$1 iPhone Carrier? Apple And Virgin Mobile USA Partnership Axes Android Smartphones

Virgin Mobile USA has announced that it will now sell only iPhones on its network, getting rid of its entire Android device lineup. The Sprint-powered pre-paid network has struck a deal with Apple to exclusively sell the iPhone and offer a one-year special rate for service. The Inner Circle program offers (nearly) unlimited talk, text, and data service for 12 months. After 12 months, customers will be charged Virgin Mobile's typical $50 per month service rate.

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Prospective customers can currently pre-order the deal with their respective iPhone and the device will ship starting June 27. Available devices include the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which must be purchased at full price. The devices are available in all of the staple iPhone colors for each generation.

Android users on the carrier may be forced to switch networks, according to Android Police. There is no word on whether the Virgin and Apple partnership is a permanent move.

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There is also no word on whether the carrier will offer the iPhone 7s or iPhone 8. Often, prepaid carriers don’t get availability of new iPhones for several weeks or months after the device’s initial launch.

Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone models in September. Rumors suggest the tech giant may announce iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models as well as a special 10th Anniversary iPhone 8 model.

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