Virgin Mobile has released their latest Android smartphone, which coincidentally is also their first waterproof device. The handset is the Reef and it has arrived with a 4-inch display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and an IPX7 certification for protection against water. The Reef also has a relatively low contract-free price and is available for use with the Virgin Mobile plans beginning at $35 per month.
Touching back on the water resistance, the IPX7 rating means the Reef should be able to withstand up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. With that in mind, we probably wouldn’t suggest simply going swimming with this in your pocket, but on the flip side — it should be well protected should you accidentally get pushed in the pool. Not to mention for those times when you happen to get caught out in a heavy downpour.
Otherwise, the Virgin Mobile Reef is powered by a 1GHz processor and has 3G connectivity along with a microSD card slot, 1 megapixel front-facing camera, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, 1650 mAh battery, WiFi and Bluetooth. The handset measures in at 5.0 (H) x 2.55 (W) x 0.44 (D) inches and weighs in at 4.5 ounces.
Virgin Mobile has the Reef priced at $149.99. Those plans begin at $35 per month and climb to $45 and top out at $55 per month. They all include unlimited messaging and data. The $35 plan includes 300 minutes of talk time, the $45 plan includes 1200 minutes of talk time and the $55 bumps that to unlimited talk time. One catch with these plans is the lack of mobile hotspot — that is a $15 (per month) add-on.
In addition to the Reef, some other handsets recently launched by Virgin Mobile include the LG Optimus F3 and Samsung Galaxy Ring which arrived in July and June respectively.
SOURCE: Virgin Mobile
