Alltel Wireless Unwraps LG Glimmer Phone

Alltel Wireless took the wraps off the LG Glimmer today, a handset with a slide-out keypad and a touchscreen interface that's quickly becoming the hallmark of smartphones everywhere.

Glimmer has a 2-megapixel camera and an MP3 player with an equalizer that is easily customized, according to the carrier. The unit also is GPS-equipped and comes with an expandable memory slot; 128 MB of internal memory is standard, more than enough to support the demands of three-dimensional graphics.

Glimmer's "large display and multimedia capabilities allow our customers to access and manage their video and music with a simple touch," said Brian Ullem, VP of device strategy for Alltel Wireless, in a statement.

Glimmer also comes loaded with several Alltel applications including Alltel Navigation, Axcess Search, CityID, and Axcess TV. The carrier also said that users can listen to music while performing other tasks on the phone, like taking photos, recording video, or sending text messages.

Glimmer also supports Alltel's new service, Axcess Voice2TXT. The service converts incoming voice mails to text messages in the customer's in-box, then allows customers to store and forward converted voice mails as regular text messages, the carrier said.

The new smartphone, which will become commercially available March 13, will cost $250 after a $100 mail-in rebate; that discounted price is available to new customers who agree to a two-year service agreement, and to existing customers with qualifying rate plans, Alltel said. Glimmer customers also automatically qualify for the carrier's "My Circle" feature to receive unlimited calling to any five, 10, or 20 numbers in any network.