cricket

First introduced back at CTIA 2011, Cricket Wireless announced the immediate availability of the Samsung Indulge, the carrier's first Android smartphone from Samsung. The Indulge costs $329.99 off contract and requires Cricket's $55 Android plan, which includes unlimited talk and data, text (domestic and international) and multimedia messaging, navigation, and more.

Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Indulge for MetroPCS, the Android 2.2 device features a 3.5-inch HVGA touch screen with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 3-megapixel camera, and TouchWiz 3.0. The Indulge also offers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS, but unlike … Read more

There we were at a CTIA press event, when we saw a familiar phone winking up at us. That's right, folks. Samsung's Galaxy Indulge is coming to Cricket Wireless.

Although the Indulge is the same handset we first saw when it debuted with MetroPCS earlier this year, there will be some differences in pricing, performance, and some of the bundled apps that come with the phone. Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS both add account management apps and digital storefronts, in addition to preloading a handful of other applications.

While we don't have specific pricing or release information, Cricket did tell us to expect the phone's release in May or June, in the $300-$350 range. That price seems steep, but quality handsets usually are on a prepaid carrier, since the carrier isn't heavily subsidizing the cost of your phone. That's the trade-off you make to go off-contract.

The Samsung Galaxy Indulge features a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen, a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It all runs on top of Android 2.2 Froyo and on Samsung's TouchWiz interface.

… Read more

Huawei quietly introduced a sequel to its Android-powered Huawei Ascend, the Huawei Ascend 2 for Cricket.

The Ascend 2 updates its progenitor in almost every way. It's sleeker, slimmer, and lighter in the hand. Gone is the trackball, and the hardware navigation buttons give way to four touch-sensitive buttons below the 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen.

The camera also sees an upgrade, from 3.2 megapixels to 5 megapixels in the Ascend 2. Everything is powered by an 800Mhz processor.

We're a little disappointed that the Ascend 2 runs Android 2.2 Froyo instead of Android 2.3 … Read more

The entry-level LG Optimus continues to make the rounds to almost all the carriers with the introduction of the LG Optimus C, with the C standing for Cricket Wireless.

Like its other Optimus counterparts, the Optimus C arrives with Android 2.2 Froyo, a 3.2-megapixel camera, WiFi, 3G, a 3.2-inch touch screen, and a usable 600MHz processor. It's certainly not the best Android phone we've seen, but for $130 without a contract with Cricket Wireless, it's not a bad deal.

At the moment, it seems that the only noticeable carrier that doesn't offer one … Read more

At CES this year, Cricket Wireless introduced Muve Music, an industry-first cell phone plan built around an all-you-can-eat music model.

The carrier first released Muve Music and its accompanying handset, the Samsung Suede, in Las Vegas after a delay.

Now Cricket is expanding the phone and service as promised to 13 new markets, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Memphis/Nashville/Knoxville, Phoenix/Tucson, San Diego, Milwaukee/Madison, and Wichita--with more additions in the works.

Muve Music costs $55 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, and music streaming and downloads. The Samsung Suede sells for $199 without a … Read more

A missing Cricket Wireless Android costume that spurred a $1,000 reward offer has been found, according to the carrier.

The company offered the reward for information leading to the recovery of the Android mascot, which it described in a statement (PDF) as "round and green with foam tendencies." The company said it had last been seen on a 40-mile stretch of highway between Florence, Ky., and Mason, Ohio.

Latoya Robinson, a spokeswoman for Cricket, said a woman in Covington, Ky., saw news coverage of the missing costume Monday evening and called to report finding it next to a dumpster outside her apartment. (We have to wonder if the Android disappearance was an accident, especially with the anticipation over Honeycomb and endless barrage of Google TV criticism. With such intense pressure, perhaps the little green man was pushed over the edge and into a life on the streets).

The lovable Android moonlights as a mascot for Cricket. The carrier said it believed the droid may have flown out the back of a pickup truck on I-75 North during a routine trip between state lines earlier this month. Am I the only one concerned about Cricket's employee safety rules and regulations here? … Read more

Cricket Wireless is getting into the music biz this CES. Today, the regional, no-contract carrier revealed a new service plan that wraps unlimited music downloads, playback, and ringtone creation into the customer's monthly charge. For $55 per month, the MuveMusic ("move") plan includes music downloads, ringtones, and ringback tones in an unlimited talk, text, e-mail, and Internet plan. (And yes, labels EMI, Sony, Warner, and Universal are all signed on).

This is the first carrier-driven service that doesn't try to sell you either a separate music subscription or piecemeal ringtones and tracks through an online store. Interestingly, the music is completely tied to the phone. Song files are stored on the phone's microSD card, but aren't transferable to a computer.

And since the all-you-can-eat music buffet is fueled by your monthly plan, customers get access to their beats as long as they settle their bills. Skip a month and the full-track downloads--along with calls, e-mail, texting, and browsing--disappear until the piper's been paid. In that sense, Cricket's musical leanings follow the renter's model.… Read more

Regional carrier Cricket Wireless has announced a few special sales just for the holiday season. Through December 25, you'll be able to buy a Sanyo Zio for $149.99, a Huawei Ascend for $129.99, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 for $199.99, the Samsung Messager Touch for $79.99, and more. Cricket has also developed a "One Stop Gift Guide" where customers can have someone guide them through the gift selection process.

Kyocera yesterday released a new cell phone for Cricket Wireless. The Rio E1300 can't quite match Kyocera's recent Zio M6000, but it's no basic handset, either.

The candy bar device's 2.8-inch touch screen will be your primary interface point. Below are a few physical controls including dedicated music player buttons, but there's no physical keyboard for messaging. Features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, a music player, a microSD card slot, stereo Bluetooth, links to Cricket Navigator, a speakerphone, voice dialing, 1GB of internal memory, messaging and e-mail, a personal organizer, and support for Cricket'… Read more