Speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference this morning, Linquist said the company plans to release its second Android device in the first quarter of next year, possibly in February, with more Android devices coming on “in a significant way” in the middle of next year.
MetroPCS plans to have a “half dozen” Android smartphones by the end of next year, he said.
Some of the carrier’s planned high-end Android devices could cost between $400 and $500, unsubsidized, Linquist said. The company’s first LTE handset, the Samsung Craft, is currently selling for $299 on the MetroPCS website and its sole Android handset, the LG Optimus M, costs $229.
“Price points will not be that dissimilar to phones on 3G networks,” Linquist said of the company’s planned LTE devices. He also said it was important to introduce phones costing below $150.
MetroPCS hinted last month that it may launch an LTE-based Samsung Galaxy S device sometime next year.
Linquist also acknowledged that the company is short on spectrum in some of its markets, especially Philadelphia, but was confident the company could meet data demands. MetroPCS is deploying LTE in a relatively narrow spectrum band compared to some of its peers and has not publically disclosed what speeds users can expect from its LTE service.