Overview:
Alltel is a wireless technology company based in Little Rock, AR. They give their customers residential service, business-based technology services, and individual wireless service.
Pros: When you buy a Smart Choice plan with Alltel, you get unlimited BlackBerry Internet services, a bucket of anytime minutes, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes. You also get unlimited text messaging, unlimited night and weekend minutes, and basic voice mail. The penalties for going over your minutes are high, but they do decrease as the plans get more expensive.
Cons: We would highly suggest you don’t go over your minutes, because the cost for doing that is $0.40 if you have a less expensive plan. The prices of the plans are high, but you do get quite a bit of freedom with voice calls and texting.
Detailed Provider Information:
Voice Plan Options: Alltel has five different BlackBerry plans. The first plan offers users 500 anytime minutes per month and unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes. It costs $69.99 a month. The second plan offers the same amount of minutes as the Smart Choice 500, but also includes My Circle, a program that allows users to call up to ten numbers on the network, anytime, anywhere in America. It costs $89.99 per month. This plan also offers the option to add other lines, up to 4, at a cost of 20 dollars per regular line and 40 dollars per smartphone line. These lines will also receive unlimited messaging.
The Smart Choice 1200 plan includes 1200 anytime minutes and My Circle, plus all the features of the Smart Choice 500 plans. It costs $109.99 a month. The next-expensive plan, the Smart Choice 5500, gives you 5500 anytime minutes, My Circle, and all the features of the Smart Choice 1200 plan. It costs $189.99.
Data Options: All Smart Choice plans have unlimited data per month for BlackBerries.
Messaging Options: You get unlimited text messaging with Alltel’s $89.99 BlackBerry plan. MMS is included.
Customer Service: On their website, Alltel has a page that’s dedicated solely to customer service. You can choose to call them, email them, or write to them. As well, you can sign into your account and pay bills and get support. Alltel also has an extensive frequently-asked questions page and a knowledgebase so that you can find out anything you need to about your phones and plans.
Contract: BlackBerry phones require at least a two-year contract, and if you want to terminate early, you’ll have to pay $200.
Messaging: You get unlimited texting with the $89.99 plan from Alltel. MMS capabilities are also now available for the BlackBerry Pearl, with an upgrade to OS 4.5.
International Calling and Messaging: Alltel does offer international calling once you activate the service. You pay $3.99 a month for discounted per-minute rates to select countries. If you don’t have international calling, you may have to pay more than the domestic rate of $0.50 a minute for long distance calls.
You can find out more here.
Roaming Charges: There are roaming charges on Alltel’s plans. For every minute you are roaming, you will incur a charge of $0.59 per minute. In some areas, roaming can incur a $3.00 usage fee and up to $0.99 per minute. You can also be charged up to $0.50 per minute for domestic long distance calls.
Activation Fee: All plans include a one-time activation fee of $25.
Additional Features: Along with My Circle, which is included on some plans, you can also get Axcess, which gives you more messaging options (picture and video), ringtones, applications, downloads and more. You can also get games on your phone.
Insurance: Alltel will, in most cases, replace or repair your equipment if it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. However, you must call them immediately so that they can suspend your service.
Phones: Alltel offers three BlackBerry models, including the
Curve 8330. Although they only offer three, they're all later models and very stylish.
Some Additional BlackBerry Models Available:
World Edition 8830e
BlackBerry Pearl
Coverage Map: The Alltel coverage map can be found here.
Alltel is actually in Little Rock, -AR-, not AZ (Arizona). Helpful review, nice compilation of data that I was having trouble finding in one place.
I really like the smart phone but with alltel you cant send any pictures with the smart phones and all they really say is that thaey are teying to fix the problem and we should see results real soon. So if you are buying a smart phone keep that in mind.
actually you can send pictures they just have to be in a email, but i would like to be able to send them in text messages just like the basic phones, this is the only downfall of the smartphones>
I have a Blackberry 8330 Curve and I'm able to send pictures through MMS.
I also have the curve and can send pic and videos without problems but receiveing is a different story. It tells me who sent the pic/video and sends me to an alltel site that I do not seem to be available to navigate. Other than that I will probbly never switch from alltel. When in new orleans for the hurricanes I was one of the few who had service enough to get on the web. I watched the radar as Katrina rolled in on top of us. I've also sold sprint cingular among others and alltel works best for me. Great site guys. Very informative.
I have the BB World 8830 and I love the phone, problem is I can't find software compatible with Alltel that will load correctly on my computer. I have had to remove it twice, very frustrating. Any ideas on how I can make this work correctly??? Any help is appreciated:)
Good review just a few issues... the $69.99 plan doesn't include unlimited messaging, and the activation fee is only $25.
ALLTEL ROCKS NOTHING BETTER THAN THEM
the curve does support MMS (picture) messages, but the pearl doesnt, ive been told hopefully an update will be out for this soon. i have the new white pearl 8130
I have a blackberry pearl and their support for this product is very poor they don't know the solution to downloading software offered on their alltel shop. They just say oh it is not compatible which is the case with almost all applications. In store you are told oh yes you can download all this software but beware when you try to download all you get is a bunch of errors and noone to help!
I would like to correct the activation fee, it's actually $25, and the unlimited Blackberry features include ability to watch youtube without paying extra, and also the Blackberry GPS maps for free.
The software to make the BB pearl MMS capable is now available at your closest retail store.... it will take about an hour to get it goin, but if you really want the MMS feature...its worth it...The software was just released last week.
Pretty good information. A few changes include that the plans don't always require an activation fee. If you already have an Alltel plan and you upgrade your phone, you can activate for free. Also, Alltel recently added more plan options, including sharing your plan (up to 5 blackberry/smartphone devices on ONE plan) and "Connect Packs" for voice-only phones on Smartchoice plans(5 different packs are available and include things like mobile web, texting, ringtones, streaming radio, on-demand television, and weather radar.)
Now for the REALLY good info...
Alltel now offers mms (pic msg) on the Blackberry Pearl 8130! You have to go to http://software.alltel.com and download the 4.5 software. The download has to be done on a pc, and you should sync your phone prior to download, as you may lose your apps and numbers. (If you have any trouble, you can stop at a retail store, where they can give you more detailed instructions.)
I've had my 8830we with alltel for about two months,before that an htc touch with them. They are very helpful with technical issues,because they have their own bb support team that only deals with bb's. I have two smartphones and am constantly on the web. Alltel gets mega kudos from me.
So some of your info is incorrect about our plans (im an employee of alltel) act. fees are only 25 not 35, plus if upgrading, none apply. Also the 69.99 smartchoice does not include texting, you have to go to the 89.99 for that. A bonus is that at 89.99 and above all ADDITIONAL lines on the account recieve unlimited texting as well. Additional line cost 20.00 a piece to share the mintes.
I really dont like the black berry pearl 8130 phone. i didnt know you couldnt get or send pic. my phone somtimes earse my texts and numbers where i got calls in texts also a text shows up when i go to check it disappear.but i like there company just the phone i dont like.
I really wanna get the new blackberry curve. but i really need to know if its worth it. Can you text and email good or and the buttoms to small for your fingers. and what about the size i like i heavy phone not a cheap phone thats gona break to easily. so please fill me in??!
I think alltel is okay, im only 13 years old but most other places have the apple iphone. It would be such an improvement for alltel to get the iphone.
In response to Dee.... I also have the blackberry pearl and was having issues with the phone deleting the text. I called AllTel and they advised I get a memory card. The phone does this because it does not have a lot of memory. Since getting a memory card I have had no problems. You can get a 4gb for 10 dollars on eBay.
In response to Dee.... I also have the blackberry pearl and was having issues with the phone deleting the text. I called AllTel and they advised I get a memory card. The phone does this because it does not have a lot of memory. Since getting a memory card I have had no problems. You can get a 4gb for 10 dollars on eBay.
I am also having problems with my texts erasing, I will try a memory card, i kept having to take the battery out and put it back in, but that stopped working. also if i got to the altell place, will they down the mms feature for me, and does it cost anything?
For the people having problems with it deleting data and doesn't want to or have the money to buy a memory card heres your fix. The blackberry is just like your computer at home when you hit the back button or end button it minimizes it instead of closing it so it takes up memory. You actually have to close the program by hitting the menu button( the button with the little spects on it) scoll down to close and it closes out the program so it frees up that memory for you instead of using it. If you don't close out the programs the only way to after this is taking the battery out of your phone for about a minute and it will restart or close out all the programs for you. I know this is a pain in the butt but then again thats alltel for ya! Also if you use your phone for pictures or music which i don't because to me the camera isn't that great and the speaker on the phone isn't that great for music as well. Watch your memory use. Delete what you really don't use and it will also save memory but just by closing out your programs will actually free up a lot of memory so it doesn't delete your texts or missed calls!
love the blackberry
I really like the curve 8330, but the GPS is crippppplleed. What the heck? Has anyone had luck with it? I've gotten the thing to find my location ONCE. Only ONCE. This doesn't look promising in case I get lost. Am I missing something?
I wan't to use my blackberry pearl as a modem for my laptop how do I do This ? My plan is with Alltel.
Steph, you can go to Alltel's software download site and get what you need to make your Pearl work as a modem. It will cost you an additional 30 dollars a month though, so don't use it unless you have that feature on your plan. Data expenses will kill you otherwise. I'm a sales rep for Alltel and can add that feature for you if you decide to do it. Good luck.
Also, Alltel is merging with Verizon in the fall of 2009. Alltel has great service everywhere in the US but I have been places with Verizon customers who couldn't get a signal and I was pegged out with my Alltel phone. Hope when we are completely Verizon I won't lose that coverage area. No one seems to be able to answer that question yet.
ALLTEL HAS MMS
For MMS to function, you might have to upgrade the OS but MMS is available with Alltel.
i have a blackberry curve and i love it. I haven't had any problems with it yet. I love the pics on it and being able to talk to my other friends with blackberrys is awsome as well.
I've been with Alltel for 5 years now, the last 2 with a Blackberry Pearl. After upgrading to OS 4.5, I can MMS as well as SMS. The email services work great so I can check all of my email addresses on the fly. I take advantage of the My Circle and save lots of money on calling friends and family. I personally recommend Opera's browser for it's allowing you to see a web page in it's completeness as well as a mobile version. The battery life has been great, giving me at least 3 days under normal surfing, calling, and texting. I gave 4 stars because of the uncertainty of the services when Verizon takes over.
The plan is worthless internet ccC theinternet connection ininternet.
I was reading some of the reviews, and I seen someone posted one about picture messaging. I was upset at first, but then I found out there is no problem. You have to go to blackberry.com and add the update that includes picture messaging. Once I did the download, I have not had a problem sending/receiving picture messaging.
I ABSOLUTELY love alltel, and their smartphone plan! I can recieve and send pictures/videos in MMS all you have to do is make sure you have the upgrade! Im pretty much addicted to my Blackberry!
my name is kanisha and what you guys are doing with the prepaid per day is great but, i believe an alltel blackberry should be able to be switched to prepaid you guys are suppose to do what makes customers happy and by you guys not being able to switch blackberry's is loosing money and customers and you guys just lost me for that reason but if the blackberry can be switched then i would get back with you guys but as of now im switching to page plus. so get it together and you guys internet for prepaid is too much 10 cent a minute are you crazy and your bill for $70.00 a month is crazy you could switch to page plus, revol, or boost mobile and get unlimited almost everything for 40.00 or 50.00 a month thats why you guys dont have is much customers as you should and could you guys should have unlimited everything for like $30.00 a month then you guys would have every customer in the world even the teenagers because there looking for something cheap so well thats all i got to say FOR NOW!!!!!
i have a blackberry pearl how do i get it to recive and send pic messages
Alltel didnt allow blackberries on prepaid but I know how. I explained it on prepaidreviews.com/alltel
also.. screw all that contract stuff. i pay $20 a month for unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited text with the options to add unlimited mobile to mobile and unlimited favorite number calling. $30 a month for using data?? ..on my same $20 a month PREPAID plan im able to use the data in my phone for FREE AND use the phone as a modem for my laptop. who needs a contract? not me..
but its too late now, verizon took us over so those sweet alltel unlimited plans are a legend. im glad im grandfathered with my plan!
what is the site you go to to download the MMS software for the BlackBerry pearl 8130 ?!