T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 Price: $99 Down, $20 Per Month

As part of its new pricing scheme, T-Mobile is offering the Samsung Galaxy S4 for $99 down and $20 monthly payments. It will be available May 1.

In recent days, T-Mobile shifted to an entirely contract-free pricing structure, jettisoning the model typically used by American mobile carriers.

That also means it is eschewing the typical method most Americans use to buy smartphones: a heavily subsidized price in exchange for signing a multi-year contract with a particular carrier.

In essence, T-Mobile's new method varies little from the old standard; only the names have changed. High-end phones are still offered at a price far below market value, and an additional charge is tacked on every month to offset the remaining cost of the phone.

However, T-Mobile says once the phone has been paid off, the monthly charge disappears. Most carriers continue to charge inflated prices for the calling plan, even after two-years.

But moat consumers won't see much of an actual difference in their monthly payments, depending on their calling habits and data usage.

The bigger news is the initial cost of the phone. Most carriers charge around $200 for a new phone with a two-year contract. AT&T is charging $250 for the Galaxy S4 when it comes out next month.

A $99 charge for even the most expensive smartphones at T-Mobile will open the market to customers with less cash on hand. While a $250 lump sum may be to expensive for many low-income people, students or retirees, $99 is much more manageable, even with a $20 monthly fee. Spreading out the cost lowers the bar to entry, so it's likely T-Mobile will see an influx of people who were either unable or unwilling to shell out several hundred dollars all at once for a phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a 1.6GHz eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor or a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor (depending on country), 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 1920x1080 Full HD AMOLED display at 441 ppi, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video, a 2-megapixel front facing camera, internal storage between 16 and 64GB, an SD card slot that can accommodate an additional 64GB, a polycarbonate body, Smart Pause and floating touch tech and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Check back for the latest info on the Galaxy S4 as it becomes available.