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Hack enables gpsOne on CDMA HTC Titan variants
The clever souls at PhoneNews seem to have cobbled together info from dcd's posts at XDA-Developers and other places on how to get gpsOne -- this technology uses both satellite and your provider's network to determine location -- up and running on CDMA HTC Titan sets. Once your handset -- including PPC-6800, XV6800, Mogul, P4000, and likely others -- is tweaked, applications like TomTom, Google Maps, and other GPS tools will be available for your navigational enjoyment. This hack will require that you unlock your handset, update the device's software, and then update the baseband radio firmware to get at the goods. Instructions and all the files you'll need -- software updates are listed for Alltel, Sprint, Verizon, Bell, and Telus -- are available by hitting the read link. Of course, this'll likely blow your warranty away, so fiddlers beware and if you're even a little concerned, it may be patience will pay off as a provider update could bring this in the future.Update: Fixed credit for the work, thanks everybody for clarifying
Alltel announces LG Scoop, Samsung Muse, and red BlackBerry Pearl 8130
Alltel's emphasizing the cool, fashion-friendly, stylish side of the three phones it's officially announcing today. First up, the LG Scoop is a dead ringer for the Rumor found on Sprint, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard for the text maniacs among us; it'll be available in black, blue, and orange. Next, the Samsung Muse is a midrange flip with a penchant for audio (hence the name), rocking out with a 2 megapixel shooter, stereo Bluetooth, and a dedicated music key. Finally, the BlackBerry 8130 -- already launched in "amethyst" -- gets redone in red. No word on exactly when these puppies will be available, but all three will launch before the first quarter's out, and you can preorder the red 8130 immediately.
Alltel expands My Circle with 5, 20 person offerings
T-Mobile's myFaves and Alltel's My Circle unlimited calling schemes seem to be doing pretty well for the carriers -- so well, in fact, that Alltel's adding a couple new versions of My Circle to its stable. The current version -- which allows users to select ten unlimited contacts on plans of $59.99 and higher -- remains, while new My Circle 5 and My Circle 20 add-ons can be applied to plans of $49.99 and $99.99 or higher, respectively. Needless to say, My Circle 5 knocks it down to five selections, while My Circle 20 ups it to twenty. The new offerings are available starting today.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Alltel makes Touch official
As we reported last week, Alltel has now become the second major US carrier to offer the CDMA version of HTC's Touch. Not unlike Sprint's version, the diminutive, finger-friendly Windows Mobile 6 Professional device has been customized for Alltel with a fourth panel on the home screen that essentially acts as a portal into the carrier's content deck (whether that's a feature or a blight, we'll leave to the readers to decide). Alltel's site is still taking preorders at the moment, but expect to be able to find them in store and online either today or tomorrow for $199 on contract after rebates.
Hands-on with Alltel's LG Rumor, say hello to the "Scoop"
Seems LG was almost as surprised to see this on the floor as we were, but Alltel's version of the LG Rumor called the Scoop is bound to please a few subscribers looking for an upgrade. We caught sight of both the blue and orange versions and took a pile of pics for your viewing pleasure. No launch or pricing details were available but we're expecting more info soon.%Gallery-12991%
Hands-on with LG's vanilla flip, the AX565
We took a few minutes out this afternoon to peek at what LG had to offer and bumped into the AX565. Build quality was good, the handset is really light, and the screen bright and easy to read. No word on pricing or launch details at Alltel, but we're pretty sure it will be a pretty inexpensive set.%Gallery-12988%
LG Vu, AX565 quietly break cover at CES
Phone Scoop appears to have caught LG a little unprepared with a pair of handsets that haven't been officially outed, and as far as we can tell, aren't on the docket to be announced this week at CES. First up, the AX565 clamshell is allegedly Alltel-bound (and we'd tend to agree from the silkscreened label on the front and all) and features an unusual square touchpad for external music control, stereo Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Now, onto the moneymaker: the mighty Vu, a Prada-esque handset that should usher in AT&T's MediaFLO age when it gets around to launching in the next few months. We'll keep you posted if we get any more intel on either of these suckers.
Verizon, Alltel spar over ad claim
Verizon has taken issue with an ad campaign put up by its smaller CDMA rival, Alltel, over a claim that the latter was the only carrier that "gives wireless customers the ability to change their calling plans without having to extend the term of their contracts." Alltel claims that Verizon contacted them some time ago -- all neighborly like, not "we're gonna sue you back to the stone age" like -- and asked them to change the ad to reflect the fact that Verizon was offering the same capability, and that it did in fact make the requested changes; Verizon says that unedited versions of the ad continued to air, though, forcing it to take its grievance into the courtroom. Nothing in the wireless industry generates more soap opera-like drama than when two megacarriers sue each other over deceptive advertising, so we're definitely looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.
HTC Touch about to hit Alltel? UPDATE: yep!
Now that there's a CDMA version of the HTC Touch available, it stands to reason that pretty much every CDMA carrier under the North American sun would have at least a moderate interest in adding it into their mix; after all, it's attractive, it's functional, it's 3G, and what marketing department wouldn't be happy to hear that they've got an iPhone alternative in the lineup? Indeed, we're hearing from multiple tipsters that Alltel's own version of the Touch is poised to launch as soon as the 10th of this month, slotting in alongside the PPC6800 to shore up the regional's WinMo 6 Professional offerings. We'll follow up on this one as soon as we know more.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: Yeah, seeing how Alltel's already taking preorders for the darned thing, we'd say it's pretty much a lock. $499.99 off contract, $199.99 on a two-year plan after rebates. Thanks, everyone!
Alltel offers Voice2TXT voicemail transcription
Powered by SpinVox, Alltel has become the first national US carrier to offer a service capable of transcribing voicemails and sending them to subscribers as text messages. Dubbed Voice2TXT, the feature is offered in plans starting at $4.99 a month for 20 conversions all the way up to $19.99 for 100 conversions (what, no unlimited plan?) with texts sent by the system not counting against users' text messaging allowances. Signing up for the service apparently requires that folks reset their voicemail systems and re-record their greeting, and after that, you theoretically never need to listen to a recorded message again. Alltel's targeting the feature at people that frequently find themselves in meetings and can't take a call, but we have to ask: since you don't need to speak when you're listening to your voicemail, isn't staring at your phone and pressing keys every bit as annoying to those around you as holding the phone to your face?
Alltel's BlackBerry Pearl 8130 now available
A friendly reminder to our friends on Alltel: your very own BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is now available. Announced last month, Alltel's 8130 is pretty much like any other 8130, which is to say it's 3.4 ounces of emailin', SureTypin' happiness in a lovely "amethyst" shade that should be appropriate for both business and personal users. GPS, microSDHC support, a 3.5mm jack, and a 2 megapixel cam headline the feature list -- but then again, you Sprint and Verizon peeps already know all about that, don't you? Track down the 8130 on Alltel now for a shade under $150 after $100 rebate.
Shocker: people loathe cellphone carriers
We know, we know, it may be difficult to understand how companies that lock you in the moment you decide on a phone / plan -- only to be about as helpful as a bottomless bucket the moment turmoil arises -- could be hated. Nevertheless, we can't say we're shocked at all to hear that cellphone providers are among the least liked in all of the service industries. In a recent report released by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, it was found that "fewer than half of respondents were completely or very satisfied with their cellphone service," and sadly, that's hardly different than in years past. Among the biggest gripes were high prices and mandatory contract extensions, and while pro-rated ETFs are fine and dandy, there's still a few less notable carriers that haven't swallowed that pill just yet. As for internal rankings, Verizon and Alltel each scored higher than the rest, and Sprint was found bringing up the rear.[Via Wired]Read - InformationWeekRead - NYDailyNews
Alltel getting BlackBerry Pearl 8130
It didn't want to get left out of the RAZR 2 craze, and it doesn't intend to get left out here, either. Alltel has announced that it'll be adding RIM's CDMA BlackBerry Pearl -- the 8130 -- to its lineup in time for the holidays. It'll come in an "amethyst" shade and feature the same GPS, EV-DO, 2 megapixel cam, and external microSDHC slot featured on its Sprint and Verizon cousins. No word on an exact release date just yet, but when it is available, it'll run $150 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Register your interest now over at Alltel's site.
Alltel shores up parental offerings with "Axcess Family Finder"
Right on the heels of its Parental Controls announcement, Alltel's tackling another side of the love-hate relationship parents share with their kids' cellphones with "Axcess Family Finder." As the name implies, Family Finder allows the parental units to pop up interactive maps online (either through a PC or their own phone) to determine where their children are and can also be configured to keep track of areas that kids frequent most. The whole setup costs $9.99 per month per child when used with a compatible handset -- and yes, Alltel is very specific about the "per child" part here, so we suspect you can't go strapping a Samsung Wafer to your dog.
Alltel adding content blocker for parents
Making a child's mobile experience a safe one can arguably be seen as a multi-faceted task: there's tracking, call / do-not-call lists, allowances, monitoring, schedules, and a whole host of other options (when they work, that is) that carriers seem to be rolling out as quickly as they can (and who can blame them, considering most of the features carry monthly fees). Alltel's adding support for another piece of the puzzle -- content filtering -- in early 2008 with its simply and obviously named "Parental Controls" feature. Refreshingly, it'll be available free of charge and offer parents the chance to set filtering preferences and tap into a database of pre-filtered sites. No more gambling from the comfort of your school desk, kiddies!
Alltel is officially off the market: FCC approves $24.7B private equity buyout
The FCC hath spake: TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners (a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs), the two private equity firms looking to buy out the paradoxically national-regional carrier Alltel, have been given the greenlight. The two firms will pony up $24.7 billion (about $2050 per customers) to take Alltel, flush with cash and new customers, off the public market, with the expectation of closing the deal by November 22nd and paying some $71.50 cash per share to current shareholders. Two words: cha-ching.[Via MoCoNews]
Alltel posts healthy profits, customer growth numbers
Although those Chad-based commercials may be unnerving, something is sure working for Alltel. Reportedly, the carrier added 205,000 subscriptions in the most recent quarter, which is "double the year-ago increase," and it also noted that the rate at which it lost customers fell to just 1.9-percent. Furthermore, the outfit raked in some $283 million in profits -- a fine sum compared to the $187 million garnered this time last year. As for the buyout, it suggested that it was expecting a "favorable FCC vote to come soon," meaning that the "takeover by TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners should be completed by the end of the year."
Alltel slides out Motorola MOTOROKR Z6m
It's been kicking around for most of this year, so we're glad to see that Alltel finally saw fit to get Motorola's rather attractive Z6m slider out and into customers' hands (a Z6tv it ain't, but you'll save a little coin). Anyway, the slider's a solid choice for mobile music on account of its 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD slot, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Alltel's very own Celltop system is naturally supported, as is TeleNav GPS -- and if that's not enough to convince you, maybe the "tattoo" across the keypad and rear will (we have to admit, it really doesn't look that annoying). Get it starting today for $129.99 on contract after rebate.[Thanks, Dizzy]
iPhone report: most owners left Treos, Sidekicks behind
While we've seen a variety of surveys pitting the iPhone against its most notable rivals, a recent study conducted by the NPD Group breaks down the numbers behind who left what phone (and what carrier) to acquire an iPhone. Not surprisingly, iPhone early adopters were "ten times more likely than other new phone buyers to have previously owned a Treo and three times more likely to have owned a T-Mobile branded phone, such as the popular Sidekick model." When it came to carriers, Alltel and T-Mobile were said to have lost the most customers to AT&T, as consumers who "switched carriers to buy an iPhone were three times more likely to switch from Alltel or T-Mobile than from other carriers." Notably, the lack of "corporate email support" was pinpointed as the main reason that many BlackBerry users didn't make the leap, but it did praise the iPhone for helping to "bridge the gap between consumer-focused feature phones and productivity-focused smartphones."
Come and get your love: Alltel's upcoming lineup?
With major releases like the Motorola RAZR 2 V9m and BlackBerry 8830 in its rear-view mirror, Alltel's been doing a commendable job keeping up with its larger, national rivals -- and if our intel's accurate, we can expect the trend to continue. In the smartphone department, the Palm Treo 755p should be launching pretty shortly (alright, granted, they're a little late on this one) along with the 8130 variant of the so-called Pearl 2 from RIM, a nice stablemate for the more businesslike 8830. One wildcard that we're hearing about here is the UTStarcom 6850 -- it's not clear what this device is, but given the UTStarcom branding on HTC's PPC-6800, it's conceivable to think that this could be some sort of mild refresh. Then again, it could be some totally boring low-end device sourced from a generic ODM, so we'll just have to play the waiting game on that one. From Motorola, look for two: a U5 (likely a new CDMA PEBL, given the "U" prefix on the model number) and the MOTOROKR Z6m. Not bad if it all pans out, eh?[Thanks, dizzy]
