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Virgin Mobile USA debuted several new no-contract data-sharing smartphone plans that allow customers to share up to 12GB of 3G and 4G LTE data over four lines for $115 per month. A two-line, no-contract package is priced at $65 for up to 4GB of data per month while a three-line, no-contract package will cost $90 per month.
The new shareable no-contract Virgin Mobile Data Done Right phone plans, available to Virgin Mobile customers exclusively through Walmart, are available immediately, according to a Jan. 16 announcement. All the plans include unlimited talk and texting for users.
Customers have their choices of four smartphones with the new phone plans, including the newly updated HTC Desire 510, which sells for $99.88; the LG Tribute, which sells for $79.88; the LG Volt, which sells for $149.88; and the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime, which sells for $129.88.
Additional devices that are available for the new packages will be unveiled in February.
Each of the new phones is pre-loaded with the Virgin Mobile data-sharing application, according to Virgin. Every multi-line plan also comes with a free Mobile Hotspot feature, making it even easier for customers to share data across WiFi-enabled devices.
“At Virgin Mobile, we are committed to offering prepaid customers innovative new wireless options,” Angela Rittgers, vice president of Sprint Prepaid, said in a statement. “We were the first prepaid carrier to offer texting keyboards and texting-only plans, first to help customers pay less for talk they weren’t using, the first to feature a totally customized plan and now the first data-sharing plans. The new data-sharing plans bring some of the most aggressive shared-line plans ever launched to Walmart.”
Consumers can also pay an extra $5 per month for the unlimited use of popular social media and music streaming apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pandora, without data charges, according to Virgin.
The new shareable data no-contract plans are being offered to give consumers more choices in phone plans, Mehrdad Akbar, vice president of wireless, connected home, wearables and tablets at Walmart, said in a statement. “At Walmart, we know our no-contract wireless customers are looking for some of the same experiences as contract wireless users—including high performing smart phones available on great plans at great prices,” said Akbar. “We are always seeking ways to innovate for our customers, which is why we’ve worked closely with Virgin Mobile to offer exclusive new plans such as data sharing.”
Virgin is also offering related single-line no-contract plans through Walmart for customers who don’t require multiple line plans, according to the company.
The single line plans are $35 per month for 300 minutes of talk, unlimited texting and 2.5GB of high-speed data (plus unlimited data at lower speeds) or $45 per month including unlimited talk and text and up to 2.5GB of high-speed data, plus unlimited lower speed data.
A $20 starter kit is required to activate each new line of service and includes two months of unlimited music streaming without counting against the customer’s data allotment, according to Virgin.