Fyi, this phone will not be updated to jelly bean. So if that is important and you don't feel like rooting, this is not the phone for you.

Having said that, this is basically the same phone I have (just a different carrier) and it is a pretty nice phone. The only complaint I have with the one Xl is the storage capacity. If you want a phone that has a lot of room for music, you probably should get a different phone.

Does this work for tmobile?

No, Virgin Mobile is an MVNO (reseller) using Verizon's network, which is protocol and frequency incompatible with T-Mobile. Plus, it'll be carrier locked.

Actually, Virgin Mobile USA is owned by Sprint and works off Sprint's CDMA network.

That being said, I bought this phone on Black Friday from Virgin on their website for $49.99 (usual price ~$150). So far, I like it a lot. I'm not a heavy phone user - email, cal, to-dos, shopping, etc. - and it's handled all my (limited) needs admirably. Battery life is very good.

Note that while Virgin has 4G, this phone is a 3G phone, and cannot take advantage of the 4G network. Not a big deal for me, but might be for a power user.

These reviews were useful when I was making my decision to purchase:
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-one-v-virgin/4505-6452_7-35405851.html
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408464,00.asp
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/htc-one-v-review/

The biggest seller for me was the plan pricing. You really can't go wrong with what Virgin charges, if you want no-contract.

Also, if you do buy it, definitely get the Otterbox case OtterBox 77-20718 Commuter Series Hybrid Case for HTC One V - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Black - it's great. Phone is completely secure, and I still have access to the notification light, jacks, etc.

Could you use one of these phones as an tiny Android tablet without activating it with Virgin Mobile?

[Deleted by Amazon on Dec 27, 2012 8:51:16 AM PST]

[Deleted by the author on Dec 23, 2012 7:31:51 AM PST]

Most definitely! It'd be fantastic for a little elf......errrrr, a little one. If you buy Groove IP and set up a google voice phone number it'll also make a fantastic VOIP phone as well! Absolutely cannot go wrong here.

I was really excited about having my first smartphone, but after a little reading, I think I'll un-buy [cancel my order] because Virgin's no-SIM phones and CDMA wouldn't allow me to use this while traveling internationally.

Thanks for the helpful Discussion [esp Elizabeth].

How about a price match to Radio Shack Amazon? 49.99

Can you roll over the minutes or do they expire at the end of the month ?

What does it mean when it says it's prepaid? Prepaid for what???

It means prepaid for cell phone use. It means that you prepay. Pay in advance. Go to Virgin Mobile and read about it.

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Yes. You just need to be connected to wifi. You can use it as a phone also if you download the right apps.

Thanks for pointing out its 20 bucks cheaper at Radio Shack. I cancelled my order, and will pick it up at the Shack.

We got sick of T-Mobile's arrogant attitude in regard to their so-called customer service, so we broke our contract (paid $260 to do so) and went with a Virgin no-contract plan. We save about $30 per month, but the connection is atrocious. We have constant dropped calls and when we do have connection, it's usually choppy. If you try to call their customer service, you'll be on hold for at least an hour and then may only hear a dial tone and have to call back in again. Very frustrating.

We'll make do with them for about a year to get the contract exit penalty payment back we had to pay to T-Horrible, but then we'll try something else.

Maybe one day there will be a cell phone company out there that gets it....good customer service, a reliable connection, and a reasonable price without having to sign your life away.

I'll keep dreaming.

I asked Amazon to match Radio shack

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13221631

I've done that before with a Virgin Mobile phone - essentially using it as the equivalent of an Apple Touch. You just have to ignore the screen that asks you to set it up with Virgin.

If you want a cell phone company "that gets it", try Consumer Cellular. Inexpensive plans, outstanding service areas and most importantly, no contracts. You can either get a phone through them or use the one you already have, if it uses a GSM SIM card. I know I sound like a salesman for them but I'm not, I've just been very satisfied with their service.

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I bought this phone on Cyber Monday for $49.99 and went with VM's lowest plan, which is 300 minutes of talk (more than enough for me) and unlimited data/messaging. That plan is $35 a month and I added the $5 a month insurance so my monthly charge is $40. This is my first smartphone, so I'm not the one to tell you how it stacks up against other phones. I CAN tell you that it requires a mini USB card in order to store voice recordings (reminders), all music and some pictures. I did not realize this when I bought it...so of course that was another expense. I got the Otterbox Commuter case that another commenter mentioned above, but I got it in Hot Pink and Black and am very happy with it.

Considering I have never owned a smartphone before, I found it quite intuitive to learn. I was able to make a call, text, take a picture and post to Facebook without even referring to the manual (which is online, by the way, as most are these days).

One thing I really liked is that you can go onto VM.com at any time either from the phone or PC and see how many minutes you've used, so that you can stay aware of whether you may be nearing the limit.

I'm used to the app store being Amazon, from using my Kindle Fire. But the app store for this phone is Google Play, which I was completely unfamiliar with. I haven't bought many apps but one thing that bummed me out is how many times I have tried to do something and run into the phone wanting me to be a member of Google+, which I didn't want to do. It's not keeping me from doing what I want to do, but it is a bit annoying.

Hope this helps anyone trying to make a decision on this phone.

You can get the Amazon appstore, you just have to go to Amazon's site and dowload it. You may have to first set it to accept third party apps though.

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