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Posts with tag Alltel

Alltel releases the HTC Touch Pro

by Chris Ziegler, posted Nov 20th 2008 @ 9:02AM Breaking News


Alright T-Mobile, seriously, how can you charge $299.99 for a Wing on contract with a straight face (do carriers have faces?) while every single one of your competitors is rocking a device that's essentially two generations fresher for the same price? Alltel becomes the latest to add HTC's quintessential WinMo QWERTY smartphone to its stable, charging $279.99 for the privilege of adding a Touch Pro to your account on contract after $100 rebate. From the looks of things, it's basically Sprint's version with a tweaked version of the TouchFLO 3D UI that's either prettier or uglier than the stock build, depending on your point of view. Let's be honest, though: doesn't everything look good in VGA resolution?

[Thanks, theups]

Samsung Hue II carries on Hue's time-honored tradition on Alltel

by Chris Ziegler, posted Nov 17th 2008 @ 9:49PM


There's not a dry eye in the house now as the junior Hue goes out into the world, ready to pick up where its colorful parent left off. Like its predecessor, the Hue II has five interchangeable faceplates available -- blue, gray, purple, green, and white -- with blue and gray bundled in the box. It ups the Hue's ante by moving from a 1.3- to a 2-megapixel cam and offers stereo Bluetooth, microSD expansion to 8GB, navigation, and a price that's just $10 higher on contract -- $39.99 when purchased online. It's available now.

HTC Touch Diamond pops official on Alltel's site

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 14th 2008 @ 6:05PM


The long, agonizing wait for Alltel to come clean with this gem is over. Starting today, subscribers can phone up the carrier with questions about the Touch Diamond and receive a response other than "Whatcha talkin' 'bout Willis?" 'Course, it's no shock whatsoever to see this Windows Mobile 6.1-based handset surface on the soon-to-be-Verizon's network, but those who've been waiting patiently will be utterly stoked to know that you can now plop down $249.99 (after all rebates and a 2-year agreement) in order to take one home.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

LG Swift clamshell launches for $49.99 on Alltel

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 13th 2008 @ 4:49PM


So, you're looking for simplicity, huh? Have a gander at the LG Swift, which is now available on Alltel Wireless for those with the most basic of needs. The clamshell boasts a "next-generation keypad featuring Fastap Press-to-Experience keys, which integrates six raised one-touch access Quick Keys with a traditional numeric keypad," and beyond that, it also offers up external music control buttons, twin speakers, Bluetooth support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, one-touch speakerphone and a memory card slot. Sadly, the headphone jack is of the 2.5-millimeter variety, though you can choose between red and blue color schemes. If you're sold already, all's that left to do is hand over your $49.99 and agree to being locked in for two solid years.

FCC approves Verizon's Alltel buy, deal all but done

by Chris Ziegler, posted Nov 4th 2008 @ 4:57PM Breaking News


Following the DOJ's approval last week, the FCC has voted unanimously today to approve Verizon's acquisition of Alltel, promising to create a CDMA network of insane proportions that'll eclipse AT&T to become the US' largest wireless carrier. Like their fellow feds over at the DOJ, the FCC guys attached some conditions to the approval, including a requirement that Verizon continue to honor Alltel's existing roaming agreements for four years -- presumably in an effort to protect and appease rural carriers who've been solidly against the merger all along. This'll almost certainly lead to some job losses in the Alltel camp, but look on the bright side, guys: you just might have a crack at that wild LG VX9600 now.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Deutsche Telekom found to own too much of T-Mobile USA, paperwork likely in order

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 4th 2008 @ 4:02AM

Tsk, tsk, Deutsche Telekom -- there you go making trouble again. After the FCC took a good, hard look at the prospective Verizon-Alltel merger, it also took a peek at foreign-controlled assets in other wireless phone companies. What it found was that Deutsche Telekom AG actually owns 10% more than the US legal limit of T-Mobile USA; as it stands, DT has a "30%, non-controlling interest in a common carrier license," while the limit here for such a scenario is 20%. The company has 30 days to respond with how it plans to come into compliance, but reports are suggesting that simple reshuffling / paperwork could probably clear things up. If only life were so easy for the rest of us, huh?

[Via phonescoop]

Department of Justice approves Verizon's Alltel acquisition, requires more concessions

by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 30th 2008 @ 7:02PM Breaking News


The suits at the Department of Justice just green-lighted Verizon's planned acquisition of regional rival Alltel, moving the two CDMA giants closer to a marriage that would easily eclipse AT&T to become the largest wireless carrier in North America. There's a catch, though, and a rather hefty one at that -- Verizon has to agree to divest itself of some 100 local markets in 22 states to keep the competitive landscape in action; given that they've already indicated a willingness to shed some markets to seal the deal, it probably won't be an issue. The next hurdle for Vertel (or Allzon, depending on how you roll) will come on November 4, when the FCC votes on whether it'll bless the deal. As for the rumors that Verizon is now eligible to get Alltel at a 50 percent discount with a $1 billion mail-in rebate if it agrees to a two-year contract, we're not hearing any comment from either side.

Samsung Delve intros US market to TouchWiz by way of Alltel

by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 30th 2008 @ 4:48PM


As we'd previously heard, the Delve will be the first handset officially released in the US to feature Samsung's widget-based TouchWiz technology, courtesy of Alltel -- and while we sorta wish it was the Windows Mobile version, this is about as deluxe as a dumbphone UI gets. The glossy bar of pure, keyboardless touchscreen action will go for $199.99 on contract after a $100 rebate when it's available on November 6 and features a 3.5mm headphone jack, support for Alltel Navigation, microSD expansion, and a 2-megapixel cam with video capture. It also bundles nuTsie at no charge, giving buyers access to their iTunes playlists -- a direct shot at the iPhone from a handset clearly in the same vein. You might even say the Delve "delves" into iTunes. Sorry.

Touch Diamond release on Alltel looks imminent

by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 24th 2008 @ 2:55PM


It hasn't been officially put up for sale just yet, but a handful of lucky Alltel types have already managed to land branded Touch Diamonds as evidenced by a full-on unboxing that has recently surfaced on HoFo. For all practical purposes, it looks identical to Sprint's version, albeit with a different branded TouchFLO skin that could be perceived as less annoying if you hate that splash of Sprint yellow or more annoying if you prefer the dark look. At any rate, can't be long now, guys.

[Thanks, Jeff E.]

Alltel shows its love for smooth jazz, oldies with LG Rhythm

by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 16th 2008 @ 12:40PM


We're always pleasantly surprised to see a carrier beat the rumored release date for a phone, and that's certainly happened here with the LG Rhythm, a phone we'd heard would bow in the middle of next month. The trick slider features a secondary touch-sensitive display in the center of the d-pad -- not a feature you see every day -- and has an integrated FM transmitter, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and a graphic equalizer personally tuned by none other than Mark Levinson himself, making this one hell of a little music phone. It launches today in black and white for $119.99 after rebate on contract.

Read - Rhythm (white)
Read - Rhythm (black)

FCC working to approve Sprint / Clearwire and Verizon / Alltel mergers by the end of the year

by Nilay Patel, posted Sep 29th 2008 @ 2:02PM

The FCC doesn't exactly have a track record of swiftness when it comes to reviewing mergers, but it looks like that little election thing might have lit a couple grey suits on fire -- FCC chairman Kevin Martin says that the agency is aiming to finish looking over the Sprint / Clearwire and Verizon / Alltel deals by the end of the year. That's right before a new administration takes over and potentially gums up the process, so we're guessing it'll be approvals all around, since rejecting the bids would result in some fun lawsuits for everyone, but we'll see how things shake out.

Alltel launches nuTsie to take iTunes mobile

by Chris Ziegler, posted Sep 24th 2008 @ 5:01PM


We'd always taken nuTsie to be an indie app that was going to get most of its traction outside the surly bonds of a corporate partnership, but color us totally wrong. Alltel has announced that Melodeo's iTunes companion app is now available on eleven of its handsets (with more to come in the coming months), offering users of non-iTunes-friendly phones a creative way to get access to their playlists on the go. nuTsie works not by downloading your own tracks, but by matching the names of the songs in your playlists to those in its own database and loading the actual music from its servers -- that way, not only do you get access to your stuff, but also to friends' playlists and those cobbled together by nuTsie's own "experts." It'll run you $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year, and it's available now.

Alltel adds the Motorola VE20

by Chris Ziegler, posted Sep 23rd 2008 @ 4:18PM


Alltel isn't typically the first US carrier to release much of anything, with the notable exception of Glimmer. That's alright -- coming it at number five, they probably don't have quite the sway with manufacturers that a Verizon or a Sprint does, for example -- and that'll all change soon enough anyway once the Verizon acquisition goes through. In the meantime, though, Alltel's following Sprint in its release of Motorola's VE20, a midrange flip with an outer touchscreen, 2-megapixel cam, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It'll be available starting this Thursday for $99.99 with contract and rebate in navy and licorice, but if you're dying to get a head start, you can go ahead and preorder now.

Alltel getting Touch Pro?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Sep 18th 2008 @ 9:42AM


If history is destined to repeat itself, it stands to reason that Alltel would be getting ready to follow Sprint down HTC's golden road yet again, does it not? This time around, of course, the devices in question would be the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro -- and we just so happen to have been presented with a shot of what appears to be an Alltel-branded Touch Pro doing its thing on a tastefully contemporary laminate surface somewhere. Word is that it'll launch "soon" after the Diamond does, making Verizon look all that much sillier that we haven't heard an official peep out of 'em. Can't be shown up by your new acquisition, can you, guys?

[Thanks, Brandon A.]

Update: More pictures have popped up, so this thing's definitely looking legit. 'Grats, Alltel subscribers -- it's like winning the lottery! Thanks, Mills!

Verizon says heads will roll at Alltel

by Chris Ziegler, posted Aug 18th 2008 @ 2:24PM


When (and if) Verizon closes its deal to snap up Alltel, the carrier's Little Rock campus will suddenly lose its status as a corporate headquarters. Instead, it'll see duty as a regional outpost of the Big Red behemoth, according to Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam -- and regional outposts don't exactly need the 3,000 employees currently employed there. Though it's not clear exactly how many jobs will be trimmed, rumor has it executives and mid-level managers will be the first to get the boot; the silver lining in the news is that McAdam says Verizon's going to try to find jobs for some of the affected folks elsewhere within the corporate footprint if they're not needed in Little Rock. Atlanta, perhaps?




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