Sure, you probably want to put Chad and his wizard friend through a wall just like us, but it’s hard to deny that Alltel has a pretty solid wireless offering. Its My Circle calling feature in fact is likely one of the most attractive plan enhancements on the market here in the US. Now Alltel has upped the ante with the addition of My Circle messaging packs that can be added to any My Circle plan. My Circle messaging is indeed exactly what you would imagine is; unlimited SMS and MMS messaging to anyone in your circle. There are two flavors of My Circle messaging packs available. The first is $7.99 and includes an additional 400 SMS / MMS per month for people outside of your Circle and the second is $12.99 while includes 1,000 SMS / MMS. Beyond these new additions, Alltel still offers unlimited messaging and mobile web for $20 per month. Chief Marketing Officer Frank O’Mara’s snippet:

Alltel’s ‘My Circle’ provides customers the ultimate in choice and value by giving them the ability to call or text any five, 10 or 20 numbers. Whether talking or texting, our new “My Circle” message packs provide customers the most cost-effective plans for staying in touch with friends, families and business associates.

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If you’re an Verizon Alltel customer with a longing for free Wi-Fi, your life just got a bit easier. The carrier has announced a partnership with Wireless Internet provider Alltel to bring Boingo Hotspot access to wireless customers. For $69.98/month Alltel customers can experience all-they-can-eat data on their wireless handsets in addition to unlimited Boingo Hotspot browsing by subscribing to the new Internet Anywhere Bundle. Sure, it’s not the cheapest solution in the world, but integrated services are all the rage these days, so you can’t blame ‘em for throwing their hat into the ring. The service is available immediately, so anyone looking to take advantage should hit the jump with the quickness. 

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What would you do with $27 billion? If your name is Verizon Wireless, it seems the answer is acquire rival Alltel. According to CNBC Verizon is “deep in talks” to acquire Alltel. The price currently being batted around is $27 billion, which is about equal to the GDP of Latvia. Alltel was recently purchased for $27.5 billion by private investment firms TPG and Goldman Sachs, and two sales in under 12 months is not a great sign. That said, given the current economic downward spiral it’s not the worst bidding price Alltel could have commanded. While there’s no word on exactly when this transaction might be finalized, we all know what “deep in talks” means, right? 

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Congratulations Alltel customers. If you’re lucky enough to spend most of your time within Alltel’s coverage area, you now have access to the first HTC Touch variant to be graced with EVDO Rev. A. A new ROM, 3.04.671.2, has just been issued by HTC that brings with it several fixes and enhancements. Most notable of course, is the addition of high-speed EVDO Rev. A support thanks to a new radio version. The new firmware also fixes some Bluetooth issues along with adding the capability to receive video messages. For the time being, the new ROM is for Alltel customers only but we expect HTC to follow suit with Verizon and Sprint soon enough. In the meantime, try not to resort to violence in the event that some cocky Alltel customer starts shoving high-speed downloads in your face.

[Via PhoneArena]

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Who will be the first American carrier to actually offer the new CDMA BlackBerry Curve to its customers? The race, dear readers, is on. Things were looking good for Sprint, with the carrier promising an April14th drop date for the sexy new BlackBerry 8330. That day, however, has come and gone and the handset is still not available for purchase. New rumors place the next possible drop towards the end of the month, but we haven’t heard anything specific. Verizon is promising a May launch, but has been woefully quite in regards to a specific date. Finally, Alltel has just announced their flavor of 8330. The device, which is functionally identical to the Sprint version, has been announced with a May 1st launch. If things keep going south for Sprint, it looks like Alltel might take the prize here. Whether or not it comes out first, the handset will run you $229 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and can be pre-ordered right now. If you’re interested, hit the link for more info.

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As you may remember, almost one year ago, we broke news of the BlackBerry Curve 8330. Granted, some facts have since been corrected (not a World Edition device), but it’s been a rather long wait for CDMA customers wanting a BlackBerry Curve device. Recent news posted on BGR has shown pictures of the Sprint release, as well as a launch date for the Curve model.

Now, for your very own pleasure and enjoyment on the only site you love, we bring you pictures of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 from your favorite neighborhood CDMA carriers - Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Telus, Bell Mobility, and US Cellular.

New and existing Alltel customers in the market for a simple music phone with some nice added functionality will be interested to learn that Alltel has officially launched the Samsung Muse. The Muse is billed as an ultra-slim music phone and it definitely fits the bill. Dedicated touch-sensitive music keys beneath the outer screen provide playback control while a dedicated music key on the keypad provides immediate player access from any screen within the UI. Beyond the MP3 player capabilities, the Muse also comes with a free trial of 20 satellite radio stations via Alltel’s XM Radio Mobile service. Some spec highlights:

• 2 megapixel camera with video capture
• A2DP stereo bluetooth
• 64MB of internal memory, microSD slot
• GPS-capable with Axcess Mobile Guide preloaded
• Celltop-ready
• 1XRTT / EVDO
• 230 min talk time, 215 hour standby

The two-year contract price is definitely a selling point; just $90 after a $50 mail-in-rebate. The Muse is also compatible with all of the goodies you can enjoy with Alltel such as My Circle and Axcess Voice2TXT. Heavy mobile users need not apply of course, but light users and younger music fans should definitely enjoy the functionality, sleek form factor and low price point.

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It looks like the ad that leaked on HoFo a few weeks ago was indeed the real deal. Alltel hasn’t announced it just yet but LG has posted a press release on its Korean site making the device official. LG’s Glimmer is one smooth mofo; a slim profile, metal case and sleek styling cues make it a nice step forward in the Black Label series. A recap of spec highlights from our last post with a few additions:

• 1900/800 MHz dual band CDMA connectivity, High Speed EVDO data
• 2.8" 262k color touchscreen with 240 x 400 pixel resolution and haptic feedback
• Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP and OBEX
• Music player with customizable EQ and Background Music Mode multitasking support
• 128 MB internal memory, microSD slot
• 2 megapixel camera with flash and video recording support
• 800 mAh battery for 3.5 hrs talk and 7 days standby time
• Dimensions: 4″x2.05″x0.59″
• Weight: 4.48 oz

The touchscreen / slider combo is awesome, especially when you stuff it into a device that is well-designed. Alltel continues to see success in the number five slot amongst US carriers and handsets like this may go far in attracting even more attention. As an aside, take a closer look at the image above that has been chopped up from the official press announcement on LG’s site. Maybe LG can use a phone model with a slightly more recent manicure next time…

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The little engine that could seems to keep popping up and this time Alltel is following the pack in terms of plan offerings, as opposed to leading it. Alltel’s "My Circle" plans popularized the concept of designating a finite number of unlimited destinations here in the US. It has been copied (myFaves) but Alltel still leads the pack in this respect with three unique types of My Circle plans. Now that each of the four big players offers a blanket unlimited plan of some sort, it was only a matter of time before Alltel followed suit. You won’t find it on the Alltel site just yet, but new and existing Alltel customers now have the option of a $100 unlimited plan for heavy talkers who might have been otherwise lured away from Chad’s nonthreatening smile. Alltel’s unlimited option covers only voice for the time being; other services come at additional fees. The plan is competitive with some but still falls well short of Sprint’s offerings which are still the belt-holder as far as big boys are concerned. Even still, if you happen live in an area covered by Alltel and are considering an unlimited plan, this might be an option worth looking into. By the way, is that a Motorola E815 on Chad’s belt? Do they really still make those?

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A HoFo member scooped an advertisement showcasing what looks like it will be a helluva pickup for US carrier Alltel. In terms of appearance the LG Glimmer, as it has been dubbed, is a very good-looking cross between a Shine and a Viewty; a sleek and sexy touchscreen slider with the familiar LG-styled keypad tucked behind a 2.8" 240 x 400 pixel touchscreen. The spec-highlights, Jeeves:

• 2.8" 262k color touchscreen with 240 x 400 pixel resolution and haptic feedback
• Metal casing
• 3D Graphics support for gaming
• Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP and OBEX
• Music player with customizable EQ and Background Music Mode multitasking support
• 128 MB internal memory, microSD slot
• 2 megapixel camera with flash and video recording support
• Support for Axcess TV, Axcess Web, Axcess Shop and Alltel Navigation
• EVDO

Hot?! We’re still in rumor phase here but word from an Alltel store rep is that the Glimmer should hit store shelves in April. Others say it could be as soon as mid-March. The Glimmer might be missing a qwerty keyboard and a smart OS, but this handset looks like it’s got the goods to back up the design.

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Are you an existing Alltel customer that’s been considering an additional line, or a new customer looking to jump on the Alltel funwagon? Looks like Nascar driver Ryan Newman is your new best friend. The race car driver recently won the Daytona 500. Why should you care? His car was sponsored by Alltel. To celebrate the advertising windfall, Alltel has decided to reward new customers, as well as existing customers that add a new line, with 500 free bonus minutes. 500 minutes ain’t much, but it’s a nice touch, and could be enough to convince some folks to move on over to the company’s network.

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Are you a parent that’s worried about what your son or daughter might be downloading / viewing on their mobile phone? A suspicious girlfriend looking to catch your man peering at naked women on that tiny cell phone screen? If you’re an Alltel customer, you’re in luck. The company is set to begin offering a customizable content filter beginning February, 2008. The filter, which will be called the Alltel Parental Controls, will allow curious and concerned minds to filter out undesirable sites from their handsets. A.P.C., which is based on Bytemobile’s Unison ACCESS technology, will be available free of charge. We’re all for protecting the youth from the evils of the internet, but nothing says "Fun!" like a little bit of cellphone-based gambling, right?

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We’ve all heard of the story: the angry employee that decides to get back at the company for not approving his / her vacation time, but rarely does one see it implemented. Well, except for those Disney movies where people say they saw stuff…Approximately two weeks ago, "kimmee" from Howard Forums reported on a mysterious image affecting the analog clock on the stock Motorola user interface. As it turns out, it is not only there, but surprisingly noticeable. Unofficial reports say that Motorola and Alltel are aware and working on the issue. It is unknown how many Motorola products are affected at this time, however the image has been found on the Motorola V9m, Z6m, and V3xx. This is one of the rare times where Verizon’s custom user interface is nice to have! What is the image you say? A picture of a penis. Totally NSFW, so it’s after the jump!

Image courtesy of USCHotline

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Are you an Alltel subscriber waiting anxiously to see what new handsets will be available in the near future? Put down that Xanax, take a deep breath, and read on…The little carrier has a couple of tricks up their sleeve. Palm fans will be able to get their hands on the Treo 755p in short order, though we’re not entirely sure why anyone would actually want one of those things. A bit more appealing is the Blackberry Pearl 8130, which will launch concurrently with the 755p. The Pearl 2 will be a welcome addition to Alltel’s ailing ‘Berry lineup. The final smartphone is the strangely named UTStarcom 6850. The name resembles the UTStarcom PPC-6800, which we all know and love as the HTC Mogul, so we would guess that this is just a rebranded version of the same device. Motorola will be bringing the U5, a CDMA PEBL variant, and the ROKR Z6m to the table. No word on specific launch dates, but if the information is correct, we should see most of these in the very near future.

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A little late to the party here, but it’s a welcome change nonetheless. Alltel has just revealed that they will be offering Wi-Fi hotspot service along with their traditional data plans. The new service will run subscribers between $10-$30 a month depending on the existing plan, and gives users unlimited access to "thousands" of Wi-Fi hotspots across the country. While the company doesn’t offer anything close to the market penetration that AT&T or T-Mobile provide, it does look like they have access point throughout the company’s service area, so it’s not a bad option for current Alltel subscribers. A new plan has also been unveiled, offering unlimited EV-DO and Wi-Fi for $69.98/month. Not exactly cheap, but it’s certainly not the most expensive data bundle we’ve ever seen. Any Alltel customers are free to add the Wi-Fi option to their current accounts effective immediately. Wait, people actually use Alltel? We kid, we kid!

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Alltel, the other, other white meat, has announced that they are going live with a new mobile video service. The service is called "mywaves" and allows users to browse, download, and view a collection of optimized video clips. Interested users must first download the mywaves application from the Alltel software store. Once installed, the program asks users to define several genre preferences, including sports, music, news, comedy, and more. The program is then able to customize the content provided based on these initial choices. The selection of content is somewhat lacking, but the presentation and UI is pretty slick. Mywaves will run you $3.99 per month, and is now compatible with the Alltell LG AX8600, RAZR V3m, V3c, KRZR K1m, E815, and the Samsung u520, with more compatible handsets on the way.

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Tired of your land line’s caller ID being more reliable then your cell phones? Alltel is about to change that. They aren’t going to include the name of the person calling like on your home phone (why not?), but they will show the city and state where the call is originating from. With long distance virtually free on most mobile phones, knowing the city that the call originated from will help you make a more informed decision to answer or not. The first phone to carry this feature is the LG AX275 with a 15-day free trial. The service will run an extra $1.99 a month after the trial. They expect to roll this out to a lot more phones soon so keep checking!

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Back in February, Alltel announced that they were "reviewing its strategic options." This has lead rumors swirling that companies like Verizion might try to scoop up the company. Currently Alltel is valued at around $30 billion, and a purchase offer is being proposed by Private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and The Blackstone Group, in the range from $25 to $30 billion. Will the company be picked up by a private firm, or will someone like Verizon or Sprint swoop in to add to it’s current subscriber base? A purchase from Verizon would boost the company into the number one spot in terms of subscribers, currently a position held by AT&T. What will happen to Alltel’s MyCircle plan if they are purchased by another carrier?

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NBC is scheduled to start delivering TV shows, with such hits as "The Office" and "Heroes" via wireless phones using MobiTV’s service. Each show will start off at $1.99 per episode and be able to be wirelessly streamed over a 24 hour period. Unlike Apple’s iPod which allows downloads of TV shows to be stored and watched an unlimited amount of times, mobile customers won’t be able to store the show on their phone for later use, at least at first. MobiTV has been offering streaming content since 2003 and has 2 million subscribers in the United Kingdom, as well as North and South Americas. Watch for this to launch on Alltel, AT&T, and Sprint by Q2.

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