Boost Mobile is steadily shoring up its Android smartphone lineup as it has added the LG Marquee to its lineup with the launch set for January 23rd via Boost Mobile’s online portal and retail stores with a wider launch in February. The Marquee is identical to the version released on Sprint with a 4 inch NOVA display, Android Gingerbread, front facing camera for video calling, Wi-Fi radio, Bluetooth and a 5.0 megapixel camera with 720p video capture. Pricing for the phone is set at $279.99 with either the monthly Android service plan or daily unlimited plans for activation.
As Boost Mobile transitions from the push to talk service that made it a pop culture icon, the move to smartphones does improve its prospects for longevity, but with Virgin Mobile following a near identical path with its own cheaper plans and smart phone selection, it will need to differentiate itself even further besides the Shrinkage program that rewards long-term customers for staying with the virtual operator and adding to Sprint’s overall subscriber numbers.
With the arrival of the Network Vision realignment and the focus moving quickly to LTE, it also remains to be seen how much attention will be paid to Boost Mobile and Virgin in terms of network access priority, as the popularity of the service has led to longstanding complaints of poor service for both services in terms of quality and data speeds. The next few months ahead of the expected launch of LTE on Sprint will prove crucial for both Boost and Virgin Mobile as they follow behind Sprint’s lead in terms of direction.
