Cricket announces ZTE Source coming Oct. 20 for $219

Basic features with an affordable price and great plan pricing

Another affordable off-contract phone is headed to Cricket, and this time its the ZTE Source at an MSRP of $219.99. At this price you can't expect too much, but the Source is offering a 4.5-inch 480 x 854 display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a 5MP camera that can handle 720p video recording.

On the software side we're looking at just Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but for what it's worth the experience seems to be generally Stock, as has been the case on many low-end ZTE devices.  As with other Cricket devices, the Source is eligible for the carrier's $45 unlimited plans with 2.5GB of full-speed data, as wellas access to the Muve Music service.

The Source goes on sale both in-store and online this Sunday — you can take a look at a couple more images of the device after the break.

Cricket Launches the 4G LTE ZTE Source

~ Starting at $45, monthly plans include 2.5GB full-speed data, and unlimited talk, text and music ~

SAN DIEGO — October 17, 2013 — Cricket Communications, Inc. today announced the launch of the ZTE Source, a multimedia powerhouse and the company’s latest 4G LTE smartphone. Featuring a 4.5-inch video graphic display and 5-megapixel (MP) camera, the ZTE Source is perfect for video, photography and music enthusiasts. The ZTE Source will be available at Cricket company-owned stores, dealers and at www.mycricket.com starting Sunday, October 20, 2013, for $219.99 (MSRP).

The Source’s 4.5-inch display offers a sharp 16:9 ratio and 218ppi picture that will satisfy customers’ needs for a comfortable, larger format second screen. To capture all the action this holiday season, the Source comes loaded with dual-facing cameras, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1MP front-facing camera for easy video-chatting. Both cameras are equipped with backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor technology that improves low light performance. Powering photo and video sharing among family and friends across the nation, the ZTE Source sports the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon™ processor and 4GB of ROM memory with room for a 32GB miscroSD card. Customers will appreciate its 720p HD video, 1-4X zoom and face detection in addition to the out-of-the-box photo and video editing features that come with Android’s Jelly Bean operating system.

“Ideal for the upcoming holiday season, the ZTE Source is one of the most exciting and powerful smartphones on the market with a huge display and advanced camera technology,” said Matt Stoiber, senior vice president of devices at Cricket. “Video, photo and music lovers will be thrilled with not only the features, but also the tremendous value and 4G LTE speed of the Source.”

The ZTE Source will also ship with Muve Music, Cricket’s exclusive music service that offers unlimited music at no additional charge with Cricket’s no-contract unlimited rate plans. With Muve Music, consumers can choose from more than 15 million tracks, enjoy songs instantly with progressive playback, and explore music favorites with enriched artist catalogue linking and side-bar dashboard views to streamline navigation. Cricket is the only carrier to include unlimited music in its rate plans, making the innovative Muve Music service available to even more customers at no additional cost. In addition, the ZTE Source’s SRS™ Enhanced Sound adds richer, deeper base, delivering the perfect companion to Muve Music.

The ZTE Source is available on Cricket’s 4G LTE and 3G all-inclusive smartphone rate plans with unlimited music, talk and text, plus up to 2.5GB of full speed data starting at $45 per month1; the $55 plan allows 5GB of full-speed data; and the $65 plan offers 10GB of full-speed data. With each $45, $55 or $65 smartphone plan, customers can use their device as a hot spot to power additional wireless devices, send/receive international text, picture, and video.

Cricket 4G LTE service is now available to millions of customers in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tucson, Wilmington, Del. and many areas in Texas, including Austin, Brownsville-McAllen-Harlingen, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Houston, Killeen,  Laredo, San Antonio and Temple.

How to Get Muve Music

Muve Music is available on all Android phones at Cricket company-owned stores, authorized Cricket dealers and www.mycricket.com, as well as through select national retailers. Muve Music plans, starting at $50 per month, include 3G or 4G LTE unlimited nationwide talk, text, and data. Subscribers never pay per song, getting unlimited full track downloads and ringtones as part of one low monthly rate plan. Muve Music customers have the added benefit of discovering new and exclusive music through its monthly artist programs that feature exclusive commentary, music and videos every month from emerging and top artists. For more information about Muve Music or Cricket's dynamic service and newest device lineup, and to check availability, visit www.mycricket.com or a Cricket store near you. Follow Cricket's latest news and updates online via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Cricket

Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts. Cricket offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital 4G LTE and 3G CDMA wireless networks. Cricket's innovative products and services, including the award-winning Muve Music® - the first music service designed for a wireless phone, are available nationwide at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at www.mycricket.com. For more information about Cricket, please visit www.mycricket.com.

VIA