The LG Nexus 4 (Google Nexus 4) smartphone is making big waves at the moment as the latest pure Google Nexus handset. It became available through the Google Play Store last week and sold out within hours, leaving many people disappointed not to have got their hands on one of the first batches available. The phone is still out of stock but while we’re waiting for Google to replenish supplies we thought we’d roundup some of the reviews and give you a quick idea of some of the early verdicts from those in the know.
We have already posted about how it is still not possible to place an order for the Nexus 4 and also how some customers who thought they’d been successful with their early online orders now face a three week wait. At present the Google Play Store does not even give an ordering option with a future shipping date but simply says to check back soon for both the 8GB and 16GB versions. So what has made this smartphone so hugely successful already? Of course one of the major factors is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as the Nexus 4 is the first phone to release running the latest operating system.
Other specs and features that have made the Nexus 4 so in demand are a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor, a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display with 318ppi and resolution of 1280 x 768, 2GB of RAM and 8 or 16GB of internal storage (non-expandable, which may be one of its only failings). It also sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capture and the new PhotoSphere feature, plus a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. All this along with an unlocked price of £239/$299 for the 8GB model or £279/£349 for the 16GB variant and it should be no surprise that it has become such an instant hit.
So what do the reviews from the experts have to say about the Nexus 4? Firstly we have the inimitable Engadget, known for their in-depth and knowledgeable reviews. The review praises the display, reasonable price and the fact that the Nexus 4 runs 4.2 Jelly Bean. The negatives are seen as a poor battery life and the fact that it doesn’t support LTE. We recently looked at a teardown of the Nexus 4 where a 4G LTE chip became apparent and this led some people to wonder if LTE support would come in the future, although this doesn’t look likely. Ultimately Engaget’s conclusion of the Nexus 4 was that although it might not be the very best phone out there, “its high-end specs, elegant build and incredibly affordable price make it worth throwing your money at.”
Next we have the BGR review, which again has a lot of good things to say, especially about the very affordable price. There is some criticism about the camera and the lack of LTE again but the battery is described as “great,” differing here from the Engadget review. The overall verdict from BGR is, “Aside from some very irritating shortcomings, the Nexus 4 is my favorite Android device in the world.” High praise indeed!
Another review comes from Phone Arena, which gives the Nexus 4 a rating of 9/10. It points to the fact that the Nexus 4 will receive future Android updates before many other devices, always a big draw for real Android enthusiasts. The Nexus 4 is described as a “well-balanced package,” with pros being the display and processor. However the design is seen as nothing to get too excited about and once more there’s criticism about the lack of LTE and also the fact that there’s no memory expansion. Again though, there is huge applause for the “undeniably spectacular” price that makes it a “ton of value for the money.”
Finally we head to PCMag’s review and this gives the Nexus 4 a score of 4/5 and an ‘excellent’ editor rating. Plus points are seen as the design, display, speedy performance, 4.2 Jelly Bean and also the speedy HSPA+ 42 T-Mobile data speeds while negatives include the camera, the fact that it gets warm, and slow HSPA+ 21 AT&T data speeds. Ultimately PC Mag felt that the Nexus 4 “is a powerful unlocked smartphone with a beautiful, minimalist design, fast performance, and the latest version of Android.”
You can see from the verdicts that most of those in the know point to the lack of LTE support as the main drawback of the Nexus 4, along with some criticism for the camera, battery power and lack of internal storage. However other top-notch specs and the price seem to be more than enough to make up for these flaws and we can only imagine that as soon as the Nexus 4 comes back into stock it will continue to fly off the shelves.
In the meantime we’d like to hear your thoughts on the LG Nexus 4. Are you bowled over by the Nexus 4 and can’t wait to get your hands on it? Alternatively maybe the lack of LTE support or low internal storage is a deal breaker for you? Let us know with your comments.