More on The Switch_Back Phone by Virgin Mobile

by Heather McLaughlin

When I first saw the Switch_Back Phone by Virgin Mobile I knew I had to learn more about it, and I thought I’d share my findings with our readers here.

The following 6 Question Interview was answered by a Virgin Mobile USA Spokesperson.

1. What market is the Switch_Back Phone designed to appeal to?

A. Like many Virgin Mobile handsets, Switch_Back appeals particularly to the teen market – though people across the youth market and beyond will enjoy its design and cool features.

2. How is the Switch_Back phone different from other phones available through Virgin Mobile?

A. Switch_Back is currently the only phone with a full QWERTY keyboard priced at less than $150 – an affordable price tag for the full slate of features that users receive. It’s also the first wireless handset to include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) already loaded and ready to run, giving the young person on the go another way to stay in touch.

The Switch_Back also provides access to Virgin Mobile’s new penny texting offers such as 1000 text messages for $9.99.
Power to the penny!

3. Please describe the efforts that went into designing and manufacturing this phone?

A. Virgin Mobile’s portfolio of phones offers something for everyone. Every time we develop a new phone, we take both functionality and form into account. We want our customers to not only be able to use the phone easily but also for them to like using it. For the Switch_Back in particular, we wanted to offer a product designed to make emailing, texting, IMing, gaming or browsing straightforward and enjoyable. A key part of the development of any handset is speaking with our users. We have a large group of customers we work with in brining a handset like Switch_Back to life. It’s our way of making sure our users’ fingerprints are all over our brand.

4. What is your favorite “thing” on this phone?

A. The QWERTY keyboard – which makes texting, IMing or emailing a breeze – is the obvious choice. The fact that the phone can be used in two ways (closed for voice calls or open for texting) is a fantastic feature. But one of the great things about Switch_Back is that it has something for everyone – preloaded demo games like Tetris and Lemonade Tycoon; downloadable full-color games, wallpapers and screensavers; access to exclusive *MTV content; a Joke of the Day or a South Park Brain Probe quiz from Comedy Central; Rescue Rings for users to save themselves from sticky situations and even a way to identify a song heard on the radio or in a club with the Song ID feature.

5. Do you currently offer any other phones with a full QWERTY keyboard?

A. Switch_Back is our first phone with a full QWERTY keyboard, but because we’ve seen that texting has really become “the new talk,” we’ll definitely continue to take the popularity and growth of text messaging into account as we develop new handsets.

6. Why would you recommend this phone to others?

The Switch_Back is an ideal phone for anyone who wants to take staying connected to another level – whether through texting, instant messaging, web browsing or more – but also wants access to a great phone.