Huawei Mercury makes US debut on Cricket Wireless

Budget-minded carrier Cricket Wireless is adding the Huawei Mercury to its lineup of smartphones. While a step forward compared to the carrier’s other offerings, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread phone isn’t going to wow anybody with a 1.4GHz processor and a 854 x 480 resolution 4-inch display, though there is an 8-megapixel camera. What the phone does offer is access to Cricket’s bargain-priced unlimited plan: $55 a month for unlimited calling, texting, and data, while a new hotspot option lets you share the phone’s 3G connection with up to 5 devices. The Mercury is currently available for $249.99 — and per the norm with Cricket, no contract is required.