No contract carrier Cricket started selling pre-paid iPhones Monday, and reports are that customer activity was “brisk”. Sounds like some customers have figured out that a prepaid iPhone 4S from Cricket might cost less than if they go with a contract carrier like AT&T or Verizon.
At Cricket, the 16GB iPhone 4S will run you $499.99, while the 8GB iPhone 4 is only $399.99. The plan includes a $55 no-contract plan with unlimited calling and text messaging. There’s also 2.3GB of data, as well, which, while advertised as unlimited data, will apparently slow down after it reaches that amount.
According to CNET, a Cricket representative said the prepaid iPhone models were made available this morning and received “brisk” customer activity.
While seeing the iPhone sold as a “commodity” handset may be a joy-kill for some folks who will mourn the loss of the “cool factor” of the iPhone, others will jump for joy to be able to own the device without the long-term contract noose around their necks.
If you’re looking for a new iPhone, and can afford to pay the full price of the phone up front, you may want to find the nearest Cricket reseller and check out their options. Sounds like a lot of folks are doing so.