Samsung announced an “accessible” LTE smartphone called Galaxy Express, which it said is “designed for the young social explorer”.

Aside from quad-band (800/900/1800/2600MHz) LTE support, the device has a mid-tier feature set: 1.2GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera, 4.5-inch screen, running Android 4.1.

Other features include Mobile High Definition Link (MHL), to enable content to be easily displayed on an HD screen, and integrated NFC.

While the company has not disclosed pricing details, it said it intends to “make 4G LTE’s dazzlingly fast network access available to everyone”.

Perhaps the biggest issue for mass-market LTE take-up – rather than device price and availability – is the monthly tariffs being charged.

Many operators are seeing the introduction of LTE as a way to rebalance their mobile data tariffs, against a backdrop of low prices for 3G data services.

For example, the website of UK LTE operator Everything Everywhere is showing a charge of £36 per month for just 500MB of data on a 24 month contract. Handset options for this tariff include Samsung’s Galaxy S III for £50, with devices from HTC, Huawei and Nokia available free-of-charge.

According to research firm Strategy Analytics, some 275-million LTE-enabled devices will ship in 2013, compared with 91 million in 2012, as more networks come on line and more handsets reach the market.