It seems there's another cell phone?related Guinness World Record attempt about to be made. To mark the Cricket Wireless launch in the Chicagoland area, the Windy City will be seeing the world's largest, working cell phone tomorrow.
The mongo phone is a Samsung Messager measuring 11 feet x 15 feet, and if you?re in Chicago on Wednesday, you?re invited to check it out for yourself at 11 am in Fidelity Plaza (formerly known as Pioneer Court at 401 N. Michigan Ave). That's when it will be certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in an unveiling ceremony. 
Afterwards, visitors will be able to make unlimited free calls and texts on the gigantic cell phone, participate in a speed text-messaging contest or partake in other fun stuff, like a video booth and live music performance. After the event, it will remain open to the public through March 15, so Chicagoans can still pop by to make unlimited calls and texts to anyone in the country using the giant handset.
If you live in Chicago and don't travel much, Cricket's wireless service itself actually sounds like a pretty sweet deal. There's a flat rate with no contract or credit checks required, and a really low $45 unlimited plan. That's unlimited long distance, text and picture messaging, mobile Web, directory assistance and, of course, calls ? in fact, unlimited calling to anyone on any network (cellular or landline) anywhere in the United States. The catch is, you have to be calling from the home coverage area.
The company's pretty confident about its service. It claims to work in the underground Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train lines and also offers unlimited broadband with speeds comparable to DSL in coverage areas.
If you travel, however, this may not be the best deal for you. Since Cricket's a regional carrier, calling from outside the Chicago area is considered roaming. (Remember roaming? Man, that takes me way back to my old Startac days?) While there's an upgrade that takes care of that, the company doesn't guarantee coverage in everywhere.
Cricket products and services are already available at 160 stores and dealers, online and via phone (800-922-9169), with more stores set to open over the next 30 days.
