This is a nice benefit we just came across, associated with the Citi Forward Credit Card:

Use your Citi Forward card to pay your cell phone bill and get free protection (up to $250) from damage and theft.  All phones (including iPhones and smartphones) from all telecom providers are covered.

If you don’t want to spend $5 a month for cell phone insurance, but still want some coverage, this might be an easy way to do it.

This is a very attractive credit card, especially if you pay off most or all of your balance each month.   It has a 0% intro APR, no annual fee and a generous rewards program.  See the card offer for full terms and conditions.

To apply for the Citi Forward Card, click here.

Unlimited cell phone rate plans have arrived! Here is a recap of the major carrier options (unlimited items in parentheses), along with our comments on these new plans:

• Verizon: $99.99 (voice), $119.99 (voice + text), $139.99 (voice + text + data)
• T-Mobile: $99.99 (voice + text)
• AT&T: $99.99 (voice)

It was inevitable that unlimited would eventually happen, as per minute costs in rate plans have continued to drop and regional carriers like MetroPCS and Cricket have had some success with an unlimited product. (Those other carriers offer unlimited at lower rates of around $40 or $50, but have historically only covered a small area…so more of a landline replacement. However, they have recently started offering some pay-as-you-go roaming options, so were probably starting to encroach a bit on the customer base of the larger carriers.

Usually what happens in wireless is that by the time new products are announced, the customer benefit isn’t as great as it might first seem. That is the case here. For example, a Verizon customer could already have gotten 2,000 minutes for that same $99.99. While unlimited is obviously greater than 2,000…that current plan includes unlimited nights & weekends, as well as free calling to other Verizon customers (some 60 million or more). So, at the end of the day, for existing Verizon customers, this plan only benefits those who use more than 2,000 minutes during peak time (6AM to 9PM weekdays) calling people that aren’t other Verizon Wireless customers —– not a huge share of their customer base.

Who should look into these plans?

• People on single line plans over $99 or 2 line family plans above $198.
• People on $80 plans who sometimes incur enough overage to put them over $100, or who want more certainty with their bills

A top 10 list of Valentine-colored cell phones for 2008:

Black Cherry Chocolate (Verizon): Part phone, part music player, this slider phone has touch-sensitive navigation keys, GPS, a megapixel camera and video capture.

Dark Red Samsung Blackjack II (AT&T):   Better than the original Blackjack; full QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera, high speed data and GPS support

Extreme Pink LG Muziq (Sprint):  Music-centric phone with an MP3 player, FM transmitter, dedicated music key, megapixel camera and high speed data.

Pink LG Venus (Verizon):   A galaxy of features in a slim profile, including touch navigation, slide-out keypad and 2 megapixel camera

Pink or Red Palm Centro (Sprint):   Less expensive PDA from Palm; full QWERTY keyboard, touch screen, stereo Bluetooth and megapixel camera.

Pink Sony-Ericsson W580i (AT&T):  Sleek, slim slider music phone (both MP3 and FM), a megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth.

Red LG Shine (AT&T):  Multimedia slider design with mirror finish & large illuminated screen, 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player and 4GB microSD memory port.

Red Samsung Juke (Verizon):  Sleek and narrow MP3 player that swivels into a phone, with GPS, Bluetooth and camera.

Ruby Red Motorola RAZR V3xx (AT&T): This version of the iconic phone offers high-speed downloads, a megapixel camera, an MP3 player and stereo Bluetooth.

Sunset Red BlackBerry Pearl (T-Mobile):  Full QWERTY keyboard in a slim, open design with a megapixel camera, voice-activated dialing and MP3 player.

Cell phones are now available in a rainbow of colors; at this time of year red or pink seem like a good idea, and there are plenty of options to choose from. If you’d like to go red or pink for your honey, but not for yourself, check out this page on how to get a family plan with two different phones:

Most carriers raised their text messaging charges from 10 to 15 cents in 2006; Sprint raised another 5 cents in 2007 and now Verizon has joined them at 20 cents each.

These seem like excessive increases in a country with 3% inflation but the idea here is to push all but the most casual texters to a monthly plan.     If you send/receive just one text or IM per day, you’ll most likely be better off on a bundled plan.  You can sign up for a bundle when purchasing a new rate plan.  For existing customers of a carrier, contact them directly to change your text messaging plan.

Order T-Mobile service before the end of the year, and your activation fee will be waived.  This is a savings of $35!   Save $70 or more with a family plan!

We are often asked about phones that are more accessible; the most common request is for an easy-to-use phone with larger keys and a display with larger fonts. Unfortunately, there haven’t been that many good solutions, as the focus of the carriers in the last couple years has been more sophisticated, ever-smaller devices that support various data services.

However, there is finally a good option: The Verizon Coupe.   This is a simple phone:  No camera, no music player, no Internet.  The Coupe has 3 buttons, labeled I, C & E (In Case of Emergency)…. use these for one-touch calling to 3 contacts.  There is also a dedicated 911 button.   The Coupe offers larger than normal fonts and keys.  As of this writing, the Coupe is just $39.99 with a two-year Verizon contract.

Verizon has also created a plan to go along with the Coupe.  Actually, you can get the plan with any phone, but you must be 65 or older.  Called “Nationwide 65 Plus”, this plan provides 200 anytime minutes, 500 night & weekend minutes, and unlimited free calling to other Verizon subscribers… all for just $29.99/month.  A family plan version of this plan is also available for $59.99/month; it includes 450 anytime minutes, 1,000 night & weekend minutes, and unlimited free calling to other Verizon subscribers.

AT&T has rolled out its free directory assistance nationwide, which can save you upwards of $1.50 per request.   Call 800.935.5697 from your home/cell phone.  The service is advertiser-supported, so expect to listen to an ad relevant to your number request before actually getting the number.

Verizon Wireless has expanded its INpulse prepaid plan, and now offers three different varieties. Note that all the plans discussed below come with free mobile-to-mobile calling to all other Verizon Wireless subscribers. Also note that text message pricing is per message, whether received or sent.  Night calling referred to below is from 9PM to 6AM.

• INpulse Core: This plan is closest to the single plan previously offered, with one huge improvement. Previously, there was a 99¢ per day charge, whether you used the phone or not. That meant a minimum $30 bill each month, whether you used the phone or not. Now the 99¢ charge is only on the days you use the phone. with INpulse Core, all voice minutes are 10¢ each, as are text messages. We hate to make you do math, but INpulse Core is most economical if your total non-night voice minutes and text messages + double your night minutes is less than 20 on the days you use the phone.
• INpulse Plus: This plan comes with a $1.99 per day charge (on days you use the phone). The price per voice minute or text message drops to 5¢ each. The plan also offers free night calling. INpulse Plus is recommended for those using more than 20 minutes & text messages on the days you use the phone, unless you fall into the category recommended for the final plan.
• INpulse Power: This plan comes with a $2.99 per day charge (on days you use the phone). The price per voice minute or text message drops to 2¢ each and night calling is free. INpulse Power is recommended for those using more than 35 non-night minutes & text messages (anytime) per day on the days you use the phone.

Ever wonder how many subscribers your cell phone company has? We didn’t think so, but we’ll tell you anyway. These numbers are from 3Q financial report filings.

1. AT&T………….66 million
2. Verizon……….64 million
3. Sprint…………54 million (includes Nextel)
4. T-Mobile……28 million
5. Alltel………….12 million
6. U.S. Cellular…6 million

Bigger isn’t necessarily better, of course. However, with larger pools of free mobile-to-mobile subscribers and bigger coverage areas, the industry will likely continue to trend toward larger and larger companies.