Used or Refurbished AT&T Cell Phones

There are plenty of cheap alternatives that one can take advantage of while enduring the crippling effects of the recession. For instance, you don't need to shell out hundreds of dollars to purchase a new phone. One can save money by shopping for used or refurbished AT&T cell phones and other affordable alternatives.

What is a refurbished phone anyway? Well, these devices are pre-owned cell phones and devices that have been returned during the 30-day trial period. Consumers can rely on these devices because AT&T has independently tested and reflashed with the latest software to meet new factory standards. There are almost as good as brand new phones and they are much cheaper.

You don't have to worry about spending money for these handsets. The company has tested, repaired (if needed), restored them to the original manufacturer functional and performance standards. They are also loaded with the newest software, to ensure that they work like new.

So why should a customer purchase used or refurbished AT&T cell phones? Well, there are plenty of advantages that come with purchasing these devices. For instance, there's the low and affordable price tag. Most refurbished or used devices are offered for free or half the price of a brand new device.

Consumers will also get great value from this offer because used or refurbished AT&T cell phones come with a battery and battery charger just like a brand new product. They also come with the same warranty as new phones but it is limited to 90 days.

There is also a wide range of selection on these phones. One can choose from different types of handsets from PDA's, music phones or camera phones. However, these gadgets sell like hotcakes so you have to hurry if you want to purchase them.

Here's a list of used or refurbished AT&T cell phones that are currently available. Note that these offers often change as AT&T adjusts its offers based on demand and supply.

• Apple iPhone 3G - $49.00
• Sony Ericsson W350 - FREE
• Samsung Magnet - FREE
• Pantech C630 3G - FREE
• Pantech Matrix 3G -$29.99
• LG Neon - $19.99
• LG VU 3G - $29.99
• Samsung Jack 3G -$79.99

Choosing to buy used or refurbished handsets is also an eco-conscious option. These devices will end up in the local land fills unless consumers buy them.

That's it for this post. Tune in to this blog for more useful news and information on various mobile phone topics.

Cheap US Cellular Cell Phones

The crippling economic downturn has encouraged consumers throughout the country to seek out cheap alternatives to expensive goods, products and commodities. This trend has spread into the mobile phone industry since consumers can no longer afford to spend hundreds of dollars on sophisticated but pricey handsets. Affordable but reliable cell phones are now in demand.

One can find affordable but reliable handsets in regional and major carriers. But since that topic is too broad, let us focus our inquiry into cheap US Cellular cell phones.

US Cellular is a company that owns and operates the sixth largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States. This carrier serves more than 6.2 million customers in 126 markets in 26 U.S. states. This company offers a solid line-up of wireless phones hat targets a wide range of consumers.

Here's a list of cheap US Cellular cell phones with their corresponding prices:

• Samsung SCH-u340 - free with a 2 year contract
• Samsung Spex R210 - free with a two year commitment
• Samsung R311 Axle - free with a 2 year agreement
• Kyocera Neo E1100 - $29.95 with a two year commitment
• Samsung Two Step R470 - free with a 2 year contract and $50 mail-in-rebate
• Samsung SCH-U440 Gloss- $29.95 with a 2 year agreement and $50 mail-in-rebate
• Motorola W385 - $19.95 with a 2 year agreement and $50 mail-in-rebate
• LG UX280 Wine - $49.95 with a two year commitment and $50 mail-in-rebate
• LG UX265 Banter - $49.95 with a two year commitment and $50 mail-in-rebate
• Samsung Delve - $19.95 with a 2 year agreement and $50 mail-in-rebate
• LG Bliss - $39.95 with a a 2 year contract and $50 mail-in-rebate
• Research in Motion BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone - $49.95 with a two year commitment and $70 mail-in-rebate
• Research in Motion BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone - $24.95 with a 2 year agreement and $70 mail-in-rebate
• HTC Touch- $39.95 with a 2 year agreement and $70 mail-in-rebate

I thinks that's a good set of phones to choose from. You can easily pick a cheap alternative by the variety of cheap US Cellular cell phones available on the market.

That's it for this post on affordable handsets. Tune in to this blog for more useful information on various mobile phone related topics.

MMS for the AT&T iPhone

iPhone users have demanded support for Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS since the day the touchscreen device landed on the market. However, it took almost three years before Apple and AT&T to announce that MMS for the AT&T iPhone is coming. The impending arrival of Multimedia Messaging Service was announced when the 3GS was introduced.

Unfortunately, it was announced that MMS for the AT&T iPhone will not be available at launch. The reason? Well, the carrier explained that the service will be available later this summer. Apparently, some system upgrades have to be completed to ensure that customers have the best experience with the service.

Well, it appears that those system upgrades are now complete. It has been announced that MMS for the AT&T iPhone will be available starting on September 25. On this date, an update will enable the iPhone 3G and 3GS to support the service. Subscribers will finally get this anticipated service in about three weeks.

The carrier also delivered an apology and explanation for the delay of MMS for the AT&T iPhone. The network architecture has been beefed up to ensure that it can handle the expected record volumes of Multimedia Messaging Service traffic and ensure an excellent experience at launch.

Big Blue also promised to work hard on keeping up with the growth in smartphone usage, data demand, new devices and applications.

Well, now that MMS is launching soon perhaps tethering will be next. Rumors say that AT&T is putting together a $70/month unlimited data and tethering plan for the iPhone 3GS.

That's if for this post on MMS for the AT&T iPhone. Tune in to this blog for more exciting and hot mobile critic news.

Instant Messenger for Blackberry Tour

The BlackBerry Tour is one of the top mobile phones for 2009. This impressive device offers a myriad of features and capabilities that every user will need. This premier communication device also provides users with instant messaging features that allows them to communicate quickly with their IM contacts.

Let's look at some of the best Instant Messenger for Blackberry Tour.

These IM applications offer users with:

• familiar user interface
• Availability status
• Contact access and management
• Notifications
• Emoticons

Windows Live Messenger - allows users to chat in virtual real time with IM. It also provides customized status messages, ability to add, delete and block contacts, Auto-login, and multi-user chats.

Yahoo! Messenger - this Instant Messenger for Blackberry Tour offers complete access to a user's existing Yahoo! Messenger contact list, the ability to invite multiple users into one conversation, avatars, emoticons and custom ringtone alerts

Google Talk - offers ability to personalize Google Talk with a buddy picture, communicate even while using other applications and set up custom notifications for new Google Talk messages.

AOL Instant Messenger - this app provides users with near real-time text-based conversations, picture messaging within IM sessions, Buddy icons, and the ability to participate in several chats at once.

ICQ - - this Instant Messenger for Blackberry Tour also offers near real-time text-based conversations, picture messaging within IM sessions, Buddy icons, and the ability to participate in several chats at once.

Novell GroupWise Messenger - offers one-to-one instant messaging, group chat sessions, ability to copy and paste messages, and access to calendar.

These various Instant Messenger for Blackberry Tour can surely help one to communicate with IM contacts even if one is not in front of a computer.

That's it for this post. Tune in to this Mobile Critic blog to get more useful news, updates and information on various mobile phone topics.

Palm Pre Voice Dialing

The Palm Pre is a sophisticated phone that runs on a sophisticated OS. Well it's sophisticated enough for some authors to write books on how to use the Palm Pre and webOS. However, for all it's cool features and capabilities the Palm Pre still lacks some basic functions.

For instance, Palm Pre voice dialing was not available at launch. This surprised a lot of users because it's a basic feature and can be found in "dumb" phones. Perhaps it was left out because the carrier and the manufacture were in a hurry to release the smartphone. That might be spot on since it took about 6 minutes to release the webOS handset.

But hey, the lack of voice dialing was also one of the top complaints with the iPhone.

Voice dialing is a feature that allows users to speak a name to dial a number instead of entering a number manually or choosing it from the phone book. It's a useful feature for users who needs to make calls while driving.

Of course, Palm has recognized the problem. The company promised to deliver Palm Pre voice dialing can be added later through an over-the-air update. However, are there any solutions or steps on getting voice dialing before the update?

Well, there's a temporary Palm Pre voice dialing solution. It's the BlueAnt's V1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth Headset. This device can do Voice Command / Voice Dialing on the but is limited to 9 numbers.

Here are the steps on Palm Pre voice dialing via BlueAnt's V1 courtesy of the Everything Pre forum:

You can assign 7 of the 9 to preset names, i.e. (Call Home, Call Office, Call Favorite, Call Speed Dial 6, Call Speed Dial 7, Call Speed Dial 8 and Call Speed Dial 9), the last two are Call Googs 411 and Call Voicemail and are fixed.

You set the the 7 numbers by pressing and holding the Volume Down Button for 3 seconds after you are finished with the last call that you want to assign.

For example if my "home" just finished calling, I would press the vol down button for three seconds and a voice would ask me what preset I want to assign the last number received and I would reply..."Call Home."

You do this with the 6 other calls you receive and then you have all there is.

There you have it. It's not ideal but it works for now. I hope that Palm delivers voice dialing in an update soon.

That's it for this post. Tune in to this blog for more mobile phone news and information.

LG Cookie Reviews

LG has proudly announced the achievements of its hottest phone. More than 5 million units of the LG Cookie has been sold worldwide.

The numbers become even more impressive when you break it down. Statistics indicate that around 9,000 LG Cookies are sold everyday across the globe. That would mean which means 13 units are sold per minute. An impressive rate for a phone that was launched 9 months ago. It's very likely that 1 million units more will be sold before this phone reaches its 1 year anniversary.

So why is this phone so successful? Perhaps looking at some LG Cookie Reviews will give us a clue. This phone is nearly a year old so I'm sure there are plenty of reviews dedicated to it online. Let's go over some reviews on the LG Cookie.

The LG Cookie is not a smartphone and lacks high-end features like Wi-Fi or GPS. However, it delivers on the looks department. This handset sports a sleek and thin design with a 3 inch touchscreen with stylus and handwriting recognition. It resembles the recent crop of touchscreen phones like the iPhone.

Let's admit it. Design is one of the most important feature on the phone. A popular but bulky phone will only be coveted by tech geeks while a slim but limited phone will always be a hit with young and old users alike.

However, the LG Cookie also sports a nice set of features to go with its sleek dimensions. This phone offers a 3 megapixel camera with video recording. Users will also get Bluetooth, MP3 music player and FM radio. You might say that it's a good phone for entertainment.

The price is also a big factor in bringing this phone success. It cost less than two hundred dollars unlocked which is a great price for a classy touchscreen phone with solid features.

There we're also some minor complaints noted at some LG Cookie Reviews. For instance, the touchscreen and it's Flash UI were bot as responsive as some users expected. The lack of WiFi was also a sore point for some users.

Overall, the LG Cookie is a good point. The number of units sold will attest to that. The reviews were also solid, offering an explanation why it's so popular.

That's if for this post on the LG Cookie Reviews. Tune in to this blog for more Mobile Critic reviews.

Verizon Wireless HTC Ozone Reviews

Verizon Wireless recently released an affordable messaging phone called the HTC Ozone. This new Verizon cell phone is being offered for an affordable price of only $49.99 after $70 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract.

Now being cheap does not usually mean quality. Let's look at some Verizon Wireless HTC Ozone reviews to see if this handset is worth purchasing.

The HTC is actually a smartphone. A budget smartphone perhaps but a high-powered device nonetheless. It runs on a Windows Mobile OS which means that it's capable of running advanced features and applications.

For a relatively cheap price, consumers will find loads of features on the HTC Ozone for Verizon Wireless. Key features include full QWERTY keyboard, 3G support, camera, WiFi, GPS and expandable memory.

The HTC OZone is not only a business device. It can also be used for entertainment. For instance it is equipped with Windows Media Player Mobile which can play videos and music.

Some Verizon Wireless HTC Ozone reviews pointed out that it has a weak camera. The 2 megapixel camera w/ auto-focus and video capture is indeed weak compared to the shooters on other high-end phones. But for a device that costs $70, I thinks it's a nice bonus.

This Verizon Wireless device also offers some pleasant surprises such as the Microsoft Office Mobile support. You can view and edit office documents in the HTC Ozone. It's one of the features that makes it ideal for corporate use.

I think that the HTC Ozone can compete with other cheap handsets ion the market. The Nokia E71 and Samsung Jack are cheap and powerful and the Ozone belongs in their league. It is cheap with a lot of features and capabilities.

That's it for this post on the Verizon Wireless HTC Ozone reviews. Tune in to this blog ton get the info on the latest news and phones.