Anyone willing to sign a two-year contract with Sprint can get a Samsung Galaxy S III from Wirefly for just $179.99. Wirelfly will ship the device for Sprint customers on June 21st, and will include a $10 Google Wallet credit with every order. Of course, while saving $20 on a Galaxy S III sounds good, there are a couple of things prospective buyers should consider before taking the plunge. First, the Galaxy S III uses LTE for its 4G connectivity and Sprint currently has no LTE network. Sure, the carrier says that it will roll out LTE in the near future but even at its launch, Sprint LTE will only be available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio within the next couple months. Second, Sprint doesn’t have a speedy HSPA+ network to rely upon for its pre-LTE technology as T-Mobile does, and instead must rely on the much slower CDMA-based EV-DO Rev. A to deliver data. Sprint could offer faster connectivity to its Galaxy S III users if Samsung had made the device compatible with WiMAX, but a dual mode device with LTE and WiMAX will never see the light of day at Sprint, the carrier has assured us. The bottom line is anyone getting the Galaxy S III on Sprint should expect a slower connection than on any other major U.S. carrier.
Samsung Galaxy S III now just $179.99 at Wirefly
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:27PM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
