What’s better than an iPhone running on one of the big three carriers? Well of course, it’s an iPhone running on one of the largest pre-paid only carriers in the US! Cricket Wireless began selling the iPhone today, however that premium pay-as-you-go phone will cost a lot more than the standard Cricket dumb-phone. While some of Cricket’s cheapest handsets cost around $30, Cricket’s iPhone 4 will start at over 10x that price at a whopping $400. The price goes up to $500 if you want the iPhone 4S. Of course, the device is off-contract and comes with a cheap plan ($55 for unlimited everything!), which makes up for the steep initial price tag.

Cricket is an odd carrier partner for Apple. Cricket is usually seen as a lackluster, barebones carrier, and usually not associated with well-known smartphones. Apple is known to partner only with strategic carriers that offer great technology and an awesome user base. Sadly, with pay-as-you-go plans, most people aren’t looking to buy a $500 smartphone. For many, Cricket is used as an introduction carrier for tweens, whose parents do not want to add them to their cell plan from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. Apple has realized in the past that it does have to sell to the prepaid market, mainly because it is one of the fastest growing segments in the mobile industry.

Cricket is launching the iPhone in a few select markets, so if you’re city is on the list below and you’re looking for an iPhone with no commitment and you’ve got some cash to burn, you’re in luck!

Cricket will launch iPhone in 59 cities (listed below). Cricket will be working to offer our customers iPhone in additional cities on an ongoing basis. If your city is not listed please check back soon or click here to view devices and services we currently offer in your area.

• Albuquerque, NM
• Austin, TX
• Boise, ID
• Brownsville, TX
• Bryan/College Station, TX
• Buffalo, NY
• Burlington, NC
• Charleston, SC
• Charlotte, NC
• Chattanooga, TN
• Cincinnati, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbus, GA
• Corpus Christi, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Del Rio/Eagle Pass, TX
• Denver, CO
• El Paso, TX
• Eugene, OR
• Fayetteville, AR
• Fort Collins, CO
• Fort Smith, AR
• Fresno, CA
• Greensboro, NC
• Houston, TX
• Jonesboro, AR
• Kansas City, MO
• Knoxville, TN
• Laredo, TX
• Las Cruces, NM
• Lexington, KY
• Lincoln, NE
• Little Rock, AR
• Louisville, KY
• Macon, GA
• McAllen, TX
• Memphis, TN
• Modesto/Merced, CA
• Nashville, TN
• Omaha, NE
• Phoenix, AZ
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Portland, OR
• Pueblo, CO
• Raleigh, NC
• Reno, NV
• Rochester, NY
• Salem, OR
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Antonio, TX
• Santa Fe, NM
• Savannah, GA
• Spokane, WA
• Syracuse, NY
• Temple/Killeen, TX
• Tucson, AZ
• Tulsa, OK
• Visalia, CA
• Wichita, KS

 

Are you going to get the pre-paid iPhone? If you do, make sure to let us know how the speeds and customer service are in the comments or by tweet.

Via: Cricket