Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile is making a strong push into the smartphone space and targeting the budget-conscious youth market with a new device at an aggressive price point — billing its latest smartphone release as the first 5-inch model under AU$100.
Targeting younger consumers, the View 5.0 (manufactured by Alcatel OneTouch) is geared towards heavy social media use according to Boost, and comes out of the box with a number of social apps pre-loaded. It is also getting its own Snapchat-driven marketing campaign featuring short videos of Boost’s youth-friendly ambassadors, including UFC fighter Richie Vas and Iron Woman Jordan Mercer.
For the AU$99 price tag, users will get a a 5-inch display (480×854), a 1.3GHz Quad Core Processor running Android Jelly Bean, a 5MP rear camera and 4GB internal memory (expandable to 32GB with a Micro SD card). They also get a fairly solid build which Boost’s Chief Marketing Officer Ian Blackhall said boasts its fair share of “tabletop credibility”.
The release of the View 5.0 follows a number of launches for Boost Mobile, including the recent release of the Huawei Ascend G630 at AU$179, as well as a busy period for the telco as a whole.
After parting ways with network partner Optus 18 months ago, Boost has now moved onto a new retail partnership with Telstra, offering its customers coverage exclusively on Telstra’s 3G network. The move has been a successful one according to Blackhall, with the telco netting more customers in just over 12 months with Telstra than it had collected in more than 12 years with Optus.
The Boost brand also gives Telstra a stronger presence in the entry-level market, with Blackhall saying Boost is aiming to bring “some level of advantage and distinction to the $0-to-$200 price point”.
Boost is clearly hitching its wagon to a younger generation of smartphone shoppers, with hipster-emblazoned packaging, its UFC and Iron Woman ambassadors and competitively-priced pre-paid plans. And for those that still aren’t convinced, the telco will be showing off its latest $99 smartphone at Schoolies on the Gold Coast this year, hoping to net a few more young fans.