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T-Mobile kicks off MetroPCS shift-over with new phones

MetroPCS customers can now get LG's Optimus L9 and Samsung's Galaxy Exhibit over HSPA+.

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LG Optimus L9
LG's Optimus L9 is one smartphone that MetroPCS customers can now get their hands on. Josh Miller/CNET

Starting Friday, MetroPCS customers will already be able to feel the effects of T-Mobile's buyout in the form of three new phones that customers can start using right away on T-Mobile's 4G network.

The Android-running LG Optimus L9 ($149) and Samsung Exhibit ($129), and Alcatel 768 flip phone ($49) run on T-Mobile HSPA+ 4G network and go on sale today.

Things look up for people seeking an even heartier features experience. Beginning June 17, MetroPCS will also stock its version of the Samsung Galaxy S3, riding T-Mobile's much faster 4G LTE than Metro's own network.

Today, the initial trio of new handsets will only work in Boston, Las Vegas, and Hartford, Conn., but MetroPCS promises more phones and cities to come soon.

This is just the beginning of T-Mobile's MetroPCS migration, which the carrier expects to complete in full by 2015 as current Metro customers upgrade their phones.