Best Buy is offering the Samsung Intercept for $219.99, with a $40 gift card this week.
Best Buy Credit Card holders can get an additional 10% off by using this coupon (PDF) in-store. Best Buy Reward Zone Premier Silver members can also get 12% off using a coupon emailed to them this week. Either coupon will bring the price to around $158 after discount and gift card.
The Samsung Intercept is the first 3G prepaid Android phone in America, and is offered on Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk plans, which offer unlimited data and messaging starting at $25/month.
PhoneNews.com has led the mobile media in covering the Intercept, from the first unboxings to groundbreaking VoIP utilization.
Support PhoneNews.com… order online from the link below and use free in-store pickup…
Samsung Intercept for Virgin Mobile – BestBuy.com
Update: Virgin Mobile has noted that on Black Friday they will offer the Samsung Intercept for $174.99 on their web site. That is five dollars cheaper than Best Buy when factoring in the gift card.
Update 2: We apologize for the confusion, and have to issue a correction. The Black Friday sale today is for the LG Rumor Touch. However, the Samsung Intercept deal will go live on Cyber Monday. And, of course, we’ll follow up with a new article when the discount does go live on Monday.
what is your source for the black friday deal on VM’s website? I can’t find anything.
A senior Sprint official.
Thank you for this link! I was looking for this exact phone but didn’t even see the $40 Best Buy gift card at the site when I went there despite adding the phone to my cart. I hope you get a commission from my purchase.
what time will virgin mobile’s site have the sale?
what time is the vm sale its 12 right now and still nothing
still 250$ thanks for the wrong info
Yeah thanks for getting me excited for no reason…
Where did we report that the Virgin Mobile Black Friday sale would begin at midnight? I’ll donate $500 to charity for the first person that can quote this article where we said that.
We’ll run on PhoneNews.com if/when the sale actually begins, we were told this information on-the-record.
If the sale doesn’t materialize (and we certainly expect it will later today), don’t blame us if it doesn’t happen. If the sale doesn’t run, we’ll certainly contact Sprint and ask what went wrong.
Still, folks, chill. It’s not even midnight on the west coast.
I do not expect this sale to kick in later. Virgin has, in fact, put up info on sales on other phones (Rumor Touch) but nothing has changed in relation to the Intercept. Also, I searched the internet fairly thoroughly and found nothing else regarding these sales.
Last, at the end of the post you just ran you said “we’ll certainly contact Sprint and ask what went wrong.” This is in regards to a VIRGIN MOBILE sale, not Sprint.
I’m thinking this was false information.
Sprint owns Virgin Mobile. It is part of the Sprint Prepaid Group.
In either event, it’s 11:36 PM on the west coast. There really isn’t anyone at Sprint or Virgin Mobile to ask at the moment, or we’d be making calls. And, it’s not clear the sale has started yet. The Rumor Touch is $99.99 as of last check, and Best Buy is already selling the phone for $30 less than that. Target is selling it for $89.99.
It doesn’t appear that any sale (at least, on the server we’re hitting) is being reflected, except for the pre-existing BlackBerry sale.
Virgin has already switched over their domain to reflect the Thanksgiving 3-day sale (new background and prices on the blackberry and rumor touch)…. if they were going to change the price on the intercept, wouldn’t they have done that at the same time (while the site was in maintenance anyways). Look, I hope you’re right and the price does change… but I’m becoming more and more skeptical…
ugh, i feel the exact same way.
Thanks for the research on “Best Buy” Christopher. I’ve been looking to buy a smartphone for quite awhile curious for the best deal. I think today will be the day (west coast time). I think the Samsung Intercept will fit my needs. If Virgin Mobile w site doesn’t go through Best buy will be it. Happy Thanksgiving 11:59pm.
Tim
I really hope this is going to go on sale sometime today..
Good news folks! Got an answer, woke up a few people on the team…
… it looks like when we got relayed the note about it being on “Black Friday”, we actually meant “Cyber Monday”. We have enough confirmation that we’re going to update the article. Apologizes for the translation mixup, it largely occured because Virgin Mobile is running separate sales on BF and CM.
And, when the deal goes live on Cyber Monday, we’ll make sure it’s a headline on the front page of PhoneNews.com. Partially, because one or two people on the team will be ordering it as soon as the deal is available.
P.S. The Best Buy deal ended today.
Thanks for the update, this is great news! This new price point will make the phone an even sweeter deal. Thanks for the extra work your team put in 🙂
Thanks for the info! I was just about to buy an iPod touch to carry along with my iPod Classic for music and my LG Rumor Touch, because I can’t stand the Touch for anything but texting. Now, it looks like I can have a TRUE replacement for my iPhone 3G. For $25 a month. So – still only carrying 2 devices (for someone who listens to music, news, and audiobooks at least 8 hours a day, there is no replacement for the iPod classic), but not stuck on a plan I can’t afford.
AND – with this deal, I think I’ll buy a $50 top-up card and give my Rumor Touch and 2 months service to a friend who needs a phone.
Where did you get the Best Buy info on the $40 gift card? It’s not reflected anywhere on Best Buy’s website.
So are you saying that on monday (and only monday) this phone is gonna be cheaper?? please answer 🙂
According to the article:
Jacob-The best buy promotion ended today (therefore you can no longer get that deal). You can, however, get the phone for a steal ($175) Monday on the virgin mobile website.
Jennifer-YES, according to the article the phone will be $175, down from the normal $250 price. If this turns out to be true, I will most definitely be picking one up Monday!
OMG!! $175! its a great deal! ill order it online if that happens… or do you think the offer will remain forever? because it sounds more like this monday offer only..
Oh and By the Way… can this phone be used as a router to my computer?
Jennifer- The $175 will most likely be a one-time cyber Monday deal because I think Virgin is losing money in the short-term selling a no-contract smartphone for less than $200… I’d take advantage of it while you can (I know I will). As far as using the phone for your home internet: tethering is a violation of the user terms and if caught, your service will be terminated. It would work with the right app, but technically it is in violation of your agreement with Virgin Mobile.
Okay, then this monday im gonna buy the phone, period. About the tethering, thats too bad, i mean im not saying i want to use my phone as a router every day, but sometimes im out of Internet at home and it could help me for emergencies, only for that… If theres some apps that do that, ill take the risk for emergencies, im a blogger for a spanish company and my job is on the Internet… Thank you ugh for your answers! Hope the monday deal becomes a reality 🙂
awesome! thanks for the updates. Will wait out ’till Monday morning.
I’m not tech savvy so excuse me for asking, but will this phone be able to do GPS/driving directions on the virgin mobile unlimited data plan with no extra costs?
thanks,
Tim
Tim, if im not wrong this thing has Google Maps, and that app does that. So, yes. But im not really an androud user, im more an iOS user.
So , if Virgin Mobile drops down the price to $175, do you think any other store will match the price? Or maybe even offer it for less?
After reading this thread for the first time I’m stunned that so many people whine so much about the service this site is providing. I think they’re doing amazing job tracking this deal and delivering value that seems to be unappreciated! Good Lord, this is a FREE service – I for one appreciate it! Thanks for saving me money!
You guys i have been looking for hot deals like this for the past week but yet i have found none. Is this sale going to be all Monday long, or is it for the first few customers.?
Best Buy is running their Cyber Monday sale for two days, starting one day early. The sale price is $189.99. There is no mention of a $40 gift card.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Virgin+Mobile+-+Samsung+Intercept+No-Contract+Mobile+Phone+-+Dark+Gray/1409226.p?PID=2418413&id=1218255995990&ci_sku=1409226&ref=39&ci_src=11138&loc=01&URL=http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=1409226&type=product&id=1218255995990&ci_src=11138&ci_sku=1409226&AID=10474050&skuId=1409226&CJPID=2418413
@Bob: Read Christopher last post.
BOB- you do realize that best buy is offering it for $30 cheaper than their original price right? When the $40 gift card deal was out, they sold the phone for 219.99 and chances are they wouldn’t let you use your gift card towards your same day purchase. So its pretty much the same deal. but instead of $40 you get $30 off.
This phone is 189 right now at Best Buy! Im getting it now!! http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Virgin+Mobile+-+Samsung+Intercept+No-Contract+Mobile+Phone+-+Dark+Gray/1409226.p?id=1218255995990&skuId=1409226
If you wait til’ tomorrow, you can get it for $175 through virgin.
Virgin now shows sale banner and marked out $249.99 price with sale $249.99 price next to it. :/ waiting………….
it shows $174.99 on their deals page but 249.99 when add’d to cart >:| FFFUUUUU!!!!!!
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/deals.html
Still waiting…….
Success!
just ordered mine for $183.74 with tax and free 3-5 day shipping.
From who robc2064? best buy or virgin?
$190.74 with tax….. off virgin’s site….. wait’d for nothing. $15 tax!!!!??? (face palm)
Oohhh maaan! I just bought mine at best buy for 200 tax and shipping ncluded 🙁 meh, anyways it was a nice discount.
Oh Man, i could cancel my best buy order!!! but i think the tax would kill me, i live en northern california
@Jen- it would probably come out the same as mines(190.74) I live in SoCal.
i take back what i said earlier about waiting for nothing. best buy would have also charged tax and it would’ve came out more.
U know what? im gonna cancel my best buy order, i can do that!!! and im gonna buy it thru the virgin mobile site, cause its way bigger the discount at the VM site… 174 vs 189 puls taxes
@blah but i could save $15 bucks! at best buy i bought it for 205!
Nah forget it, i cant cancel anymore 🙁 it says in process already and best buy says “Items cannot be canceled online if they have already been processed for shipping, home delivery or store pickup/ship to store.”
Meh… anyways it ways a nice discount! $15 its not that much…
One question people, if i receive tomorrow my intercept, could i activate it till december 8?
OK ok ok, i been wanting this phone for sum time, and i got it for 187.24 a VM, thats the full payment taxs and all, over what would have been 203.39 and best buy. the gift card thing is only for card holders the taxs at best was 13.30 and taxs at VM was 12.25. i’m in maimi, and thats the taxs for FL, so Virgin mobile was the best deal, oh god i been at this all day no wonder i’m a gay guy at the age of 26 with no boyfriend, lol
well aleast if u buy it from bestbuy u have 90 days to return it to the store with virgins only 30 days so 15 dollar not so bad being that if u see it cheaper for the next 3 months u can return it and get a new one for lower price!!!!
@jack So True!!! I’m still waiting for my intercept, it should arrive between december 4 and december 10 🙂