Skip to main content

Virgin Mobile offers prepaid data share plans at Walmart to stop family feuds

Virgin mobile boost
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sprint-owned prepaid carrier Virgin Mobile now offers data share plans for families at a relatively low cost. The new plans are available on the carrier’s phone selection at Walmart across America. The announcement comes just one day after T-Mobile showcased its new prepaid plans with data buckets.

Virgin Mobile’s new plans are aimed at those who are leery of a contract, want to pay less for cell service, but still need high speed data. The prepaid carriers’ Data Done Right Plans start at $30 per line, and go up from there, based on how much data you want. A family of two can pay $65 a month for unlimited talk and text, as well as 4GB of shared 3G/4G LTE data. A family of three pays $90 a month for the same unlimited talk and text, and 8GB of shared 3G/4G LTE data. And finally, a family of four will pay just $115 for unlimited talk and text, in addition to 12GB of shared 3G/4G LTE data.

Of course, once you run out of your chunk of  3G/4G data, Internet speeds drop to slower speeds for the rest of the month. The press release says 2GB speeds, but we’re pretty sure they mean 2G. You can purchase more high-speed data, but your bill will increase substantially, as Virgin charges $10 for 1GB of extra 3G/4G LTE data a month. However, if all you do is check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pandora you can pay $5 a month to get unlimited data for those apps that doesn’t count toward your data allotment. Again, this service just adds more money to your bill, so be weary of these little add-ons — they can mount up fast.

Virgin Mobile also has new single line plans for individuals who shop at Walmart. You can choose between two: One for $35 a month and another for $45 a month. The $35 plan offers 300 minutes of talk, unlimited texts and data, as well as 2.5GB of high-speed data. The $45 plan gives you the same things, but adds unlimited talk. A $20 starter kit activates the service, but you get two months of unlimited music streaming thrown in as a perk. The biggest downside is that you’re on Sprint’s network, which is notoriously spotty and your data speeds may not always be up to 4G LTE standards.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more