Virgin Mobile is offering a year of unlimited service for just $1

Why it matters to you

Apple and Virgin are attempting to create an end-to-end mobile user experience here — which could make phone plans a whole lot easier to manage.

Virgin Mobile is redefining itself, and a part of that new identity involves partnering with Apple and turning its business into the first “iPhone-only” carrier. The carrier’s new program is called “Inner Circle.”

Inner Circle, which Virgin announced at an event in San Francisco today, means the carrier is getting rid of all of its Android devices, and will start only selling iPhones. The program starts on July 1, and customers who sign up within the first 30 days will get 12 months of unlimited talk, text, and data for $1. You’ll need to buy an iPhone from Virgin, and set up auto pay to be able to take part in the $1 promotion. In typical carrier fashion, your data is “deprioritized” or throttled if you go over 23GB a month. Video, games, and music on Virgin’s 4G LTE are also “mobile-optimized,” meaning videos are streamed at 480-pixel resolution; music streams at 500kbps or lower; and cloud gaming streams up to 2mbps. After the first year, you will have to pay $50 a month.

An 32GB iPhone SE from Virgin Mobile will cost $279, and iPhone 6 costs $319, and an iPhone 7 will start at $650, according to Virgin’s website. The carrier is also offering perks from other Virgin brands as incentive — for example, you could get one night’s stay at Virgin Hotels (you have to pay for two nights to get the third free); or you can get up to 20 percent off on flights with Virgin America. You can take a look at the full list of “member benefits” here. These Virgin perks are only available to new Inner Circle members who enroll by September 30.

The changes aren’t just coming to Virgin — they’re also coming to Apple, which will start offering Virgin Mobile subscriptions at its retail stores. Beyond that, however, it seems as though Apple is dipping its toes into offering a full end-to-end mobile experience. With Virgin helping it out, customers may soon not need to choose a carrier or worry about picking a plan.

This marks one of the first times that Apple has forged a real partnership with a mobile carrier. It’s unclear if the Cupertino company will be pushing Virgin Mobile as a long-term option in its stores, or just during the $1 promotion this summer. It’s also unclear what will happen with current Virgin Mobile customers who have Android phones, or if new customers will be able to bring their own Android phones.

If you do not like Virgin Mobile’s service, you can return your iPhone within 14 days for a full refund. Pre-orders are open now, and iPhones begin shipping on June 27.

This story is still developing and we’ll update it as we get more information.