July 2 - 4:45pm EDT   Virgin Mobile today quietly posted its first phone since its buyout of Helio. The UTStarcom Arc sits slightly above the baseline for most of Virgin's budget lineup and focuses primarily on its inclusion of a VGA camera, Bluetooth, and its two-tone, rounded flip design to stand out from other offerings on the pay-as-you-go carrier. [full story]

June 27 - 11:10am EDT   Virgin Mobile today shook up the American wireless business with news that it would acquire Helio for $39 million in share equity, merging the latter into Virgin's mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business. The deal also has Virgin absorbing some of Helio's debt and also gives the carrier Helio's 170,000 customers in the US, with the latter ending its brand in the US. The deal should be completed during the summer pending US government approval, according to the two companies. [full story]

June 25 - 1:20am EDT   Last reported in May, Virgin Mobile USA is set to absorb SK Telecom-owned Helio in a deal said to approach the former paying the Korean telecommunications firm almost $50 million, leaving SK holding 20-percent of company holdings. The Financial Times writes that the MVNO will dissolve its identity in favor of the more recognizable Virgin Mobile brand, and integrate its 200,000 users into Virgin's customer base of 5.1 million mobile users. [full story]

June 24 - 10:00am EDT   Virgin Mobile today is next up in the US to offer an unlimited calling plan that it promises should beat other, larger carriers. The Totally Unlimited service removes the caps on the number of minutes but also eliminates some of the restrictions that affect rival plans. Subscribers don't need to sign a contract locking them into service or to pay roaming fees when they venture outside of Virgin's official coverage area. Virgin users also don't require a credit or debit card and can pay the bill using the carrier's own Top-Up cards. [full story]

June 20 - 1:45pm EDT   The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market in the US may be on the verge of collapse with Helio about to scale back or shut down entirely, according to a rumor circulated by Engadget. The provider is allegedly telling store managers that it will shut down at least some of its retail shops in possible preparation for a takeover by Virgin Mobile. No information has yet appeared to suggest that Helio is withdrawing support for the service itself. [full story]

June 12 - 10:25am EDT   Nokia today quietly unveiled the 1580, a starter candybar phone for CDMA carriers, most of which operate in the US. The phone sits just above Nokia's most basic phones with an FM radio as its most advanced feature; the phone also supports using its micro USB connection both to charge and to supply legacy 1xRTT data access to a computer through tethering. A color display, a 2.5mm headset jack, and basic voice memo recording are its other standout features. [full story]

May 19 - 9:55am EDT   Virgin Mobile today made good on a recent teaser with an official release of the Samsung Slash. The slider is now known to sit slightly above most of Virgin's offerings with a VGA camera and Bluetooth; it also provides MP3 ringtone support as well as preloaded games and an extra-large 499-entry phonebook. Talk time, however, is short at a rated 3.5 hours. [full story]

May 14 - 12:00pm EDT   Virgin Mobile USA today confirmed that it was in the early stages of talks with SK Telecom to investigate "strategic opportunities" between the two companies. The revelation partly rebuffs denials by SKT of involvement with Virgin but doesn't provide more details as to the nature of the talks beyond the statement. There are no guarantees that anything will result from negotiations, Virgin claims. The company adds that it has no plans to add more detail unless any deal is struck. [full story]

May 12 - 4:35pm EDT   SK Telecom has no plans to merge Helio with Virgin Mobile to create a major new carrier, the Korean company says. SKT spokeswoman Mina Ryu rejects reports of discussions and claims there aren't "any sort of talks" to either merge its Helio brand with Virgin or else buy out Virgin directly. The rumors are "groundless," Ryu says. [full story]

May 8 - 3:30pm EDT   SK Telecom may create a new, large carrier in the US by folding Virgin Mobile and Helio together, according to an alleged source for mocoNews. Earthlink's withdrawal from Helio is said to have pushed Helio's Korean parent, SK Telecom, towards a buyout of Helio's larger competitor Virgin Mobile to ensure it has a larger presence in the US. Such a takeover would give SK Telecom enough clout to merge both Helio and Virgin together. [full story]

May 2 - 3:05pm EDT   Samsung's new Slash slider phone has shown up on Virgin Mobile's website on Friday with a few details on specs. The mid-level phone will feature a camera, Bluetooth wireless connectivity for headsets and other devices and an integrated web browser. The speakerphone function will also allow for voice dialing, while the full color screen of yet-unspecified resolution will display downloadable graphics and the available library of Virgin's mobile games. [full story]