Google’s latest Nexus devices, the Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 10 tablet, are proving to be hot items. We knew that the Nexus 4 sold out within a half-hour of being released on Tuesday, and that the Nexus 10 sold out shortly afterward. Today, we just received an email saying that the Nexus 4 has been put on backorder for three weeks.
Frankly, we’re not surprised by this, but it appears that Google actually oversold the Nexus 4, meaning that those who ordered one and were given a delivery date of just a few days away are now being sent emails that say their shipment has been delayed. However, Google notes that many people who purchased the device in the first several minutes of it being available will receive their unit on time.
“Thank you for your recent purchase on Google Play. Due to overwhelming demand, your Nexus 4 is on backorder and is expected to ship within three weeks. We’ll send you a notification when your order has shipped and will credit the shipping charges.”
It’s disappointing indeed, especially if you were originally told a delivery date of just a few days from now, but that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to hot items. For those who were able to be some of the first ones through the door, consider yourselves the lucky ones. The not-so-lucky ones get to wait a whole three weeks before they get to enjoy some Nexus love.
The Nexus 4 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM and either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage. There’s also an 8MP rear camera with a 1.3MP front-facing shooter. The screen is a 4.7-inch WXGA IPS display covered in Gorilla Glass 2. The phone sells for $299 unlocked for the 8GB option, and $349 for the 16GB option.
Welcome to Tuesday evening everyone. We had a pretty big day, what with the reveal of the HTC DROID DNA and all. HTC announced that the DROID DNA will be arriving at Verizon on November 21, and we even managed to go hands-on with the device and its wireless charging dock. Of course, today was also the day that the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10 became available on the Google Play Store. All but the 16GB Nexus 10 sold through pretty quickly, so we hope you got your hands on the device you wanted before Google put up the out of stock notices.
3G Nexus 7s started shipping earlier today, and we found out that Apple stores take in $6,000 in sales per square foot. IHS is predicting that the Wii U will sell 3.5 million units by the end of 2012, and Nokia has announced its new HERE mapping service to take on Google Maps. The release preview of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is now available to check out, and there seems to be a pretty major issue with some of the Black Ops II PC discs floating around out there.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm was finally given a release date earlier today, Vimeo has launched a new preview of its upcoming pay-to-view program, and we learned today that the ASUS VivoTab RT will be landing at AT&T later on this week. Finally tonight, we have a few originals for you to have a look at. Chris Davies tells us why the HTC DROID DNA should have been a Nexus device, while Chris Burns gives us his reviews of the Olympus Stylus XZ-2 and the Otaku Camera for iOS. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!
Beautiful screen, crisp hardware, superlative specifications: if ever a smartphone deserved Google’s Nexus branding, the DROID DNA by HTC is probably it. Announced on the same day that LG’s Nexus 4 went on sale, the HTC DNA is so impressive a phone that its looming, 5-inch presence even managed to overshadow Google’s dire performance with Play store stability as eager Nexus buyers tried to secure a new phone. It’s a sign that HTC is taking the smartphone segment as seriously as it really needs to, not only iterating on what’s out there today but leading with new, compelling features in an appealing package. So appealing, in fact, that it’s hard to escape the feeling that the DNA, not LG’s handset, should’ve been the new Nexus.
The Nexus program has always been about pushing the envelope in mobile. That started out purely in hardware terms, with the original Nexus One acting as a shove for manufacturers to wade into the specifications arms-race. In handsets since, Google has used each iteration to frame its ambitions with Android, in terms of what it believes should be standards in software, hardware, services, and features. So, the LG Nexus 4, Google’s latest collaboration, adds wireless charging for one, the search giant’s theme-du-jour.
HTC has given the DROID DNA wireless charging. It has the high-resolution cameras – back and front, the latter ideal for the Google+ video hangouts Google has been pushing of late, what with its wide angle 88-degree lens – and top-tier processor of the Nexus 4, and the 2GB of RAM, and the gamut of sensors. It has a display that not only uses Super LCD, like the Nexus 4, but which blows its resolution out of the water with a Full HD panel, double the 720p LG opted for. There’s NFC, for Google Wallet. Even Google and LG’s decision to limit internal storage and leave out a microSD card slot has been mimicked, with Google hoping the cloud will drift in to take the place of local files.
In fact, there are only really two points of divergence from Google’s current Nexus strategy and HTC’s approach with the DROID DNA – well, three if you count Sense, but then it’s an HTC-branded Android phone, and so Sense (for better or worse) is a given. First is on-screen buttons, or their absence, with HTC insisting on keeping its dedicated keys for system navigation. That’s something Google has been trying to push for a couple of Nexus generations now, but it’s something OEMs (when they’re not being coerced with Nexus branding, that is) seem reluctant to accept.
DROID DNA by HTC hands-on:
The second, and more important, is price, and it’s here that Google and HTC’s approaches may have proved incompatible for Nexus purposes. The LG Nexus 4 is distinguished in no small part by its affordability in SIM-free state, and at $299 sans-contract it actually matches some handsets sold with the shackles of a 24-month contract. Google’s ambition is to drive off-contract adoption (just as it tried – and failed – with the first Nexus, because either the market, or the carriers, or consumers, or most likely all three, weren’t ready) and further relegate the operators to the role of dumb-pipe, and for that it needs a handset that’s startling in its affordability.
In contrast, the HTC DNA is unlikely to be a cheap phone, at least not SIM-free. True, Verizon is hitting the $199.99 price point, but that’s a subsidized figure: it relies on the carrier recouping its initial outlay on your shiny new phone with an overflowing wallet-full of cash on calls, messaging, and data each month over a two year period. That expectation, plus HTC’s desperation what with its own dire financial straits, has undoubtedly prompted a more competitive subsidy, with an eye on the longer-term that an off-contract phone simply can’t match.
“Google needed a cheap Nexus, a device as network-agnostic as possible”
Here, then, is where HTC and Google’s ambitions diverge most significantly. Google needs a cheap Nexus, a device as network-agnostic as possible. That’s why it left out LTE, after all – because supporting each individual flavor of 4G means tying yourself to a handful of carriers, and the necessary testing and approval for each – and why operator offers in each country where the Nexus 4 is being sold feels like an afterthought.
HTC, though, desperately needs a device that will see the company taken seriously again. A phone that can stand against the best from Samsung, and LG, and Motorola, and even Apple, and not immediately be relegated to the also-ran category. Once, the company was synonymous with Android phones; in the past 12-18 months, however, it has dwindled to a shadow of its former glories.
It’s too early to say whether the DROID DNA will achieve all that, though on a specs basis (an important element, though not the only one) it’s off to a promising start. If there’s a drawback to be found, though, it’s likely to be the software side of the equation: one of the reason Google’s Nexus devices have grown in popularity among users, particularly those heavily invested in Android, is because they’re first in line for OS updates. The DNA runs an older version out of the box, Android 4.1, and by saddling it with Sense, HTC has introduced further delay into the upgrade process.
Right now, that delay seems inevitable. If HTC can use the early access Google has promised to new versions of Android for key OEMs, and give supporting existing devices with timely updates the same degree of priority as it does pushing out new phones, it could do what so far Samsung, LG, and the others have failed to achieve. That is, create its own take on the Nexus program, delivering the latest and greatest in hardware with the latest and greatest in software, maintaining its unique brand in Sense without also demanding a compromise on software freshness from users. That’s the way to build brand loyalty and relevance, and they’re the two factors that could yank HTC from its current downward spiral. The answer’s simple: just make the DROID DNA a Nexus in all but name.
They’re finally here. Google‘s latest and newest Nexus devices are now available in the Google Play store. After becoming available earlier this morning in Europe and Australia, the Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 10 tablet are now available in the US a few minutes earlier than expected — they were planned to go on sale at noon eastern.
The 8GB variant of the Nexus 4 is priced at $299 unlocked and off-contract, while the 16GB version will cost you $349. While the Nexus 4 doesn’t have 4G LTE capabilities, the device packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM. There’s also an 8MP camera on the back with a 1.3MP shooter on the front. It comes with wireless charging, SlimPort HDMI, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
The Nexus 10 tablet is selling for $399 for the 16GB version and $499 for the 32GB variant. It’s the company’s first 10-inch tablet and it comes with a Exynos 5 Dual SoC that has a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor and Mali-T604 graphics. It also features the highest resolution of any tablet, with a 2560×1600 resolution at 300ppi.
The Google Play store is selling these devices now, and you can also grab a Nexus 4 bumper while you’re at it for $20. If you’re wanting to hop on the Nexus train, there’s no better time to do it than right now. A $299 unlocked smartphone that’s off-contract is the best deal you’ll find nowadays, and a 10-inch tablet with the highest resolution in the world is certainly a no-brainer.
Google’s new Nexus 4 went up for sale in Europe and Australia this morning, promptly selling out in minutes and leaving potential customers furious at the stability of the Play store. The new smartphone – which hit Google’s virtual shelves alongside the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, supplies of some of which are patchy – lured buyers in with its competitively low unsubsidized price, to the point where the Play store apparently couldn’t handle the influx of users and threw up numerous errors.
Would-be shoppers have complained that the store was not only sluggish or unresponsive, but that frequent shopping basket errors meant that, by the time they got to the checkout stage, the device they were attempting to buy had been removed. By the time many managed to get the store to respond properly, Google’s initial supplies of the Nexus 4 were apparently exhausted.
In the UK for instance, both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the smartphone now say “Notify me!” rather than offering a purchase option. For the Nexus 7, all three versions – 16GB WiFi, 32GB WiFi, and 32GB WiFi + HSPA+ – are listed as in stock, with 3-5 day ship estimates.
As for the Nexus 10, the Samsung-made tablet – which out-Retina’s Apple’s own iPad with its high-resolution display – is still showing stock available for the 16GB WiFi model, but the 32GB WiFi model is sold out.
Without knowing exactly how many devices Google had in-stock on day one, it’s hard to say exactly how much of a success – or otherwise – the Nexus 4 launch has been. Selling out of the 16GB version in 15 minutes (and the 8GB in under half an hour) certainly indicates there’s some demand there, though Google’s inability to prepare sufficient devices (and a store capable of handling the interest) means those left peeved may well outnumber those who actually managed to order a phone.
Those of you working with one of the three Nexus devices currently offered up by Google, those being the Nexus 4 and 10, will be glad to know that an Android 4.2 OTA update has begun rolling out. This update includes two major updates into what we already knew was supposed to be possible with this Jelly Bean+ build, that being Lock screen widgets and Multi-user support. It would appear that this update will be the one that the devices will be shipping with – or at least what they’ll be updated to rather quickly after their release.
The first thing you’ll want to check out is Lock screen widgets. This update has you able to grab widgets similar to what you may have seen on many manufacturer’s custom builds of Android for some time – showing your calendar or email, for example, or recognizing music with Google’s Sound Search. This update does include a push for developers to create their own widgets, which is potentially awesome for the greater bulk of the Android universe.
Multi-user support is open for the Nexus 10 as well. This means you’ll be able to have user profiles for all of your friends and family – if that’s something you want – with customizable spaces for each person. This multi-user support exists right after you turn your tablet on, with a tap on your chosen image to bring up your own home screen, apps, email, photos, and storage.
Have a peek at our full reviews of the Samsung Nexus 10 and the LG Nexus 4 and get pumped up about the rest of the updates coming up. These devices are available on the Google Play device store online and you’ll be seeing them at retailers rather soon as well. The software, as always, is open and free.
Google’s Nexus program is a push back against Apple and Microsoft greed, an Android exec has argued, describing Motorola Mobility as a way to “disarm” attacks on the OS rather than segue into hardware. “There are players in the industry who were unhappy about more competitive pricing for the consumers” John Lagerling, director of Android business development, told Bits, pointing to the relatively affordable Nexus 4 as an example of how Google is shaking up the smartphone and tablet space, and relying on Motorola for patent ammunition should the search giant get called out in court.
“There are players in the industry who were unhappy about more competitive pricing for the consumers. They want to keep the prices high, they want to force the price to be so high that operators have to subsidize the devices very highly. That’s not only the Cupertino guys but also for the guys up in Seattle. They want higher margins, they want to charge more for software” John Lagerling, Google
As Lagerling sees it, Google’s expensive acquisition of Motorola Mobility isn’t to give the company an edge in producing Android devices in-house. Instead, Motorola’s design team is treated just as all the other Android-using manufacturers: if they want to make a Nexus, they have to bid for it like everyone else.
“They stand where Sharp would stand, or Sony would stand or Huawei would stand” he explained. “From my perspective as a partnership director, they are another partner. We are really walled between the Motorola team and the Android team. They would bid on doing a Nexus device just like any other company.”
Whether Google can, with the $299 Nexus 4, do what it attempted with the original Nexus One and bypass the carriers by instead selling unlocked, SIM-free handsets direct, remains to be seen. According to Lagerling, “Nexus One was very early” and the recent success of the Nexus 7 in opening consumer eyes to devices bearing the Google brand will see the Nexus 4 do markedly differently.
Google is up to its fourth Nexus smartphone, and the LG Nexus 4 faces a very different mobile world from the heady days of the Nexus One. Back then, Google’s Nexus led the field in specifications, a deliberate kick to manufacturers to be more imaginative with their Android devices. The Nexus 4, however, faces ambitious and best-selling Android phones (not to mention the iPhone 5, and the launch of Windows Phone 8) that are already capable and compelling. Does the new Nexus have a place in the mobile market? Read on for our full review.
Hardware
If you’ve been keeping up to date with recent Android devices, the Nexus 4 should come as little surprise. Like Samsung before it, LG has looked to a recent flagship to build from, and the Nexus 4 is a not-too-distant cousin to the LG Optimus G.
That’s not a bad place to start, however. The Optimus passes over its 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 resolution HD IPS+ display – mustering 320ppi, versus the 326ppi of the iPhone 5, but in practical terms equally smooth in appearance – and while LCD is a first for the previously all-AMOLED Nexus line-up, it’s a beautiful panel. Blacks are deep and rich, while colors are bright but not over-saturated as can sometimes be the case with AMOLED. LG’s integration of the touch-layer and the top glass means graphics swim right underneath your fingertip.
The Nexus 4 also gets Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz quadcore Snapdragon S4 Pro with Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. As per the Galaxy Nexus, there’s no room for a microSD card: instead, you’re stuck with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, and relying on Google Drive if you need any more.
It’s not the only compromise, either. Unlike the Optimus G, the Nexus 4 lacks LTE, topping out instead at pentaband HSPA+ 42Mbps with support for both AT&T and T-Mobile USA’s networks. That, Google has said, is because of the cost and complexity of outfitting phones with LTE radios to suit each carrier, particularly when you’re aiming – as the search giant is – to sell more devices unlocked and SIM-free than you are subsidized through carriers. Other connectivity isn’t quite so disappointing, with dual band WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC for Android Beam, and microUSB.
The usual array of sensors are present – accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light, proximity, gyroscope, barometer, and GPS – and the 2,100 mAh battery can be charged either via microUSB as normal, or using a wireless charger. Google has opted for the Qi standard, which means any compatible wireless charger – including those Nokia will offer alongside its new Lumia Windows Phone 8 range – will work to juice up your Nexus.
On the back there’s an 8-megapixel camera and an LED flash, while the front-facing camera offers 1.3-megapixel resolution. The 139g body itself – which measures in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – is made of a combination of plastic and glass, and feels considerably better in the hand than it looks in pictures. The edges of the Gorilla Glass 2 fascia curve slightly along the longer sides, meaning your thumb never encounters a blunt line when you’re swiping, and the glass back panel is a cool, crisp touch. The soft-touch sides are easily gripped, and while opinions have been mixed here about the sparkly finish LG has given the rear, it’s at least better than mock carbon-fiber.
Performance
With a final software update yet to come – more on that in the next section on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean – it’s possible that Google could coax some extra performance out of the Nexus 4. As it stands, our benchmarking describes a phone that falls behind what the near-identically specified Optimus G achieved. In AnTuTu, the Nexus 4 scored 8,903, behind the scores of the HTC One X+, Note II, and Galaxy S III; in the same test, the Optimus G managed a huge 11,278.
In Smartbench 2012, the Nexus 4 scored 2961 in the productivity category and 2954 in gaming, while in Quadrant it edged ahead of the original HTC One X with a score of 4961. SunSpider, the test of browser JavaScript performance, the new Nexus scored 2170.4ms (lower is better).
What’s interesting is that the difference in raw numbers doesn’t add up to a phone that feels sluggish in use. No matter the app or the complexity of the webpage, the Nexus 4 whipped through with zero lag or delay. It’s fast and responsive, and a great playing ground for the new version of Jelly Bean.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Google’s new version of Android is a minor refresh, as the unchanged name suggests, but there are a few key improvements which the Nexus 4 (and the Nexus 10 tablet) debut. Ostensibly it looks the same as Jelly Bean as we’ve seen it before, with the most visible difference promising to be the new lock screen, which will show widgets for calendar, email, and other apps. Third-party developers will be able to add their own lock screen widgets to apps available from the Play marketplace. Unfortunately, the new lock screen tech wasn’t ready in time for our review, and will go live when the final ROM hits the Nexus 4 in time for its November 13 release.
What we could try is the new Google Now, which introduces fresh cards highlighting nearby events and concerts, upcoming hotel and flight reservations, places known for being photography hot-spots, and what movies are showing in nearby theaters. Voice search gets an update too, and can now be used – if you speak sufficiently clearly, and have a data connection – to set and search appointments along with open up apps. It’s worth noting, though, that Jelly Bean 4.1 users can already try the new features by updating the Google Search app on their device.
Android’s flexibility with third-party keyboards has seen a number of alternative input options arise, though Google may well be putting some of them out of business with its new Gesture Type ‘board. Like Swype, it allows text entry by sliding a finger between letters, rather than the usual hunt and tap, with a new word prediction system floating a box above your fingertip for easier review. It makes a real difference with one-handed typing, Google’s new system keeping up with faster swiping and proving capable of picking out the most likely word we were typing, as well as gradually learning from our most frequently used words.
Wireless displays, with Miracast, are now supported natively, though you’ll of course need a smart TV or monitor that can handle the standard. Alternatively, there are various third-party set-top boxes that can bring an existing screen up to speed. It works particularly well when watching streaming video, whether rented from Google Play and streamed from the cloud, or stored locally on the Nexus 4 itself.
Jelly Bean was already a solid, capable OS, and this 4.2 version only polishes that. There are a few useful tweaks to the Gmail app with new gestures to shift messages from the inbox to the archive, along with zoom support. Finally, the pull-down notifications menu offers options to respond to an alert, not just open or dismiss it. You can snooze a ringing alarm, for instance, or fire off an email to meeting attendees from a reminder about an upcoming appointment.
Camera
The Nexus 4′s main camera uses an 8-megapixel BSI sensor with f/2.4 lens, and is capable of 1080p Full HD video; unlike some variants of the Optimus G, it misses out on the 13-megapixel sensor. Up front is a 1.3-megapixel camera with 720p video recording.
Previous Nexus phones haven’t been known for their incredible camera quality, but the Nexus 4 delivers a noticeable step up. It’s not the best camera we’ve seen on a recent phone – Samsung’s Galaxy S III produces more colorful stills, to our eyes, for instance – but it’s a huge improvement over the Googlephones that came before.
Video, unsurprisingly, is much in line with what we saw from the Optimus G. Colors are accurate, if a little muted, and the continuous autofocus makes it easy to piece together a more impressive clip than the usual point-and-shoot.
(Click for expanded view)
Of course, it’s Photo Sphere that has been getting the most attention, a new addition to Android devices. It pieces together different frames into an overall 360-degree image, which can then be shared as stills or uploaded to Google Maps for use with the Street View viewer. In practice, while some impressive images can be coaxed out of Photo Sphere, it’s also capable of some pretty underwhelming pictures. Indoors, with busy scenes, we had problems with badly-blended joins; outdoor panoramas proved far more successful.
Phone and Battery
Voice calls with the Nexus 4 were in line with what we experienced from the Optimus G, clear and with no issues with drops or static; the dual microphones help there. Google quotes up to 10hrs of talktime from the 2,100 mAh battery, or up to 7hrs web browsing, though in our experience it was heavily dependent on how bright we had the screen set. LG’s HD IPS+ technology is certainly capable of some impressive brightness levels, but it also chews through battery life at the same time. Set to a more moderate level, we got through a full day before needing a recharge.
Of course, Google would like you to be setting the Nexus 4 down on a wireless charger when you’re not using it, though one isn’t included in the box. The switch to Qi technology from previous types of dock means you don’t get Pogo pins on the Nexus 4, though the number of products that actually use them is so slim that for most people it’s unlikely to make a difference.
Pricing and Value
Google’s first Nexus was not only a spur to smartphone manufacturers, but the company’s attempt to claw back some autonomy in mobile from carriers. That failed to transpire, but Google hasn’t given up on its strategy of marginalizing them to “dumb pipes.” The Nexus 4 will be offered via T-Mobile USA, priced at $199 for the 16GB model with a new, two-year agreement, but the real deal is when you go SIM-free.
Google is offering the Nexus 4 via the Play store, priced at $299 for the 8GB or $349 for the 16GB, unlocked and SIM-free. That means you can simply drop in your choice of AT&T or T-Mobile SIM – or, indeed, a SIM from an international provider – and get going, whether it’s a post-pay or a pre-pay card.
The deals available when you’re not wanting a subsidized device are generally significantly better, and so those willing to piece together a phone and plan separately are at an advantage. Considering the specifications, the Nexus 4 makes other Android phones – not to mention recently-announced Windows Phone 8 devices and the iPhone – start to look expensive.
Wrap-up
The LG Nexus 4 and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean are a very strong combination. LG’s flagship hardware is capable of a smoothness we’ve only really seen hinted at with the effects of Project Butter until now; on the S4 Pro chipset it simply flies. Meanwhile, the gradual refinement of Android itself is more than welcome, and though Photo Sphere is undoubtedly a gimmick, features like Gesture Type make a noticeable difference to the usability of the phone.
That makes it all the more frustrating that so few people will have access to Android 4.2. With so few devices updated to even the previous version of Jelly Bean, the saga of Android fragmentation shows little sign of ending. Google’s strategy to address that appears to be more affordable hardware, though it remains to be seen whether the company can make unlocked devices popular in a way that it failed to manage at the start of the Nexus project.
None of that takes away from how capable the LG Nexus 4 is, however, and how keenly priced. Nexus devices are already appealing, being as they are at the front of the line for new Android updates, but until now there’s always been a compromise somewhere along the way. With the Nexus 4, the compromise is as small as its ever been, and the fact that it’s so very affordable makes it strongly recommended for those wanting the best of Android today.
Welcome to the special Halloween edition of the Evening Wrap-Up! The Halloween edition is pretty much the same as regular Wrap-Ups, the only difference is that I’m dressed as Ginger Spice as I type this. Let’s spice up our lives with a recap, shall we? Microsoft is being sued over its Windows 8 live tiles, and Apple has removed delivery dates from iPad Mini LTE pre-orders, leading some to suspect that the company has been forced to delay them. T-Mobile and AT&T have opened up their networks in areas hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, letting customers of both carriers use either network – a respectable move by the two carriers in this time of need.
Finally tonight, we have a couple of original posts for you to have a look at. Chris Burns checks out the Galaxy Note II’s gaming capabilities and goes hands-on with the Nokia Lumia 920 from AT&T. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night everyone!
The LG Nexus 4 will land exclusively on O2 in the UK, the carrier has announced, with the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean smartphone set to hit stores on Tuesday, November 13. Launched on Monday – you can check out our hands-on here – the Nexus 4 runs the latest version of Android on a quadcore Snapdragon S4 processor, with a 4.7-inch LCD display and 8-megapixel camera.
That camera is used with the new Photo Sphere 360-degree tool, with images that can be shared on Google+ or added to Google Maps. More on Android 4.2 here. There’s also wireless charging, though O2 hasn’t said whether it will be bundling the wireless dock in with the phone, or selling it optionally.
The handset itself will be free with a new agreement of £36 per month or above, assuming a two-year contract. That will include unlimited calls and unlimited messages, along with 1GB of data; the Nexus 4 lacks LTE, but then so does O2 at the moment.
Of course, Google will be selling the Nexus 4 itself, and if you can afford some upfront cost – £239 for the 8GB, £279 for the 16GB – and then opt for a SIM-only deal, you could save some money versus a contract with O2. In the US, T-Mobile will be doing carrier duties for the subsidized Nexus 4, though Google will also be offering its unlocked version.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
