Helio lowers price for all-in plans, offers refurbs

Hoping to jumpstart its still young cell service, Helio today quietly lowered the price of its unlimited All-In cellular plan from $145 to $99. The discount effectively gives the provider one of the first truly unlimited subscriptions available for under $100; users can have unrestricted 3G Internet access, domestic calling, GPS mapping, and messaging with any handset. This plan requires a new two-year subscription and is only available for a limited time, Helio says, though the company does not say when the lowered rate expires.

The rate drop is also teamed with Helio Refreshed, the carrier's first program for refurbished cellphones. It currently offers just the Ocean but lists the dual-action slider for $99; the discount is a third of the normal $295 price for a new user and even more than the $415 price tag for a contract-free device, Helio notes. The discount is also considerably steeper than for refurbished programs at larger carriers. These reconditioned are so far only available directly from Helio's online and phone sales.