Sprint steps up prepaid game: Android fuels commodity devices

The Triumph was the real treatment if there was one day. If I went into a Sprint store and saw this hand without a "prepaid" label affixed to the product, I assume it is full, smartphone regular contract. And in a way that is really just an ordinary 3G smartphone. Motorola (Sprint and Virgin Mobile brand) is developing a bridge between smart phones and prepaid subsidized by making some decent options for the lower category.

In many ways, Virgin Mobile eclipsed more expensive Triumph Sprint 4G Photon. Amazing what $ 25 a month, and Web communication services and to discuss the plan can be done. Triumph is not the first Android device around a prepaid card. Virgin Mobile has some characteristics of Cricket $ 329 Samsung MetroPC Surrender and Indulge in a $ 299, and a handful of other Android phones.

Go to a Sprint phone and Virgin Mobile's triumph shows how much of the action will be wireless in the prepaid market. Here are three reasons:

Prepaid Services will be growth in the wireless industry. The wireless market has become saturated, and the prepaid market brings more customers in the tent finally be transferred to higher prices.

The working class can make the iPhone much more exciting market for prepaid cards to consumers.

People do not have the money to continue to increase average revenue per user for wireless carriers and plans dominate value. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said the gap between serious "plan to get more benefits to customers and carriers' ability of consumers to pay.

Take these three elements and combines them mobile operating system, Android, which power devices capable of high-end and low end, and carriers may have to move down market in order to maintain growth busy subscribers.