Weekly News In Review: Virgin launches $49.99 unlimited plan, man receives $4,756 wireless bill

Since we can't actively cover every news article that breaks (as much as we would love to), PhoneDog compiles various announcements and press releases that have been published throughout the week and places them in one easy to read article.  Enjoy!

T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 drops to $149.99
Though early Curve 8900 buyers are likely to be frustrated, T-Mobile's flagship BlackBerry has dropped to $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.  Of course, the pricing reflects a two-year commitment, and is a discount from the $499.99 full retail price.  Via BGR



Virgin Mobile launches unlimited talk plan for $49.99, along with new customer service initiative
With the economic uncertainty moving across the nation, Virgin Mobile has announced a new $49.99 plan that includes unlimited minutes nationwide, with text messaging and web use costing an extra $10 each.  Also, beginning April 15th, Virgin Mobile is launching a program called Pink Slip Protection, where after two months of service the company will pay your wireless bill for up to three months if you lose your job.  Via PhoneArena

Father destroys daughter's cellular phone after high wireless bill
It's understandable that anyone receiving a $4,756.25 wireless bill would be angry, however it was his reaction that made news.  When Greg Christofferson signed up for wireless service, he chose a plan that didn't include text messaging, not realizing that messages could still be sent at a per-use cost.  After realizing that his daughter had sent nearly 20,000 text messages, followed by a call from the school informing him that she had 5 failing grades, he destroyed the phone with a hammer and grounded his daughter.  On a bright note: since the loss of her phone, Dina has seen her grades improve.  Via PhoneArena

Samsung and AT&T launch the SGH-a657 rugged phone
AT&T and Samsung have announced the SGH-a657, a push-to-talk GSM/HSDPA device certified to meet military specifications for dust, shock, vibration, altitude, and unpredictable weather conditions.  The phone offers a rubberized handle and a built-in flashlight, along with 128MB of internal memory, microSD card slot, stereo Bluetooth, and a 3 hour estimated talk time.  Pricing has not been announced yet.  Via MobileBurn