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, the Galaxy S 4 was spotted in purple garb, a new Windows Phone was outed for AT&T and US Cellular officially welcomed a budget handset from ZTE into its ranks. 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 June 24th, 2013.
Galaxy S 4 Purple Mirage edition surfaces
Call it a case of deja vu, or just catering to a very... specific audience, but thanks to @evleaks, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Purple Mirage edition is no longer a mystery. The handset was first announced -- but not shown -- alongside the Blue Arctic, Red Aurora and Brown Autumn editions of Samsung's flagship smartphone. Whether Sprint is in line for round two is anyone's guess, since the leaked shot lacks carrier branding, but don't let us stop you from dreaming. [@evleaks (Twitter)]
Lumia 520 spotted with AT&T branding
AT&T currently has the high-end and mid-range covered when it comes to Windows Phone, but the latest reveal from @evleaks suggests the carrier is preparing to go after the budget crowd with the Nokia Lumia 520 (or a very similar variant). Seeing that AT&T currently sells the Lumia 820 for just a penny on contract, there's a reasonable chance that this low-cost WP8 device could hit AT&T's prepaid GoPhone lineup. If the carrier's pricing is anything like T-Mobile -- which sells the Lumia 521 for $150 outright -- this Windows Phone could stand as a genuine challenger to its Android counterparts for the month-to-month crowd. [@evleaks (Twitter)]
ZTE Imperial gets official for US Cellular
Budget-minded shoppers at US Cellular now have a new option on the table, as the ZTE Imperial is available on contract for just a penny. As an important distinction, the smartphone supports LTE, which is relatively rare among US Cellular's entry-level lineup. The Imperial combines a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, a 5-megapixel camera and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Rounding out the list of specs, the phone includes 1GB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage and a rather substantial 2,500mAh battery. [US Cellular]
Other random tidbitsThe iPhone 5 joined the lineup at Virgin Mobile in the US this week, where the 16GB handset retails for $550 outright. [Virgin Mobile]According to TmoNews, Walmart is now selling the iPhone 5 for T-Mobile from roughly 1,300 of its retail outlets. As a caveat, phone must be purchased outright for $629 -- the same price that you'll find from T-Mobile -- although shoppers can also finance their purchase through Walmart. [TmoNews]Google Play Movies was updated with a new interface and a predictive feature known as Watch Now, which provides suggestions for titles that you might watch next. Some users may view the latest version as a downgrade, however, as Google as removed support for the Nexus Q. [Android Police 1, 2]The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 was outed for arrival at Bell Mobility on July 11th, where it'll retail for $550 outright. [MobileSyrup]Leaked documents suggest the white version of the BlackBerry Q10 will arrive at Bell Mobility on July 5th, priced at $700 outright. [MobileSyrup]The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and LG Optimus L5 II were both named as suitors for Bell Mobility. [@evleaks (Twitter)]The Galaxy Mega 5.8 made its first appearance at the FCC this week, but it's a safe bet that this particular model isn't destined for North American markets. [FCC]Must-read mobile storiesSamsung Galaxy S4 Active review: a top-tier phone in a water-resistant packageIntel hopes to speed up mobile Atom chip developmentBlackBerry shipped just 2.7 million BB 10 handsets last quarter (updated)Sprint Vital review: a decent mid-range phone that faces tough competitionVerizon reportedly offers more than $600 million to buy Wind MobileVerizon 4G LTE reaches 500th market, initial network build-out now completeHTC One Google Play edition hands-on (video)Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Play edition hands-on (video)Sprint shareholders approve Softbank mergerHuawei Ascend P6 review: a beautiful handset, but performance is lackingSony Xperia Z Ultra: hands-on with a 6.4-inch Android phone (update: video)[Mobile Miscellany photo credit: Thristian / Flickr]
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