We suppose the uptick in smartphone demand could be to blame, depending on your perspective, but regardless of semantics, a new study put out by J.D. Power and Associates has found that surging interest in high-end handsets is causing the average purchase price of mobiles to shoot upward. Compared to 2007, consumers are currently paying around $9 more on average per phone. The average price rose to $101, up from $92 just six months prior, and it also marks the highest figure found since the study's inception in 2003. Analysts are pegging recent demand in RIM, Palm (saywha?) and Apple devices as the primary culprit, and it's noted that the average price paid for a smartphone these days is $208. Not surprisingly, these folks also found that the percentage of customers who receive free phones on contract has sank from 36% to 33% in the past six months. If you're the number loving type, be sure and hit the read link for lots, lots more where this came from.

[Via RCRWirelessNews]

Cellular South, which is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi and provides service to around 5 million folks in its home state, coastal Alabama, the Florida panhandle and portions of Memphis, really wants your business. So much so, in fact, that it's willing to pay your early termination fee that'll undoubtedly bite you in the wallet as you attempt to port your number over from your current carrier. Of course, there are some strings attached: it will only pay up to $200, and that cash will be applied as credits towards your bill rather than bills towards your pocket. Still, the premise alone here is extraordinarily fantastic, and we'll go ahead and wish that more mainstream carriers would get the notion that they too should adopt such a consumer-friendly policy (and fast).

[Via Phone Scoop]

While Verizon and T-Mobile shared honors in a customer service survey just two months back, it was regional carrier Alltel snagging most of the gold in a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey of wireless call quality. Reportedly, said carrier was able to take the "sole or partial top spot in three of the report's six regions," while Verizon stood on top in two regions, US Cellular in one and T-Mobile (along with Alltel) in another. The data was gathered from 24,570 respondents that were questioned about dropped calls, static / interference, failed connection on the first try, voice distortion, echoes, no immediate voicemail notification, and no immediate text message notification. Interestingly, the study also found that "customers using 3G handsets experienced fewer call quality issues," and while call quality problems reported by folks using CDMA happened around 14 times out of every 100 calls, nearly a quarter of calls from those on the iDEN network were primarily about problems with call quality. Check out the full spill in the read below, we won't tell anyone you're a number lover.

Likely in an effort to reduce customer service costs and keep the tools for resolving the most basic, common phone problems in the hands of the users themselves, Vodafone has inked a deal with SNAPin Software to bring its SelfService software to handsets. Available initially on smartphones, the app will let folks keep tabs on their accounts, diagnose common configuration issues, and fix them all without having to interact with a pesky (read: expensive) human. Trials conducted by the carrier indicated that the app was well-received, and interestingly could actually boost revenue by making previously timid users more willing to branch out and try new offerings, knowing that they can be bailed out by the software if they find themselves in some sort of quagmire.

[Via Slashphone]

Another day, another award; yep, it's business as usual for the folks over at T-Mobile and Verizon. Vocal Laboratories' most recent quarterly "SectorPulse" survey has found that the US' second and fourth largest carriers take top honors for quality of customer service, receiving "A" grades in both caller satisfaction and call completion. What's "call completion," you ask? Nope, it's not a measure of a customer service agent's ability to quickly and efficiently hang up on you, it indicates the frequency with which callers' issues are resolved on the first call. For some of us, it really doesn't matter how many awards T-Mobile wins in this department, it's 3G or bust. Maybe that really is just us, though.

While AT&T went and hired an extra 2,000 or so customer care representatives in preparation for the iPhone launch and Sprint gave its CSRs a rest by nixing some 1,200 customers, HTC is hoping that a new support facility in Taipei will boost awareness and trust in the brand. Reportedly, the center will provide customers in Taiwan with a comprehensive range of services including "personalized consultations on new and existing HTC products, warranty repairs, and other valuable after-sales support." Notably, the HTC Care facility promises "speedy turn-around times" for all items sent in for repair, and unlike Apple's $29 rental fee, HTC customers can look forward to a free loaner should their handset fall ill. Click on through for more snapshots of the sparklin' facility.

Recently, Sprint decided to cut its losses and give a number of CSRs a break from the nagging when it pulled the plug on nearly 1,200 of its mobile customers. Apparently, these whiners were dialing in "40 to 50 times as often" as the "average customer," and after failing to appease them, the firm chose to "terminate the relationship with those customers to allow them to pursue other options." As you'd imagine, some of these bicker-prone individuals are less than pleased with the outcome, and to make matters worse, the firm has also cut the cord with habitual roamers -- including some that are actually enlisted in our military. Can't a soldier (or sniveller) catch a break?

[Thanks, John F.]
Read - Sprint cancels 1,200 contracts over excessive complaining
Read - Sprint cancels traveling soldiers' cellphone

Don't worry, you're not the only paranoid one out there who has yet to grace his / her iPhone screen without squeaky clean fingertips, and thankfully for those who have been losing sleep over how they'd protect their recent purchase, Apple has the answer. As with most other Apple hardware, an AppleCare Protection Plan will indeed be made available for the iPhone, and "will extend the hardware repair coverage to up to two years from the original purchase date." Per usual, the plan must be procured sometime within the first year of ownership, but unique to this one is the "service phone" available for those who've sent their mobile in for repair. This theoretical loaner will run users $29 while their device is being mended, and Apple spells out all the details surrounding data transfers in a handy FAQ. Strangely enough, no definitive price has been announced just yet, but the plan will be available for purchase sometime this month.

[Via TUAW]