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The cost of sending and receiving SMS, also called text messages, is getting obsurd.  As Marguerite Reardon of Cnet points out: since 2005, the cost of SMS has doubled on all four major US telcos from 10 cents to 20 cents per message.

Why are the mobile phone service providers charging this much to send 160 characters of information?  Simple answer - because people are paying it.  So before you go griping about the big corporations and their practices, complain to your telco and refuse to send SMS messages.  This will be the only way we can get through to the Big 4 (Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T).

Sure text messaging is convenient and very popular in some circles (people under 25), but what is it going for us to say “enough is enough”.  Rather than use SMS, I suggest you look at mobile IM options.

For a while now the big 4 US mobile operators T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have been offering unlimited mobile plans.  Typically, these include a flat rate of $99 for unlimited calling to the United States.

Virgin Mobile has just entered the fray and raised (lowered) the bar by granting us a $79.99/month unlimited plan that goes further than the big 4 by offering Unlimited text messaging, IM, email, and picture messages.  This is similar to Cricket’s plan, however Virgin Mobile has a much more expansive network footprint.

Also, unlike the biggie telcos mentioned above, there are no contracts with the Virgin plans.  If you’re a heavy cell phone user, this Virgin plan should be on your radar.

Below is a paste of the entire press release:

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Introduction

The Samsung SCH-i730 is among Verizon Wireless’ newest Windows Mobile smartphones to come on the market.  The i730 is a slider style phone that is black in exterior color.  The slider, when engaged, displays a full QWERTY keyboard.  Like the Motorla Q9M, the i730 runs Windows Mobile 6.  However the Samsung phone runs the full Professional edition, whereas the Q runs a more stripped down SmartPhone edition.

The SCH-i730 includes bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, touch navigation, a music player, and on-board Wi-Fi capabilities.  With a 2 year contract, the phone is currently $350 from Verizon Wireless’ website.

Exterior appearance

Where one would describe the iPhone as sexy, brilliant, even chic; the Samsung SCH-i730 is the polar opposite.  The clunky and cluttered exterior is tattered and distracting.  The front of the device is dominated by a large LCD screen with send and end buttons adorning the left and right side of the middle part of the device.  The number keys are squished and I found them very hard to use.  The rest of the keypad is made up of awkwardly placed function keys and a directional navigational pad that looks like a minature compact disk.

I found the keys to be very difficult and tedious to use.  Once you slide out the keyboard, a full keyboard is revealed that is slightly more usable than the main function keyset found on the face of the camera.  The screen switches (slowly) from portrait to landscape mode when you slide the keyboard out.

As a final note, this device is bulky and heavy.  It is definitely not made to fit comfortably into a pocket and will not draw the looks of passers by when you want to whip out your smartphone.  The buttons on the phone are adequately backlit for easy use in dark environments.

User Interface

While Microsoft made efforts to make Windows Mobile 6 more appeasing to the eye, there is still much to be desired.  In a market where the iPhone’s user interface dominates in terms of beauty and functionality, Windows Mobile is paltry in comparison.  Even Symbian OS is a figure of beauty and functionality compared to Windows Mobile 6.

However, I did find text both in the phones menus and inside applications to be very readable, showing the LCD’s display quality.

Dissapointing Performance

I found the performance of the i760 review unit to be terrible.  The response time when pressing keys and navigating menus is slow and annoying.  The touch screen is not responsive at all as it did not recognize numerous taps with the included stylus. However, the screen was very readable.

The Samsung i760 has poor cell phone reception capabilities.  I have numerous Verizon cell phones and am fully aware of areas where reception is strong or poor.  Being in an area where I know I get four bars with every other phone, the i760 continually dropped the signal and was unable to make or receive phone calls.  It was until I restarted the device that it re-gained connectivity on Verizon’s network.

When I was able to make a call on the i760, the sound was tinny and contained many echos, resulting in my having to ask the other to repeat themselves.

Also, battery life was terrible, even for an EVDO smart phone.  I was only able to squeeze out 2-3 hours of talk time, compared to 5-6 hours of talk time on other Verizon EVDO smartphones.  This poor battery life was displayed at a time in which I wasn’t employing the onboard Wi-Fi.

Conclusion

Overall this phone has many drawbacks, too many to justify its high price.  Even though the touch screen is large and vibrant, its lack of response makes it at times unusable.

As stated above, calls on this phone are full of echos and tinny speech.  The i760’s cannot retain cell phone reception which makes the use experience immensely frustrating.

I’m trying to process the information coming out of the newswire and blogosphere regarding the ClearWire/Sprint story.  For those unaware, an interesting batch of companies is coming out of the woodwork to contribute to the new company and in effect help build a wireless network.  As Om points out, Google and Intel have contributed $1 Billion, $500 million came from Time/Warner and Comcast, and $100 million has been put out by Bright House Networks.

Speaking to VoipWatch’s Andy Abramson earlier today, we briefly discussed the interesting mix of companies coming together for this venture.  I can see why Intel has jumped in as they have a large amount of capital invested into WiMax so they’ll do just about anything to see the technology prosper and be profitable.

However, considering ClearWire’s product is a fixed wireless alternative to other Internet service providers such as DSL and cable modems, what is Comcast and Time Warner’s interest in the deal?  Why would these players want to present another option to their broadband Internet services?  The only play I can think of is to be able offer a type of Internet service where their government-sponsored monopolies don’t exist.  Or perhaps to offer cell phone service that is re-badged, like a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)?

With WiMAX’s new resurgence, it’s definitely as a player in the 4G space as an alternative to cell phone carrier’s upcoming LTE network.  In the US, Verizon and AT&T have said LTE will be the technology of choice for their 4G networks.  How will WiMAX shake things up?

There have been some very interesting tidbits of news coming out of Verizon Wireless lately.  First, they want to open up their network to allow outside hardware and software makers to add value to their network.

Then, last Friday, Verizon Wireless announced that they have chosen  LTE as their 4G wireless broadband solution.  This technology was developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project and is a significant move for Verizon Wireless.  In essence, it means they will abandon their CDMA network and adopt a GSM network.  For those unaware, CDMA is primarily used in North American while GSM is the global standard that most every other telco on earth uses.

This is great news for consumers!!!  If Verizon follows through on opening up their network, this could finally mean that consumers can use the fantastic handsets from Europe and Asia.  Up to this point, Verizon customers have been stuck with feature-less phones that have been ‘cripled’ by Verizon in order to force us to use Verizon’s expensive premium services.

This is also great news GSM handset makers, including Nokia.  Naturally, they just announced their support for Verizon’s LTE decision.  I have recently been able to trial some Nseries phones from Nokia (including the N95) and have been very impressed with Nokia’s offerings.  While Nokia has an amazing market share in Europe and Asia (they are the worlds number one handset maker in terms of sales), they have barely cracked the market in the US.  I’m hoping getting Nokia’s in the hands of Verizon’s customers will help change that because I feel very stongly about Nokia’s platform.

This morning I was on a conference call right now with Verizon Wireless as they were announcing “Any Apps, Any Device”.  Bascially it means in 2008 they’ll take any CDMA device and application  as long as it means their basic technical requirements.  Additionally, Verizon wants developers to write applications for their platform.  This is pretty big news coming from a wireless carrier who before this was very closed.

Unfortunately this ‘open network’ from Verizon is based on CDMA standards, not the more globally adopted GSM standards that most of the world enjoys.  I am more a fan of Nokia’s “Open” platform that includes the Symbian operating system and a GSM platform that can be utilized anywhere in the world via GSM.

My thoughts: Verizon Wireless is reacting to outside market forces including the Nokia/Symbian platform as well as the Google Open Handset Alliance.  They are likely trying to position themselves for a win in the upcoming 700 Mhz auction.  There was a lot of jargon involved and I don’t think this new offering from Verizon will mean much when the rubber hits the road.

I’ve longed complained that mobile data phone plans are overpriced. That is, the price you pay to use your smartphone and it’s mobile data capabilities. I have owned a Treo 650 and a 700W, but I gave the device up because I’m unwilling to pay Verizon Wireless $40 a month for slow mobile data.

T-Mobile recently announced they’re dropping the price of their “Total Interenet” plan to $19.99 a month, down from $29.99. Also, you can do e-mail only Blackberry service for a mere $9.99 a month.

At this price, mobile data becomes realistic in my eyes and those of my friends and family. I pay roughly $40 a month for my broadband home internet access (which I can do *alot* more with then compared to a tiny screen on a cell phone). I believe the sweet spot for mobile data plans is an additional $10 to $20 month on top of your normal monthly calling plan.

Press release.  I swear, some people just don’t get it.  Verizon and T-Mobile are about to have their worlds rocked by a cell phone that’s actually easy to use.

Press Release: Verizon Wireless Stores Open All Day June 29 for Customers to Test Network, Buy Music Devices

Verizon Wireless Stores Open All Day June 29 for Customers to Test Drive the Nation’s Most Reliable Wireless Network, Purchase Any of 18 Multi-Media Music Devices

Free Music Essentials Kit with Purchase of LG VX9400

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 28 — On June 29 Verizon Wireless stores and kiosks will be open until 9:00 p.m. in most markets to give customers plenty of time to Test Drive the leading wireless company with the most reliable voice and data network. Customers will be able to pick up the latest in hot devices including, the LG VX9400 for $99.99 after a $50 rebate with a two-year contract and receive a free Music Essentials Kit that gives them all the tools they need to take their music with them wherever they go. Packaged for immediate fun, the Music Essentials Kit includes a stereo headset, a cable for music transfer from a PC to the LG VX9400 and a 2GB memory card that can store up to 1,000 songs.

Tunes and Tones Direct to the Handset

Regardless of when shoppers visit any of Verizon Wireless’ 2,300 stores nationwide, they will be able to choose from 18 different models that let customers search from more than two million songs from the V CAST Music library and immediately purchase and download their favorite tunes directly to their handsets. For customers who want to spend a little more time browsing, they can visit the V CAST Music library from their PC. Selected songs can be stored on a 1GB, 2GB or (for select phones) 4GB memory card. Of course, any Verizon Wireless customer wanting to download songs from their personal library can do so, quickly and easily using the RIP software when they register for V CAST Music on a PC. Copying and saving unprotected music to a memory card has never been so easy. Songs play directly from the memory card on any Verizon Wireless V CAST Music phone.

Name that Song
Music discovery has been taken to an entirely new level with Verizon Wireless V CAST Song ID. Whether at a party, a club or just kickin’ it with friends, customers can download Song ID to their V CAST Music-capable phone, hold the phone up to a speaker and within seconds identify and purchase most of today’s popular music. Song ID is quick, fast and totally designed for music aficionados who want their music now. And, with every handset purchase of a V CAST Music song, customers get two copies — one to the handset and one to the PC.
Directions to the Party
Being directionally challenged doesn’t mean missing the party. Every Verizon Wireless V CAST Music phone also comes with the ability to download a host of features that can be used immediately on the handset. One of the more popular downloadable applications, VZ Navigator(SM), provides turn-by-turn directions to millions of U.S. destinations and can get most customers to the locations of their choice using the shortest and the quickest routes.
Say “Cheese”

Capture the moment on any V CAST Music-capable phone with a click of a button to take a photo or capture a 15-second video that can also be ent
to friends within minutes.
Priced for the Party Animal
Verizon Wireless phones won’t empty the pockets of any party animal. Popular models are affordably priced — many under $100 — so customers can select a mobile phone that fits their style, their mood and best of all, their wallet. V CAST Music songs are 99 cents from any Windows(R) XP PC, or $1.99 for two copies when downloaded to a V CAST Music-capable handset. (The second copy is sent to a customer’s V CAST Music PC account.) VZ Navigator is priced at $1.99 per month, and Unlimited In Messaging Plans for Text, Picture, Video and Instant Messaging begin at $10.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 60.7 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 66,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

I seriously don’t understand this. According to this article in the Boston Globe, Cingular (now AT&T, again) is going to charge an early termination fee of $175 if you cancel your service agreement before the 2 years are up. Um WHAT?!

See in the United States, we pay nearly nothing for most cell phones. This is because they are ’subsidized’ by the telcos such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and the like. The early termination fee is charged if you leave before your contract is up to cushion the telco from losing money on the subsidy to you. But since AT&T is NOT subsidizing the cost of the iPhone (hence the $499 and $599 price tags) - they HAVE NO RIGHT to charge an early termination fee.

So I guess the moral of the story is - if you chose to buy an iPhone, you better know you’re going to like it!!!

PS As I’ve said before, I wish we had the European model of cell phone usage. They purchase their phones at full price (even if it means paying $200-400 per device) and get pre-paid SIM cards for GSM phones. When I get released from my service contract with verizon, I’m going this route. I’ll find some cool phone I like and just go pre-paid. Service Agreements suck