The Cell Phone Junkie

In a press release this week, US Cellular announced it will launch 4 new devices in 2010 running the Android OS.  These include the Samsung Acclaim, HTC Desire and 2 unnamed devices from Samsung and LG.

The Acclaim is the company’s first Android handset, and will run version 2.1 of the OS.  Other specs include a 3.2-inch touch screen with slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and video capture. The Acclaim has stereo Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi radios, and will support microSD cards up to 32GB. The Acclaim will be available starting July 9 for $99 after mail-in rebate. U.S. Cellular said it will also give Acclaim customers a $20 gift card to the Android Market.

The release also mentioned that the Bold in August, and a full qwerty flip Blackberry later in the year.

Press Release:

U.S. Cellular Answers the Call for Cutting-Edge Phones

New phones launching through end of 2010 will include four Android devices

CHICAGO, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — U.S. Cellular’s customers have come to expect a reliable network, customer service and innovative programs like Overage Protection and Battery Swap, and now the wireless carrier is unveiling a wave of cutting-edge devices that will join its smartphone lineup this year.

U.S. Cellular is launching four phones in 2010 that run on the Android operating system, beginning with the release of the Samsung Acclaim on July 9 and the HTC Desire, with a vibrant 3.7-inch touch screen, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 5 megapixel camera and Wi-Fi, in early August. Another highly-anticipated Samsung device and an LG device with a large touch screen and slide-out, ergonomically-designed QWERTY keyboard, will be in stores in October.

“We’re excited about everything these Android-powered devices will bring to our customers,” said Edward Perez, vice president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular. “They give customers quick and easy access to thousands of applications, so each device can be completely unique and mirror their personal tastes and lifestyles. The phones will be a great complement to the popular BlackBerry® and Windows Mobile® devices that already anchor our smartphone line.”

The Acclaim is exclusive to U.S. Cellular customers. It has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard with a 3.2-inch touch screen, 3 megapixel camera and Wi-Fi.

All of U.S. Cellular’s phones running on Android give customers access to popular Google applications and will be pre-loaded with U.S. Cellular applications such as My Contacts Backup, City ID, Tone Room Deluxe and Your Navigator Deluxe. Customers can tap into the Android Market, a rapidly-growing catalog of more than 70,000 applications, most of which are free, to transform their phone into a lifestyle device.

The carrier will release the BlackBerry Bold in early August and later this year it will offer a BlackBerry flip smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. U.S. Cellular is also releasing new touch screen devices like the LG Banter Touch featuring a 3-inch touch display and side-sliding QWERTY keyboard.

Customers who use their phones primarily for talking and texting also have a few new options coming their way: a dark purple QWERTY Motorola device with a unique square shape and a side-sliding QWERTY device from Samsung with a 2 megapixel camera designed for quick and easy texting.

“We’ve always believed that our customers deserve a wide selection of phones that fit their individual needs,” said Perez. “We hope our customers are as excited as we are about what we have coming up between now and the end of the year.”

About U.S. Cellular

The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe it’s okay for customers to expect more from their wireless carrier. Committed to being a leader in transforming the customer experience in the wireless industry, U.S. Cellular is the only carrier to offer Overage Protection and Battery Swap programs to all of its customers. The Chicago-based company continues to introduce innovative, customer-focused programs that change the rules of the wireless industry. U.S. Cellular believes in education and is giving millions to support teachers and schools. To learn more about what makes U.S. Cellular more than just a phone company, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. You can also check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.

About Battery Swap

U.S. Cellular launched Battery Swap because a dead or dying battery shouldn’t keep customers from reaching the people who are important to them. Customers can come into any U.S. Cellular store and change out their battery for a fully-charged one for free. It’s another way to give customers the peace of mind that their phone will always be there for them in an emergency.

About Overage Protection

Wireless customers say unexpected charges on their bills are one of their biggest concerns, so U.S. Cellular created Overage Protection. Customers receive a text message when they reach 75 percent of minutes or texts during their billing cycle, and another when they reach 100 percent. U.S. Cellular is the first to offer this free service to all of its customers because everyone deserves a wireless carrier that is looking out for them.