Android smartphone by Google
This article is about the smartphone. For the pop rock single, see
Nexus 4/Shine
.
Nexus 4
|
Nexus 4
|
Codename
| Mako
|
---|
Developer
| Google
,
LG Electronics
|
---|
Manufacturer
| LG Electronics
|
---|
Series
| Google Nexus
|
---|
Compatible networks
| GSM
/
EDGE
/
GPRS
(850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
[1]
3G
UMTS
/
HSPA+
/
DC-HSPA+
(850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
HSDPA
42 Mbit/s
|
---|
First released
| November 13, 2012
; 11 years ago
(
2012-11-13
)
|
---|
Availability by region
| November 13, 2012
(
2012-11-13
)
(Google Play)
|
---|
Discontinued
| November 1, 2013
(
2013-11-01
)
[2]
|
---|
Units sold
| One million, as of February 2013
[update]
[3]
3 million as of 2Q 2013
[4]
[5]
[6]
|
---|
Predecessor
| Galaxy Nexus
|
---|
Successor
| Nexus 5
|
---|
Related
| Optimus G
|
---|
Type
| Smartphone
|
---|
Form factor
| Slate
|
---|
Dimensions
| 133.9 mm (5.27 in) H
68.7 mm (2.70 in) W
9.1 mm (0.36 in) D
[1]
|
---|
Mass
| 139 g (4.9 oz)
[1]
|
---|
Operating system
| Original:
Android
4.2 "Jelly Bean"
Last:
Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop"
[7]
|
---|
System-on-chip
| Qualcomm
Snapdragon
S4 Pro APQ8064
|
---|
CPU
| 1.5
GHz
quad-core
Krait
|
---|
GPU
| Adreno
320
|
---|
Memory
| 2 GB of LPDDR2
RAM
, clocked at 533 MHz
|
---|
Storage
| 8 GB or 16 GB
|
---|
Battery
| - 2100
mAh
, Li-Po, non-removable
- Qi
-compatible
|
---|
Display
| 4.7 in (120 mm) diagonal TrueHD
IPS
with
Corning
Gorilla Glass
2
1280?×?768
px (318
ppi
)
|
---|
Rear camera
| 8
MP
back-side illuminated sensor
with
LED
flash
1080p
video recording @ 30
fps
|
---|
Front camera
| 1.3
MP
720p
video recording @ 30
fps
|
---|
Connectivity
| 3.5 mm
TRRS
GPS
GLONASS
Micro USB
2.0
Mobility DisplayPort
(MyDP)
[8]
Bluetooth
4.0 with A2DP
[9]
NFC
Wi-Fi
802.11 a/b/g/n
[1]
(2.4/5 GHz)
[10]
Miracast
|
---|
Data inputs
| Multi-touch
,
capacitive
touchscreen
, microphone,
proximity sensor
,
Gyroscope
,
compass
,
barometer
,
Accelerometer
, ambient light sensor
[11]
|
---|
SAR
| Head: 0.546 W/kg (1 g)
Body: 1.27 W/kg (1 g)
Hotspot: 1.27 W/kg (1 g)
[12]
|
---|
The
Nexus 4
(codenamed
Mako
[13]
) is an
Android
smartphone
co-developed by
Google
and
LG Electronics
. It is the fourth smartphone in the
Google Nexus
product family, unveiled on October 29, 2012, and released on November 13, 2012, and succeeded the
Samsung
-manufactured
Galaxy Nexus
. As with other Nexus devices, the Nexus 4 was sold
unlocked
through
Google Play
, 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
, 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
. 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
.
History
[
edit
]
Unveiling
[
edit
]
Google was expected to launch the Nexus 4 at a press event in
New York City
. However, the event was cancelled due to
Hurricane Sandy
, and the Nexus 4 (along with Android 4.2, the
Nexus 10
tablet, and the
Nexus 7
with cellular network support) was unveiled by Google via a press release on October 29, 2012, for a release on November 13, 2012.
[14]
[15]
[16]
Release
[
edit
]
The phone was made available for purchase on
Google Play Store
in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Australia. Stock sold out quickly, in some markets within minutes of release.
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
The phone became available on Play Store again on January 29, 2013,
[17]
and since then has had no major supply issues.
[21]
The Nexus 4 was also made available via
phone operators
and retailers. Starting the following day, November 14, 2012,
T-Mobile US
stores would sell the 16 GB model. On
Thanksgiving
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.
[22]
[23]
Europe, Central and South America, Asia, the
Commonwealth of Independent States
, and the Middle East were to receive Nexus 4 by the end of November 2012 at retail.
[24]
The phone was initially unavailable in South Korea due to carrier opposition, purportedly over the lack of LTE support.
[25]
However, an online request for the Nexus 4 launch by KT Telecom President
Pyo Hyun-myung
[26]
led to LG's announcement that they were in talks with Google about the issue as of November 22, 2012.
[27]
[28]
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.
[29]
[30]
Specifications
[
edit
]
Hardware
[
edit
]
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
" 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 16
GB of internal storage; like the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 4 does not contain a
MicroSD
slot. A 2100
mAh 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 4.7-inch (120 mm),
720p
IPS
display, includes an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-camera which use the Sony BSI sensor.
[1]
[16]
The Nexus 4, which takes a
micro SIM
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
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.
[31]
[32]
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.
[33]
Software
[
edit
]
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
, 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
panoramas
. Additionally, the on-screen keyboard now supports gesture typing, "Daydream"
screen savers
can be configured to display content when the phone is charging or placed in a dock, and the update also adds support for
Miracast
media streaming.
[34]
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
and
AVRCP
support,
OpenGL ES
3.0 support, new
digital rights management
(DRM) APIs, and other improvements.
[35]
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
functionality, a
screen recording
utility, and other new and improved functionality. However, it does not include the new home screen introduced by
Nexus 5
, which became available from
Google Play
as "Google Now Launcher" for all Nexus and Google Play Edition devices with Android 4.4 in February 2014.
[36]
[37]
[38]
In November 2014, the Nexus 4 received an Android 5.0 "
Lollipop
" update,
[39]
followed by an update to Android 5.1 in April 2015,
[40]
and an update to Android 5.1.1 in May 2015.
[41]
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.
[42]
Price
[
edit
]
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.
[43]
On August 27, 2013, the price was reduced to $199 and $249 respectively, with similar discounts in other countries.
[44]
Reception
[
edit
]
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
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.
[45]
The Guardian
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 […]".
[46]
Technology website
CNET
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".
[47]
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
. 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.
[48]
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 Guardian
or
CNET
make any significant comment about the inclusion of
wireless charging
; only
The Guardian
commented that "Nexus 4 is early onto the wireless charging bandwagon".
[49]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Nexus 4 tech specs"
. Archived from
the original
on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
February 9,
2015
.
- ^
H., Victor (November 2013).
"Nexus 4 is no longer sold on Google Play"
.
Phone Arena
.
Archived
from the original on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
October 15,
2014
.
- ^
Lomas, Natasha (February 8, 2013).
"Nexus 4 Owners Estimate One Million Handsets Have Shipped Since November 2012 Launch"
.
TechCrunch
.
AOL
.
Archived
from the original on March 8, 2013
. Retrieved
March 6,
2013
.
- ^
Bielinis, Stasys (May 13, 2013).
"LG may already be testing Nexus 5 prototype after all sold 3 million Nexus 4s to date"
.
UnwiredView
. Archived from
the original
on September 11, 2013
. Retrieved
September 6,
2013
.
- ^
Stasys (October 4, 2017).
"sold 3 million Nexus 4s by mid-2013"
.
carphonewarehouse
.
Archived
from the original on September 21, 2020
. Retrieved
April 3,
2020
.
- ^
Stasys (February 17, 2015).
"sold 3 million Nexus 4 handsets by the middle of 2013"
.
androidauthority
.
Archived
from the original on April 1, 2020
. Retrieved
April 3,
2020
.
- ^
"Factory Images for Nexus Devices"
.
Archived
from the original on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
April 15,
2015
.
- ^
"Experiences Acceleration of MyDP Standard Adoption in Mobile Devices"
. VESA. November 9, 2012.
Archived
from the original on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
November 13,
2012
.
- ^
"LG Nexus 4 E960"
. GSM Arena.
Archived
from the original on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
January 30,
2013
.
- ^
Klug, Brian (November 13, 2012).
"Google Nexus 4 Review - Google's new Flagship"
.
Anandtech
.
Archived
from the original on December 26, 2018
. Retrieved
January 26,
2013
.
- ^
"Google Nexus 4. Speed and power to spare"
.
Archived
from the original on February 15, 2020
. Retrieved
February 20,
2020
.
- ^
"OET Exhibits List for FCC ID ZNFE960"
. fcc.gov. Archived from
the original
on February 26, 2014
. Retrieved
January 3,
2014
.
- ^
"LG Nexus 4 specs - Engadget"
.
Engadget
.
Archived
from the original on October 13, 2017
. Retrieved
October 15,
2014
.
- ^
Rubin, Andy (October 29, 2012).
"Nexus: The best of Google, now in three sizes"
.
Archived
from the original on October 29, 2012
. Retrieved
October 29,
2012
.
- ^
Stern, Joanna (October 27, 2012).
"Hurricane Sandy Prompts Google to Cancel Android Event"
.
ABC News
.
Archived
from the original on October 28, 2012
. Retrieved
October 28,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
Topolsky, Joshua (October 19, 2012).
"The Nexus 4: Google's flagship phone lands November 13th for $299"
.
The Verge
.
Archived
from the original on July 26, 2020
. Retrieved
January 26,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Rodriguez, Salvador (January 29, 2013).
"Google's Nexus 4 smartphone back on sale"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Archived
from the original on January 30, 2013
. Retrieved
January 29,
2013
.
- ^
Hopewell, Luke (November 14, 2012).
"Google Nexus 4 Sells Out In Less Than An Hour"
.
Gizmodo Australia
.
Archived
from the original on November 15, 2012
. Retrieved
November 14,
2012
.
- ^
Newton, Casey.
"Google Nexus 4 already sold out at U.S. Google Play Store"
.
CNet
.
Archived
from the original on January 3, 2013
. Retrieved
November 14,
2012
.
- ^
Whitaker, Zack.
"Nexus 4 sells out in U.K. on Google Play as site suffers"
.
CNET
.
CBS Interactive
.
Archived
from the original on January 3, 2013
. Retrieved
November 14,
2012
.
- ^
"Google Nexus 4 delivery time back to one or two weeks"
. Archived from
the original
on February 7, 2013
. Retrieved
February 5,
2013
.
- ^
Jordan Crook (October 29, 2012).
"T-Mobile Will Carry LG Nexus 4, Nexus 7, HTC Windows Phone 8X Starting November"
.
TechCrunch
.
Archived
from the original on July 5, 2017
. Retrieved
October 30,
2012
.
- ^
Lloyd, Craig (November 23, 2012).
"T-Mobile Nexus 4 sold out in just a couple hours"
.
SlashGear
. R3 Media LLC.
Archived
from the original on November 28, 2012
. Retrieved
November 23,
2012
.
- ^
"LG and Google announce Nexus 4"
.
LG The Official UK Blog
.
LG
. October 29, 2012. Archived from
the original
on November 2, 2012
. Retrieved
November 16,
2012
.
- ^
"New Nexus Phone and Tablet PC Not Available in Korea"
.
The Chosun Ilbo
. November 7, 2012.
Archived
from the original on May 10, 2024
. Retrieved
November 11,
2012
.
- ^
표현명 [@hmpyo] (November 16, 2012).
"@angamdok01 kt는 只今까지 구글레퍼런스폰인 '넥서스 1/2/3폰'을 持續的으로 出市해 왔으며, '넥서스4'도 마찬가지 立場입니다. 國內消費者를 위해서, 온라인에서라도 '넥서스4'를 購入할 수 있도록 要請하고 있습니다. 더욱 努力하겠습니다"
(
Tweet
) – via
Twitter
.
- ^
"LG電子 "구글과 넥서스 4 國內 出市 論議中"
"
[LG Electronics ? "Google and Nexus 4 discussion of domestic market"] (in Korean).
Archived
from the original on November 3, 2013
. Retrieved
November 22,
2012
.
- ^
"LG considers launching Nexus 4 in S. Korea"
.
Yonhap News
. November 22, 2012.
Archived
from the original on May 18, 2013
. Retrieved
December 2,
2012
.
- ^
"White LG Nexus 4 makes its way to the United States"
.
GSMArena
. May 31, 2013.
Archived
from the original on June 9, 2013
. Retrieved
June 5,
2013
.
- ^
McCann, John (May 28, 2013).
"White Google Nexus 4 officially arrives, but nothing's changed"
.
TechRadar
.
Archived
from the original on June 7, 2013
. Retrieved
June 5,
2013
.
- ^
"Google Announces The Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 Details"
.
Anandtech
.
Archived
from the original on April 26, 2017
. Retrieved
November 1,
2013
.
- ^
"Nexus 4 Includes Support for LTE on Band 4 (AWS)"
.
Archived
from the original on November 27, 2012
. Retrieved
November 23,
2012
.
- ^
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"Confirmed: Nexus 4 shipping with updated design"
. androidcentral.com. Archived from
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on November 10, 2013
. Retrieved
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2013
.
- ^
Ion, Florence (November 7, 2012).
"Review: Android 4.2 is a sweeter-tasting Jelly Bean"
.
Ars Technica
.
Archived
from the original on July 26, 2020
. Retrieved
December 1,
2012
.
- ^
"Android 4.3 Jelly Bean official: shipping with new Nexus 7, available OTA for select devices today"
.
Engadget
. July 24, 2013.
Archived
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. Retrieved
November 2,
2013
.
- ^
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. AnandTech.
Archived
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. Retrieved
November 19,
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.
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.
Ars Technica
. November 14, 2013.
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. Retrieved
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.
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.
Engadget
. February 26, 2014.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Nexus 4 Android 5.0 "Lollipop" Factory Image Now Available as LRX21T"
.
droid-life.com
. November 14, 2014.
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.
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.
Android Police
. April 15, 2015.
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. Retrieved
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2015
.
- ^
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
May 20,
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.
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. Google Inc.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Lee, Nicole (August 27, 2013).
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
Masters, Alex (January 10, 2013).
"Bytesize: Hands-on with the Google Nexus 4"
.
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Archived
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- ^
Dredge, Stuart (January 2, 2013).
"Google Nexus 4 ? review"
.
The Guardian
. London.
Archived
from the original on May 10, 2024
. Retrieved
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2016
.
- ^
"Google Nexus 4 review"
. Archived from
the original
on March 2, 2013
. Retrieved
February 5,
2013
.
- ^
"Nexus 4′s Glass Back, the Worst Idea Since the Last Phone With a Glass Back"
. droid-life.com. November 26, 2012.
Archived
from the original on November 29, 2013
. Retrieved
December 8,
2013
.
- ^
"Google Nexus 4 ? review | Technology | The Guardian"
.
Archived
from the original on May 10, 2024
. Retrieved
December 15,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Nexus 4
.
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