[quote name='Clak']I wish virgin mobile had a bit better phones, I would definitely go for their cheapest plan. It's just their best Android phone (Samsung Intercept) is still fairly low end.
edit-Actually now I see why it's so cheap, they have really poor coverage.[/QUOTE]
VM just got the Optimus. It's $150, no contract, and $25 a month with unlimited data/text and 300 voice minutes. I'm a stickler for a keyboard and I think I'm going to get the Optimus.
The Intercept has been dubbed the unwanted stepchild of Samsung's phones, since it never was meant to exist. It was a quick fix to one of their other phones sucking ass (I forget which one).
As for their coverage, you really can't believe their maps. I'm apparently not in their coverage area at home, but I still get 3-4 bars all the time. They use the Sprint network (without the roaming onto Verizon), so if Sprint is good for you, VM should be good.
I'm debating between the Intercept and the Optimus. I want a keyboard, I really do. But I can't justify the extra cash for a phone that overall is crappier (Intercept), when I can get a fully capable phone for cheaper.
[quote name='Clak']Eh, depends on what you mean by better. The Optimus V has froyo, but the Intercept seems to have better specs and it's supposed to get froyo soon from what I understand. But yeah, the price is great, but their coverage map looks pretty spotty. Seems like it would be perfect for around town and stuff, but there are plenty of areas they claim have no coverage at all.[/QUOTE]
The Froyo update for the Intercept is coming "Spring 2011" so that means anywhere from now till June. Yeah...
Aside from the faster processor and the keyboard, the Optimus pretty much cleans the Intercept out in performance, due to the graphics unit on the Optimus being able to help keep from overloading the CPU.