MetroPCS users may have access to the company’s high-speed LTE network, but as of now their only option to use it is with a feature phone. That’s not going to be the case for long, as the company announced intentions to launch half-a-dozen LTE smartphones in the first half of 2011, including Android models.

The Samsung Craft is the current MetroPCS LTE model, running the TouchWiz OS. Although it may be a bit more polished than other feature phones, it’s still a far cry from having a proper smartphone available on the network.

CEO Roger Linquist announced his company’s plans for its LTE lineup before investors, noting that he saw quite a few existing customers switch over from their basic plans to the 4G option once the Craft became available. A full assortment of smartphones, it stands to reason, would only increase the incentive to make the switch.

Of course, without a contract, you won’t find any subsidized prices for MetroPCS’s 4G Android models, so expect to pay for the privilege of running a smartphone on the company’s LTE network. It’s not yet clear if all of the half-dozen models Linquist mentioned will be running Android, or only a fraction thereof. What we do know is that those Android models will support voice-over-LTE from the start, and you’ll have the opportunity to choose your own VoIP app if the MetroPCS VoLTE setup isn’t to your liking.

Look for the MetroPCS lineup to start rolling out around the same time as Verizon starts revealing what smartphones it has in store for its own LTE offering, early in 2011.

Source: Fierce Wireless