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All right all you Alltel subscribers left stranded in divested markets, wishing all evilness on your Verizon-owned counterparts, rest the conspiracies and dry your teary eyes; say hello to the BlackBerry Tour. That’s right Alltel has proudly announced that the BlackBerry Tour 9630 is all set to go. The Tour is available immediately in Alltel stores and online for $199 on a 1-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate (insert applause here for a 2-year contract price on a 1-year contract period). You will have to pick up a Smart Choice plan that will run $69.99 and upward. The Tour is nicely compatible with Alltel’s My Circle calling feature too. Congratulations.

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Right, so another promotional has come around to remind all kids that their summer break is almost over and another school year/semester is edging ever closer. Don’t get us wrong, we like promotions as much as the next person, but being reminded that school is nearing is not fun. Anyway, onwards, Alltel is offering the 91 divested markets not controlled by Verizon Wireless “New and existing Alltel Wireless customers with “My Circle” plans, Smart Choice Packs, and Bundled Wireless Internet plans can add up to four lines to their primary account, with a $25 activation fee per line, and receive three months of free service on those new lines.” There you have it straight from the horse’s mouth. So parents who are thinking of adding an extra line for their offspring, now’s the time to do it. The Alltel Back-to-School promotion runs till September 10th, plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons.

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Among the more interesting handsets to land on Alltel this month would be the LG Tritan. The handset features a 3-inch QVGA touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, full HTML browser, music player, G sensor, Bluetooth, a 3 megapixel camera all topped up with an ‘advanced UI’. Now for pricing, according to Alltel’s press release, the Tritan would be available for $99.99 online and in stores after a $100 rebate but if you look at the website, you’ll see a retail price of $449.99, an online discount of $270 and a $100 mail-in rebate, do the math and you get a sweet price tag of $79.99. So what the heck are you waiting for? This one has a BOGO (Buy One Get One free) offer running with it, so all you family-plan people can get to sharing.

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When Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel, FCC had given a very conditional nod. The condition was that some of Alltel market had to be divested, to ensure no anti-competitive situation shaped up in the cellular industry. It was a pretty logical expectation that AT&T would pick up these divested assets, and it now seems things have gone official. Out of the 85 markets that span 18 states, AT&T is in for 24 markets for $2.5 billion. You can bet your dollar that AT&T was very picky in choosing these markets, because most of the divested markets were in not-so-profitable areas. Seems like the entire selloff of the divested markets will be achieved by July this year.

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Alltel has just announced the newest addition to its handset lineup, the CDMA variant of RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl Flip. The BlackBerry 8230 is not the most outstanding BlackBerry out there but for $79.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate, it’s a great deal. Of course this involves the usual two-year contract, and this time Alltel has thrown in a new one; you have sign up for one of the Smart Choice Packs starting at $69.99 per month. All Smart Choice Packs include unlimited data, Internet and email, so you’re hardly being left at the shallow end of the pool. In other news, if you don’t want the Pearl Flip, the Curve 8330 is now $50 after a $100 mail-in rebate and the Pearl 8130 is free after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Pearl Flip 8230 will available in all 91 markets as of early May. Here’s the Press Release;

Alltel Wireless launches the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone

New flip phone joins Alltel’s impressive spring line-up of handsets perfect for moms, dads and grads

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – With wireless customers craving both style and functionality, Alltel Wireless announced today that the BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8230 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) will be available in retail stores and online at alltel.com beginning in early May.  This stylish and compact smartphone puts customers in control of how, when and where they communicate and joins Alltel’s impressive spring line-up of phones that make perfect gifts for moms, dads and recent grads.

The clamshell design of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone allows users to discreetly screen calls and preview messages on the high-resolution external display or utilize the large internal display to respond to calls or messages, view maps and web pages, and play games.  With a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, the internal LCD displays videos and pictures in crisp detail and contrast.

“Alltel is committed to offering customers stylish and innovative phones, and the BlackBerry Pearl Flip gives customers the best of both worlds – a small, stylish smartphone rich in multimedia coupled with the industry’s leading mobile email and messaging capabilities,” said Angela Rittgers, director of product management for Alltel Wireless.  “As Alltel expands its handset lineup and showcases hot phones for spring, we know that the BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be a favorite with customers across the 22 states that we continue to service.”

Featuring a large SureType® QWERTY keyboard, an intuitive user interface with trackball navigation, built-in GPS with BlackBerry® Maps preloaded and support for locations based applications and services, and a 2 MP camera able to record video*, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone is packed with powerful features, yet sleek enough to slip easily into a purse or pocket.  It also features full HTML browsing, a rich media player with the ability to sync music from iTunes® or Windows Media Player**, an expandable memory card slot (microSD/SDHC up to 16GB) and stereo Bluetooth® support.  Customers can activate the smartphone on BlackBerry® Internet Service as well as BlackBerry® Enterprise Server.

In addition to the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone, Alltel customers can choose from a wide-range of additional phones that make perfect gifts for any occasion, including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and upcoming graduations.  Alltel is also offering the recently announced Motorola Evoke, great for social networking; the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330, one of the most popular smartphones available today; the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 smartphone, an impressive handset that combines multimedia and communications features in a compact design; the Motorola Hint QA30, a stylish, compact device with a slide-out keyboard; and the LG Rhythm™, allowing customers to bring their music with them, right on their handset.

Alltel Wireless is offering the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone for $79.99, after a $70 mail-in rebate, at Alltel retail stores and online at shopalltel.com. This discounted price is available to new and existing eligible customers who sign-up for a two-year service agreement on a qualifying Smart Choice Pack.  Smart Choice Packs start as low as $69.99 per month and include unlimited data, email and Web access.  Alltel has also announced that the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone is now available for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone is free after $100 mail-in rebate.

Alltel Wireless continues to serve 2.2 million customers and operate in the 91 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs) that Verizon is required to divest. Alltel Wireless continues to be an industry-leader, providing choice and flexibility with its exclusive “My Circle” feature, providing unlimited calling to and from any 5, 15, or 25 numbers on any network. Alltel Wireless was also the first to offer Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time without extending their contract.

For more information on the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone, visit alltel.com or blackberry.com/blackberrypearl.

* Video recording requires a microSD card, which may be sold separately.

** Using BlackBerry® Media Sync. Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.

Alltel customers in the 91 divested markets that span 22 states are in for a treat. Alltel has just announced that will add 5 new numbers to both MyCircle 10 and MyCircle 20 plans, for free. The five additional numbers will become available automatically. For those of you blessed with bad memories as to not remember Chad, MyCircle allows users to make and receive calls for free to any out-of-network numbers in the US. The number of MyCircle numbers available is determined by the plan Alltel customers choose. FYI, MyCircle 5 has remained unchanged.

Here are the new MyCircle 10 and MyCircle 20 plans;

Ø  MyCircle 15 (replaces MyCircle 10): $59.99, 900 anytime minutes, 15 MyCircle numbers

Ø  MyCircle 25 (replaces MyCircle 20): $99.99, 2,100 anytime minutes, 15 MyCircle numbers

And here’s the press release that announced it all;

Alltel Wireless expands industry leading “My Circle” calling feature to include five additional numbers for unlimited calling

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In 2006, Alltel Wireless revolutionized the wireless industry with the launch of “My Circle,” the extremely popular calling feature allowing customers to make and receive calls to and from any number on any network. Starting tomorrow, Alltel is making “My Circle” an even more robust, more flexible and more cost-effective calling feature. In the 91 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs) that Verizon is required to divest, which will continue to operate as Alltel Wireless until they are sold, customers on “My Circle 10″ and “My Circle 20″ calling plans will automatically receive an additional five numbers for unlimited calling.

Alltel is once again demonstrating its steadfast commitment to providing its customers with value and unmatched control over their wireless experience with today’s announcement of a major expansion to “My Circle.”

With the addition of five numbers to “My Circle,” Alltel customers in these 91 CMAs in 22 states will now have unlimited calling to more of the people that matter most to them. The new “My Circle 15,” previously “My Circle 10,” and “My Circle 25,” previously “My Circle 20,” will maintain the same competitive rates. “My Circle 15″ starts at $59.99 per month and includes 900 anytime minutes, and “My Circle 25″ starts at $99.99 per month and includes 2,100 anytime minutes. The five additional numbers will be automatically available to existing “My Circle” customers on eligible plans.

“My Circle” pioneered the concept of unlimited calling, and we are thrilled to offer a level of flexibility and value to our customers which is not available from any other wireless carrier,” said Lynette Jurgens, Senior Marketing Leader, Alltel Wireless. “The best part is there is no action required by our customers to receive these additional numbers-they are instantly available to eligible accounts for customers in our 91 CMAs. By offering an additional five numbers to our most popular calling plans, Alltel is providing our customers with even greater value, and the freedom of unlimited calling to more of the people they talk to most often.”

Calls to “My Circle” numbers are in addition to anytime minutes, unlimited night / weekend minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes included in customers’ calling plans. Alltel customers still enjoy the convenience of changing their numbers anytime and at no charge by simply going to www.alltel.com/myaccount

Alltel Wireless continues to be an industry-leader, providing choice and flexibility with its exclusive “My Circle” feature. And now, for customers in 91 CMAs, Alltel is providing unlimited calling to and from any five, 15 or 25 numbers on any network. Alltel Wireless was also the first to offer Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time without extending their contract.

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Here’s another handset fresh out of the oven at Motorola, the VE65. The clamshell device features;

1.      CDMA 800/1900/1700/2100 connectivity

1.9  inch TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels and 65k colors

2.      1.05 inch CSTN external display with 96 x 80 pixels

3.      Brew OS

4.      Stereo Bluetooth

5.      Music player

6.      Video player

7.      MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging, E-mail

8.      1.3 megapixel camera

9.      USB 2.0

10.  MicroSD up to 4GB

11.  Talk time: up to 4.5 hours, Standby time: up to 12 days

12.  1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches, 3.8 ounces

The rugged feature handset has already been picked up by two well known carriers; Alltel and TELUS, so Moto must have done something right by it. Pricing details and release date are not yet know, but it probably won’t be long. Expect the phone to be heavily subsidized.

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Alltel has come out for a new wireless broadband plan, one that asks only $40 of you. In case you didn’t notice that’s $20 down from that rotten $60 per month plan they offered before. The wireless plan add-on is available for those users who are subscribed to the Smart Choice voice plan. Now mind you, the Smart Choice voice plan is for smartphone users only. So no unlimited love for non-smartphone people. Oh well, at least it’s a truly unlimited EV-DO mobile broadband connection (as in no usage cap, you listening Boost?) By the way, in case you haven’t guessed already, this offering is for Alltel customers, which means divested markets. Alltel-Verizon customers aren’t eligible.

Get your fresh Pal Treo Pro from Alltel’s website. The handset is up for $199 and right on time like we told you. The Treo Pro can be yours for $199 with a 2 year contract, a $195 discount and $ 125 mail in rebate. That stuff about the divested markets if true as well.  Sorry, but the Treo Pro is not for everyone, if you try to buy the handset by entering a zip code that falls in a market ‘soon to be acquired by Verizon Wireless’, you’ll be redirected to Big Red’s website and no Treo Pro love for you.