The news comes just two days before AT&T will be releasing its fourth-quarter results. The bulk of Alltel’s assets and subscribers were acquired initially by Verizon four years ago, and the company’s left-over assets and wireless subscribers will be picked up by AT&T. Of course, though, the merger must be approved by regulators before it becomes official.

ATNI operates under the Alltel name in the US, and its network covers around 4.6 million people in mostly-rural areas throughout six states: Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Ohio. The acquisition will include spectrum that will fit right in with AT&T’s existing network, but since Alltel runs on CDMA, customers will need to be upgraded to GSM once the merger is complete.

AT&T hopes that Alltel customers and existing AT&T customers who roam in these areas will get better coverage. Again, the acquisition must be reviewed and approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice, with an expected approval coming in the second half of this year some time.

There’s also a 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and an 800MHz processor, with HTC Sense running on top of Froyo. GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi round out the key specs.

The Alltel Merge will be priced at $124.99 with a new, two-year agreement and following an unspecified mail-in rebate. Alltel is yet to confirm exact launch dates, so there’s no telling quite how long the pre-order phase will last.

[via Android Community]

Alltel has announced that it is now offering the Blackberry Curve 8530 to its customers. The same handset landed on the Sprint network back in December 2009. The Alltel version is much the same with a QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, and multimedia capability.

The handset has integrated GPS with Blackberry Maps and geo-tagging functionality. The handset also supports Stereo Bluetooth, HTML browsing, and sports 256MB of internal memory. The camera on the phone is 2MP and it can record video. The 8530 is on Alltel now for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new 1-year contract.

The device has a 2.2-inch QCIF color display that promises good picture quality. The Freeform comes in teal and red wine colors and sports a bar form factor with a four-row QWERTY keyboard. The device also has customizable navigation keys.

Other features include an integrated music player with stereo Bluetooth, threaded text messaging, and up to 16GB of storage. GPS is included along with Alltel Navigation and a speakerphone with voice recognition is built-in as well.

I guess who actually handles your Alltel service right now will determine if you can get your hands on the Samsung U450 Intensity that has been confirmed for the carrier by the Bluetooth SIG. The Intensity isn’t a high-end device, but for those on a budget it may be just the ticket.

The device features a sliding QWERTY keyboard and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. The same handset is hitting Verizon at $30 with a new 2-year agreement reports Boy Genius Report. That should mean that the intensity comes to Alltel for about the same amount.

Alltel announced this week that the Tour was now available in its retail stores and online. The Tour with Alltel offers the same features that we are already familiar with on Verizon and Sprint. In case you missed the feature set, the device includes support for 3G networks in the U.S. and abroad.

Other features include integrated GPS and Bluetooth along with a 2.44-inch screen. The Tour sports a 3.2MP camera with flash that can also record video. Storage can be expanded with microSD cards up to 16GB and the Tour has 256MB of flash memory and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Alltel will sell the tour for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

In case you’ve forgotten, the Pearl Flip is a smartphone encased in a clamshell design with a small external display and an internal display with a 240 x 320 resolution. Other features include GPS mapping, a SureType keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera that’s capable of video, microSD or microSDHC card support and more.

This phone can play music and offers Bluetooth support. You can get the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 on Alltel for $79.99 with a two-year contract and a $70 rebate. The contract is for the carrier’s unlimited plan which costs $70/month.

The display measures 2-inches and is QVGA resolution, and there’s a microSD card slot happy with up to 16GB cards.  Alltel Email, Yahoo! and AOL IM are preloaded for out-of-the-box messaging, but without Sprint’s enterprise email service you’re probably out of luck if you want to use your Exchange account with the Banter.

The LG Banter is apparently available now, although pricing is unclear.  Its sibling the Sprint LG Rumor2 currently comes in at $50 after rebates (and with a new two-year contract) so we’d expect Alltel to price their version accordingly.

[via PHONE Magazine]

There are a couple of criteria, of course, primarily that the numbers must all be within America.  Beyond that you can select landline or wireless numbers, whether Verizon Wireless or otherwise.  Those subscribers on a qualifying Nationwide Single Line plan with 900 or more anytime minutes can nominate five contacts; anyone on a Nationwide Family SharePlan needs to have 1,400 or more anytime minutes, and can select up to 10 numbers that will be shared among plan members.

Otherwise there’s no charge, and any changes you make through the Verizon online portal are reflected the following day.  Subscribers will be able to start nominating their numbers on February 15th.

[Thanks Paula!]

However where the tip yesterday was that the Hint could handle 32GB microSD cards, today it turns out that cards only up to 8GB can be used.  That could put a premature hold on your music carrying capability, which is a shame as the QA30 is neatly outfitted with dedicated music buttons on the front.

The battery is good for up to 15.6 days standby or 4.5hrs talktime, and there’s the usual array of browser, threaded text messaging, Google SMS support and MPEG-4 capable video player.  The Hint will launch on Black Friday on Alltel, priced at $99.99 after a $50 rebate and subject to a two-year contract.

As well as messaging, with both threaded SMS/MMS, email and IM supported, there’s a full HTML browser and Facebook access.  The QA30 should do well as a media player, too, with a standard 3.5mm headphone socket, microSD slot content with cards up to 32GB and USB 2.0 to shuffle all your music across.

A 2-megapixel camera rounds out the known specs.  Predictions of price are low, what with this being a feature-phone rather than a smartphone; there’s no precise word on release date, but some anonymous Alltel staff are claiming that dummy phones are already showing up in stores..

[via Unwired View]

The LG Swift is the first of Alltel’s handsets to feature a next generation keypad with Fastap Press-to-Experience keys. These 6 raised keys are integrated into the traditional numeric keypad, providing “swift and simple” one-touch discovery access and use of phone features, services and applications such as Alltel Navigation, Alltel Shop, Email, Alarm Clock and Image Library.

“The LG Swift is an innovative phone that helps our customers explore and enjoy Alltel’s most popular data features,” said Brian Ullem, vice president of device strategy for Alltel Wireless. “The introduction of Fastap Press-to-Experience keys enables us to delivers information and entertainment to our customers faster than ever before.”

The LG Swift is perfect for music lovers, with external music buttons to conveniently play and manage music. The dual speaker system can be enjoyed while playing music in the background or even using a Bluetooth headset. The Swift also has a 1.3-megapixel camera with multi-shot and video capabilities, one-touch speakerphone, and an expandable memory slot for song storage. The LG Swift is available now in red and blue at any Alltel retail location, for only $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year agreement.

There is also a 2MP camera with flash, EV-DO, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot for up to 4GB of memory. There is an integrated media player that will play MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+ audio files, either through a set of connected headphones or over the A2DP Bluetooth profile.

When connected to a PC you can also use the phone as a mass storage USB device. You get 3.5 hours of talk time or 7 days of standby time from the battery, as for size, it weighs 4.48 ounces, and measures in at 4×2.05x.59 inches in size. No word on price, or availability, but if they are already printing flyers it can’t be too far off.

[via PhoneMag]

First off is the Treo 755p, not really all that new of a device, but its good, and it clearly aimed at the business people. However the BlackBerry Pearl 2 or 8130 should open some eyes.

Furthermore the UTStarcom phone that’s coming is the 6850, which has to be related to the 6800 aka the HTC Mogul meaning that Alltel is probably just getting their unique version of the Mogul. Now for the Motorola stuff, first off the U5 is coming; there will be a CDMA Pebl, and the Rokr Z6m.

Alltel’s upcoming lineup revealed [via boygeniusreport]

The MOTORAZR2 V9M is now available at Alltel Wireless retail stores and at shopalltel.com for $299 after a $100 mail-in rebate. This discounted price is available to new customers who sign-up for a two-year service agreement as well as existing eligible customers on qualifying rate plans.

For the specs now, there is a 1.3MP cam that can also record video. As far as media goes, there is the MP3 player with external controls and a memory card slot allowing for more storage as well as the A2DP Bluetooth profile.

Other than that, there is the integrate GPS. So really the phone isn’t anything to write home about other than its sleek looks and low price of $80 with a 2-year contract.

LG Wave Crashes On Shores Of Alltel [via CrunchGear]

The Pantech PN-218 phone – a CDMA handset to be sold by Alltel under the Pantech brand in the U.S. – is targeted at young, trend conscious consumers and incorporates an enhanced, compact unique design to provide users with a superior yet practical range of easy to use applications.

Mike Cost, COO of Pantech Wireless, Inc., said: “The PN-218 is a notable addition to our product offering in the U.S., in that it offers users a hardy, compact handset which nonetheless features an exceptional number of applications. We are confident that the phone will have a widespread appeal for American mobile phone users and, as a result, will help us to further consolidate our presence in the U.S.”

The PN-218 phone is just 3.02 inches long, 2.15 inches wide and 0.96 inches thick with the flip closed, yet boasts a bright color screen and a rugged construction. The handset is equipped with a VGA camera with flash and zoom, as well as Ringtone shuffler, high-speed data transmission and picture/ringtone Caller ID.

Pantech plans to ramp up sales in the U.S. by 20% in 2006, through a greater focus on developing its brand awareness and an increase in direct supplies to major service operators. Direct supplies to U.S. service operators, through Pantech Wireless, are expected to account for 70% of its exports to the North American market this year.

Pantech is currently supplying Pantech-branded CDMA handsets to a couple of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). As part of its strategy to boost its operations in the North American GSM market, Pantech has also been supplying branded GSM handsets in the U.S.

Pantech PN-218 features include:

• Display: Main-1.8” 260K TFT LCD(160×128)
• Sub-1.0” 65K color CSTN LCD (96×64)

• Dimension: 2.15×3.02×0.96 inches/Weight: 3.84 ounces
• VGA Camera with built in flash and digital zoom
• Axcess picture messaging/ Axcess mobile web
• BREWTM 2.1 capable – Includes RealTone Jukebox and Bop-It! by Hasbro
• Caller ID Call waiting/ Call forwarding/ Three way calling
• Speakerphone/Voice memo/Ringtone shuffler/ Picture and ringtone

About Pantech Wireless, Inc.:
Pantech Wireless, Inc., a Cypress, CA based subsidiary of Pantech & Curitel and Pantech Co., Ltd., researches, markets and develops wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America as part of the Pantech Group. For additional information, visit the PWI website at www.pantechusa.com.