Samsung Muse ships to Alltel

After some delay, Alltel this morning began shipping the Samsung Muse, a new mid-range music phone for the carrier's lineup. The phone is a more advanced take on the Verizon Gleam and adds touch music controls to the outside of the clamshell, letting users quickly skip or pause tracks. A dedicated music button also allows the phone to hop from any menu to its music player software. A 2-megapixel camera and assisted GPS also round out its core features.

The provider loads the phone with its custom Celltop widget-like interface as well as optional access to Internet streams of XM radio and mobile TV. Alltel sells the phone today for $90 with a two-year contract or $270 as a contract-free device.