Virgin Mobile Inner Circle is a bold new approach to selling cell phone services. For starters, the new Virgin Mobile USA will only allow iPhones on its network. It will also have no physical stores. Instead, those who want to sign up must go to an Apple Store. The company plans to offer unlimited talk, text, and data for $50 a month. However, there's a promotional sale going on that drops the cost to $1 for 12 months unlimited. That promotion is only available for less than a month, though.
In addition to offering a low-cost plan Virgin Mobile Inner Circle is also selling iPhones, both new and used, at a reduced rate. Virgin Mobile has been an afterthought when it comes to U.S. cell carriers for many years now. Virgin Mobile Inner Circle and its cheap rates plus iPhone-only focus could change that.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Low-cost Cell Phone Plans
- The promotional sale of $1 for 12 months unlimited talk, text, and data offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies to explore low-cost cell phone plans.
- Exclusive Phone Network
- Virgin Mobile Inner Circle's iPhone-only approach presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for other phone carriers to create exclusive phone networks targeting specific smartphone brands.
- Online-only Business Model
- Virgin Mobile Inner Circle's decision to have no physical stores creates a disruptive innovation opportunity for other cell phone carriers to adopt an online-only business model, reducing costs and increasing convenience.
Where This Applies
- Cell Phone Carriers
- The exclusive iPhone-only approach of Virgin Mobile Inner Circle opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for cell phone carriers to target niche markets with specialized phone networks.
- Mobile Phone Retail
- The reduced rate on new and used iPhones offered by Virgin Mobile Inner Circle creates a disruptive innovation opportunity for mobile phone retail to explore lower prices on smartphones and attract more customers.
- Online Retail
- Virgin Mobile Inner Circle's online-only business model provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for online retail companies to expand their offerings to include cell phone plans and devices.
