U.S. Cellular Offers Sweetheart of a Deal on Messaging Phones

CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- OMG! According to a recent Nielsen survey, text messaging has officially eclipsed voice calls. U.S. Cellular, ranked the country's best wireless carrier in a Consumer Reports survey, has an FYI for all those thumb-flexing, text enthusiasts out there. Through Feb. 17, all phones that make texting quick and easy are free. Cool handsets like the Samsung Messager Touch, Motorola GRASP and LG Mystique are free after a $50 mail-in rebate and make great gifts for you and your sweetie on Valentine's Day.

"Many of our customers prefer texting over talking, so we wanted to surprise and delight them with a promotion that features a great lineup of messaging phones," said Edward Perez, vice president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular. "They can connect with family and friends quickly with devices that are backed by our quality, high-speed nationwide network."

Send "Happy V Day 2 u" with The Samsung Messager Touch, which boasts a 2.6-inch touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Or text "I luv u" from the Motorola GRASP with its sporty 2.2-inch display and QWERTY keyboard. If you're feeling really brave, pop the big question, "Will u marry me?" from the LG Mystique, which features a 2.4-inch touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard.

Customers can match any of these message-friendly phones with Belief Plans that complement the way they use their phone the most. The Essential Belief Plan comes with unlimited text, picture and video messaging, free unlimited incoming calls from any phone, nights after 7p.m. and weekends, mobile-to-mobile calls and 1,000 voice minutes for only $69.99. The Premium Belief Plan has those benefits plus unlimited minutes and the industry-leading Phone Replacement Program for only $89.99.

Pairing up this Valentine's Day is made easy by signing up for one of U.S. Cellular's Family Belief Plans. The Family Essential Belief Plan includes two lines with unlimited text, picture and video messaging, free unlimited incoming calls from any phone, nights after 7p.m. and weekends, mobile-to-mobile calls and 1,200 shared voice minutes for $99.99, while the Family Premium Belief Plan has all these amenities and features two lines with unlimited voice, messaging and Phone Replacement for $139.99.

For those who are into smartphones, U.S. Cellular is showing you some love too. Through Feb. 17, the carrier is offering a buy-one-get-one-free sale on all of its Android-powered devices including the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Get that special someone the Samsung Mesmerize, a Galaxy S phone, for just $149.99 and get another one free for you after an $80 mail-in rebate. Consumer Reports rated Galaxy S devices, like the Mesmerize, number one above all other smartphones on the market today. The Mesmerize features a large touchscreen and super fast 1 GHz processor that makes watching videos, playing games and zipping through business and entertainment applications easy.

Customers can match up any new smartphone with the "best value in wireless" by signing up for            U.S. Cellular's $69.99 Primary Plus Plan that comes with 5GB of data, unlimited text, picture and video messaging, free unlimited incoming calls from any phone, nights after 7p.m. and weekends, mobile-to-mobile calls, 450 minutes and GPS navigation.

Customers on Belief Plans get rewards for doing simple things like paying their monthly bill on time, adding a line or referring new customers. Rewards can be used to get faster upgrades to the newest phones in as little as 10 months, accessories, ringtones and for Overage Forgiveness. With "no contract after the first," new customers who complete a two-year contract will never have to sign another one and will continue to get great benefits. Existing customers who switch to the new Belief Plans can simply finish out their current contract and never sign a contract again.

For more information about all of U.S. Cellular's deals, phones, plans and other restrictions on these offers, visit any U.S. Cellular store, go to uscellular.com or check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is committed to fixing wireless one project at a time and recently unveiled The Belief Project, an array of industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier provides the best cell phone service in the country according to survey results released by Consumer Reports, which found that wireless customers are more satisfied with U.S. Cellular than every other major wireless company.  U.S. Cellular was also named one of Forbes Magazine's 2010 "Most Trustworthy Companies." The Belief Project complements U.S. Cellular's growing catalog of cutting-edge phones that are all backed by its high-speed nationwide network. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. You can also check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.

SOURCE U.S. Cellular