01/29/13 – Cupid Goes Mobile

COLUMBIA, Mo. (Jan. 29, 2013)—Valentine’s Day is the one day a year when everyone can be a Romeo, carefully planning the details of a romantic evening, but too often some end up becoming passionate procrastinators. Don’t let your good intentions go to waste and instead plan ahead with your smartphone or tablet for this February 14.

“Mobile shopping has become mainstream,” said Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Missouri. “With smartphones and tablets that offer access to a variety of apps available in the Google Play Store, mobile web browsing, and a fast 4G LTE network, it’s easier than ever to plan the perfect date.

According to IBM, a 2012 analysis of online shopping the week leading up to Valentine’s Day found that 10 percent of all sales came through mobile devices. What were people shopping for? There was an 18 percent growth in mobile sales of jewelry and intimate apparel, and a 15 percent uptick in mobile sales of health and beauty items, such as lotions and fragrances.

To help you plan a memorable Valentine’s Day, U.S. Cellular recommends the following apps:

Make reservations—Plan ahead with Open Table’s free Android app, which helps you search, book and confirm reservations at tens of thousands of restaurants. Search by restaurant name or find a local eatery based on price, cuisine, reservation time or ambiance. If you are caught on Valentine’s Day without dinner plans, you can use Open Table to see real-time availability for local restaurants.

  • Nothing says Valentine’s Day like flowers1-800-Flowers’ app lets you select the perfect arrangement and you can fill the order using your phone’s address book to help with the details. If you’d rather see the flowers in person, the 1-800-Flowers app will also direct you to their nearest florist.
  • Saying I love you—The free Love Poems app will give you plenty of inspiration on how to say I love you. Search, save, and share your favorite quotes for love, romance or friendship.
  • Frame it with love—Capture images from your Valentine’s Day celebration with the free Love Frames app. It comes with dozens of photo frames to add a touch of romance to your snapshots. Save photos to your device gallery, send them to your loved ones via email or text message, or share on Facebook and Twitter.

“In addition to smartphones and tablets that can make life simpler and easier, U.S. Cellular customers also get unique benefits like Overage Protection and a valuable rewards program that recognizes loyalty,” adds Waddell. “You can use your rewards points for faster phone upgrades and free ringtones.”

Downloading and accessing these apps while on-the-go is easy with the 4G LTE network, with data speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G, and U.S. Cellular’s cutting-edge lineup of 4G LTE devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S® III or Samsung Galaxy Note® II.

4G LTE service provided through King Street Wireless, a partner of U.S. Cellular. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular rewards its customers with unmatched benefits and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier has a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices that are all backed by its high-speed nationwide network that has the highest call quality of any national carrier. Currently, 58 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds and 87 percent will have access by the end of 2013. U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion in 2012 for the second year in a row. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

For more information, contact: 

Sara Randolph, Public Relations Counsel. (314) 436-9090 Sara@hausergrouppr.com

Kelly Harfoot, Media Relations,U.S.Cellular Office: 773-355-3697  Kelly.Harfoot@uscellular.com