Nexus 4
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The Nexus 4 (codenamed Mako) is an Android
smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
co-developed by
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
and
LG Electronics LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG Corporation, the fourth largest '' chaebol'' in South Korea, and often considered a ...
. It is the fourth smartphone in the
Google Nexus Google Nexus is a discontinued line of consumer electronic devices that run the Android operating system. Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried ...
product family, unveiled on October 29, 2012, and released on November 13, 2012, and succeeded the
Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
-manufactured
Galaxy Nexus The Galaxy Nexus (GT-I9250) is a touchscreen Android smartphone co-developed by Google and Samsung Electronics. It is the third smartphone in the Google Nexus series, a family of Android consumer devices built by an original equipment manufactu ...
. As with other Nexus devices, the Nexus 4 was sold unlocked through
Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...
, but was also retailed by wireless carriers. Compared to the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 4 was distinguished from its predecessor by a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, an 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera which use the Sony BSI sensor, Qi
wireless charging Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless power transfer. It uses electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to portable devices. Inductive charging is also used in vehicles, power too ...
, and the introduction of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, an update to the operating system which introduced 360-degree spherical photo stitching called "Photo Sphere", a quick settings menu, widgets on the lock screen, gesture typing, and an updated version of
Google Now Google Now was a feature of Google Search of the Google app for Android and iOS. Google Now proactively delivered information to users to predict (based on search habits and other factors) information they may need in the form of informational ...
. The Nexus 4 has similar hardware to the Optimus G, the latter also produced by LG. The Nexus 4 was met with generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the quality and performance of the Nexus 4's hardware. It was also the first Google Nexus device to be released at a relatively lower outright price in comparison to other high-end/flagship smartphones, leading to unexpected high demand and supply shortages. However, the device was criticized for its lack of LTE support, and its lack of a user-removable battery which its predecessor, the Galaxy Nexus, included. It was succeeded by the
Nexus 5 Nexus 5 (code-named Hammerhead) is an Android smartphone sold by Google and manufactured by LG Electronics. It is the fifth generation of the Nexus series, succeeding the Nexus 4. It was unveiled on October 31, 2013 and served as the launc ...
.


History


Unveiling

Google was expected to launch the Nexus 4 at a press event in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. However, the event was cancelled due to
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, and the Nexus 4 (along with Android 4.2, the
Nexus 10 The Nexus 10 is a tablet computer co-developed by Google and Samsung Electronics that runs the Android operating system. It is the second tablet in the Google Nexus series, a family of Android consumer devices marketed by Google and built by an O ...
tablet, and the
Nexus 7 Nexus 7 is a series of Android-based mini tablet computers co-developed by Google, and may refer to: * Nexus 7 (2012), the first generation * Nexus 7 (2013) The second-generation Nexus 7, also commonly referred to as the Nexus 7 (2013), ...
with cellular network support) was unveiled by Google via a press release on October 29, 2012, for a release on November 13, 2012.


Release

The phone was made available for purchase on
Google Play Store Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating sys ...
in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Australia. Stock sold out quickly, in some markets within minutes of release. The phone became available on Play Store again on January 29, 2013, and since then has had no major supply issues. The Nexus 4 was also made available via phone operators and retailers. Starting the following day, November 14, 2012,
T-Mobile US T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and Bellevue, Washington, U.S. Its largest shareholder is a multinational telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, which , holds 48.4 perc ...
stores would sell the 16 GB model. On
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morning, Google referred users to T-Mobile's online store on the Nexus 4's product page; within hours, T-Mobile's online stock sold out. Europe, Central and South America, Asia, the
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, and the Middle East were to receive Nexus 4 by the end of November 2012 at retail. The phone was initially unavailable in South Korea due to carrier opposition, purportedly over the lack of LTE support. However, an online request for the Nexus 4 launch by KT Telecom President Pyo Hyun-myung led to LG's announcement that they were in talks with Google about the issue as of November 22, 2012. Initially available only in black, a white version of the device was first offered in May 2013 in Hong Kong, with worldwide availability to follow.


Specifications


Hardware

The exterior of the Nexus 4 uses a glass-based construction with a rounded metallic plastic bezel; to improve the use of edge swiping gestures, the glass is slightly curved on the sides of the screen. The rear of the device contains a glass panel with an etched pattern of dots, producing a "
holographic Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...
" effect. Internally, the Nexus 4 shares much of its hardware with the LG Optimus G; it is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2  GB of RAM, providing either 8 or 16GB of internal storage; like the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 4 does not contain a
MicroSD Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDis ...
slot. A 2100mAh battery offers about 15 hours of talk time and 390 hours of standby time; unlike its precursor, the Nexus 4's battery is not easily removable. The Nexus 4 also supports the Qi inductive charging standard. The Nexus 4 uses a ,
720p 720p (1280×720 px; also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). All major HDTV broadcast ...
IPS IPS, ips, or iPS may refer to: Science and technology Biology and medicine * ''Ips'' (genus), a genus of bark beetle * Induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells * Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique * Intraparietal sulcus, ...
display, includes an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-camera which use the Sony BSI sensor. The Nexus 4, which takes a
micro SIM A typical SIM card (mini-SIM with micro-SIM cutout) A GSM mobile phone file:Simkarte NFC SecureElement.jpg, T-Mobile nano-SIM card with NFC capabilities in the SIM tray of an iPhone 6s file:Tf sim both sides.png, A TracFone Wireless SIM card ha ...
card, does not officially support LTE, and only officially supports up to HSPA+ networks. Despite this, its radio hardware contains dormant LTE support, and a hidden
baseband In telecommunications and signal processing, baseband is the range of frequencies occupied by a signal that has not been modulated to higher frequencies. Baseband signals typically originate from transducers, converting some other variable into a ...
setting could be used to enable LTE support. However, this support was limited to LTE Band 4 only, and the device is not officially approved or marketed for LTE use. Google eventually disabled the ability to enable LTE support in a software update. During its lifetime, the Nexus 4 experienced a minor design tweak, receiving a couple of small nubs on the rear of the phone, where the glass back meets the frame, positioned just above the two screw holes; this was to improve sound volume when the phone was placed on a flat surface. At the same time, rear camera housing was slightly modified so there is less exposed area around the lens.


Software

The Nexus 4 shipped with a stock version of Android 4.2; branded as "a sweeter tasting Jelly Bean", it is an incremental update to Android 4.1 with additional new features. Widgets can now be placed on the
lock screen A lock screen is a computer user interface element used by various operating systems. They regulate immediate access to a device by requiring the user to perform a certain action in order to receive access, such as entering a password, using a cert ...
, accessible by swiping from the sides of the screen, while a "Quick Settings" menu was also added to the Notifications shade (which enables access to common settings, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) accessible by dragging from the top of the screen with two fingers. Built-in photo editing tools were expanded with the addition of filters, while a new camera mode known as "Photo Sphere" can be used to create 360-degree
panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
s. Additionally, the on-screen keyboard now supports gesture typing, "Daydream"
screen saver Screen Savers or screensaver or ''variation'', may refer to: * Screensaver, computer programs intended to preserve CRT monitors from "burn-in" ** GNOME ''Screensaver'', GNOME Project's screen blanking tool ** Google Pack ''Screensaver'', a termi ...
s can be configured to display content when the phone is charging or placed in a dock, and the update also adds support for
Miracast Miracast (also called screen mirroring and wireless display among other names on consumer devices) is a standard for wireless connections from sending devices (such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones) to display receivers (such as TVs, monitors, o ...
media streaming. In July 2013, the Nexus 4 began receiving an Android 4.3 update, which added per-app privacy controls, autocomplete on the phone dialer,
Bluetooth low energy Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE, colloquially BLE, formerly marketed as Bluetooth Smart) is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) aimed at novel applications in ...
and
AVRCP In order to use Bluetooth, a device must be compatible with the subset of Bluetooth ''profiles'' (often called services or functions) necessary to use the desired services. A Bluetooth profile is a specification regarding an aspect of Bluetooth-b ...
support,
OpenGL ES OpenGL for Embedded Systems (OpenGL ES or GLES) is a subset of the OpenGL computer graphics rendering application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D computer graphics such as those used by video games, typically hardware-accel ...
3.0 support, new
digital rights management Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures (TPM) such as access control technologies can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. ...
(DRM) APIs, and other improvements. In November 2013, the Nexus 4 began receiving an Android 4.4 update through released factory images, which introduced an updated interface, improved performance, added a new " HDR+" camera shooting mode, native
printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ea ...
functionality, a
screen recording A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture or a screen recording, often containing audio narration. The term ''screencast'' compares with the related term ''screenshot''; whereas screenshot ...
utility, and other new and improved functionality. However, it does not include the new home screen introduced by
Nexus 5 Nexus 5 (code-named Hammerhead) is an Android smartphone sold by Google and manufactured by LG Electronics. It is the fifth generation of the Nexus series, succeeding the Nexus 4. It was unveiled on October 31, 2013 and served as the launc ...
, which became available from
Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...
as "Google Now Launcher" for all Nexus and Google Play Edition devices with Android 4.4 in February 2014. In November 2014, the Nexus 4 received an Android 5.0 "
Lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker, sticky-pop, etc. Lollipops are ava ...
" update, followed by an update to Android 5.1 in April 2015, and an update to Android 5.1.1 in May 2015. After the release of Android 5.1.1, Google no longer includes the Nexus 4 in its list of supported devices, meaning it will no longer receive any official future updates.


Price

The Nexus 4 was priced at US$299 (8 GB) and US$349 (16 GB) at release. This was much lower than comparable flagship smartphones, which would cost around $600. On August 27, 2013, the price was reduced to $199 and $249 respectively, with similar discounts in other countries.


Reception

Reception of the Nexus 4 has been very positive overall. Reviewers were consistently impressed with the Nexus 4's affordable price and impressive specifications. ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' mentioned how its build quality is "almost second to none", and how its design is "solid" and "attractive". They also complimented its 8-megapixel rear camera, and "huge" 4.7 inch display. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' also gave the Nexus 4 a very positive review, giving it a rating of five stars, however commented how "lack of expandable storage is worth bearing in mind . Technology website
CNET ''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
stated how the phone has "a wealth of great software features and a ridiculously low price", and how it is "almost certainly the best Android device around, never mind the best value". Some owners however complain that the all-glass construction leads to a phone that is fragile and easily broken. Additionally, if the earlier phones are left on a seemingly flat smooth surface, an alarm with vibration or even just giving it sufficient time will cause the phone to "walk" off the surface eventually and fall. In later models, tiny plastic bumps were added at the bottom to stop the sliding by increasing
static friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...
. The glass screen is also sensitive to breakage due to the thin plastic "surround" that leaves little margin if the edge of the phone is crushed in an impact or when dropped, making either the plastic "bumper" or better still, a well-made, impact-absorbing case a necessity. The Nexus 4 received some criticism for its lack of LTE support, and its lack of a user-removable battery which its predecessor, the Galaxy Nexus, included. However, others defended these omissions due to the low price of the Nexus 4. None of the reviews from ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' or
CNET ''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
make any significant comment about the inclusion of
wireless charging Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless power transfer. It uses electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to portable devices. Inductive charging is also used in vehicles, power too ...
; only ''The Guardian'' commented that "Nexus 4 is early onto the wireless charging bandwagon".Google Nexus 4 – review , Technology , The Guardian
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References


External links

* {{Authority control Android (operating system) devices Google Nexus LG Electronics mobile phones Mobile phones introduced in 2012 Discontinued flagship smartphones Ubuntu Touch devices