u.s. cellular

The long wait is at last over for U.S. Cellular customers who have been wondering when they'll see OS updates to their Samsung Mesmerize and BlackBerry Curve 9330 and Bold 9650 phones.

That's right, the carrier began rolling out Android 2.2 Froyo to the Mesmerize and Blackberry OS 6 to the Bold and Curve.

As a refresher, Froyo includes speed improvements, an updated Android Market, Flash 10.1 support, and hotspot capability (you'll need a tethering plan for this.) Blackberry OS 6 has a brand new design, plus the extremely useful universal search.

Verizon Wireless has the best wireless service in terms of phone call quality in many parts of the U.S., according to a J.D. Power and Associates survey released today.

The semiannual study measures wireless call quality based on seven factors: dropped calls; static/interference; failed call connection on the first try; voice distortion; echoes; no immediate voicemail notification; and no immediate text message notification. About 26,000 wireless subscribers were surveyed between July and December 2010.

For the 13th consecutive reporting period, Verizon Wireless ranks highest in the Northeast region. Verizon Wireless also ranks highest in the Southeast, … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is now selling from T-Mobile for a new low of $249 after a $50 rebate. The only catch? You'll still have to opt for a two-year contract.

The price of the Galaxy Tab through T-Mobile is a significant drop from the $399 it originally cost when it made its debut in November. But the data plan will still set subscribers back $24.99 a month for 200MB worth of access and $39.99 for 5GB.

Samsung's 7-inch Tab is being offered by all of the core U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, … Read more

Why buy a phone when you can get one for free? It seems too good to be true, but regional carrier U.S. Cellular is giving away cell phones this Friday as part of its "All Phones Free" campaign.

The sale, which runs from December 17 to 24, includes all messaging phones and smartphones, including Android and BlackBerry models. To top it off, U.S. Cellular is granting new smartphone customers a $100 credit for joining up with the carrier for the first time, or for adding a new smartphone to their existing plans.

Of course, there is … Read more

New or existing U.S. Cellular customers looking for a new phone should keep the Samsung Profile (SCH-r580) in mind. The QWERTY messaging slider looks like so many other Samsung handset before it. In particular, it's the spitting image of the Samsung Intensity II and the kissing cousin of the Samsung Restore (minus the latter's eco awareness, and both models' colorful accents.)

Given the cloning that Samsung is wont to do, the specs are unsurprising. The Profile has a 2.4-inch QVGA display (320x240 pixels), a 2-megapixel camera with camcorder, Bluetooth support, and a microSD card slot that … Read more

U.S. Cellular rings in the holiday season with three affordable prepaid plans that will make messaging fans happy. They are $29, $39, and $49 respectively, and all include unlimited messaging.

The $29 per month plan has 200 minutes, the $39 option has 400 minutes plus 5GB of mobile surfing, and the $49 plan has 1,000 minutes. Interestingly, the $29 and $49 plans don't include the mobile surfing plan. If you want an all-in-one option, U.S. Cellular does offer a $69.99 Primary Plus plan that includes unlimited voice, text, and 5GB of data.

Everyone wants to take advantage of the great Black Friday tech deals, but sometimes the thought of fighting the crowds is enough to make one stay home instead. Fortunately, for U.S. Cellular customers, the carrier is starting its holiday promotion early so you can beat the rush.

Starting today, U.S. Cellular dropped the prices on its entire Android lineup. From now through November 29, you can get the LG Apex and Samsung Acclaim for free after a $80 mail-in rebate. The Samsung Mesmerize is $100 less at $99 and the HTC Desire is $150 less at just $49; … Read more

U.S. Cellular offered additional details on its next-generation LTE network yesterday when a company executive said it would begin testing early next year. According to Steven Campbell, CFO and executive vice president, the regional carrier will select its first trial market in late 2011 with full commercial deployment following in 2012. Campbell made the remarks while speaking at the Wells Fargo Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in New York.

U.S. Cellular has yet to select an LTE equipment vendor, but Fierce Wireless reported that the carrier is open to securing deals with companies like Clearwire and Ligtsquad, particularly … Read more

A month after announcing a customer loyalty program called the Belief Project, U.S. Cellular has found another way to reward subscribers: a new data plan that costs $69.99 a month for 5GB of data with unlimited messaging and free GPS navigation.

The plan includes 450 voice minutes with free incoming calls, free nights and weekends, and free mobile-to-mobile calls. The plan is called Primary Plus and is designed for those new to smartphones as well as data-hungry customers.

If you prefer a family plan, U.S. Cellular offers two: the Essential Plus Family Plan that offers two lines … Read more