Well today, a rumor has been swirling on YouTube that internal sources are stating that Amazon will sell Boost Infinite to Amazon Prime members, and they will get the second month free as an added bonus. This is supposed to start on July 25. I am skeptical because I could not find any secondary source to back it up. July 25 is not far off, so we shall see.
I saw this on Sneed Mobile Tech’s YouTube channel. Is it swirling elsewhere on YouTube? Sneed’s track record is very much hit or miss.
If true, I see nothing game changing in this version of Amazon riding in as DISH’s white knight. Amazon already sells SIMs (some with plans attached) from a variety of service providers (including Boost Mobile).
DISH could certainly use the additional distribution channel but this alone won’t rescue Boost Infinite (or DISH Wireless). This specific rumor isn’t about a “free” Amazon Prime branded service. In fact, since it’s not Prime branded service, I see no logic in limiting it to Prime members as per the rumor.
Mint is currently paying for premium product placement on Amazon, but I suppose it isn’t inconceivable that Boost could occupy that position at some time.
Amazon Prime already sells discounted mobile service from Cricket and a couple of Tracfone brands. These are Prime only offerings.
If true, I suspect the latest DISH/Amazon rumors would be about adding Boost Infinite to these already existing offerings.
I very much doubt the latest rumors are about Prime branded service powered by DISH for “free”.
Frankly, DISH just needs to compete on its own if it can. Waiting for Amazon or some other white knight to ride in to its rescue isn’t a viable business plan.
So, the Amazon Prime/Boost Infinite deal is live. I think I see two benefits:
An effective $5 off the first month of service (the SIM is $20 with a $25 bill credit for the first month’s service). Signing up directly at Boost Infinite is $25 for the first month but the SIM is free.
Avoiding the soft credit check. Apparently, DISH thinks Amazon Prime membership makes one credit qualified.
Anything else I’m missing? If not, this is hardly the game changing offer some would like to believe it is.
Are they making the deal purposefully hard to find? If I search Amazon for Boost (or Boost Infinite) I see listings and a banner for the adult nutrition drink. If I search for Boost Mobile I see a banner for Mint Mobile.
But wait…there’s more. You get a dedicated Boost Buddy:
We’re Here to Help
After purchasing your SIM Kit and signing up, we’ll pair you with a Boost Buddy — a real person dedicated to your account that can answer any question about setup and activation. It’s personalized tech support from the best in the biz. We’ll send you an email about how to connect with your Boost Buddy, so check your inbox.
It appears that Amazon isn’t involved in the monthly billing process for this Boost offering. On their prepaid Prime wireless offerings monthly billing appears to be handled through a “stored value card” with a 10% credit benefit (in the form of Amazon gift card balance). I suppose direct billing is to be expected on a postpaid product, but it doesn’t seem to indicate any real cooperation between Dish and Amazon. Dish just opened up a Boost Infinite storefront on Amazon. Same as any other seller might do.
Did anyone notice that the Boost Infinite sim card is now dark blue and has a small orange stripe? When I got my BI sim in December, it was Black and an AT&T sim. Later on, the BI T-Mobile sims, I believe, were orange. According to the rumor, the Prime sims are supposed to be T-Mobile only.
Yeah, I noticed the different branding on the SIMs. If you magnify the SIM, there are alternating Boost and Infinite logos in the blue.
Whether these new (Amazon exclusive? Boost Infinite) SIMs are DISH, AT&T or T-Mobile network is impossible to tell just looking at them. One would need to read the ICCID number on a SIM.
The logical approach for DISH would be to issue DISH network SIMs even if, for now, they roamed exclusively on AT&T or T-Mobile. Otherwise, whenever they’re ready to move folks to DISH’s network, they’ll need to send new SIMs.
But, pretty much nothing DISH does in retail wireless is logical. Given the hype surrounding the various Amazon as DISH’s white knight rumors, this latest development is remarkably underwhelming.
The search results on Amazon seem to be adjusted to actually show the Boost Infinite SIM cards when searching for “Boost Infinite.” I’m still seeing the nutritional supplement when searching for “Boost”, but there’s a Boost Infinite banner ad at the top of the page.
I think they’ll sell some SIM cards, initially. Whether or not sales are sustainable or not . I am looking forward to reading any reviews that pop up on Amazon. The “partnership” appears to be one of retailer/supplier. Just like all of their other retailer/supplier relationships.
I was curious about what the reviews would be like, too. Well, the reviews are in. So far, BI has 2.4 out of 5 stars. All the reviews are either a 1 or a 5.
You have to be a verified buyer to write a review, because Amazon claimed they noticed “some unusual activity.”
. I am looking forward to reading any reviews that pop up on Amazon. The “partnership” appears to be one of retailer/supplier. Just like all of their other retailer/supplier relationships.
