Attention, MetroPCS customers. If you're in the market for a new Android smartphone, we have good news.
The no-contract wireless carrier on Monday added the Samsung Galaxy S 4 to its 4G smartphone lineup. The popular phone is available through MetroPCS in select cities for $549 and can be paired with any of the carrier's no-annual-contract 4G service plans, which start at $40 per month for unlimited data, talk, and text.
At this point it looks like MetroPCS is only offering the phone in its brick-and-mortar stores in Atlanta; Boston; Dallas - Ft. Worth; Hartford, Conn.; Las Vegas; New York; Philadelphia; and San Francisco. Additional markets and online availability will be announced "soon," the company said.
"Providing choice and flexibility for consumers means offering premium smartphones without the costly service and a long-term contract," Tom Keys, MetroPCS COO, said in a statement. "By combining the Galaxy S 4 and affordable nationwide 4G service plans … we are truly enabling our customers to have it all."
Samsung's latest flagship smartphone boasts a 5-inch, 1080p Super AMOLED HD screen with 441 pixels per inch and 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. It runs an enhanced version of Google's Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with a 1.9-GHz quad-core processor. Other specs include a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, and HSPA+/LTE connectivity where coverage is available.
Regional carrier C Spire will also begin offering the Galaxy S 4 today for $199.99 with a two-year contract.
In other mobile news, Samsung has struck a deal with Wi-Fi provider Boingo to offer one year of free Wi-Fi access in North America to Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 8 Wi-Fi users. Those who purchase one of these tablets can access Boingo's more than 35,000 hotspots in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by registering for Samsung's Galaxy Perks program.
For more, see PCMag's review of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, as well as the slideshow above. Also check out our Galaxy S 4 vs. Apple iPhone 5: Spec Showdown.
Since the launch of the Galaxy S 4, Samsung has introduced a 4.3-inch "mini" version of the phone, as well as the more rugged Galaxy S4 Active, and the Galaxy S4 Zoom, which includes 10x optical zoom.