MetroPCS and Cricket start financing high-end handsets

MetroPCS and Cricket have both started to offer customers financing to help them purchase high-end handsets like the Apple iPhone 5; Neither carrier offers subsidized deals in which a major chunk of the phone is paid for by the carrier and in return the customer signs a two-year contract which locks him into the mobile operator for 24 months. Since both MetroPCS and Cricket don't have customers sign contracts, neither can lock in their customers for any time period which would certainly make subsidizing new phones very risky. So how can pre-paid carriers help some of their cash-strapped customers buy high-end handsets valued at $500-$700 or more? Both MetroPCS and Cricket are working with Progressive Financing to help offer customers low upfront payments on otherwise expensive smartphones. MetroPCS is also working with a company called BillFloat and the idea is to let a customer walk away with,say, an Apple iPhone 5 after putting up a small amount of money upfront and paying off the balance in monthly installments. Cricket customers can walk out of the store with an Apple iPhone 5 for just $105 upfront. After paying interest and repayment fees, the buyer will end up paying a lot more than the partly subsidized $500 that Cricket also offers the phone for, but BillFloat and Progressive don't require a credit check. The companies take their monthly payments straight from the borrower's bank account.

source: GIGaom

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Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G affordable smartphone from MetroPCS

MetroPCS has officially introduced a new affordable 4G LTE-capable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G. It is enhanced version of its successor the Samsung Admire smartphone that released by MetroPCS last year. The Galaxy Admire 4G is price tag $169.99 sans agreement and available now at its website.

This handset comes with similar specifications to the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus S7500 that already available since early this year in Asian and European markets.

Running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread software, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G smartphone boasts a 1GHz single-core processor and 1.38GB of internal memory. New smartphone has features a 3.65-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels, a 3MP rear-facing camera with flash, and VGA camera on the front.

MetroPCS’ Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G smartphone offers Wi-Fi, Mobile Hotspot, 1600 mAh battery, and GPS. Moreover, this phone is also support for MetroPCS’ joyn service, which delivers an intuitive way to unify mobile-to-mobile communications and enriched services (chat, video calling, content sharing, and more).

Dimensions of Galaxy Admire 4G are 4.52 x 2.46 x 0.47 inches and weighs 4.34 oz.

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Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G affordable smartphone from MetroPCS

MetroPCS has officially introduced a new affordable 4G LTE-capable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G. It is enhanced version of its successor the Samsung Admire smartphone that released by MetroPCS last year. The Galaxy Admire 4G is price tag $169.99 sans agreement and available now at its website.

This handset comes with similar specifications to the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus S7500 that already available since early this year in Asian and European markets.

Running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread software, the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G smartphone boasts a 1GHz single-core processor and 1.38GB of internal memory. New smartphone has features a 3.65-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels, a 3MP rear-facing camera with flash, and VGA camera on the front.

MetroPCS’ Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G smartphone offers Wi-Fi, Mobile Hotspot, 1600 mAh battery, and GPS. Moreover, this phone is also support for MetroPCS’ joyn service, which delivers an intuitive way to unify mobile-to-mobile communications and enriched services (chat, video calling, content sharing, and more).

Dimensions of Galaxy Admire 4G are 4.52 x 2.46 x 0.47 inches and weighs 4.34 oz.

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MetroPCS expects stockholders to approve T-Mobile deal at meeting in February or March

MetroPCS CFO Braxton Carter told a Morgan Stanley investor conference on Friday that the company had spoken with several other potential suitors, but is now firmly 100% behind the deal it has inked with T-Mobile.The combination of the nation's fourth and fifth largest carriers should strengthen T-Mobile and make them a more viable challenger in the industry. Carter also said that the combined company will outperform some of its earlier estimates for profit margins thanks to savings between the two firms and MetroPCS' expansion into new parts of the country. Carter added that he believes that MetroPCS shareholders, who by law need to approve the deal, are behind the acquisition. Both firms filed proxy statements with the SEC on Friday to get the votes of their respective shareholders on the deal. MetroPCS is expected to hold its shareholder vote for February or March.

Last year, Sprint and its CEO Dan Hesse were said to have agreed on an $8 billion buy out of MetroPCS only to have Sprint's board reject the deal. Both T-Mobile and MetroPCS' boards have agreed to the current acquisition leaving stockholders and regulators left to sign off on the deal.

source: Reuters

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