Top promo of AT&T Prepaid at Walmart for the summer is buy 3 months, get 3 months free. One trend for 2026 in prepaid is that carriers are making a major effort to pitch multi-month plans.
Nothing phones are now on the unlocked phone display at Best Buy, replacing OnePlus smartphones, which have been removed. Pic taken at Calif. Best Buy on 5/12, was in new Wave7 Research smartphone report. @NexusBen of 9to5Google has covered this. https://t.co/SdtqwlJYt2
The Galaxy A17 is the most-promoted phone for prepaid sales this spring. Prepaid reps say top sellers have been Galaxy A17 & A16, plus Moto G series. Here are recent pix in the windows of Boost, Cricket, & Metro stores in CA & KS, as seen in new Wave7 Research smartphone report.
May reset at Straight Talk, pic taken at California Walmart on 5/15, was in new Wave7 Research smartphone report. Now featured: free TCL 50 XL & free Galaxy A17, plus $99.88 Galaxy A26 and $199 iPhone 16e.
Early Galaxy S26 series sales are ahead of early Galaxy S25 series sales, said 41% of carrier reps, while 49% said sales are same, per new Wave7 Research smartphone report. 10% said sales are softer. Reps credited S26 Ultra as lifting series sales, much love to Privacy Display. Pic from Missouri AT&T store, 5/14.
The AT&T Trek has been launched at Walmart, $49 w/activation. It has a "rugged design," a "built-in laser rangefinder," & an "infrared night vision camera." Pic below taken at CA Walmart 5/22, was in new Wave7 Research smartphone report. I think you could win a war with the AT&T Trek.
Hytera billboards seen by Wave7 Research analyst in California on 5/13, as published in our new smartphone report. Hytera is pitching $12/mo pricing for "push-to-talk over cellular" and "new generation fleet radio."
Motorola has launched its new Razr devices. The new smartphones are being pitched by celebrity Paris Hilton, as detailed in new Wave7 Research smartphone report. This video debuted on 5/17 and there are no signs yet that it has aired as a TV ad.
https://t.co/RbNb9tFMKx
Apple since since 4/23 has had 2.5K airings of this “Health with iPhone + Apple Watch” TV ad, as detailed in new Wave7 Research smartphone report. The ad shows a woman at a coffee kiosk and it portrays the synergy between iPhones and Apple watches.
https://t.co/3KFsUpe9qj
Stetson, the next MVNO on the prowl will be Meow Mobile. Meow will swat @Mintmobile around like a ball of yarn. 24/7 vet care is the killer feature. :)
https://t.co/SiwEC9yq1Z
I think Build-A-Plan from AT&T will be a "back pocket" option for AT&T reps, not a giant push due to ARPU concerns. The flexibility is all about mobile data and hotspot data, not minutes/texts, which is a useful innovation.
https://t.co/E2ovDb5cNN
The cableco/telco broadband duopoly in the U.S. is over. Fixed wireless from T-Mobile, Verizon, & AT&T has 14% share & is growing rapidly. Internet from Metro & Total Wireless is sold at thousands of stores. There are Internet plans from Visible, Mint, Tracfone, & Straight Talk. Starlink is sold at national retailers like Best Buy. WISP performance is improving. Fiber overbuild is a factor. @WISPAnews@Crowsnestbb
https://t.co/VEHHv2zfay
Cricket store window signage as seen at a Kansas Cricket store on 4/29, was in new Wave7 Research prepaid report. Family lines at $25/mo each is a very old pitch, but the free Galaxy A17 pitch is new. Prepaid carriers broadly are leading with free Galaxy A17 offers.
Congratulations to @mobileXus on its rapid rise in the Wave7 Prepaid Dealer Survey, going from mentions of activations by 0 of 30 multi-carrier dealers in 1Q25 to 9 of 30 in the 1Q26 dealer survey.
We started at the bottom, and now we’re moving up the charts. Most of these brands, as I said, have been around for years. In this survey, we’re ahead of Boost and Cricket, and we won’t stop until we’re at the top.
Ultra Mobile narrowly edged out Simple Mobile to win the 1Q26 Wave7 Prepaid Dealer Survey. Congrats to Ultra Mobile and Simple Mobile. 22 of 30 independent dealers surveyed said they're activating Ultra, 21 of 30 for Simple. MobileX did well. LinkUp Mobile was mentioned twice.
Ultra Mobile Wins Wave7 Research’s 1Q26 Prepaid Dealer Survey, Simple Mobile Close Behind
For the first time ever, Simple Mobile has lost the survey two times in a row.
https://t.co/DwfarBwMRL
Yes, the road around Aspiria -- formerly the Sprint Campus -- is still Sprint Parkway. T-Mobile occupies some buildings on the south side of Aspiria, with other companies occupying the rest. I was in KC for a telecom event on Thursday, hit some carrier stores also.
Prepaid carriers are leaning into financing options so customers can afford more high-end smartphones, as noted in new Wave7 Research prepaid report. For example, this Cricket ad pitches the Galaxy S26 Ultra at $0 down w/Bread Pay, 1K+ airings.
https://t.co/3Qq5Sv3yvU
Window signage at a Kansas Metro store visited on 4/30, was in new Wave7 Research prepaid report. Pitches for free phones and "iPhone 16e on us," plus unlimited at $20/month, assuming advance payment of $120 for 6 months of service -- which has been a big initiative for Metro.
There are scores of RadioShack stores and most of them sell prepaid brands like Boost & Verizon Prepaid, as seen in this pic from April. RadioShack corporation is out of business, but many rural electronics dealers operate under the RadioShack brand.