Can a Cell Phone Make You Famous?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live life like a celebrity, with a personal assistant always on call? Someone to make your dinner reservations, or order your theater tickets? While it won't garner you instant fame, cell phone service from Voce could at least give you a taste of the good life. Voce, which describes itself as the "world's first premium wireless service," offers you a cell phone and cell phone service, complete with your very own personal assistant.

Voce's service plan includes most of the cell phone basics: unlimited voice minutes, directory assistance, and basic data usage, among other things. The company also offers a device program: you receive a free handset upgrade every year, so that as long as you remain a Voce customer, you never have to purchase another handset. The handsets you can choose from include the Nokia 8801 (a luxury handset that we reviewed last year), the Motorola PEBL, the Nokia 7380, the Dolce and Gabanna version of the Motorola Razr, and the Palm Treo 650 (the company plans to offer the new Treo 680 soon).

While the free handset upgrade is a nice touch, it's not what sets Voce apart. What the company wants to be known for is the service it provides to its customers. That's why every Voce customer has round-the-clock access to a live personal assistant, a human being who can support your needs--those that relate to the use of your cell phone and otherwise.

To access your Voce assistant, you dial 611 from your Voce phone. The assistant who answers your call will know exactly who is calling, and will help you with various requests, whether you're wondering how to access the Bluetooth features on your cell phone or helping you make dinner reservations at the Ivy in Beverly Hills. They'll research a local restaurant for you, order concert tickets, or tell you if Nicole Richie was adopted. (This was an actual question posed to an assistant recently, Voce says.) They'll also answer your questions about movie times, provide wake up calls, tell you the scores of the football game, or research the depleting ozone layer for you. If you'd like, they'll gather the information you're looking for and deliver it to you by voice, e-mail, or text message.

So, is there any limit on what your Voce assistant will do? The company does have some ethical and business limitations, Voce says, noting they won't "do things that are questionable."

All of this service won't come cheap: Voce charges a $500 fee to activate the service, and a monthly fee of $200. That includes your initial handset and the replacement handset every year. The company does not enforce any long-term contracts, Voce says.