Motorola i1 To Boost Mobile Confirmed

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We had previously heard that the Motorola i1 was headed for Sprint. Now, it’s been confirmed (via what else, a leaked promo flyer) that the phone is heading to Boost Mobile, Sprint’s prepaid subsidiary. And, this will make the Android-powered Motorola i1 the (drumroll, please) first Android handset on a pre-paid carrier in the United States.

Remember that the Motorola i1 will be a “rugged” device, and one of the first non-Windows Mobile rugged smartphones out there, which should be great news for those who have to use rugged phones in the field.

Boost Mobile will be selling the Motorola i1 exclusively at Best Buy to start with. Unlike their parent corp Sprint (which is charging $10 for a “premium data” fee for HTC EVO 4G), Boost Mobile won’t be charging any extra premium (or “smartphone tax”, as the guys at MobileCrunch call it) on their $50 a month unlimited data/text/talk plan.

No word on pricing, but as MobileCrunch also points out, no contract on these prepaid phones means no subsidy, so expect to pay full price for the Motorola i1. They expect it to cost around $250 to the end user, and that’s probably a fair estimate.