US Cellular NEW PHONES OFFICIAL THREAD

[RyanM]

So..

What phones is US Cellular planning to get?

ONLY POST IF YOU ARE POSITIVE. General talk is allowed, dont start rumors.

[CellTech]

Audiovox CDM9150x CDMA 800/1900
Kyocera 1135 CDMA 800/1900
Kyocera 2235 CDMA 800/1900
LG VX10 CDMA 800/1900
Motorola V120x CDMA 800/1900
Motorola V120e CDMA/GPS 800/1900
Nokia 3585 CDMA 800/1900
Nokia 6385 CDMA 800/1900
Sony-Ericsson T206

[CellTech]

Also heard?????

Mot T720
Audiovox 9500

[Nokiaman18]

The T720 is currently being tested but not yet approved as the software version that they brought to us does not seem to transition over to the 1900Mhz real well according to the people that I have talked to about it. Will keep you posted if I hear of more.

The Kyocera 7135 is also in testing along with some others but I don't have all the models in front of me right now..

Later,
Panama

[RyanM]

Doesn't US Cellular operate on 800mhz only?

[COtech]

RyanM, you are forgetting about the Chicagoland PrimeCo acquisition, 1900 MHz CDMA.
press release
detail

COtech

[med1]

Ryan, you are the expert, please tell us.

[RyanM]

med: i said TDMA not CDMA expert.

Anyway...

hear of any Samsung plans? I like the SCH-A460, Samsung A500, and Samsung N400

I like sprint's phones.

I hope USC considers getting some...

[Zackomatic]

Hey Cotech:

I am a former employee of Cingular(thank god it's FORMER)as this amalgamation is part of the Spawn of Bellsouth & SBC, I rather enjoyed you mentioning US CELLULAR in your post. I'm sure you've heard alot about this up and coming player in the industry, especially since they have been eating Cingular's lunch since they launched service in the Midwest. Last quarter I heard, Cingular LOST over 100,000 subscribers, over 3000 employees and counting, and any remaining respect they had in the marketplace.

I also Know that Bell South and SBC have made a number of changes in Cingular, including kicking Steven Carter out into the parent company and replacing him with Stan Stigman. I understand they are currently defending a number of LARGE lawsuits from some of their bigger independent dealers in the Chicago area, restructed sales,commission and quota schemes have turned the corporate dealerships and indpependent dealers into detractors of the company rather than cheerleaders. SBC and Bell South have both been negatively impacted by Cingular's performance, or LACK thereof, for the last few quarters.

It's well known the GSM overlay isn't going as envisioned, and can Cingular afford to lose any more disatisfied customers? It's also been widely reported the "Rollover" promotion has no "legs" and was only initially successfull. Let's face it in the midwest anyway, US CELLULAR'S 900 anytime minutes, UNLIMITED Nights & Weekends, Unlimited Long Distance(from home calling area) for $20 during the first year of a 2year contract, totally blows away anything Cingular or for that matter any other carrier is offering in the Midwest Regional market.

I am NOT an employee of US CELLULAR but did have the dubious pleasure of working 13 months for Cingular(which may well be a tenure record)Based on the manner I was treated, the unethical business practices I witnessed on a nearly daily basis, and how the customer was treated, I give Cingular about another year in business. If they don't merge with a Class A carrier(AT&T) they won't be in existence as a identifiable brand in a year, two tops. They shed customers nearly as fast as they shed employee's.

Good luck to you at Bell South, but don't get too complacent, someone(ie. parent companies) will have to account for and eat the red ink that Cingular has bled since its inception, and which it continues to bleed in ever copious amounts. What happens when the "errant" child causes problems at home? Sometimes the Parent company has to do a little downsizing itself.

[COtech]

Originally posted by: Zackomatic
Hey Cotech:

I am a former employee of Cingular(thank god it's FORMER)as this amalgamation is part of the Spawn of Bellsouth & SBC, I rather enjoyed you mentioning US CELLULAR in your post. I'm sure you've heard alot about this up and coming player in the industry, especially since they have been eating Cingular's lunch since they launched service in the Midwest. Last quarter I heard, Cingular LOST over 100,000 subscribers, over 3000 employees and counting, and any remaining respect they had in the marketplace.
.
.
.
Good luck to you at Bell South, but don't get too complacent, someone(ie. parent companies) will have to account for and eat the red ink that Cingular has bled since its inception, and which it continues to bleed in ever copious amounts. What happens when the "errant" child causes problems at home? Sometimes the Parent company has to do a little downsizing itself.

Of course, some were former MCI Wireless customers who couldn't sign up directly. I've noticed US Cellular in Knoxville, where they do a pretty good job of coverage (I've used them roaming there, and in southern MO). Lost employees, I've seen the kiosks in Wal-Mart vanish--but how valuable were those single shift locations? My CWA brothers and sisters helped sign Cingular workers, and in Tennessee they are now represented. I've (and three other BellSouth techs) received job steward training along with two Cingular warehouse folk.

That CEO stuff takes place WAY Over my paygrade--I'd pay more attention if I was previously familiar with either of 'em. I do recall reading of complaints from company and independant Cingular sellers. It could have been when I was in DuPage County for training last January. I did get a lesson in how unified Cingular was then--I couldn't pay my bill at the company store on Ogden (Lisle/Naperville border). "I am sorry, but you are not in our computer system here."

Sure, the GSM conversion is probably taking longer than desired. Sell some GAIT phones in advance, so when GSM is turned on some folks will be automagicly migrated. Money is tight in telecomm, but the right projects will get done. For example last year at my level, Cingular has moved their cellsite traffic onto their own fiber optic ring backbone to the MSO. They should be able to add/drop DS1s through the day and week to follow traffic levels up and down. (I don't know if that was intended, but it's possible with what was put in at my CO.)

US Cellular has a fine promotion there, bringing service to their headquarters city. As for life in the RBOCs, I've read of SBC's own downsizing throughout last year. So have we at BellSouth. Thank goodness that while the latest round was for 1300 (about), only one was laidoff. All the rest got buyouts (Like my niece, Finance 13 years at age 38. She's spending a year in Paris.) and early retirements. If it gets to me, BS is done for--I'm the median employee at 4.5 years. Half are senior and more experienced than me, and half are junior and less experienced.

Good luck in your post-Cingular career. Your experiences are not the same as mine, as a BellSouth Mobility customer.

COtech

[jryker]

This is U.S. Cellular's lineup list:

CDMA phone lineup
Audiovox 9150
Audiovox CDM9500 (Mid February)
Kyocera 1135
Kyocera 2235
Nokia 3585
Nokia 6385
Motorola v120e
Motorola v120x (being phased out)
Motorola v60ci
Sony Ericcson T206
LG VX10 flip phone

Upcoming CDMA Phones
Kyocera 7135
Kyocera 3225
LG VX4400
Audiovox CDM8500
Motorola 720c (failed miserably to pass requirements so it was sent back to Motorola, maybe they will fix it?)

TDMA phone lineup
Nokia 5165
Nokia 6360
Nokia 8265
Panasonic EB-TX320 (Veriso)
Panasonic EB-TX310 (Allure)
Motorola v120t
Motorola v60t

[RyanM]

Do you know when the 7135 and or the LG VX4400 will be around?

[sknisley]

Ryan,

You really do not want any of the Samsung phones. They look really cool, but reception is terrible. I can't make phone calls from the three places I spend the most time; home, work and the bar. I had an 8500 three years ago, and it was the best of the three Samsung phones I have had. I am currently using the A460, but I am trying to find a Sanyo 4900 as the reception is highly rated, and it is color should I chose to go with one of Sprint's Vision programs at some point in the future. If they do get the Samsung phones make sure you test out whichever one you get at a variety of locations.

Steve

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[RyanM]

sknisley,

It's not really the phones- Its more the service. Sprint PCS is known as one of the worst service providers worldwide. Recent polls say that 4/5 people dont like sprint.

[RyanM]

Also on a side note. I owned a S105 with T-Mobile, and their reception was great! If you go in a sprint store where they have a repeater on the roof, you can see how all phones do. Samsung phones are just like most of them. All newer phones now are pretty much the same as reception wise.

[sillybilly]

When will USCC get the LG VX4400? Maybe they will bring it out with the data services!!!!!!!!

[spanky]

sillybilly -

I wouldn't hold your breath - it seems like USCC is the slowest to adopt any new handset- maybe their policy is to let all the others iron out the bugs with the handsets and then the swoop in and run with it - it seems like the pattern they are following with Verizon - Verizon gets a new phone, a few mothns later USCC gets the same phone

can't say I blame them - no point re-inventing the wheel I guess!

[Magnum13]

Does anyone know when USCC customers will be able to use any "wireless web" features?

Also, does anyone know of any "text messaging" news or sports websites? I can not find any that send out to US Cellular.

Thanks

[Cellularific]

i have US Cellular and i get all my news and sports texts from mobile.yahoo.com. just make sure you have the 1.95 email address feature on your account. mobile.msn.com sends alerts too and they work with US Cellular and im sure their is others.

[RyanM]

Cellularific,

is that like unlimited use?

[Cellularific]

Yes, unlimited inbound email's and outgoing is 10 cents but of course you can add a mobile messaging plan with the email address too.

[jonnycougar]

Here's the links to the YAHOO and MSN sites to set up the mobile alerts. Both work fine on my USCC LG vx10 and Nokia 8260. Just remember when setting them up your USCC email address to your phone is: "your 10 digit cell phone #@uscc.textmsg.com" or their new email address which is "your 10 digit phone#@email.uscc.net". As far as the alerts go the format of yahoo's is easier to read. Here's another great link for logos and ringtones for all of the Nokia's that USCC has click here. Hope this helps!

[Magnum13]

Thanks jonnycougar. I too also found out more sites...

cnn.com
yahoo.com
msn.com
cbssportsline.com
me43.com
espn.com

All of these sites are good to sign up for alerts.

[Nokiaman18]

Data will be here mid summer. If I had to set a date I would say june.

[Cellularific]

Its almost like people are going to have to beat US Cellular with a stick until they launch data services...yawn.

[Cellularific]

but on a more positive note... do you have any idea on how US Cellular is going to do pricing for data?

[ctgrande]

if u want the lg 4400 then i would suggest comming to verizon wireless we already sell that phone at a great price too. Its a really awesome phone.

[jryker]

The Audiovox 9500 is now in the Ames, IA retail store.

Full retail= $369.95
Contract= $279.95 in the store
After $30 mail in rebate= $249.95

[sillybilly]

Saw that the Kyocera 5135 is on the USCC web site for the Chicago area!! The CDM9500 also just showed up in Wisconsin!! Bring on the color and data services!! It will be hard for USCC to lure new customers with the price of the 9500, $249!! Verizon has the phone plus a leather case and extra battery all for $49.99 on their web site!! Come on USCC, wake up and give us some real deals!!!!

[Nokiaman18]

All I have to say is here comes the Data in July according to sources that I have talked to. Not sure how they are going to bill it but I will keep you up to date with findings..