iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C bound into Boost Mobile next week

Boost Mobile iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C
Contract free could boost iPhone 5C sales, but the upfront cost is still high

Apple's latest iPhone models are coming to pre-aid wireless carrier Boost Mobile next week for an attractive unsubsidized price.

The no-contract iPhone 5S is due to arrive on November 8 starting at $550 for the entry-level 16GB version.

The 32GB iPhone 5S is $650, which happens to be the unsubsidized price of the 16GB phone on T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

Next week's Boost Mobile iPhone 5S tops out at $750 for the robust 64GB variant.

iPhone 5C for Boost

Also scheduled to go on sale November 8 at Boost is the iPhone 5C - which is $100 cheaper than everywhere else.

The off-contract budget model of Apple's hardware starts at $450 for 16GB. To bag a 32GB at Boost, you'll need $550 and $650 for a 64GB.

These prices match the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C rates that prepaid alternative carrier Virgin Mobile announced at the top of October.

Boost Mobile iPhone plans

Boost Mobile's monthly plans are rather cheap, too. It offers a no-contract $55 monthly unlimited plan that includes nationwide talk, text and data that's throttled after 2.5GB a month.

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C also count towards its "Shrinking Payments" policy that reduces monthly bills by $5 every six months until it reaches $40 per month.

Of course, the upfront cost with Boost is significantly higher than subsidized carriers like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. An iPhone 5C on one of the big guys costs a cool $100 upfront.

Boost's price may not be enough to turn those somewhat rotten iPhone 5C sales around.

Also, don't go thinking you can simply pop out a SIM card and replace it with an AT&T or T-Mobile nano-SIM to save $100 off of the subsidized price.

Boost piggybacks off Sprint's network, so it's locked down with CDMA technology.

  • Read our hands on Nexus 5 review to learn all about a truly unlocked phone.
Matt Swider