Spice mobile added another people friendly handset to its portfolio – the S-580. This handset is positioned as a music phone and it comes with an MP3 player, FM recording, playback and supports expandable memory up to 2 GB.

It has a chess design keypad and boasts a new feature called Dazzle Ring tone that enables users to use ten different ring tones to every new call that one gets. It also comes with features like one-touch torch light, mobile tracker, GPRS & WAP functions and schedule SMS facility. The handset will be available at a price of Rs. 2249.

Post acquisition of Spice, Idea Cellular was eyeing new addition of subscribers to the tune of 44 lakhs. However, the revised number of subscribers can be around 34 lakhs as Spice Communications lost around a million customers within the two months. This clean up activity which Spice says was conformed to the reporting standards adopted by Idea Cellular and was carried out to wipe out those customers who have not generated any revenues for the past six months. Such large number of inactive customers will surely make a company ail but analysts claim that with the backing and expertise of Idea, Spice will soon be a profitable venture within the next year.

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It is a smart tactic followed by operators to have SMS rates priced high and then offer attractive SMS packs being made available to them. The same is being followed by Spice. Here is a look at its really attractive SMS packs:

• Rs. 30 - 300 local SMS free and 50paise thereafter
• Rs. 60 - 500 Local and National SMS free and 50 paise thereafter
• Rs.99 - 1000 Local and National SMS free and 50 paise thereafter

To avail this pack, you just have to send ‘REGSMS30/60/99′ (one of the three choices) to 55055.

This plan comes from Spice Telecom and it is named Postpaid 650 Plan. This is recommended for the heavy users, which you will notice below:

• Monthly Rental: Rs.650
• Local calls to Spice: 30paise
• Local calls to other networks: 50paise
• Local calls to Fixed lines: 99paise
• Local and National SMS: 50 paise
• STD calls: Rs.1.3
• 650 minutes of free calling to local Spice numbers
• 650 minutes of free calling to local cellphones
• 650 local SMS to all networks free

We say: The last three lines make the whole plan look great, but the rent seems unrealistic. Though it is providing benefits, the basic bill would be a minimum of Rs.650. The local calls have been priced well and this might be a positive for the plan.