Could your favorite prepaid wireless companies start selling iPhones extremely cheap soon? If you’ve always wanted to own an iPhone or buy one for your kid – but didn’t want expensive calling plans or contracts, you may be in luck to get your hands on the lowest priced iPhone yet.
Due to weak sales, many prepaid wireless companies could be forced to lower the price of the iPhone just to get rid of overwhelming inventory.
Cricket Wireless started offering the iPhone last June, making it the first prepaid carrier in the U.S. to do so. Unlike the other major U.S. carriers, Cricket sold the iPhone at a higher upfront fee — starting at $399 for an 8 GB iPhone 4 — but then let customers sign up for a much cheaper prepaid data and calling plan that cost $55 a month. Other prepaid carriers followed suit, including Virgin Mobile USA, which undercut Cricket by offering prepaid plans as cheap as $30 a month. At the time, the thinking was that making the iPhone available on these prepaid carriers would help Apple to appeal to a new demographic of customers who either can’t afford more expensive carrier plans, or simply feel uncomfortable committing to a contract.
Prepaid wireless companies are planning to ramp up its marketing efforts as well as providing additional financing options for consumers and perhaps even lowering the upfront price of the iPhone. With all the mobile options and prepaid plans out there today, how much would you pay for an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s?
