Handsets

Google, LG officially announce the Nexus 4; coming November 13th for $300

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Nexus 4 at AndroidForums.com

Along with the LG Nexus 4, today, Google also announced the Nexus 10, a new version of the Nexus 7 (with lower pricing), and the all new features of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Due to Hurricane Sandy, Google and LG couldn’t do a grand unveiling of the Nexus 4 at its New York City event this morning, but that hasn’t stopped them from issuing the sweet press release we’ve all been waiting for. The two companies have officially announced its existence, and it’s as much of a doozie as we heard it was going to be.

It’s a 4.7 inch IPS device with 1280×768 resolution, and it also comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro, a quad-core beast of a chipset for those not in the know. It’s by far the best chipset we’ve seen inside a Nexus phone, and it should drive Android 4.2 and beyond with absolute ease (yup, that’s right — Android 4.2). The chipset comes coupled with 2GB of RAM, and we couldn’t be any more excited by that.

It will also house an 8 megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 1080p HD video, and on the opposite side of that will be an HD front-facing camera for video calls. NFC support, wireless charging, a 2,100 mAh battery and more round out the rest of the technical specs.

The device will be available in 8GB ($300) or 16GB ($350) configurations starting November 13th. Those in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia can expect it on that date, while other regions will get it starting at the end of that month.

For now Google has only promised GSM/HSPA+ version so those of you on Verizon or Sprint here in the UK will need to hope that those respective carriers will be readying announcements of their own sometime down the line. You can only sign up to be notified of its arrival in the Google Play Store right now, and it’s looking like Google won’t bother with a pre-sale for this device unless they announce something closer to launch. Read on for full press details, and be sure to discuss everything Nexus 4 over at AndroidForums.com!

LG AND GOOGLE ANNOUNCE NEXUS 4
Sleek, New Smartphone Combines LG’s Best-in-Class Hardware with the Best of Google

SEOUL, Oct. 30, 2012 – Designed collaboratively by LG and Google, Nexus 4, the newest smartphone in the Nexus line-up from Google, was announced today for avail-ability starting next month in select markets. With a sophisticated hardware design from LG, your favorite Google Apps, and the latest version of Android™, Nexus 4 puts the best of Google in the palm of your hand.

“LG is proud and excited to play this role in helping build the latest Nexus smart-phone,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Com-munications Company. “Users will be delighted by the perfectly balanced combination of form and function with the latest generation of Android.”

“This is the first time we collaborated with LG to build a Nexus device,” said Andy Ru-bin, Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content at Google. “They brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the project, and the result is a feature-packed device that feels great in your hand, and blazingly fast under the hood.”

Capture and share your world
Nexus 4 comes with a high-performance 8MP camera and takes stunning Photo Sphere images, letting you capture every detail of the world around you. Up, down and all around you, it’s like no camera you’ve ever seen; with Nexus 4, you can snap pictures in every direction that come together into incredible, immersive Photo Spheres that put you right inside the scene. Plus, photos upload themselves with Instant Upload so you’ll never lose a shot.

All of this comes to life with stunning clarity and crisp, natural color on the vibrant 1280-by-768 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display supported by Zerogap Touch technol-ogy. Gently curved glass edges allow your finger to slide smoothly on and off the 320ppi screen, while cutting edge display technology means you feel like you’re touch-ing every pixel, protected by scratch resistant Corning? Gorilla? Glass 2.

Built for speed
Nexus 4 comes with a cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor, so you’ve got speed and power to spare. Zip around the web, experience rich 3D graphics and gameplay, and effortlessly switch between multiple apps without ever missing a beat. With 2GB of RAM and the fastest version of Android ever, Nexus 4 is the snappi-est Nexus smartphone yet.

Information at your fingertips
Nexus 4 comes with the latest Google apps, putting the best of Google in the palm of your hand. The latest version of Google Now is built-in, which keeps you even more organized – get reminders about upcoming flights, restaurant reservations, hotel confir-mations and even nearby photo opportunities – when and where you need them.

Get to the places you care about quickly and easily with Google Maps™ for Android. With turn-by-turn GPS navigation, live traffic info, and integrated driving, walking and public transit directions, getting from A to B has never been easier. 3D Maps and rich satellite imagery give you a more realistic sense of what’s around you while features like Street View and Indoor Maps make sure you always know what’s in front of you.

Nexus 4 is sold unlocked and is GSM/HSPA+ compatible so it will operate on more than 200 network providers worldwide. Just pop in a supported SIM card and be up and running in no time. It will be available to purchase in both an 8GB version and a 16GB version on Google Play™ starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia. Offline availability in Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will begin from the end of November.

Key specifications
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
• Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean
• Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
• Memory: 8GB / 16GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours
• Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 139g
• Other: Wireless charging, NFC

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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145 Comments

  1. is it just me or the icons look a bit small?

  2. LOL at this not being finished at the time of me posting this comment

  3. If this had removable storage and battery, I’d be all up ons…meaning, I’d order it right now.

    1. Yeah, if it had that, I would order one for me and for my wife as soon as possible.

      It’s so frustrating, such an amazing phone for such an amazing price, but I just don’t think 16GB will work for me :( Plus it feels like such a rip off to pay $50 more for 8GB (even though it is still an incredible value compared to any other phone).

      If they do a 32GB version later I might consider it.

      1. I couldn’t care less what the phone looks like, but I want NEXUS, I want 4.8 inchish, I want 2 GB RAM, and yeah, I want a place to put my class 10 32GB microSD =]. I also have become favorably accustomed to having extra batteries with an external charger.

        1. *couldn’t care less

          1. Caught by the grammar Nazi! =]

    2. Storage is your only excuse, the battery size is as big as the extended battery for the galaxy nexus and LG is using their new batter tech on this phone. 16 gb sucks but i think ill manage

      1. In the context of having good battery life, you’re right. But, I LOVE being able to have a fresh battery ready at all times. Really handy when you’re in a low coverage area, on vacation etc.

      2. Removable battery may not be important for everyone, but you cannot claim that it is not important for anyone.

      3. Can’t under estimate the importance of having backup battery power. It only takes 1 incident while out of town on business or vacation, when you really, really….really need your phone…to realize the importance of having a replaceable battery. I won’t buy a phone w/out a replaceable battery….period. It’s a liability IMO (at least until all phones start getting Razr MAXX type battery life).

    3. Heck, for that price I’d order 2! If it did have a microSD slot :(

  4. Nexus FAIL! What an ugly device! Google fucked up, BIG TIME. NOTE 2, HERE I COME BABY

    1. What’s the ugly part? I just wish it had a memory card slot.

    2. I had the Note 2, its great, but CHEAP!! Plus you will feel like a rod taking calls on it, but if you use it for more texting and browsing your money! Again cheap phone though

    3. I have two unopened Galaxy Note 2’s coming today in the mail. I used my carrier upgrades for them so I could sell them and get two Nexus 4’s.

      I would keep those Note 2’s in a second if they got guarenteed updates like the Nexus line, but then there would be no S-Pen.

      Mark my words. The Note 2 will never see Key Lime Pie (excluding dev community, but even then it will be missing vital Samsung drivers and binaries).

  5. No thanks, its not an upgrade for me.

  6. 2100mAh. screen time 3 hours maybe?

    1. In what world do you live in? My SGSII with T-Mobile has an 1850mAh battery and it last all day and then some and that’s with a lot of use.

    2. Same as the gs3, so stfu

    3. I can always spot a CDMA user when they are like “But it doesn’t even have a 6000mAh battery….how will I make it through the day?”

  7. wow the best phone available im glad they are pushing the boundries on specs with this one. now i cant wait for the nexus 6 when my contract for my gs3 is up

    1. pushing boundaries??? These specs are on par with a One x and GS3. Not exactly pushing any boundaries by making a phone not much better from phones from 6 months ago.

      1. I agree. I believe that the integrated wireless charging is really the only thing we haven’t seen much (at all?) prior to this.

        The absence of LTE / 4G is kinda a bumper as are the relatively low storage capacities. I also think that those buying this one early on are quite daring. I personally do not trust LG to deliver a great smartphone experience: perhaps this phone will change my mind.

      2. besides the note 2 its the only other device i know of with a quadcore

      3. Its got a better display than the gs3 and a better processor, not to mention its a NEXUS

      4. the GS3 and the htc one x don’t have a Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs

      5. all of what everybody’s said + that price?
        this one’s DEF. push some boundaries =)

      6. I think were at the point where were plateaued on phone tech. besides the gimmicks of the s-pen on the note 2 and the 1080p screen on the butterfly, nothing else really can be added at this point and not just for show or bragging rights. More optimized internals, like improved battery life, Processing and screen quality . the S4 and the true IPS HD are signs of that happening. Googles pretty much just gonna improve the android OS, not just change its appearance.

  8. the storage size might be the only reason I don’t pick up this phone. Sucks

    1. I was feelling the same way as you but I think i can manage with the 16 gb version! I’m sticking with nexus

    2. 16GB phone with HIGH END specs, all for $350 off contract. Where in the world can you a get a deal like that. Stop complaining seriously.

      1. That is exactly the reason that we are complaining. 16GB is simply not enough for what some people do with their phones, and there is no where else we can get a deal like this one, or something that is really equivalent to a Nexus but with enough storage to meet our needs.

        1. That is why you have the option of buying a SGS3 or LG Optimus G or any other phone with more memory and a microSD slot for around 700 off contract.

          Go spend nearly $350 more, buy one of those and you’ll get your microSD memory requirements fulfilled.

      2. good point!

  9. Looks like one of those cheap Chinese ripoffs of a good device.

  10. My next phone!

  11. YOW!! i love the price!! :D. my next phone for sure :D

  12. Doesn’t look like it’s got the FCC id stuff on the back like the leaked pics…that’s good, at least.

  13. I bet 20 of you comment just to tell us you’re not interested due to lack of micro.SD card and non-removable battery.

    1. Guilty as charged. Got to keep on Google about this, and maybe one day they will relent :)

      1. Probably not, the battery on this phone is actually really good. Only thing that sucks is the 16 gb

        1. Do we know whether LG put in their new 800 charge cycle battery?

        2. 2100 is good on a quad core processor. You may want to reevaluate that statement. The Razr maxx’s battery would barely be manageable with that hot rod chipset in it. After owning a few phones in my household and now the Maxx it has totally ruined me.

          1. Google stated the phone will last for 7 hours of web browsing time. If that’s anywhere close to the truth, it’s excellent.

      2. Google will never, ever relent. Removable batteries and SD cards are the past; face it and know freedom. :-) A removable battery allows for two really advantageous things: (1) a larger battery without a larger phone; and (2) rock-solid build quality. Those benefits are well worth trading away the awkward use case of carrying around redundant charged batteries for midday swaps.

        As for SD cards, they’re slow. They also pose obnoxious problems for app developers and users both. SD cards only make sense for file-oriented operating systems. The jury has reached a verdict, and mobile computing is divorcing the file. Again, it’s just better to face it now and stop raging against the dying of the night.

    2. …and your point is?

    3. honestly neither bother me, I have never bought extra batteries in the past! I figured if you travel a lot and are on the phone 24/7 then its good, but this should be fine and people get over the SD card thing!

    4. That’s because a lot of us play games lyk Batman, GTA 3, SpiderMan, Ashpalt 6, etc. I don’t think I need to continue. That’s lyk 5GB right there.

      My main issue is not enough phone storage. So I guess I’m just ranting on your post. LoL!!

      1. Yeah, that is a valid reason for needing more storage, and I have completely different, but equally valid reasons for needing more. I’m kind of fed up with people saying “I don’t need more storage, so you don’t either and stop complaining” (not talking about OP necessarily). People use their smartphones in thousands of different ways, and many of those uses legitimately require more storage.

        SD slots were a great solution because they don’t add any cost for people who don’t need them, but people who do can add as much as they need for cheap. If Google is insistent on dropping these, then they need to offer much more storage for much less price increase IMHO.

        1. Exactly! They need to either go SD Card slot or go bigger standard storage. 8 GB is pretty low these days especially when you don’t get a full 8GB because some of that goes to the OS and other functions.

      2. I certainly think that 8 GB is not enough. Google needs to give us more storage. Is it really too much to ask for 16 GB base? Many Motorola phones from 2011 did that, plus an SD slot.

        1. They have both 8gb and 16gb models. I think 16gb is pretty good.

          1. Except the 16GB should have been the base phone, especially with no other storage option.

    5. They’re all fussy sods on here. I tend not to pay attention anymore.

    6. Man the price is so damn good, such a pity about the lack of microSD, lol.

      Hopefully this will push the price of other smartphones down just like the Nexus 7 has done for 7 inch tablets.

    7. Well lack of a removable battery isn’t as big of a deal to me, but storage is. The reason why I want an SD Card slot is for at least two reasons. 1). Space, obviously. Having lots of apps and media requires physical space to put them. Cloud storage just doesn’t cut it yet. And having an SD slot means you can have really as much space as you will ever need in a phone. 2). Price. It’s more cost effective for consumers to get a device with a little storage internally and then get an SD Card with expanded capacity at a low cost, making essentially no need for a “base” model with 8 GB and then a higher capacity 16 or 32 GB model. You just buy what you want and then space is a secondary issue when you can expand later. Not to mention that most carriers and OEMs usually include a pretty decent SD card with many of their handsets giving a phone with 8-16 GB of internal memory an extra 8-32 GB of SD storage. That’s a pretty sick deal if you ask me. But now that we’re entering an age of fewer SD card slots it makes storage much more expensive for the average consumer.

      So will I say, “I really think this phone looks decent and I would even consider it, but…no SD card slot.” Is that annoying? Perhaps to some. But I really have a hard time committing to a phone that may or may not be able to house all my apps and fill my other storage needs.

      1. Pretty sure they’ll release a 32gb model soon, probably for $400

      2. Lack of LTE isn’t helping either. I know why they went with a 3G radio; for cost savings, for increased battery life, and most importantly for control without the carriers dictating the terms. But it still would be nice to have an LTE model so us CDMA users aren’t left in the cold.

    8. I’m actually really happy with the phone, and the price

    9. Yes absolutely. 8 or 16 GB internal with no expandability? That’s not much space at all by today’s standards. Apple’s STARTING capacity for the iPhone is 16GB. My music library alone is over 16 GB in size, not to mention movies, mame roms, etc that I like to take with me from device to device.

      I’ve been patiently holding onto my Galaxy S2 to see what the new Nexus phone would be, and at this point it looks like I’ll have to buy one of the OEM devices (such as the Note 2 or Optimus G) and just install a custom nexus firmware on them instead. IMHO I LOVE the vanilla android experience but the hardware also needs to be top notch in ALL areas in order to fully compete with the likes of Apple et all.

    10. Neither of which bothers me, but I wish they had a 32GB internal option.

  14. No LTE?

  15. GSM only and no LTE = Fail.

    By the time they come out with a Verizon and Sprint version the phone will be outdated.

    1. maybe google learned their lesson with verizon

    2. That’s because CDMA and LTE are not open standards, they have proprietary binaries that can not be distributed with the rest of AOSP which is open source under the Apache license.

      Yes there was an exception for the Sprint/Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus, but they sucked ass. The updates were slow and battery life was horrible on the CDMA versions because of this.

      1. So what will google do when LTE is everywhere and everyone is using VoLTE for voice, and some similar standard for SMS? They can’t stick to the older GSM standards for forever, and even Apple finally put LTE on their phones and even dropped the stupid glass back plate. Now Google is letting their developer phone pick up a 2 yr old style faux pas, and leaving out something all phone should come with.

        Plus they didn’t improve storage for the International Nexus this year, and if it comes in the same capacity on CDMA carriers in the future, it would actually be a decrease in storage, at least for Verizon, which got 32GB last year.

        1. “So what will google do when LTE is everywhere and everyone is using VoLTE for voice, and some similar standard for SMS?”
          – I’m curious as well

          “Now Google is letting their developer phone pick up a 2 yr old style faux pas”

          – Not sure to what you are referring here

          1. By the style faux pas, I was referring to the glass back on the Nexus 4. Apple’s iPhone 4 and 4S both had glass backs. It was a style decision for 2 years, which was remedied this year by Apple with an anodized aluminum back plate. Many people dropped iphones and cracked the back plate, and I see the same thing happening with the Nexus 4 when it comes out. Plastic or Metal will always be a better choice for the back of a phone. So why is Google picking a Nexus by LG which brings back something Apple dropped this year after 2 years of complaints over it?

          2. Oh I see your point. I guess I was just be using a TPU case.

  16. Pricing was announced on the Google blog, and it is cheap!

    Nexus 4: 8GB for $299; 16GB for $349; available unlocked and without a contract on 11/13 on the Google Play store in U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Canada. The 16GB version will also be available through T-Mobile for $199, with a 2-year contract (check here for more details).

    http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/nexus-best-of-google-now-in-three-sizes.html toward the bottom.

  17. LG phones are crap. Doubt this will be much better. Definately wait for the Sammy version of Nexus 4, or Sonys, or HTC’s or Moto, but certainly not LG. Their phones couldnt feel cheaper in my hand.

    1. It’s just my gut feeling, but I don’t think we’re going to see any other Nexus phones from other OEMs this time around.

  18. I will keep my Galaxy Nexus for a lil longer. I never liked LG phones. Oh and T Mobile just announced on facebook that they are going to be the premier carrier for the Nexus 4

    1. Yeah use your carrier upgrade + 200 dollars on Tmobile or pay $300/350 for it unlocked….probably not the best use of your carrier subsidy.

  19. 8 gbs is a joke.I had to take a bunch stuff off my wife’s nexus 7 last night because she was getting a out of storage error.

    1. I got that all the time on my Droid Incredible that had 8 GB inside and an SD slot. Even after I moved al my apps to the SD card I was still getting out of space messages. Granted part of that was a software bug that got patched down the line, and right before that phone died I had no issues with storage as I got a bigger SD card and as many app developers started making their apps movable to the SD card.

      But looking at the Nexus phones that have only 8GB and no SD makes me pause, especially when other smartphone makers are offering devices at a similar price point but have more internal storage and/or an SD card slot. Google needs to up the base storage in their Nexus line in order to really go anywhere.

  20. Hang on, this is going to be $300 in the Google Play Store? Or, is this talking about on contract like normal…

    1. It looks like its on the store 0.0 wow thats amazing. Good night sweet (m)atrix 4g.

    2. no contract, which is great… but it’s not on Verizon so this is a complete disappointment for me.

  21. What’s with the non-standard display resolution? 1280×768 is a 16:9.6 aspect ratio. The iPhone 5 deservedly received criticism for its non-standard display resolution. This deserves the same.

    1. Yea it should be by 720, it would make the phone less awkwardly wide too.

      1. maybe the extra 48 are for the nav buttons??

        1. Yep, 48 is the size of the nav bar if I’m not mistaken

        2. No, the extra 48 are on the wrong side, if they were for the nav buttons, the phone would be 1328×720. The 48 pixels has to be added to the long side of the phone, not the shorter side. Think about it.

    2. the home, back and recent apps buttons are softkeys and take up that extra space. So you still get 720p of viewing space.

      1. Wrong. When held vertically, this phone is wider than a 16:9 inch screen would be. In order to have 16:9 for the viewing space aspect ratio, you would need the right and left sides to have buttons on them. However the buttons are on the bottom, making the screen at an even more off aspect ratio. Plus if you had ever used a phone with on screen buttons, you’d know they go away so you only see the video when playing movies. This works great. Having backlit buttons or having on screen lit up buttons that will always be there would be a pain, even if you were right about the aspect ratio claim.

  22. Hmm… if I switch myself and my wife to TMo, maybe this is the way to go for her. I’m hooked on the Note II, but I could enjoy still having a Nexus around. :D

    … aaaand, it’d be a metric shit-ton cheaper than buying a branded phone. Hmm… I like this. A lot.

    Verizon

  23. My Network here in UK [3] has already been rolling out HSPA+ for quite a while [who tried to blag its own customers with the same stunt that Tmob USA pulled by announcing that they were giving us 4g (about a year ago now) but the blog where they first announced it was inundated with irate customers telling them to remove the 4g title from the article – or be ready to face the backlash. They did – & wrote a humble apology for trying to blag 4g was here !

    1. HSPA+ is as much 4G as WiMax or LTE. No current “4G” solution is technically qualified as true 4G, so every carrier lobbied the ICC to change the of 4G.

      1. What about LTE A ?

    2. Your other comment isn’t showing up here for some reason. One of the original requirements for 4g was peak data rates up to 1 Gbps. To my knowledge the only LTE spec that meets this is LTE Advanced Release 10, which is not implemented by any carrier (in the US at least) and currently TMobile is the only carrier that has stated plans to implement Release 10.

      I cannot speak for abroad, but at least in the US there is no carrier that has implemented LTEA Release 10

  24. This is an excellent price! $350 for 16GB and no contract!

  25. 16gb is fine with me, I don’t use my phone for thousands of songs and videos, but no LTE if I read right, thats just sucks! :( I finally get LTE from ATT in my area was really hoping this would have it, well gets its my One X or One X+….I have given up on Samsungs cheap phones!

  26. No!! I shall not be duped again. I will wait for the 32GB version to come out.

    1. I feel your pain Nexus 7 preorderer…..

    2. Early adopters always get the shaft unfortunately. Had to train myself not to use my trigger finger going around every corner.

  27. This is the first time im not excited about a nexus phone. Looks ugly and no removable memory i can live with.. But no removable batter is not cool. Reminds me of a certain fruit brand… Like apples

  28. No LTE is what bothers me! I am sick of the plastic Samsung crap being drilled down our throat through advertisement and the screen quality is horrid! I will stay with the one x or if I really don’t want LTE I will not pay extra for an unlocked Htc one X+ :( dammit right when we get LTE the Nexus doesn’t! go figure!! Still not ruiling this phone out, I don’t need my music and video library on here, I just want a solid phone!

    1. sorry will pay extra for an unlocked one x+

    2. I was like you once in regard to Samsung. But now I love them, as I’ve had nothing but QC problems with HTC over and over and over again.

  29. is not having an expandable memory slot the reason they can sell this at such a low price?

    other than that i dont see why they wouldnt include one.

  30. This is pretty awesome actually. They kept the price steady for the Nexus 4 16GB, and lowered it for whoever in the world can live with 16 GB of storage. I’m looking forward to seeing reviews on this. I’d definitely consider 16 GB storage if it gives me the freedom to choose my service and gives me the latest updates right away without having to go thru carriers.

    Only downside is the Galaxy Nexus is officially dead. I thought at least they’d burn through the remaining stock at a crazy discount. Guess that’s not happening…

  31. Maybe there will be a 32GB version for $400 somewhere down the line…hopefully! ;-)

    At any rate, you can’t beat the price point for this device, even at 16GB! Well done, Google!

  32. Y u no on Verizon?!

  33. This SHOULD be $99 ON carriers!1 if not why bother maybe 150 for LTE.

    1. How about free on carriers? O.o

  34. smartphone with the latest top of the line hardware for 300 bucks off contract, mind = blown , seriously that’s insane, Google is pushing the boundaries in price

  35. Taking a step backwards with storage and LTE is a huge disappointment. However, what concerns me the most is the implication that a pure Android experience with the best hardware (i.e. HTC One X, SGIII, etc), is just not going to happen. If you want the “best” Android hardware, prepare your anus for Touchwiz, Sense, Blur and all the other horrible skins out there.

    1. Those only have the dual core S4 while this has the quad core S4 pro with a better GPU so This is actually better in the CPU department then those phones are and happens to be cheaper off contract as well. I may pick this up off contract and grab t-mobiles $30 unlimited 4g plan since that would be a perfect fit. I use the cloud mainly for videos and for music apps like slacker and google music for streaming. So the space is no problem for me at all.

      1. One step forward and 2 steps back is still a step backward.

        I’m glad that T-Mobile’s footprint is adequate for you. I’m thrilled that the cheap price works for you. I’m so happy, that this lackluster device works for you.

        For me however, T-Mobile sucks with their horrible footprint and no LTE. The CPU/GPU is nice, I agree. However, we all know it’s still not going to fix Android Lag. Having the same amount of storage as the iPhone 3G (!) is not adequate when all decent carriers limit you to 2Gbs a month (not to mention the unnecessary battery drain). Lastly, the ability to buy this phone with a stack of food stamps doesn’t impress me either. Raise the price, raise the storage to 32/64Gb, install an LTE radio and I wouldn’t be embarrassed to pull this phone out in the same room as an iPhone 5.

    2. Places like XDA and rootzwiki are your friends, my friend. ;-P

      1. I am a huge fan of both. However, XDA and Rootz can’t remove the capacitive touch buttons on the SGIII and the HTC One.

        Is my desire of a compromise free Nexus device with timely updates so unreasonable?

        1. Nope, absolutely not.

  36. Best phone on the market released at a 50% discount with no carrier ties. The Note 2 costs more on contract and subsidized with Tmobile than the Nexus off contract. I don’t remember nearly as many trolls when the HTC One X with a smaller non-removable battery, no sdcard, and a locked bootloader (US) was announced … for twice the price.

  37. Are you kidding me people! This is a great deal for tech savvy people. I have always had phones with external sd card slots and honestly never used them that much. You can get up to 32bg of free cloud storage from various places. i have a 32gb card in my phone now that still has 29gb left. I see no need for it when you can use google drive, asus cloud, box cloud, and others that give free storage. I feel there will no longer be a need for sd cards anymore they just make the phones run slower. Look up your options and join the future of cloud storage its wonderful and never lose a anything again plus you can get pull stuff from any pc, phone, tablet, phablet or whatever floats your boat. I for one am excited to buy a 16gb nexus 4 and I will never buy a carrier phone again!!!!!!! bite me T-Mobile that’s for selling me many lemons!!!!!

    1. I agree it’s a freakin awesome deal…but don’t assume that because the cloud works great for you that it’s a great option, or even a wanted option, for everyone.

      If having an sd slot doesn’t increase price, and it doesn’t really matter to you, then why would you care if it had one? You most likely wouldn’t, right?

      Not mad at you, tho. ;-)

  38. Well looks like this isn’t initially coming to Verizon, so I won’t worry about it.

    Who wants a messed up aspect ratio, glass back plate, limited non expandable storage, and no LTE anyway?

    I hope HTC announces their 5″ 1080p superphone on Verizon soon. It should have all the specs of this phone with a micro sd card slot hopefully, and a proper aspect ratio and no crappy glass back. The only possible downside if the 1080p on the screen may be a bit taxing on the GPU, but most of the power used by smartphones is the screen, and the new Super LCD3 that allows for such high pixel density in the first place is supposed to save a lot of power, even over Super LCD2 that the One X and others have, so most likely, even that won’t be an issue.

  39. 16gb for 350 WHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT! Im sooo getting it

  40. I guess every one has there opinion. But i still can’t understand how some of you guys can call tthis device ugly. When the galaxy nexus was released i thought it was one of the best looking smartphones ever made apart from the back. Unfortunetly it had a poor gpu and camera. This has an even better look with an improved back not to mention much better materials. Top that off with the best and most energy efficient cpu/gpu, good camera, gorgeous screen, very good battery life, and ofcourse pure google os, this is a must buy. I think ghe only thing disappointing is the low storage which honestly mind boggling. But considering the pricing this is excellent value for money. I hope they release a 32gb version because i really think this is the phone that will take Android to the next level. It is simply gorgeous. I am writing this on my galaxy s3 which will be replaced instantly if they release a 32gb version.

  41. Yeah so a few things making me hesitate to put down money on this.

    1. No SD Card slot, and very little storage for a modern smartphone…I’ll fill up all 8GB in the first day of ownership.
    2. Not on Verizon. I’m not going to AT&T or T-Mo just for this thing.
    3. Non-removable battery. This one actually isn’t a deal breaker for me but it would have been a nice addition.

    So as it stands the Razr HD or the Galaxy S3 are looking to be better options to upgrade to coming up here for me. My last hope is that HTC will have something awesome coming up here but I have been kind of disappointed with their Verizon offerings for the past two years. Hm…Razr HD in black or in white?

  42. WTF no 32GB option. i would gladly pay a $100 premium over the 16GB model to have extra storage. at that capacity, i’m fine with the lack of expandable memory. WTF LG!

  43. Not LTE ready, andbprobably not HSPA+ 42 compatible. No SD card slot. And i wanted this phone. Now i will not get one. Just the nexus 7 for now.

  44. nobody should complain for that price.

  45. I have a galaxy nexus and I love it but I am sick of having only 16gb of storage. I am envious that the iphone has the various options for storage amounts. For me 32GB would be the sweet spot where I could have all my music with me and maybe a few movies. No way would I switch, but it would be nice to have a phone with more storage options.

  46. So what’s better in specs? Note 2 or Nexus 4?

  47. Just returned my 5th gen iPod Touch for this… (I’m a die hard Android fan but I like iPod’s.. sue me) To get this… It’s a shame I’m on Verizon… guess I’ll just use it for ROM’s and my new MP3 player.

  48. Oh man with Google pushing these pricepoints like this with no contract people can really get into these. I hope it changes the whole industry.

  49. Ho. ly. Shnikes! Is this phone $300 retail? Did I read that correctly?

  50. This is actually the perfect phone for my girlfriend. All she does is run instagram, facebook, twitter, and pinterest. With that nice large display, it also becomes her mini tablet since it is not worth going over 5 inches with Android’s tablet selection. This is more like a Galaxy note with a better screen, no stylus, and pure Android.

  51. Re the lack of SD card, I’m pretty sure no one needs to have more than 16 GB of games installed simultaneously. Play the ones you have, finish them, move on to the next games and uninstall older ones once you start running out of space.

  52. Is there a white Nexus 4 coming out?

  53. I have a 16 gig GNex.. It’s enough for me. If I was buying a phone I wouldn’t think twice. $350 off contract at launch.. that’s a hell of a steal… I got my GNex of that price all the way in June (when the price dropped that low) with the same 16 gigs and also no LTE….

  54. yup buying one!

  55. I am just going to buy this for pure media use. Why go buy a ipod touch. Then if need be I can have phone capabilities as well!

  56. The lack of micro sd makes no sense. I am fine with the lack of LTE since HSPA+ is more than adequate, but I can’t get past the fact that they wouldn’t allow users to expand the memory.

  57. Out of curiosity, does anyone know why google has forsaken the notification light? I don’t see it listed in the specs and assume the N4 doesn’t have one. 2 years with my Nexus S 4G and I still miss that darn light. Sorry if that is off topic or was covered years ago. :)

  58. No LTE, no MicroSD card and not much better performance wise than the S3 and it’s made by LG. Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll stick with the S3.

  59. I am planning to get the Nexus 7 16gb now. I live in the UK and it costs 169 pounds compared to the ipad which is 269. The price is a main concern for me as I had to save this money.

    But now, there is Android 4.2 releasing? So should I buy the Nexus 7 which has Android 4.1 only? Is it worth it?

    I don’t understand the OS on Kindle Fire as its Android with Silk. So I am not considering it but if anyone knows more about the OS on Kindle Fire, please inform me.

  60. i guess they will launch a 32 gig version soon

  61. Damnit. I thought my Galaxy Nexus would last me a while (GSM Unlocked version). And I still love it – LOVE it. But this one is hitting everything out of the park. 2GB RAM with a quad-core, Snapdragon S4 processor? And HSPA+ 42 (t-mobile) compatibility? Yes, please; sorry, galaxy.

    And by the way, why would anyone get the iPhone when we have this?

  62. I am gonna buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Its running ICS. Is it okay to buy? Is it like ICS will become obsolete in a few months or not? If not how long can I use it.

  63. I love android to death. Apps are plentiful and fine for phones but serious high performance tablet applications are truly lacking. I have a ASUS TF300T with keyboard and it was a mistake. Just doesn’t cut it. The mouse movement is poor. Keeping focus on the text box is tough.
    The keyboard is not responsive. I going to sell it all and get an ultra book and to be HONEST I hate Microsoft but Google tablet stuff is nothing more than a rich kids toy.
    The business productivity is lacking..FLASH, I hate to tell folks, but FLASH apps are blurry and poor quality and its still used a LOT. TF300T with Keyboard looked so promising to me but other than watching videos and reading a book, which I could do with almost ANY tablet, this thing has been a BUST.

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