To send a free SMS, you can some times go the mobile service provider website and send an SMS to any mobile on their network.
Alternatively there are websites like textmefree.com which have a list of free SMS websites.
To find the latest cell phone trends and prices in certain markets, you can go to the website www.phonescoop.com
It has details of a large variety of phones from different manufacturers with prices. You can compare the features side by side.
I have signed up for few of the paid to receive SMSes websites to check their offering. One of the websites has tie ups with local merchants and offers coupons for making purchases. This helps the merchant track sales. They also send alerts about local shopping events like discounts on purchases and special dinners. However, the ads are not targetted towards the user profile, I would rather receive computer specifications than dinner coupon details.
In many countries, though the number of mobile users is high, Value added services (VAS) have not taken off in a big way. This is because though the content providers spend a lot of time and effort developing content for the mobile phones, they are unable to deliver it to the end users unless they have a tie up with the telecom companies. In many countries, the content providers get as little as 30% of the revenue they generate.