Apple Roundup: Virgin Mobile, iPad, Mac Pros (Update 1)

Updated from 9:53 a.m. EST to provide informatio on Baidu search engine story in the sixth paragraph.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Today's top Apple (AAPL) stories include another prepaid iPhone, and a report that Apple is dropping the limit on iPad purchases.

Virgin Mobile USA, the prepaid division of Sprint (S), will start selling the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S at the end of this month.

Virgin Mobile becomes the second prepaid carrier to start selling Apple's smartphone. It will sell the 8 GB iPhone 4 for $549, and the 16 GB iPhone 4S for $649. The unlimited data and messaging plan starts as low as $30 per month.

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Apple is reportedly going to update its Mac Pro line with new Intel (INTC) Xeon E5 processors which may sport either six or eight cores. The new computers would also feature third-generation USB ports and Thunderbolt, according to the Apple Insider Web site.

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Apple is reportedly going to add Baidu's (BIDU) search engine for its iDevices in China, as it continues to shift away from Google (GOOG).

The iPhone maker may make an announcement as soon as next week, perhaps at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which starts on Monday, according to Bloomberg, citing sources close to the situation. Rumors of a search engine deal between Apple and Baidu have swirled for some time.

Baidu has not yet responded to TheStreet's request for comment.

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The tech giant is also reportedly dropping the limit on the number of iPads a customer can purchase, which had previously been two tablets. The information comes from a leaked internal memo obtained by 9to5Mac.

The change goes into effect immediately at Apple Stores across the globe, save for Hong Kong, according to 9to5Mac. There's still a limit on the Apple website, but that may change relatively soon.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment to confirm.

Apple shares are higher after market open, gaining 0.2% to $572.61.

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--Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York

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