Virgin Mobile has released its first water-resistant Android smartphone in the ZTE Reef for $149.99. The Reef features an IPX7 certification for water resistance which means it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in up to 3 feet of water before sustaining damage. The phone has a 4.0-inch touch display at 800×480 resolution, 1 GHz processor, 5.0 megapixel camera with 720p video capture, and a 1.0 megapixel front-facing camera. The device runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and includes Virgin Mobile’s ID application pack support. It runs on Virgin’s 3G EVDO network without LTE support and includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 as well as a microSD slot for additional memory.
In related news, Virgin Mobile is also offering an incentive for new customers to sign up with Virgin Mobile to take advantage of their inexpensive Beyond Talk plans by offering a $70 new account bonus when signing up online, effectively giving new customers two free months of service when signing up on the $35 plan. The promotion will last until September 9th and requires both the initial activation and Top-Up before the date to qualify for the bonus, which is applied 30 days afterwards to the account.
