Alltel Wireless is one of the best cellular companies when it comes to service in the United States. With a market cap of $24.79 billion and over 12 million customers as of early 2006, Alltel is the largest regional mobile phone company in America, and the fifth largest mobile phone company overall. They have outstanding signal, great roaming agreements with Verizon and Sprint/Nextel, and the ‘My Circle‘ feature is one of the best deals going in wireless.
There’s just one problem: The phone selection at Alltel just plain sucks!
The majority of phones offered at Alltel Wireless are made up of several same/similar versions of Motorola’s RAZR, with 1 or 2 phones being unique to Alltel. This isn’t a real plus since most of their exclusive phones are still very cheap and priced just the opposite. On the business side you’ll find the typical Blackberries, but none of them do pictures or video like the competition. They have excellent high-speed EvDO Internet access but holding your laptop up to your ear to make a call isn’t the way to fit in.
Let’s face it. Alltel needs to grow up. This is 2008, people. Nobody wants 30 versions of the Motorola RAZR/ROKR/WHATEVR.
I consider myself a power user. I need everything: Web, E-mail, Music, Movies, Instant Messages. I just can’t settle for a “regular phone.” Verizon has a sexy little phone out called the Env which is sort of their answer to T-Mobile’s successful Sidekick – A regular phone with full QWERTY keyboard and lots of options. These phones are becoming highly popular with text messaging addicts and Alltel has no answer to this phone being sold right now. T-Mobile has gained a ton of business with their Sidekick line of phones and everyone else seems to be stepping up to the plate to make a play on this new niche phone.
But where’s Alltel? Still releasing cheap phones with poor camera quality and features that were popular 6 years ago. I’m not saying they’re a bad company but when you’re forced to buy a competitor’s phone on eBay and hack it, crack it, kung-fu it and unlock it so you can keep up with your friends on Verizon and T-Mobile, it makes me wonder what Alltel’s doing.
I know Alltel isn’t doing much of anything right now. It’s 2:30 AM and they don’t offer 24/7 customer support among other things…
January 3rd, 2008
Mobile Gadgets