Recently, MetroPCS announced the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G. The Lightray will be the first phone that is available to receive local television signals. Users will have access to live streaming TV that is broadcast from regular TV towers and will be able to watch sports, news and entertainment channels on the go, which will help bring the relevance of television back to the smartphone and the iPad.
Although Verizon and AT&T previously offered phones that received subscription-based national channels, the companies failed to stimulate consumer interest and the networks were subsequently shut down in 2011; however, this new phone may offer MetroPCS the opportunity to improve upon this technology and establish themselves a tougher competitor against the “big boys” of wireless service.
The Lightray itself is not as lightweight as other smartphones, but is comparable in actual size to many other phones available. The phone has a built-in, extendable antenna that will receive the special television signals, which, although it will be broadcast from TV towers, are tailored to cell phones and other mobile gadgets.
The Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G will also have hotspot functionality, meaning that users will be able to share their own Internet connection with other nearby Wi-Fi enabled devices. The Lightray will be MetroPCS’s first smartphone to feature this addition.
The Lightray is being sold for $459 (off-contract), with tax and regulatory fee inclusive service plans that will begin at $40 per month. There is no additional cost to stream TV to the handset. It features a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus touc screen and a memory up to 32GB, and access to Dyle Mobile TV’s entertainment.
After the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G showed up in some leaked shots across the Internet, MetroPCS went wide and launched the Lightray quickly in response.
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Edited by
Brooke Neuman 
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