In an effort to regain relevancy in the ridiculously competitive mobile network space, Virgin Mobile CEO Richard Branson revealed today that his company is going all-in on iPhone.
Virgin Mobile is set to become the first-ever iPhone-only carrier and to kick things off the company is offering a deal for Apple fans that just might convince them to switch from one of the major networks.
Branson unveiled Virgin’s plan today to no longer sell any Android phones. Instead the company will offer unlocked iPhones at full price but with some perks like discounts on flights and hotels when you sign up for the new Inner Circle plan.
“Virgin has always looked to shake things up and challenge the status quo in any sector we go into,” said Richard Branson in a statement. “Mobile is no exception and with Virgin Mobile USA, we’ve now worked with Apple to create a compelling offer for our new Inner Circle plan. Simply put, when you buy an iPhone you will get the highest quality device and service plus access to an array of Virgin experiences and offers with our group of companies,”
Virgin’s special Inner Circle plan
To get people excited about it’s new iPhone-only business model, Virgin Mobile is offering a promotional deal that gives you unlimited talk, text and data for an entire year for the low price of $1. You have to buy an iPhone from either Apple or Virgin Mobile to take advantage of the deal though, and it’s only available until July 31, 2017.
After the first year of service is over, Inner Circle subscribers will have to pay $50 a month for the unlimited plan. But you could buy a new iPhone and go back down to $1 for six months after a full two years of service.
Virgin is currently offering the iPhones SE, 6, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, and 7 Plus. Most are priced at the regular retail price, though there are some small discounts on a few of the iPhone SE and iPhone 6 models. Virgin Mobile is powered by Sprints network so you’ll have to deal with its spotty coverage, but if you’re looking for a no-frills plan, this might be the ticket for a lot of iPhone owners.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
5 responses to “Virgin Mobile innovates by going iPhone-only”
When I had my iPhone 5 on VM, it was great. But it has not been so great with my SE. BTW, I pay $30 per month for unlimited everything including streaming music.
Although I think its an interesting move and definitely a big win for Apple but ‘innovative’? I get that you call yourself a ‘cult’ but saying this is ‘innovating’ is drinking just a tad too much Kool-Aid IMO.
Its innovative as a marketing strategy for a company. Don’t you see it?
No. It’s going to one brand.
Can you cite the law or ruling that says they can’t? I only know of the act that states a carrier must unlock your phone once your contract is up, allowing you to take it to any other carrier of your choice.
Also, this only states that they will exclusively sell the iPhone. It doesn’t say that they won’t accept unlocked phones.