Google recently treated Android fans with some new Android hardware that coincided with the release of a new version of Android Jelly Bean made available for new and old Nexus devices. All has not run smoothly though as there has been a few issues with the software and stock levels have also been a cause for concern for consumers. Now though it seems a new Nexus 4 bug has emerged and this time concerning the earpiece on the smartphone.

Only a couple of days ago we told you about a bug found on the handsets camera and the Android 4.2 operating system, but another more annoying problem has come to light that as Phandroid are reporting it seems to centre on the earpiece of the Nexus 4.

Owners have taken to Google’s Android Project site and flagging up the issue of hearing a slight buzzing or clicking sound around the earpiece and camera area of the device, while some users are saying that they are hearing distorted sounds when making calls on the handset.

The problem was first flagged up on November 18th and since then a growing number of Nexus 4 owners have reported the same issue, and at the time of writing it is standing at 97 complaints. Obviously this is only a small amount out of the vast numbers of Nexus 4’s that have probably been sold so far, but this is only on one site and other users could easily be experiencing the same issue.

It is not known what is causing the problem but there are fears it is not just a simple software fix, and the problem could be related to a hardware issue. Some believe it could be some kind of shielding problem with the handsets interior electronics, and the sound can only be heard with the device close to your ear.

There may be just a faulty batch of Nexus 4’s that have this problem as some respondents have said the issue isn’t affecting their friends version of the device, but you would have thought Google would be looking into the problem and issuing a recall on affected handsets if needed.

This comes after numerous owners of the Nexus 7 have reported having problems with their tablet after upgrading to the Android 4.2 firmware, so whether the problem on the Nexus 4 is software related remains to be seen. There are many Android fans still trying to get hold of the Nexus 4, but at least now there is an application to notify you when some will be available.

Have you experienced this problem with your Nexus 4?