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BlackBerry Tour emerges in Alltel livery for those non-Sprint, non-Verizon types
We've got to give the divested markets representing the hollow husk of what was once Alltel a lot of credit -- they seem to be doing everything in their power to continue rocking. For proof of that, look no further than this -- pretty solid evidence that there's an Alltel-branded Tour coming down the pike. Assuming they can keep the price within reason, it'd make for a truly epic purchase on these fancy new one-year contracts they've moved to, would it not?
LG Tritan brings QWERTY, touch, and trademarkable misspellings to Alltel
Ready to take advantage of that new one-year contract offer from Alltel? If you are -- and you're lucky enough to live in one of the markets the carrier still serves in the wake of Verizon's acquisition -- you might want to take a good, hard look at the just-announced LG Tritan, a slide-out QWERTY set with decent specs and a killer price. For $79.99 on contract after rebate, you're getting a 3 megapixel cam, touchscreen, EV-DO Rev. A, GPS, a "full" browser (which we're hoping means HTML), and a tricky right-aligned d-pad that may or may not be awesome in practice. Too bad it's only available in 91 market areas, eh?[Via Phone Scoop]
Alltel steps down to one-year contracts without changing phone prices
Here's a refreshing shocker: the industry-standard two-year contract is effectively going away -- at least temporarily. Starting tomorrow, the 91 markets of Alltel that Verizon is required to divest are now offering one-year contracts for all new and renewing customers, but there's no increase in phone pricing -- you'll pay exactly the same amount at the register as if you were signing a two-year deal. The move almost seems like a little "screw you" to whomever ends up acquiring the markets, since those companies will effectively have to deal with the lost revenue -- but on the record, anyhow, the divested trust's main sales guy says that they're "excited about the possibility of joining AT&T." We're not so sure that AT&T feels the same way, but in the meantime, this is a nice little win for customers.
HTC Touch Pro2 brandishes Verizon logo, poses for camera with Cedar
Not that it wasn't without warning, but we've now got some pretty definitive picture proof that HTC 's Touch Pro2 is set to bask in Verizon's CDMA goodness -- we guess your Sprint friends won't be having all the fun, after all. Also caught on camera here is the HTC Cedar, a CDMA version of the HTC Maple / Snap. It's got a slightly different button layout just under the screen than the Sprint version we recently saw, which itself is different from its initial unveiling. According to 474RPR, who leaked these pics, this one's bound for Alltel's network, which while we don't see any proof from the image, we could totally buy that. Of course, none of these pics give a release date of any sort, so hang tight while we all anxiously wait in unison. [Via wmpoweruser]
AT&T, Verizon swap wireless markets
We suppose you could think of AT&T and Verizon as football teams and wireless markets as high-priced players, because a few of 'em just got traded like the athletic pieces of meat that they are. It's no secret that Verizon had to offload some markets to satisfy government requirements following its Alltel buy, and AT&T has now agreed in principle to pick up about 1.5 million subscribers' worth of spectrum and equipment in 79 market areas -- mostly rural -- for some $2.35 billion in cash. In the other direction, Verizon will be cutting AT&T a check for $240 million in exchange for about 120,000 subs in five legacy Centennial markets -- contingent, of course, on the successful completion of AT&T's purchase of Centennial. Interesting moves, but it'll be even more interesting to see which move leads its team to the playoffs... er, you know what we mean. Read - AT&T agrees to acquire divestiture properties from Verizon Read - Verizon acquires certain Centennial Wireless properties from AT&T
Alltel caught crashing at Verizon's place
It was just a matter of time before Alltel locations in Verizon markets started winding down and integrating with their new corporate parents, and now, that's finally started to happen. PhoneDog noticed that some markets are already shuttering Alltel stores and moving the carrier's goods to a back wall of the closest Verizon outlet, apparently in an effort to "welcome Alltel customers and get them accustomed to the Verizon culture." Out with the blue, in with the red, as they say -- and if we had to guess, it's just a matter of time before those walls disappear altogether. Sorry, Chad.
Verizon asks for more time to spin off divested chunks of Alltel
In order to get the FCC to agree to Verizon's massive acquisition of Alltel -- the US' 5th-largest carrier -- it had to agree to some pretty serious concessions, including divestitures in a whole slew of markets to ensure that the competitive spirit remained intact. The "transaction" (as Verizon calls it) closed on January 9, and the resulting mega-carrier was given until May 9 -- a week from Saturday -- to finish spinning off the required markets. Well, as we all know, companies this large aren't known for their agility, and sure enough, Verizon is asking for just a little more time to dot its i's and cross its t's. A "Request for Extension of Management Period" has been filed with the FCC on behalf of the companies asking for another 60 days, which means the divested markets would be up and running outside of Verizon's control by July 8 of this year. Verizon blames "the sheer size and complexity of the divestitures coupled with the current economic conditions" for the request, but seriously, can't they just throw this all up on eBay for, say, a 5- or 7-day auction and be done with it? No? [Warning: PDF link]
Alltel pulls BlackBerry Pearl 8230 into the fold, $79.99 in early May
Here we thought that Verizon was going to ace out the US CDMA market by announcing the 8230 first, but alas, it ends up being Alltel -- the divested chunks of it post-acquisition -- that becomes the first American carrier to trumpet the device. Unlike its GSM sibling over on T-Mobile, the 8230 is a 3G handset equipped with EV-DO, but otherwise, it looks pretty much the same with a QVGA primary display, love-it-or-hate-it SureType keypad, and 2 megapixel cam. It'll hit the "new" Alltel's 2.2 million subscribers in 91 markets come early May for a seemingly reasonable $79.99.
Motorola QA4 Evoke goes on sale at Alltel
At first glance you might be tempted to give Motorola's newest slider a pass, but we had a chance to check it out at CTIA a couple weeks back, and it's actually one helluva phone. The QA4 Evoke combines a numeric slider keypad with a full touchscreen in a vaguely PEBL-like package, offering EV-DO, a 2 megapixel cam, AGPS, A2DP, and naturally, microSD expansion -- and now, it can be yours on Alltel for $99.99 on contract. Of course, not everyone lives in an Alltel service area, so let's hope someone else has the foresight to pick it up, yeah?[Thanks, Ben]
Alltel gets official with Motorola VE465
We'd already known it was coming, but Alltel has now dropped full details on the VE465 flip from Motorola. The relatively low end handset features a 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot supporting up to 4GB of data, stereo Bluetooth, and -- in support of that media capability -- an interesting "call" / "media" mode-switching capability that changes the keypad lighting depending on what you're trying to do (you can kinda think of it as ModeShift "lite"). This sucker's available right now for $50 on contract after an instant rebate.
Alltel says 'yo, have five more My Circle numbers on us'
If you're on a My Circle 10 or 20 plan through Alltel right now, guess what? You aren't anymore. Don't worry, though -- that's a good thing, because the carrier is upping your allowances by five numbers each at no additional charge. In other words, your My Circle 10 is now a My Circle 15, and your My Circle 20 (you big spender, you) is now a My Circle 25. Go crazy, add in your great aunt. You owe her a call anyway.
LG Banter gets priced on Alltel
We all know by now that the Banter is essentially a Rumor 2 clone for Alltel, which immediately makes it a desirable device to a whole battalion of folks looking for a cheap, relatively stylish way to get their text on. Just how cheap are we talking? Try $19.99 on contract after rebate, which by our rough calculations works out to a full $30 less than what Sprint is asking at the moment. Indirectly, you could call this a slap in the face to Sprint by sworn rival Verizon -- but then again, Alltel's launching this, not Big Red proper. How long until those two lovebirds merge their product lines?
Motorola VE465 spotted on Alltel's site, Sherlock suspects a launch is in the works
In this world, there are phones, and then there are phones. The VE465 from Motorola is definitely in the former, non-italicized category, but that's fine -- there's a place for all handsets in our heart. There's apparently also a place for this thing in Alltel's heart, because a product page has now sprung up over on the carrier's site pimping the unreleased phone's specs and chocolatey goodness. Alright, it's really not all that chocolatey, but hey, at least it's got EV-DO, a 1.3 megapixel cam, and compatibility with Alltel's Celltop service -- and if we had to guess, it'll probably go for a song on contract when it finally launches. We'll keep an eye on this one. [Via Unwired View]
Alltel launches the LG Banter
Turns out Sprint's not the only carrier launching a low-cost texter from LG this week. In fact, it's archrival Verizon that's getting in the game, too -- sorta -- by proxy, anyway, through the boys and girls at Alltel. The Banter becomes yet another in a long line of questionably-named models (think Rant, Propel, Behold... we could go on for a while here), but once you get past the name, you find that you've got a solid low-end landscape QWERTY slider with a 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot, Bluetooth, and changeable front and backplates. Sounds like a dead ringer for the Rumor 2, doesn't it? The Banter should be in stores now; we don't have pricing info handy, but we're thinking it's going to be mighty cheap on contract. [Via phoneArena]
Alltel announces $40 laptop data add-on
Have a voice line with Alltel? Listen up: you're now lined up to get some of the cheapest laptop EV-DO in the business. The Verizon division (still feels weird to say that, doesn't it?) has announced today that wireless data can be yours for a mere $40 a month -- $20 less than usual -- when added as a second line as part of a Smart Choice Pack with a voice line. That gives you EV-DO Rev. A and your choice of three cards; sadly, none of those cards are ExpressCards, but hey, for $40 3.1Mbps internet, we're more than willing to cut some corners and let a USB dongle hang off the sides of our laptops. For the record, Cricket is still a smidge cheaper at $35, but this is the first time a national (well, pseudo-national) carrier has dipped this low. Makes you wonder whether the parent company is going to partake, doesn't it?
Alltel rolls out Palm Treo Pro
Alltel is set to play catch up with both Bell and Sprint with news today of its Palm's Treo Pro launch. Pricing is listed on the Alltel page at $519 less a $195 online discount and $125 mail-in rebate which settles this handset's price down to $199. Nice to see Alltel at least matching Sprint's offering, as our northern neighbor's price on Bell -- for the same term -- is about $300. If you've been waiting for something new on the Alltel Windows Mobile front, we'd hazard a guess this just may be it.[Via The Official Palm Blog]
Verizon Wireless adopts Alltel's My Circle as 'Friends & Family'
It was the number one concern of about-to-be-swallowed Alltel customers going into this merger deal, and now it's finally time for those individuals to breathe a huge sigh of relief. In a prime example of great decision making, the suits at Big Red have decided to not only allow ex-Alltel subscribers to keep their My Circle plans, but it's bringing the circle to "current and future customers [read: both VZW and Alltel] as a flexible way to control wireless spending." The news was shot out this morning in a message to employees (posted in full after the break), though there's no word on when Verizon Wireless customers can look forward to enjoying 5, 10 or 20 numbers of free calling each month. So, AT&T -- now that you're cornered between myFaves and My Circle, what's the reaction going to be?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon prepaid pricing changes coming February 11th
It was bound to happen, and now it is. Slowly, but most certainly. As the Verizatel mishmash gels more solidly into place, Verizon Wireless is making some changes when it comes to prices and features. We already heard about its tweaks to the Test Drive and NE2 programs, and now a few leaked slides are detailing imminent changes in the prepaid pricing structure. While there are far too many details to cover in this space, we will say that there are four new categories from which to choose: Prepaid Unlimited Talk, Prepaid Plus, Prepaid Core and Prepaid Basic, All four are broken down in good fashion right there in the read link, so you might as well check it out now before Big Red shoves it at you when you least expect it.
AT&T reportedly eyeing post-merger Verizon Wireless assets
As you may recall, one of the requirements that Verizon had to agree with in order to complete its little acquisition of Alltel was that it must offload some $3 billion in wireless assets to avoid becoming too monolithic, and it looks like there's already a number of bidders angling for a piece of the action. The biggest of those, by far, is AT&T, which is apparently looking to pick up as big a chunk of the assets as it is able to and, according to The Wall Street Journal, it's in a good position to do just that. Other interested parties reportedly include a joint bid from the Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts & Co, a separate bid from Providence Equity Partners LLC, and at least one unnamed cable provider. Any of those bids, however, would still be subject to approval by the Department of Justice, with AT&T sure to draw the most scrutiny of the lot.[Via The Wall Street Journal]
HTC's Footprints app making tracks to other devices
Look ma, users at XDA-Developers are up to shenanigans again, and this time NFSFAN has posted up a new version of his Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM with some of HTC Touch Cruise's (Iolite) magic in it. The list of goodies added -- this is still Beta -- is long, but high on the list are Footprints, HTC's geotagging app, and some TouchFlo2D. So if you're an HTC Vogue user on Sprint, Alltel, Verizon, Bell, or Telus, get to it (but make sure to stay safe by reading, reading, and reading!) and do let us know how it turns out for you.[Via wmpoweruser]
