Top-of-the-line phone added to pay-as-you-go service

Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile brand this morning added the MOTOKRZR handset and two other phone models available to its Unlimited by Boost customers.

The Motorola MOTOKRZR was originally released in the middle of 2006, but is just now making the move to Boost Mobile, almost two years late. Specifically, the phone is available to Unlimited By Boost customers, who receive unlimited local and nationwide voice calling, plus talk, text, and Web for a fixed rate of $55 per month.

The MOTOKRZR phone for Boost Mobile offers an MP3 player, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, GPS, text messaging, wireless Internet, instant messaging through several services, Java games and an internal MicroSD card slot. Boost Mobile also will include "The Latest" into the phone, which allows users to receive local information like weather and movie times.

MOTOKRZR will cost $249.99 retail, but Boost Mobile users do not have to agree to a contract or pay activation fees, since the service is pay-as-you-go.

Sprint created Boost Mobile as a viable pre-paid mobile phone service offering voice, text and data plans marketed directly to the younger demographic.

Boost Mobile originally launched in Australia and New Zealand in 2000 and 2001, but later found its way to the United States in late 2001 with a partnership with Nextel. Nextel then purchased 100% of the company's American division, though keeping the Nextel and Boost Mobile brands distinct. Boost Mobile has more than four million users spread across 13 states.

The MOTORAZR and MOTOKRZR phone lines from Motorola have been extremely popular, with lines available to the nation's top five mobile phone carriers.