EE has today announced that its speedy 4G LTE network is now available in an additional 11 towns across the United Kingdom. EE now covers 85 towns and cities, reaching more than 55% of the U.K. population just eight months after its 4G LTE network first launched.

AT&T has expanded its LTE connectivity service to an additional 7 locations and in true AT&T’style. The announcement was made in a sequential series of press releases on the U.S. carrier’s website.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is to launch in the United Kingdom this weekend, almost a week ahead of its expected July 5 launch date. A number of online retailers are promising delivery on Saturday, June 29, while Phones 4U says that the handset will arrive on Monday.

Prices start at £365 ($561).

Hutchison Whampoa, owner of Three U.K., has today acquired O2 Ireland in a deal worth €850 million ($1.1 billion). Telefonica, O2’s parent company, believes the move will “create a new competitive dynamic in the Irish market,” which Three can now claim 37.5% of with 2 million active subscribers.

NEC became the world’s first and only smartphone manufacturer to launch a liquid-cooled handset back in May, but it may quickly lose that claim later this year. According to some sources, a number of high-profile smartphones makers, including Apple, Samsung, and HTC, will be launching their own liquid-cooled devices in the fourth quarter.