10 Sizzling Mobile Devices Debuting In October

What To Expect

On the heels of a busy mobile-centric September, October is already shaping up to be a big month for mobile device reveals and releases. Smartphones, tablets, phablets, ultrabooks and every mobile device in between are hitting the market in multitudes. Walking the line between "buy now" and "wait for the next big thing" can be tough. Following is a sneak preview of what to expect from the major mobile manufacturers in the coming 30 days.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Revealed in Seoul, South Korea, for the first time in early September, the Galaxy Note 3 will ship to U.S. buyers the first week of October, though the date will vary depending on the carrier. The Note 3 has a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, slightly larger than its 5.5-inch predecessor, the Note 2. The device retains and advances the use of the "S-Pen," Samsung's version of a stylus that appeared first with the Note 2. On the inside, the Note 3 has a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor, 32 GB on-board storage and 3-GB RAM. Additionally, the Note 3 has a 13-megapixel camera and comes loaded with Android Jelly Bean 4.3.

Price: $299 with contract

LG G2

Though the 5.2-inch LG G2 Android phablet hit shelves at Verizon and AT&T in September, T-Mobile and Sprint will start selling the device in October. This LG device is a 5.2-inch phone-tablet hybrid with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor and comes with 16 or 32 GB of on board storage and 2 GB of RAM. LG moved select hardware buttons from the side of the device to the back. Aside from controlling the volume, the buttons can be used for camera and screenshot shortcuts. The LG display stretches nearly to the edge of the device and is exceptionally thin due to the sides of the device housing nothing except a microSD slot.

Price: $199 with contract

Alcatel One Touch Fierce, Evolve

T-Mobile will start selling two budget smartphones, the Alcatel One Touch Fierce and One Touch Evolve, on Oct. 5. Following the news that smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales for the first time this year, the need for affordable smartphones has provided space for vendors that do not specialize in high-end smartphones to compete. The Fierce, with a 4.5-inch display, is the more advanced of the two smartphones, running Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and able to connect to 4G. The Evolve, a 4-inch device, runs Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and connects only to T-Mobile 3G. Both smartphones have a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.

Price: Fierce: $169.99 without contract; Evolve- $99.99 without contract

iPad 5, iPad Mini

Following Apple's September launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C, the company is rumored to be revealing its iPad 5 and possibly new iPad Mini at an Oct. 15 event. As always, Apple has remained mum about the product release. What is not up for question is the need for Apple to continue to out-do itself from product release to product release in order to avoid consumer disappointment. Leading up to the iPhone 5S release, there was heightened concern among Apple customers and partners that Apple had reached the end of its innovation rope. Contrary to complaints that the new smartphone may not be "different" enough, the company busted its first weekend sales record, reporting 900 million new devices sold within days of reaching the shelves.

Samsung Curved Display

Samsung confirmed its first flexible display device, likely a smartphone, will launch in October of this year, though it is not expected to land in the U.S. immediately. Samsung (pictured) and LG both released televisions with large curved displays earlier in 2013, but news on curved or flexible smartphones has remained somewhat of a mystery. A common speculation is that the curved display will be flexible to a degree, allowing for more durability when a device is dropped or dinged.

Nokia Device Raid

Oct. 22 marks the date for a slew of expected Nokia reveals including the manufacturers first 6-inch phablet and largest Windows phone on the market. A tablet likely running Windows RT, called the Nokia 2520, is also likely to see the stage. According to a report by The Verge, the October event may be the launching point for a total of six Nokia devices. The last Nokia reveal was the Lumia 1020 (pictured), a smartphone that sported a large camera lens on the back and focused the phone's strengths on photography. The Oct. 22 event will be the last major product release before Microsoft's acquisition of the company's device and services department takes hold in the first quarter of 2014.

Google Nexus 5

Though Google has remained silent on the Nexus 5 smartphone release rumors, it cut prices on its Nexus 4 (pictured) from $299 to $199 at the beginning of the month and subsequently began selling out. Google has yet to restock the Nexus 4, a good sign something will replace it soon. According to leaks reported by computer storage community site Myce, the Nexus 5 will run Android 4.4 KitKat and support wireless charging. Other leaks show the device is likely to be manufactured by LG and have a 5.2-inch display and 2.3GHz quad-core processor. The Nexus 5 is expected to debut between mid and late October.

Sony Xperia Z1

Sony revealed its Xperia Z1 earlier this month, and it is already being sold in the U.K. Xperia fans and hopefuls expect the smartphone to be available at T-Mobile sometime in October, though it can be purchased unlocked through online retailers. The Z1 has a 5-inch full HD display, Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 13-megapixel camera and customizable battery option that has the ability to improve battery life by up to four times. Like its predecessor the Xperia Z, this smartphone is both dustproof and water-resistant.

Price: Unlocked starts around $749.50

Lenovo Yoga Tablet

An inside source at Lenovo confirmed to Engadget company leaks that the expected October release of its new Yoga Tablet are true. Lenovo's Yoga laptop series are known for being able to be twisted and contorted into multiple positions for easy use. The new tablet, however, will have a "leg" capable of standing the tablet up on its own, a feature different from a typical kickstand, according to the report. Additionally, Lenovo claimed the device would be the thinnest tablet on the market and have the longest battery life. Another leaked feature shows that the tablet will be able to shift its own center of gravity, making it feel lighter in users' hands.

Hewlett-Packard Spectre 13

HP's new all aluminum Ultrabook, the Spectre 13, operates Windows 8 and will be available for purchase on Oct. 16. The 13-inch touchscreen display allows users to utilize Windows 8 like any other tablet. The trackpad known as the "HP control zone" is also loaded with shortcuts to operate Windows 8 without ever needing to touch the display. Weighing in at slightly over 3 pounds, the ultrabook runs on an Intel Core i5 processor, has 4-GB RAM and up to 9 hours of battery life.

Price: Starting at $999.99