Confirmed: StraightTalk Samsung Galaxy S III Powered By Sprint, Ushers in LTE Access

Following up on a previous report earlier this week, the first Samsung Galaxy S III retail units have made their way to select Walmart locations, with the first image of the retail package surfacing  and confirming answers to two key questions in which network would be powering the year-old smartphone and whether the device would allow LTE access.

The above image confirms that the Galaxy S III on ST will support LTE access on Sprint’s network, and subsequently will live up to the spirit and the letter of unlimited access, at the expense of coverage. The phone is expected to be launched next week across Walmart locations and online for $439,99. Like the reference models of the S III, the phone features the following key specifications:

A 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display at 1280×720, 8.0 megapixel camera with Zero Shutter Lag, Burst Shot and Best Photo, 2.0 megapixel front camera, and built-in NFC support. This version has been updated to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with the latest version of Samsung TouchWiz that reduces the customization level found in previous versions, as well as retaining the rest of the feature set from last year’s flagship. The phone is otherwise identical to all other Galaxy S III models, save for only featuring 16GB internal memory.

With StraightTalk launching the Galaxy S III, albeit powered by Sprint, it does open up possibilities for them to refresh its current Sprint powered lineup with LTE-powered devices that are more up-to-date and more attractive compared to other devices in the lineup. As the agreement with Sprint also specifies unlimited data access, those lucky enough to live in areas with LTE coverage would also be able to take advantage of such coverage for half off of Sprint’s current postpaid rates, even after taking into account Sprint’s own prepaid initiative in Sprint As You Go, which features unlimited data for $70 a month, without the opportunity to purchase a Galaxy S III.