T-Mobile-owned MetroPCS has officially stepped into the tablet business with the launch of the Alcatel Pop 7 Android tablet for $149.99. The HSPA+ powered tablet exclusive to MetroPCS retail locations features the following specifications:
- 4G (21 Mbps HSPA+ only), Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity
- 7” 1024x 600px Display
- 1.3 GHz Mediatek Dual-Core Processor
- 2 MP rear camera
- 1GB RAM, 8GB (5.6GB available) internal memory, SD card slot supports up to 32GB cards
- Android™ 4.2 Jelly Bean
- GPS support
- Bluetooth 4.0
- 3240 mAh battery, for up to 8 hours of Web browsing and 360 hours standby
- Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.4 x 0.35 in
- Weight: 10.22 oz
MetroPCS has also launched new tablet data plans, with standalone and add-on rates for MetroPCS customers with an existing account. In an interesting twist, all of the tablet plans feature unlimited SMS messaging:
Add-on rates for existing MetroPCS customers with voice lines that include a $5 discount
- $10 / month: Unlimited data with first 1GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
- $20 / month: Unlimited data with first 3GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
- $30 / month: Unlimited data with first 5GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
Standalone rates for customers without an existing MetroPCS voice line
- $15 / month: Unlimited data with first 1GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
- $25 / month: Unlimited data with first 3GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
- $35 / month: Unlimited data with first 5GB of high-speed data at up to 4G speeds
MetroPCS has also confirmed that Bring Your Own Tablet service is currently not supported, but is being considered for future support. It should also be noted that the standalone plans undercut T-Mobile’s own tablet plan slate, but that may be intentional, as the plans and service are designed to get people to add tablets to existing accounts, and initial standalone tablet adoption might be limited until MetroPCS decides to add a wider selection of inexpensive tablets along with BYOT support.
