Mobile Miscellany: week of July 15th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, Samsung added two new colors to its GS4 LTE-A lineup, Motorola teased its manufacturing facility for the upcoming Moto X and @evleaks spilled the beans on a new smartphone for Verizon. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of July 15th, 2013.
Samsung GS4 LTE-A shown in black and white
It wasn't long ago that Samsung took South Korea by surprise with the world's first LTE-A smartphone: a retooled version of the Galaxy S 4 for SK Telecom. Now, the manufacturer is complimenting its blue and red models with LTE-A handsets that are cloaked in black and white. Naturally, these variations also sport the Snapdragon 800, which stands as one more reason for all those outside of Samsung's home country to seethe with jealousy. [Samsung Tomorrow (translated)]
Motorola teases its Moto X manufacturing facility
Just outside of Fort Worth, Texas, you'll find a former Nokia plant that now serves as the manufacturing facility for Motorola's highly anticipated Moto X. This week, the company provided us with a glimpse inside the factory, accompanied by a not so subtle caption, "Yep. This guy is building exactly what you think he is." In all, Motorola is said to employ approximately 2,000 people in the facility, and based on consumer interest, we can only hope that the company's churning out handsets at a rapid clip. [@motorola (Twitter)]
LG Enact leaked for Verizon's entry-level
There's a good chance that Verizon will be under-cutting its Lucid 2 and Spectrum 2 offerings from LG with a run-of-the-mill device known as the Enact. The handset received its certification at the FCC just over a week ago, but now we have a press render to ogle from @evleaks. Benchmark listings from GFXBench peg the Enact with a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU and an Adreno 305 GPU, which points to either a Snapdragon S4 Play or a Snapdragon 400 at the phone's core. Meanwhile, it seems that we can also expect an 800 x 480 (WVGA) display, along with Android 4.1.2. [@evleaks (Twitter), GFXBench]
Other random tidbits
A leaked document suggests the Moto X will arrive at US Cellular on August 26th -- just three days after its rumored arrival at Verizon. [Android Central]
Cricket announced the Samsung Galaxy Admire 2 ($270) and Galaxy Discover ($130) this week, which are set to become available for purchase tomorrow. [Cricket 1, 2]
The Sony Xperia Z is making its way to Canada, courtesy of Bell Mobility. No word on pricing or a release date, but the carrier is currently taking registrations. [Unwired View]
Alongside the LG Optimus F3, Virgin Mobile in Canada also introduced the Optimus L5 II to its ranks, where it's now available for $150 off-contract. [MobileSyrup]
The Sony Xperia SP is officially up for grabs at Rogers, Fido and Virgin Mobile in Canada, with prices that range between $300 and $325 outright. [MobileSyrup]
Must-read mobile stories
Verizon Edge early upgrade program officially unveiled, will begin August 25th
Verizon smartphone revenue up in Q2 2013, half of all 7.5 million activations were iPhones (updated)
HTC One mini announced: Flagship looks, UltraPixel camera and 4.3-inch 720p display (hands-on)
BlackBerry A10 specs reportedly leak, hint at big battery and Verizon model
AT&T Next to offer yearly upgrades as part of new monthly installment plan