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.

Roughly two months ago we first saw the old-school Moto i776 leaked by Target. Now the external antenna “equipped” clamshell is here, available through Sprint (NYSE: S) and Boost Mobile.

Let me quickly recap the specs — under the hood, there’s a built-in GPS receiver, Bluetooth, VGA camera, PTT capability, two screens (internal and very small external), and that’s about it. This phone is not just ugly, it’s also crappy in terms of specs — or at least that’s my take. Hopefully, a “dedicated antenna” will boost the reception, though that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

Sprint is selling the device for $79.99 on a two-year contract, while Boost is pushing it for $99.99 on a pay as you go plan…

[Via: Unwired View]

Sprint (NYSE: S) Nextel-owned Boost Mobile is enticing new customers to sign-up and is hence reducing cost of calling plans. The new pricing is twice as cheaper, from 20 cents per minute to 10 cents per minute.

In addition, Boost will also make changes to its $50 monthly unlimited usage plan, but it still has to announce all the details. And while we’re talking about plans, they [plans] are not available in all Boost markets yet, and will be rolled out on a selective basis.

The main idea behind Boost’s moves is to expand their reach to go beyond 14-to-25 year olds who currently favor the service.

[Via: PhoneScoop]

There are no doubts in my mind Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s mobile phone business has seen better times. I’m all for the big return of the struggling American handset maker. However, I’m not sure they have what it takes. Today we’ve spotted a leaked-by-Target image of the upcoming MOTO i776 clamshell. As you can see from the image above, the device in question has an antenna.

Why oh why would Motorola want to go this route is beyond me. Apparently, the phone is heading to Sprint (NYSE: S)-owned Boost Mobile and we should hear from them in the near future. Now that I’m thinking, if I were Boost’s marketing guy, I WOULDN’T issue a press release. There’s nothing to get you excited about the i776. Sure, there’s a Bluetooth support and a built-in GPS, but that antenna is really ugly, so-old-school “feature.” Any thoughts?

[Via: Unwired View]

Most people reading this will probably put a priority, and even pay a premium, for high-end features and incredible design. But, there will invariably always be a niche for handsets that can take a licking and still keep on ticking, as it were.

For those people that put an emphasis on tough, rugged handsets, check out this video of the Motorola i335 for Boost Mobile. As one of Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s first slim-line iDEN handsets, the Moto i335 is about as sleek as you can expect from an mobile phone made for the Nextel/Boost iDEN network.

It’s not huge on features, but if you need sleek style with rugged tenacity in an iDEN device, the Motorola i335 might just be your best bet.