If you are are affected by expensive cell phone expenses in a shaky economy, a prepaid cellular plan can be an enticing unique way towards lowering your expense. For many, this is a compelling alternative and one that is emerging in popularity. Markets that have done so good utilizing prepaid phones consists of individuals with flawed or no credit, and also those who merely don't want to be stuck with a given carrier for 2-3 years.

One of the main complaints in regards to prepaid plans has been that inexpensive phones are offered instead of an iPhone. However, all the excitement in the cell phone industry revolves around Virgin Mobile's release of the iPhone 4 and their "unlimited" prepaid plan.

While getting the Virgin Mobile iPhone with the $55 per month unlimited prepaid plan is an intriguing bargain, the buyer must pay for the iPhone at a higher price ($399.99) than those at a bargain with a 36-month contract through other carriers. The coverage available from Virgin Mobile is another concerning trade off. It is mainly limited to major markets, covering solely around 60 million people.

Even though the plan sounds like a good purchase, the truth of the current economy is that the vast majority of users that would like a prepaid plan don't have $400 to spend on an iPhone. But, there is a work-around that you can try.

In lieu of paying for the Virgin Mobile iPhone, you can pay for a GSM or CDMA iPhone 4S at a more affordable price. Furthermore, unlock the GSM iPhone (flash for CDMA iPhones) to switch to any prepaid carrier you desire. This allows you to purchase a plan at a lower rate and save more money.