Skip to main content

Sprint offers customers $100 for the holidays, but not in cash — in PokéCoins

Switch to Sprint and get $100 in FREE Pokémon GO PokéCoins per line!
These days, it seems that virtual currency is more enticing than the real thing. Between the meteoric rise of Bitcoin and Sprint’s decision to reward folks with PokéCoins instead of, you know, real coins, we may soon be crying out for the days of cold hard cash. But until then, we’ll have to satisfy ourselves with $100 worth of in-game money.

On Friday, Sprint announced that its holiday plans include giving folks a bonus for signing up for Sprint Unlimited. The company is planning on giving folks $100, but you can’t take that to the bank. Rather, you’ll have to spend it in Pokémon Go. Intended to celebrate the recent release of 50 more Pokémon from the Hoenn region, the $100 sum can be exchanged for 3,600 Poké Balls, 480 Max Revives, 145 Premium Raid Passes, or 96 Incubators. Or if you’re really savvy, you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Really, you can buy anything up to 14,500 PokéCoins, which is what $100 is equal to in this fantastical gaming world.

Of course, outside of Pokémon incentives, Sprint is attempting to push its actual offerings, too. People who choose to give themselves the gift of a new network provider can get four lines of unlimited data, talk, and text for $25 per month, as well as a fifth line for free. So if you have a serious Pokémon Go gamer in your midst, you may want to consider this offer. The unlimited data plan also comes with Hulu and a six-month trial of Tidal, which has been known to offer some exclusives to Sprint customers.

How did Sprint manage to score a deal with Pokémon Go? Last year, the carrier became the exclusive U.S. wireless partner of the game, and turned a number of stores into PokéStops and Gyms. And if you want to get another $100 in PokéCoins from the company, you’ll need to activate a new line of service at your local store, and then remember to ask a sales representative for your gift. From there, you should receive a text message with redemption instructions.

So happy holidays, friends. While you can’t exactly stuff someone’s stocking with $100 in PokéCoins, you may still be able to spread holiday cheer.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Amazon Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 prices slashed… for now
Someone holding the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet.

If you're looking for affordable tablet deals, it's highly recommended that you check out Amazon's Fire tablets. The latest releases of the brand's largest models are still relatively cheap, and limited-time discounts have further lowered their prices on Amazon right now. The 32GB version of the Amazon Fire HD 10 is down to $95 from $140 for savings of $45, and the 64GB version of the Amazon Fire Max 11 is down to $180 from $230 for savings of $50. You're going to have to be fast with your purchase once you've chosen which one to buy though, because these tablets may be back to their regular prices as soon as tomorrow.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB, with lockscreen ads) -- $95, was $140

The 2023 release of the Amazon Fire HD 10 retains the tablet's budget-friendly price  despite several improvements compared to its predecessor, including 25% faster performance, slightly less weight by 30 grams, and an upgraded front-facing camera from 2MP to 5MP for clearer selfies and video calls. The Amazon Fire HD 10 features a 10.1-inch Full HD touchscreen that's durable enough to withstand daily wear and tear, compatibility with Amazon's Alexa for voice commands, and decent performance for your daily tasks with its octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The tablet comes with 32GB of internal storage, but if you need additional space for your apps and files, you can get up to 1TB more through its microSD card slot.

Read more
The camera on this Android phone is confusing, but I love it
The back of the Tecno Camon 30 Premier.

I’m all for a lot of detail, and love to hear about the new technology that’s inside a smartphone I’m about to test, but when I have to search for an explanation of what something means, it’s not a good start. The Tecno Camon 30 Premier suffers from this problem, as it has a lot of cool camera tech that is explained in a mystifying way.

So, I thought the best thing to do was to just ignore the tech speak and find out if it takes great photos the old-fashioned way.
What's the problem?

Read more
The 5 best phones with IR blasters in 2024
The OnePlus 12's camera module.

IR blasters used to be a common component in smartphones, with big products from Samsung, OnePlus, and TCL giving users access to the cool gadget. Phones equipped with IR blasters could be used as a universal remote for your other electronics, making it easy to control your gear without the need for their default controller (which might be clunky and unintuitive to use).

Fast forward today, and attempting to find a smartphone with an IR blaster is shockingly difficult. What was once common technology is now relegated to just a handful of smartphones. You won't find any iPhones or Galaxy phones with IR blasters, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for a poorly reviewed smartphone if you're interested in the tech. You will, however, probably need to settle for either OnePlus or Xiaomi, as they're the two key players still churning out powerful smartphones equipped with IR blasters.

Read more