After buying Boost Mobile as a part of the Sprint and T-Mobile merger in 2020 and snapping up Republic Wireless for its 5G community earlier this yr, Dish is lastly prepared to show Boost Mobile into the fourth wi-fi service that the FCC envisioned.

Its opening salvo? The satellite tv for pc tv supplier is introducing an unique finances 5G cellphone for Boost Mobile’s pay as you go prospects.

The Celero5G is a “custom-built phone” for Boost Mobile, in response to its spokesperson. Just like T-Mobile’s Revvl or AT&T’s Radiant, it has distinctive branding that you simply received’t discover wherever else. For a service that’s attempting to increase its consumer base, that is actually an uncommon method to get there. After all, most different carriers attempt to dangle the newest flagship telephones from Apple and Android to lure you to enroll in their costly post-paid service plans, just like the deluge of “free” iPhone 13 affords from the Big 3 carriers.

“With LG leaving the mobile device market and creating seismic shifts in the supplier landscape, we saw an opportunity,” stated a Boost Mobile spokesperson. “The departure of LG left a significant hole in the Boost lineup. Celero5G is the response to fill that hole.”

Not a lot is understood about this 5G cellphone in the intervening time moreover the very fact its title, Celero5G, is impressed by the “Latin word for speed.” According to the press launch, the cellphone has a 6.52-inch show, 4 cameras, 36 hours of battery life, 4GB RAM, a microSD card slot, and 64GB of inside storage — all respectable specs for a finances cellphone. Like the sub-$300 OnePlus Nord N10 5G, this cellphone might be powered by the identical Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G chip that makes 5G connectivity potential at this value level. It additionally has a 4,000 mAh battery and 15W quick charger so it’s best to be capable of recharge your cellphone rapidly whenever you run out of energy.

Judging by the press supplies that Boost Mobile supplied, it appears to be like just like the Celero5G has an iPhone-like metallic trim across the cellphone, and a glass again, that are quite upscale touches for a cellphone of this class.

The better part about this cellphone is the plan. If you pre-order the Celero5G by October 31, 2021, you’re going to get 12 months of free limitless speak, textual content, and information service from Boost Mobile. Of course, it’s not utterly limitless: you’ll be downgraded to 2G after burning by 35GB of knowledge, however it’s nonetheless a lot to make use of comfortably. Dish and Boost Mobile will even provide you with a free case to your $279 Celero5G 5G cellphone.

Signing up and retaining present Boost Mobile prospects with the Celero5G often is the best a part of realizing Dish’s 5G desires. Its greatest problem will likely be to construct out and supply nationwide protection to its 5G service — a undertaking that’s far more costly and difficult than releasing an unique 5G cellphone.

Correction, September thirtieth, 2021, 12:24PM ET: An earlier model of this text incorrectly stated the Celero5G cellphone prices $280 quite than $279, and included a quote that was not within the ultimate launch.

Update, September thirtieth, 2021, 12:24pm ET: Added in additional particulars just like the Celero5G’s battery dimension and charger.