U.S. Cellular adopts the Samsung Profile, a.k.a. Samsung Restore

U.S. Cellular has just adopted a new full QWERTY feature phone to their lineup, the Samsung Profile. This is the same model as the Samsung Restore on Sprint, and the Samsung Messager III on MetroPCS.

The Samsung Profile features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, as well as a numeric keypad on the front. It has a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 2 megapixel camera/video recorder, GPS, stereo Bluetooth 2.0, an MP3 player, and microSD support up to 16GB.

Data-wise, it has a web browser, support for EV-FO data, and social networking clients. The 1140mAh battery delivers 6 hours of talk-time, and 12.5 days of standby.

While the four major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile) are still reigning supreme, smaller carriers like U.S. Cellular, MetroPCS, and Cellular South are gaining steam. MetroPCS has the first functioning LTE network in the U.S., and Cellular South is building its own for a late 2011 launch. While the top 4 carriers still get first crack at the newest devices, the regional carriers are competing with straightforward, low-cost plans. In light of drama like Verizon's fraudulent charges, customers may start looking at smaller carriers more eager to satisfy their clients.

source: U.S. Cellular via IntoMobile