Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Alltel have no intention of letting Best Buy and Wal-Mart have all the fun -- and shoppers -- on Black Friday.

Everybody's doing it. Even Apple is getting in on the discount game.

The wireless carriers are encouraging the nation's shoppers to not spend all of their money on new televisions or Blu-Ray players, or Macbooks. Why not save some money for new cell phone purchases?

Sprint has a "Ready, set, shop!" three-day promotional sale, featuring such devices as a $29.99 LG Rumor and a $99.99 LG Lotus, after rebates.

Wireless Week said Verizon Wireless and Alltel are launching new smartphones and AT&T is attempting to tempt consumers with a two-for-one holiday deal.

"AT&T’s buy-one, get-one-free offer applies to the Pantech Matrix and Samsung Propel," wrote Wireless Week's Evan Koblentz. "The Matrix is a dual slider and the Propel is designed with an entertainment focus. Each normally costs $79.99 after mail-in rebates. For the current offer, customers must pay $129.99 for the first phone and $49.99 for the second, plus 2-year contracts for both phones, followed by rebates via debit cards."

Rethink Wireless says the moves aren't surprising, considering how hard the wireless companies could be hit with a consumer pullback during this economic downturn.

"The downturn year of 2009 is likely to shake up the handset sector, and early indicators will be seen in the important holiday buying season, kicked off this week by the US’ post-Thanksgiving ‘Black Friday’, a major shopping day that will feature more aggressive moves than ever to lure customers," Rethink wrote. "

Star turns are at the sophisticated, multimedia or business end of the market, though helped by aggressive operator deals – the RIM BlackBerry Storm and Samsung Omnia at Verizon; the HTC Touch Pro at Verizon and Sprint; the continuing impact of the iPhone at AT&T and the emergence of the T-Mobile G1."

Mike Dano of RCR Wireless said Black Friday essentially marks the start of a fourth-quarter showdown with substantial implications.

"And so, here we are, at the critical fourth-quarter holiday shopping season, a time of year when the wireless industry pulls out all the stops in an attempt to generate hype, sales and — ultimately — profits. Add into this mix a global financial credit crisis of Great Depression proportions, and you have a recipe for all-out wireless war. For those in the know, it will be great to watch."

In particular, Dano said, he's going to keep an eye on T-Mobile and its G1 Google phone, and the skirmish between Verizon's Blackberry Storm and the Apple iPhone.

He also will join those to see whether Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and all of his commercials and other initiatives finally will make a difference.

"And will Sprint Nextel’s new marketing campaign reverse the carrier’s sagging fortunes?" Dano asked. "Or will it need to fall back on its WiMAX effort with Clearwire to soothe exasperated investors?"