Telstra 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone in the pipeline

Telstra will introduce a 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone, according to reports.

According to Ausdroid, a Telstra spokesperson has confirmed that the telco is interested in bringing a 4G version of the smartphone to the marketplace, but doesn’t expect it to be introduced for several months.

The news comes after several Australian mobile carriers released the Samsung Galaxy S3 late last week, including Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Virgin, and Crazy John.

However, the version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 currently sold by Telstra is a Next G handset and can’t take advantage of the faster speeds available on Telstra’s 4G LTE network. Telstra customers wanting a Samsung 4G device will, for the time being, have to settle for the older Samsung Galaxy S2.

Telstra recently claimed that it has sold about 70,000 4G smartphones, and the eventual release of a 4G Samsung Galaxy S3 would significantly boost that total.