Skip to main content

Sprint to roll out pay-as-you go contract free service

Image used with permission by copyright holder

As 2013 begins, Sprint has decided to join the likes of its subsidiary company Boost Mobile in offering contract free service to subscribers. Come Jan. 25, cell phone owners will be able to operate on Sprint’s network without committing to a two-year binding contract.

While this may sound appealing to mobile users afraid of a little commitment, shoppers will be fairly limited in their choices. Sprint will only offer pay-as-you-go service for four phones: Samsung’s M400 and Array phones, LG’s Optimus Elite and Samsung’s higher-end Victory. The cheapest of the bunch are the M400 and Array phones, with the former costing only $50 and the latter priced at $80. For value shoppers looking for a little more out of their mobile devices, LG’s variant will cost $150 while Samsung’s will be priced at $250.

Each of these phones will come with zero subsidy costs with two pay-as-you-go flavors: a $50 per month plan for feature phones like the M400 and Array and a $70 option for non-LTE smartphones the Optimus Elite and Victory. Android Police reports that each plan will come with unlimited voice, text, and Web.

It’s important to remember that Sprint has not yet officially announced its plans to roll out contract free service. The Android-themed news blog reported that the news comes from unreleased materials meant to be seen by Sprint employees only. This means that until we hear this news from Sprint, any of this information is subject to change.

According to these yet to be released advertisements, Sprint will alert customers 10 days before their bill is due and again three days before. Customers will not be penalized for canceling service or switching phones. Android Police also reports that although Sprint plans to introduce new phones to its contract free service, devices such as the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, LG Optimus G, and HTC EVO 4G LTE will not be eligible for pay-as-you-go.

While offering another option for budget smartphone shoppers is a positive notion, Sprint may have trouble competing with other non-commitment services following its launch. Both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile offer less expensive plans with a wider variety of devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Lisa Eadicicco
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lisa Eadicicco is a technology and video game reporter based in New York City. She graduated from Purchase College in 2012…
Ordering a Galaxy S24? Don’t forget you need a power adapter
Several devices plugged into the Belkin BoostCharge 3-port USB-C wall charger on a bedside table.

Samsung recently started taking pre-orders for its brand new Galaxy S24 phone, and there are some things we already like about it. However, the Galaxy S24 doesn’t come with a charger, so you’ll need to get yourself a power adapter if you’ve put in an order. There are several options out there for new Galaxy S24 owners, and our top pick is the Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger. You can read onward for more on why we like it. Another consideration is the OEM charger that you can purchase directly from Samsung, and you can read onward for more information on it as well.
Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger — $45

The Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger is our top pick for Samsung Galaxy S24 owners in search of a way to charge the device. While the Galaxy S24 is likely to land among the best phones at some point, it falls short when it comes to providing this particular accessory. You’re going to have to spend a few bucks to get a charger when you purchase the Galaxy S24, and the Belkin costs slightly less than Samsung’s native charger. It offers quite a bit more, however, as it has three USB-C ports that allow you to charge multiple devices at a time. The Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger provides 67-watts of power for use with USB-C smartphones, tablets, and even laptops, making it super versatile and something to go along with the other accessories you need for your Samsung Galaxy S24.

Read more
Out of all the Galaxy S24 pre-order deals, I’d choose these three
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S Pen stylus on its screen.

The best phone deals around continue for a little longer with Samsung continuing to offer some sweet pre-order deals for its recently announced Samsung Galaxy S24 range. However, time is running out with you only having a matter of days to buy one. Three different Samsung Galaxy S24s are available for you to choose from, each with slightly different but consistently fantastic offers. Here’s what you need to know about each of them including my personal favorite of the three.
Samsung Galaxy S24 -- Up to $550 enhanced trade-in, free storage upgrade, and $75 Samsung credit
Samsung Galaxy S24 Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is my personal choice for which phone to buy. With the right trade-in aka a fairly recently launched phone, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S24 for just $250 thanks to $550 enhanced trade-in during the pre-order period. Alongside that, by using our link, you also get a $75 Samsung credit which can be put towards new earbuds or a smartwatch. There’s twice as much storage so you get 256GB for the price of 128GB while students can enjoy a 5% student discount. The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a great 6.2-inch screen with variable 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. One UI 6.1 looks great while there’s Galaxy AI which boosts photo editing capabilities and makes it easier to find things. A 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom, 12MP ultrawide camera, and 12MP selfie camera round off this excellent all-rounder. It’s sure to be one of the best phones for most people.

Read more
Time is running out to get this Galaxy S24 Ultra pre-order deal
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen, resting against a post.

You only have a few days left to snap up a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra at a great price and with twice as much storage with Samsung closing up its pre-order deals imminently. One of the best phone deals around, if you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra today, you can enjoy twice as much storage for free, up to $750 enhanced trade-in, $100 Samsung credit, along with 15% student discount. Even better, use our link and you get an extra $50 Samsung credit meaning $150 to use towards new earbuds or a smartwatch among other things. Sound good? Let’s take a look at all you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Why you should pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Sure to be one of the best phones once it launches, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is something special. It looks great with its switch to a flat screen feeling good in your hands and its 6.8-inch Super AMOLED panel making everything pop on screen.

Read more