AT&T and Sprint took the lead in offering the Samsung Galaxy S5 in a pre-sale starting Friday. T-Mobile will follow Monday.
New smartphones from renowned companies bring a lot of excitement among consumers who battle to get their hands on the device as early as possible. Samsung announced the latest flagship smartphone, Galaxy S5, last month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
As early birds get better response, America's leading carriers fight to launch new devices on their networks just as soon as they are announced. In a competitive race, some carriers are left behind while some steal the limelight. In this case, AT&T and Sprint took center stage to offer the Galaxy S5 on their network by starting a pre-sale, Friday. This helps customers reserve the handset for them when it becomes available in the market.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Through AT&T
AT&T is taking pre-orders for Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, allowing customers to choose from a two-year contract, AT&T Next, or buy an unlocked version. By signing a two-year contract with AT&T, customers will pay only the subsidized value of the phone, $199.99. Termination of the contract can lead to applicable charges.
Customers can also opt for the AT&T Next, through which subscribers will pay $32.50 a month for 20 months or $25 per month for 26 months. No down payment required, but canceling wireless service during this period will require users to pay the remaining balance in full. Finally, if customers are not willing to sign any contract with the carrier then they can pay the full amount of the device, $649.99 and get an unlocked version of Samsung Galaxy S5.
AT&T promises to ship the device earlier than any other carrier in the U.S., starting April 8.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Through Sprint
Sprint is also taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S5 through its recently launched Framily plan and also with a two-year contract. Customers opting for the Framily plan will need to make their reservations at the store but cannot confirm the order right away. By choosing the Framily plan, Sprint is giving away a free Galaxy Tab 3. However, signing a two-year contract with Sprint will pre-order the device for $199.99. The carrier says the shipping will start once the device is available, starting April 11.
Both, Sprint and AT&T are offering the Galaxy S5 in two color variants, Shimmery White and Charcoal Black.
T-Mobile, for its part, promises to start taking pre-orders starting Monday. Offers include covering termination fees for those who switch carriers and pre-orders on the first day will get $120 discount off the Samsung Tab 3.
Sadly, Verizon subscribers will have to wait it out until the carrier starts pre-orders on its website. Verizon says the pre-sale will begin soon.
AT&T is also adding the newly launched wearables by Samsung to the list. The carrier will sell the Gear 2 smartwatch for $299, same as the original Galaxy Gear last year and the less-expensive Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit for $199 each. These wearables will also be available starting April 11.
