Samsung Shift a177 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $30 Airtime Credit

Heavy on functionality and light on the budget, the Samsung A177 boasts a full QWERTY keyboard so you can express yourself through text messaging, mobile email and instant messaging. And, with one-touch messaging, you can share the latest news with your crew starting with the press of a single key. And with AT&T's GoPhone pay-as-you-go service, you pay for just the minutes you use without having to sign up for an annual contract--this phone even comes with $30 of airtime included. You can easily refill your minutes via prepaid cards or the Internet, or choose to prepay each month and roll over unused minutes. Other features include a VGA camera for still photos, Bluetooth for handsfree devices, 50 MB of internal user-accessible memory, personal organizer tools, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

With AT&T's GoPhone service, you pay for just the minutes you use with no annual contract.

AT&T GoPhone Service
AT&T's pay-as-you-go GoPhone plans are wireless plans made easy. Simply pay in advance for what you need. No long-term contracts, credit checks, or surprise bills--just all the benefits of wireless, with no complications. In addition, AT&T's Rollover Balance feature lets you carry over your unused account balance when you purchase refill minutes before your balance expires. Other great features include no long distance or roaming fees across AT&T's national service area, the ability to track usage via text messages with an updated balance after each call, and the ability to refill your minutes 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. You can also cancel any time without penalty.

With the Pay As You Go option, you'll choose the rate plan that fits your needs and then start dialing. Your balance is lowered each time you make or receive a call or use services such as text messaging. You can then refill the minutes in your account via the Internet, using your phone (by calling 611 from your cell), or purchasing a pre-paid card in denominations up to $100.

With the Pick Your Plan option, you'll set up monthly, automatic payments with your credit/debit card or checking account. If you need to make more calls or you use up your balance during the month, just add minutes to your account at any time--you'll pay the same per-minute rate as your plan. You can buy more minutes in increments of $15 and $25 using your credit/debit card or checking account.

AT&T has also introduced a new $3 Unlimited calling plan, which charges you $3 per day for unlimited voice calls to anyone nationwide with no per-minute charges. The $3 per day fee is only charged on days when you make or receive a voice call, and the service does not require a deposit or long-term commitment.

Phone Features
The Samsung A177 messaging phone has a 2.2-inch LCD screen (220 x 176 pixels, 65K color depth), which sits atop a standard navigation pad that's complemented by send/end and soft navigation keys as well as a dedicated messaging key. The full QWERTY keyboard below the navigation area makes it easy to precisely type out email and text/instant messages while on the go, and it includes a dedicated camera key. The phone includes 64 MB of internal memory (approximately 50 MB user accessible), which cannot be expanded. The phonebook can store up to 500 contacts with support for multiple numbers per entry as well as photo/ringer ID and caller groups.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer.

You'll be able to stay in close contact with friends and family via both text (SMS) and picture (MMS) messaging, and this phone provides access to popular instant messaging services (including AIM, Yahoo!, and Windows Live) for fast, on-the-go conversations. Additionally, this phone also includes support for accessing personal email from POP3 and IMAP4 accounts. This handset includes built-in T9 predictive text entry technology, which makes it easier to enter words and text.

Other features include:

• VGA digital camera (640 x 480 pixels) for still photos with 4x digital zoom
• Organizer tools: alarm, calendar, memo book, clock, world time, currency converter, calculator
• MP3 and 64-chord polyphonic ringtones plus vibrate mode
• Digital audio player compatible with MP3 files
• Downloadable games
• Speakerphone

Vital Statistics
The Samsung A177 weighs 3.09 ounces and measures 4.29 x 2.32 x 0.47 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.