Sprint (NYSE: S)-owned Boost Mobile announced that calls and texts to Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are now included in their $50 Monthly Unlimited and UNLTD By Boost plans. And while we’re not sure that’s such a big news in times of the cheap VoIP calls, I guess those with friends and/or relatives in the two mentioned places will appreciate what Boost has done. That’s, of course, in case they also happen to rely on Boost Mobile’s service for their mobile needs.

Finally, before I let you go, we have the official work from Boost’s CMO – Neil Lindsay, who said: “Including calling and texting to Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands further shows Boost’s commitment to straightforward, worry-free no-contract plans that include everything our customers need and want from a wireless company.”

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) i856 Debut has landed at Boost Mobile. We’ve first seen the somewhat stylish slider (for an iDEN device) “in the wild” back in March, and honestly, I’m not sure why it took so long for both Moto and Boost to launch this phone. It’s not like there’s something really special about the Debut. It’s a low-end handset with specs that include 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS, music player, and a microSD memory card slot. For $169.99, which is the amount Boost is asking, it should find its clientele which for some reason doesn’t want to switch to GSM or CDMA-based carrier…

You can get additional details, including few quotes from Moto’s and Boost’s representatives, from the official press release.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Details are slim, but Boy Genius Report has gotten their hands on an image of a Motorola (NYSE: MOT) ROKR slider that is apparently headed to an iDEN network in the US. The Moto ROKR musicphone you see here is likely on its way to Sprint (NYSE: S) or Boost (or both) sometime this year. The iDEN segment sorely needs more diversity and a Motorola ROKR handset would be a good fit for iDEN subscribers.

The rest of us will wait for the Motorola Sholes/Shules to bring Android to Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless.

[Via: BGR]

In an effort to boost sales of its low-end QWERTY phone, Motorola i465 Clutch, Boost Mobile will offer the iDEN device in a graphite color starting from next Tuesday. I must admit that the newly colored Clutch looks much better than the original and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it hit portfolios of other carriers which offer the device — i.e. Sprint and Telus.

The price you ask? It’s $129.99 sans any contracts signed, which is not bad especially for those who rely on push-to-talk and text messaging on a daily basis…

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Boost Mobile’s success with their $50 unlimited calling plan has proved to be something of a double-edged sword. On the one side, Boost Mobile’s growth in Q1 helped stem the cash-bleed from parent company Sprint (NYSE: S)’s bottom line. On the other hand, the deluge of new Boost subscribers has crippled the carrier’s SMS text messaging backbone. The carrier’s congested SMS network has resulted in SMS text message delays that sometimes last hours.

In response to customer complaints of unreliable SMS text message plans, Boost Mobile has already started to address their network problems. Boost identified the SMS text message problem back in March, and has tasked engineers with tweaking hardware and software to add more SMS text messaging capacity to their network. John Votava, a spokesperson for Boost Mobile, told the Wall Street Journal that Boost engineers would “have a fix in place by next week, specifically by May 7th.”

Boost’s swfit response to the text messaging snafu may prove a wise move. Boost Mobile’s $50 unlimited plan includes unlimited text messages every month, which is one of Boost’s selling points.

[Via: WSJ]

Boost Mobile’s recently launched $50 unlimited calling plan was a significant reason that Sprint’s Q1 2009 financial results weren’t any worse than a $594 million could possibly be. While parent Sprint (NYSE: S) saw 1.25 million post-paid subscribers walk out the door, Boost saw 764,000 pre-paid subscribers coming hither. Unfortunately, Boost’s recent success with their flat-rate calling plan is something of a double-edged sword. Boost has recently been plagued with lengthy text-message delays due to the influx of new customers wanting to take advantage of the carrier’s no-limit calling and text message allowances.

The delays in text message transmissions are reportedly sometimes hours long, in one case, taking 9 hours to reach the recipient. Customers are apparently rushing Boost Mobile dealers for new $50 unlimited plans, but tend to go back to the dealer with complaints about Boost’s text message service.

While some believe that Boost’s text message snafus are worth the cut-rate pricing and call quality that Boost Mobile offers, others believe that Boost will soon see the influx of customers start to wane if they can’t resolve the text messaging issues. To its credit, the Boost Mobile network, based on Sprint’s iDEN network technology, is tops for push-to-talk feature which is reportedly performing just fine.

Any Boost Mobile customers feeling burned by slow-to-send text messages? Is Boost Mobile worth the inconvenience of unreliable text messages? Sound off in the comments below!

[AP via: MobileBurn]

Remember the fugly looking Moto i465? It was about time we see it officially outed by Motorola (NYSE: MOT), which announced the device’s availability on Boost Mobile.

The full QWERTY keyboard device is Motorola’s first attempt to make iDEN network subscribers use SMS, alongside push-to-talk.

Rest of the specs include 1.79-inch 128×160 pixels screen, Bluetooth support, threaded messaging, VGA camera, 20MB of internal memory, and a battery that powers up the device for up to 205 minutes of talk or 100 hours of standby time. Size wise, the Clutch measures 4.4×2.1×0.6 inches (112.8×54x14.9 mm) and has a weight of 3.4 oz (96 grams).

[Via: Unwired View]

Boost Mobile, Sprint (NYSE: S)’s more affordable pre-paid offering famous for marketing its service to the the hip-hop generation, has announced that it will be shifting its focus to building an impressive roster of iDEN devices. Sprint is committed to reinvigorating their iDEN-based offerings recently, and Boost Mobile will apparently benefit alongside the Nextel network.

According to Boost Mobile spokesperson Tatum Hawkins, “Boost Mobile will still operate, support and service its CDMA-related products, but it will no longer promote them. If customers wish to sign up for CDMA-based services, they may still do so. However, Boost will no longer create new CDMA products and/or services, nor will it add new CDMA phones to its roster of devices.”

There you have it, folks. Boost Mobile will be all about the iDEN going forward. Now, let’s hope future iDEN devices don’t look like this.

[Via: PhoneScoop]

It looks like Boost Mobile is sweetening the deal for anyone considering the carrier’s new industry-leading $50 unlimited everything plan. And hey, why not? Boost Mobile has done well in the face of uncertain economic conditions. On top of offering unlimited calling and texting for just $50 a month, Boost Mobile is apparently preparing to entice more customers its way with a slick iDEN offering. The slim and sexy Motorola i9 iDEN phone that we put eyes on last year has finally found a home in Boost Mobile’s network, as evidenced by a new flier that has come to light.

We know, the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) RAZR design profile has been done to death and we’re just as tired of seeing RAZR-like handsets as you are. But, there’s just something about a new iDEN flip that has us waxing nostalgic for the days of the Motorola i830. And, with Motorola’s keypad-morphong ModeShift technology allowing the Motorola i9 to jump between work and play modes, the new iDEN phone starts to grow on you.

So, if you’re looking to take advantage of Boost Mobile’s low, low $50 a month unlimited wireless plan, you might want to consider the Moto i9 as your iDEN handset of choice.

[Via: BGR]

While the rest of the world struggles to turn a profit in the midst of an economic sand-trap that has dragged down balance sheets around the world, there is a sliver of hope. The prepaid wireless industry is apparently doing well for itself, as consumers ditch more expensive post-paid subscriptions in favor of reliably affordable pre-paid plans that offer unlimited talk time. Boost Mobile has announced that it will be adding its own $50 unlimited calling plan to its pre-paid calling options.

Boost Mobile’s new $50 unlimited plan offers unlimited talk time and SMS text messages for customers that need affordable voice minutes but little need for a wireless data connection (Boost’s iDEN network is the last place you’d want to be surfing for mobile data). The $50 Boost Mobile unlimited calling plan aims to lure customers away from regional pre-paid rivals MetroPCS and Leap Wireless, but may just end up eating into T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) USA’s younger, hipper demographic. Larger carriers Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T) may also see some of its subscriber-base defecting to the cheaper offering from Boost Mobile.

“It sets a bar for the wireless industry and in some sense a floor,” Current Analysis analyst Bill Ho said of the Boost offer. “The pricepoint will hit everybody — the postpaid people, the prepaid people and the wireline people.”

Look for the Boost Mobile’s $50 unlimited calling plan to go live on January 22.