According to a June 24, 2008 article in the Financial Times, struggling prepaid provider Helio is set to be acquired by struggling prepaid provider Virgin Mobile USA. Helio is known for their hip youth oriented phones and prepaid service featuring an unlimited plan that includes voice, text and EVDO data for $99. According to the Financial Times, Helio claims slightly under 200,000 subscribers while Virgin Mobile is just over 5 million. Virgin Mobile also rolled out an unlimited prepaid plan for $79 which we reported yesterday. Both services primarily use the Sprint cellular network to route their calls.

Link: Virgin and SK in US mobile link-up
Link: Virgin Mobile USA to buy SK Telecom’s US Unit

T-Mobile just sweetened the deal on their prepaid service offerings. For a limited time buy any prepaid phone from their web site and included in the deal will be a free $25 refill card. As noted previously, the Nokia 2610 is free after $30 rebate - so T-Mobile pays YOU $25 to take their Nokia 2610 prepaid phone!

Link: T-Mobile To Go Prepaid Phones

If you’re thinking of getting a cell phone for your kids, but they’re not quite trustworthy enough for a regular cell plan, here’s a great idea. Buy them a prepaid phone. These are also great plans for your elderly parents who may not use the phone often but still want the protection of having one at the ready. You can purchase the phones dirt cheap. Best of all there’s no early termination or lengthy contract or bloated carrier fees. You pay only for the minutes you use! These plans have gotten a LOT better with most carriers giving you a full year to use the minutes provided you buy at least $100 in advance. I have my step-father on T-Mobile To Go and the total cost per year for his sparse usage is $100 - about $8 per month. Those with teens take special note of the Sidekick plan that gives unlimited text messaging, instant messaging, web browsing, email and picture mail for $1 per day.

Link: T-Mobile To Go Prepaid Cellular Plans
Link: AT&T GoPhone (Similar deals without the nights/weekends)

Over the weekend a press release announced the HOP 1800 which is a rather ugly prepaid $10 phone that did not have a display screen. This budget phone will be sold in retail outlets. It set me wondering why anyone would pay $10 for a phone with no display screen, no camera, and no SIM card. There are at least two better deals - both $10 or less and sold by AT&T via their web site. Both are brand name models (Nokia and Pantech), include a SIM card and one has a camera.

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