Soon after Samsung announced that the Galaxy S III would be launching on all major U.S. carriers before the end of June, those carriers began announcing details of the launch on their networks and began trying to differentiate themselves. Sprint is the latest carrier to woo Android fans to their network using Samsung’s flagship Android smartphone, and the only carrier so far to release information on all three of the big details: pre-ordering, pricing, and release date.
Sprint has one-upped Verizon and announced it will begin taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S III starting tomorrow, June 5 – one day before Verizon begins taking pre-orders. Sprint’s pricing of the smartphone will be the same as Verizon’s: $200 for the 16 GB version and $250 for the 32 GB version, which will only be available through Sprint’s website. The phone be for sale through Sprint starting June 21, the same date that T-Mobile has announced. The Galaxy S III will be available in both its white and blue versions through Sprint.
Sprint is trying to stand out from the other carriers by pre-loading Google Wallet on all Galaxy S III’s purchased from its stores or website. It is also, predictably, highlighting the fact that it is the only carrier to still offer truly unlimited data plans. Sprint recently announced that it will also be offering unlimited plans for its 4G LTE network, which it is just beginning to roll out.
“Sprint and Samsung take another leap forward together in bringing our customers the best in mobile technology with Galaxy S III on the Sprint 4G LTE network,” said Fared Adib, vice president of product development at Sprint. “Sprint is the only U.S. carrier to offer this device with the simplicity of unlimited data plans. Our customers will appreciate being able to use the robust features and capabilities of this device without worrying about data caps, throttling or silly overage charges.”