Helio by Virgin Mobile arrives

As part of the Virgin Mobile Shuttle launch earlier Wednesday morning, Virgin Mobile has also relaunched the Helio brand. Now known as Helio by Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile has enhanced the Helio $80 a la carte plan to include unlimited minutes as a replacement for the 1,500 minutes previously provided. This new plan will be available for both current and new Helio members.

In addition to all this, Virgin Mobile representatives told us they are looking forward to incorporating more of Helio's previous offerings into their current lineup. The Shuttle already has the location-based feature with applications like Buddy Beacon and Where, but Virgin says it hopes to incorporate more, like Google Maps and turn-by-turn directions. What's even more exciting is that Virgin is interested in going high-end with its future devices, and is hinting at a possible launch of the Ocean 2, the much-awaited sequel to the Helio Ocean of last year.

It certainly looks like the acquisition was a good deal for both parties, combining the distribution of Virgin Mobile with the high-end devices and services of Helio. We certainly look forward to future offerings of the new Helio by Virgin Mobile brand.