and indeed, the company cites Helio along with its transition to an IBM-contracted IT infrastructure as the justification for the layoffs. The move comes despite Virgin Mobile USA having post a strong quarter, so while Virgin appears to be in solid shape, they're making like most of corporate America and battening the hatches for a presumably brutal '09.

As 3G sliders go, the Shuttle won't rank terribly high on anyone's hot list, but as Virgin Mobile handsets go, specifically -- well, the Shuttle is pure gold. We toyed with it a bit at CTIA, and yeah, okay, it's not going to blow any minds. But if we put on our prepaid hats for just a moment, we can see how this is exactly what the doctor ordered: it's definitely the best-looking and feeling handset in Virgin's lineup, and at the same time, it doesn't come close to encroaching on Helio's higher-end territory. Granted, the 3G support doesn't mean terribly much considering the small screen (and we dare not mention "Virgin" and "tether" in the same sentence), so the Shuttle's gonna have to push units on the strength of its strapping good looks and support for Buddy Beacon. We think it'll manage.

This is one of those classic tales of joy and sorrow -- a tale of a phone that could've been Helio's undisputed flagship model of the year, a phone that could've saved the scrappy little MVNO from Virgin Mobile's gaping maw (alright, it couldn't have even come close to doing that, but we're running with it for the drama factor). On the high side, we've now heard confirmation straight from the source that the Ocean 2 is, in fact, a real device, but the problem is that it won't be coming out until next year because they "want to put it out when it's the best it can be." It's sure looking just about the "best it can be" from the videos we've seen recently -- and frankly, we think they should just throw this out there while kicking off development on an Ocean 3 ASAP -- but it looks like the decision's already been made, and we all know there's no such thing as moving a release date forward.

[Thanks, Blade G]

We don't like the obvious pun any more than the next guy, but in the case of Virgin Mobile USA's Shuttle, we've got to admit: the spacecraft analogies are totally appropriate. First off, it's unusually sleek (dare we say attractive?) for a Virgin set -- but far more importantly, it marks the MVNO's very first foray into the crazy, fast-paced world of EV-DO-based 3G, a nod to the fact that it'd probably like to close the gap a bit with its Helio division. Speaking of Helio, the PCD-sourced offers Helio's Buddy Beacon service and also serves up a 1.3-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory, and a 2-inch screen for watching girls with blonde hair blowing in the breeze. It'll be available exclusively through Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile starting September 28.