US Cellular Free Phones Starting Friday

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I’ve written about this before on TFTS, here where I live in the US Midwest, US Cellular is really popular, despite not being one of the four major carriers. People seem to like their phones, plans and customer service. And now, here’s another reason to like them! The #6 mobile carrier in the United States will be giving away every phone in their lineup for free, starting this Friday.

The promotion runs from December 17th and runs until Christmas Eve, December 24th. Needless to say, you need a new contract to go along with this free phone. That includes their featurephones and smartphones. Just a few highlights, they’ve got the HTC Desire – which is more or less a Nexus One without the Google branding. They’ve also got the Samsung Mesmerize, which is their variant of the popular Galaxy S series of phones. The Mesmerize is usually $200 while the Desire is usually $100. But they can be yours, for free. We wonder if this offer includes the Samsung Galaxy Tab. US Cellular currently offers the Android tablet for $399. We’ve reached out to US Cellular to see if this deal includes the premier Android tablet. We wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t, but we would love if it did.

All of this (this promotion, along with the $100 credit on smartphones, and other small promotions) is apart of US Cellular’s “The Belief Project” marketing campaign, where US Cell is trying to point out the differences between them and their competitors. Not bad, actually.

Are you planning to hit up a US Cellular store to get some free phones this Christmas? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Update: We’ve heard back from US Cellular. The Galaxy Tab won’t be free on the “All Phones Free” deal, but they will be just $199 with rebates if you sign a two-year agreement with the $55 data plan, which gives you 5GB of data. $199 for a Galaxy Tab? That’s better than T-Mobile’s recent price cut on the Galaxy Tab.

Press Release:

U.S. CELLULAR SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER WITH “ALL PHONES FREE” SALE

FROM DEC. 17 THROUGH DEC. 24

Smartphone customers receive additional value with $100 activation credit

CHICAGO (December 15, 2010) – U.S. Cellular, which was recently recognized in a survey by Consumer Reports as the best wireless carrier in the country, is helping holiday shoppers with last-minute gifts by offering every phone for free, including the latest Android-powered smartphones. U.S. Cellular is spreading the joy even further by offeringa $100 credit to new customers purchasing a smartphone or existing customers adding a new smartphone line. Customers can stop by any U.S. Cellular store for more details and pick out their free phones while supplies last.

Shoppers can make this holiday season memorable by giving Android-powered phones like the HTC Desire, LG Optimus U or Samsung Mesmerize (a Galaxy S device), which is the highest-rated smartphone by Consumer Reports. All of U.S. Cellular’s phones, including advanced smartphones like the BlackBerry Bold and Curve, are free after mail-in rebates. All devices are backed by U.S. Cellular’s high-speed nationwide network and the valuable benefits of The Belief Project, which include faster phone upgrades, overage cap, discounts for autopay and paperless billing, and “no contract after the first.”

“Our extensive lineup of cutting-edge phones offers something for everyone. We have devices and plans for heavy texters, businesspeople, music fans, gamers and folks who want a basic phone without the advanced features,” said Edward Perez, vice president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular. “The All Phones Free sale is the perfect opportunity for customers to find the one that best fits their lifestyle.”

The Android-powered Samsung Mesmerize and HTC Desire are ideal for those who want everything in a smartphone. Their large touchscreens and blazing fast 1 GHz processors are great for watching videos, playing games and zipping through business and entertainment applications.

The LG Optimus U is designed for first-time smartphone customers ready to experience the power of Android 2.2 technology. It has a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology that allows users to input text quickly by sliding a finger over the keyboard in one continuous motion. All six of U.S. Cellular’s Android-powered devices can be enhanced by the more than 100,000 applications in the Android Market, many of which are free.

The BlackBerry Bold and Curve are popular smartphones that pack lots of helpful apps for business and personal use. Both have Wi-Fi access and global travelers will like the Bold’s ability to connect on wireless networks around the world.

Customers who prefer a phone for calling, texting and taking pictures can select devices like the Samsung Profile Freeform and Exec, the Motorola Grasp and LG Mystique. These feature-rich devices have expandable memory for music fans who want to take their tunes everywhere.

U.S. Cellular also offers a wide range of national bundled plans through The Belief Project. Its National Single Line and Family Belief Plans offer affordable voice, text and data packages. Customers who text, e-mail and download more than they talk may prefer the new Primary Plus Plan for $69.99 per month that comes with 5GB of data, unlimited text, picture and video messaging, free GPS navigation and free unlimited incoming calls, nights and weekends, and mobile-to-mobile calls. Customers also can opt for the Premium Plus Family Plan for $179.99, which includes two lines with unlimited minutes and messaging, 5GB of data per line, Phone Replacement and GPS navigation.

New customers who sign up for a Belief Plan and fulfill an initial two-year commitment will never have to sign another one with U.S. Cellular’s “no contract after the first.” Current U.S. Cellular customers who signed up for a Belief Plan and are already eligible for a phone upgrade can get promotional prices without signing another contract. Customers automatically get valuable rewards that can be used for faster phone upgrades in as little as 10 months, additional lines, phones, accessories and ringtones.