MetroPCS launches two LTE smartphones from LG, Samsung

LAS VEGAS--Flat-rate player MetroPCS (NASDAQ:PCS) bolstered its LTE device lineup with the announcement of two new smartphones from LG and Samsung ahead of the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show here.

LG Connect 4G MetroPCS LTE

LG Connect 4G

MetroPCS said it will launch the LG Connect 4G within the next month, its first dual-core smartphone. The device packs a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, runs on version 2.3 of Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android platform, and has a 4-inch NOVA display from LG and can record 720p HD video. The carrier did not reveal a price for the device, but it is likely to be on the high end of MetroPCS' no-contract price scale, near $400.

Additionally, MetroPCS unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G, a mass-market device that still packs respectable specifications. The Galaxy Attain has a 1 GHz processor, runs on Android 2.3, and has a 3.5-inch screen, 3-megapixel camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The carrier said the Galaxy Attain will be available "in the coming weeks" for $199 plus tax, after a $50 mail-in rebate, for a limited time only.

MetroPCS is currently in a transition period and is trying to migrate as many customers to LTE as possible to reduce network costs. However, the company said it is not likely to introduce LTE smartphones below the $100 range until the end of the year. Until then, MetroPCS is going to bulk up its Android and LTE smartphone lineups to attract more customers to switch. The company plans to shift the focus of its marketing in the third quarter of this year to focus more on its LTE network and on family plans.

MetroPCS said last week it added around 197,000 net subscribers in the fourth quarter, better than the 69,000 it had in the third quarter but down from nearly 298,000 in the year-ago period. Still, the company said it was pleased with its overall progress in 2011, and noted that it added 1.2 million net total subscribers for the year, finishing with 9.3 million customers.

For more:
- see this release
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- see this PC Magazine article

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