Hasta La Gadget!

Today Google has officially put the Nexus 4 Wireless Charger up for sale, it being a long-awaited half-orb instilled with the power to charge the power of the LG-made Nexus 4. This device is an oddity in the halls of Google-made hardware in that it essentially takes on the shape of the Nexus Q (at defunct Google product currently “back on the drawing board”) and acts as a charger for wireless devices – specifically the Nexus 4 here. And it’s up for sale right this minute!

The Google Nexus 4 is a smartphone that’s easily one of the pure Google Nexus lines’ most successful. Up until just the past couple of weeks, the Nexus 4 smartphone itself has been a toss-up for availability while the T-Mobile edition (essentially the same model, sold by T-Mobile), went low on stock this past week due to a massive sale price on-contract. Now the wireless charging abilities of this device can continue that sell-out action with a whole new accessory.

This is one of a collection of devices out on the market now that uses the Qi standard for wireless charging, this being not all that different from what we saw most recently in the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC DROID DNA. Both devices use the same technology and each device can be charged interchangeably. Just to be safe though, we’re sure each vendor will let you know you’ll want to pick up the charger made specifically for each smartphone – be cautious!

This Nexus 4 Wireless Charger has been put up for sale for $59.99 USD today in the US-based Google Play online store. This means that availability is at least near-ready for the USA and the whole world will be rolling with some wireless charging action in the very near future. This orb weighs in at 130g, by the way, and comes in any color you like – just so long as it’s black.

Also – fun fact: the app being used in the photos provided by Google above is called Battery Widget? Reborn! – an odd choice, to be sure, but interesting!

Nexus 4 Wireless Charging Orb hits Google Play is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Nexus 4 made its first primetime television appearance last night during the Grammy Awards. However, it actually wasn’t at the awards ceremony, but rather as an advertisement during a commercial break. The ad is pretty basic, and it goes over some of the cool features of Google Now, like weather updates, directions, and even language translation.

Google‘s focus on Google Now is a strong indicator that they’re looking to take on Apple’s Siri technology on the iPhone, and are wanting to win the affection of diehard Siri users. The ad itself doesn’t go into a lot of detail on the Nexus 4 — actually, there’s zero details given on the new handset, other than the fact that is has Google Now on board.

This makes for an interesting way to promote a smartphone. While many companies tout the specs and numerous features of a device, Google has been focusing on one single feature that takes the spotlight, and most recently it’s been Google Now. In the one-minute ad, you can see Google Now Google Now doing a whole host of things, like checking the weather, finding a restaurant, and setting up a Google+ Hangout.

Google definitely wants its ads to communicate with its viewers in a personal way, and they show off some of the things you can do with their devices in an everyday situation. Gone are the days of flashy commercials with smartphones doing flip tricks while a dubstep track plays in the background. At least we wish those days were gone.

First primetime Nexus 4 ad shows off Google Now in action is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Who doesn’t love a bit of gadget personalization? Those who have managed to get their hands on the LG Nexus 4 can grab a vinyl skin for the handset over at Dbrand starting at only $9, which isn’t much if you’re familiar with the typical cost of skins. A total of 12 different options are available with enough variety among them to appeal to most people.

The skins are available in three different textures, which each texture being offered in a total of 9 different colors. The texture options are comprised of Leather, Brushed Aluminum, and Carbon Fiber. The skins are made from 3M adhesive vinyl, so users don’t have to worry about sticker-like adhesive being left on the phone when the skin is removed.

Because the skins are adhesive vinyl, they can be removed and reapplied when desired, meaning users can get more than one and swap them out whenever desired. The designs are laser-etched, so the texture quality is high and consistent and the fit is precise. The Nexus branding on the phone is not hidden by the skin due to a cutout in the adhesive to keep it visible. Obviously, there are also cutouts for the camera and speaker, as well.

While skins won’t protect your phone like a case, not everyone enjoys having a large, sometimes unattractive piece of plastic wrapped around their handset. In this case, a skin is the perfect option, giving your device a different look without any undue hassle. And for only $9, you really can’t beat it.

[via Android Community]

Nexus 4 vinyl skins available from Dbrand for only $9 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google is apparently doing a good job of improving its supply stream issues and making good on promised delivery times for customers for new Nexus 4 orders – better than good, in fact. UK customers are reporting this morning (via CNET) that the Nexus 4 devices they ordered when Google released its latest crop of phones this past Wednesday are already arriving at their doorsteps, less than 48 hours later.

Google had predicted that phones would take 1 to 2 weeks to arrive at the homes of those placing new orders when the phones went on sale, but it clearly seems to have done something right, either on its end or in terms of getting LG to deliver more consistently. A 48 hour turnaround not only blows that out of the water, but also represents a 180-degree change in direction from the lengthy six-, seven- and eight-hour waits customers were running into just before the new year.

U.S. orders also went live again earlier this week, but no word on whether or not those devices are being shipped out yet. Let us know if you’re receiving or have received your new Nexus, but from the looks of what’s happening in Britain, Google has learned a few lessons about being the purveyor of an in-demand piece of hardware, and looks to actually be able to manage supply. Which isn’t to say it’s able to meet demand yet; in fact, we’re probably still fairly far off from that, given how quickly the Nexus 4 sold out and how stock continues to be a bit of a mixed bag internationally, I doubt that Google has reached supply equilibrium quite yet.

This week the Google Nexus lineup has been tipped to see a slight overhaul for its second coming, with hardware upgrades coming to the Nexus 7 tablet and the Nexus 4 smartphone in large and small doses. The Google Nexus 7 tablet has been on the market since July of last year as it was first shown off at Google I/O 2012, the company’s official developer conference, while the Nexus 4 has only been on the market for a few months – still having supply issues as we speak. The upgrades come to the color in which you’ll be able to pick up the smartphone and the sharpness of the display of the tablet.

While it is odd that the Samsung-made Nexus 10 has not been tipped for any sort of upgrade (beyond this one) for this Winter/Spring 2013 season, the Nexus 7 (made by ASUS) has seen its fair share of competition since its initial $199 reveal. This price point and the fact that it’s got a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor under the hood have all but blasted the machine into space with popularity, prompting waves of competitive 7-inch tablets (and the like) to attempt to syphon the cash. The upgrade tipped by Digitimes suggests that this machine will have an upgrade from its 1280 x 800 pixel display to an immensely dense 1728 x 1080 or even 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.

Meanwhile the Google Nexus 4 (made by LG) has been selling like hotcakes since it was first put on the market at the end of 2012. Here near the end of January 2013, the device is just now seeing availability flicker on (and more often off) online and in retail locations across the USA. Have a peek at a column by the name of “Why the Nexus 4 is selling like mad by Robert Nelson on Android Community to see why this beast continues to kick the market’s butt.

The newest word on the Nexus 4 is that it’ll have a white case in its next release. That’s it, that’s all, that’s all there is. That tip was sent to PhoneArena with the photo you see above – look pretty real to you? Looks pretty real to us – expect that device to be appearing in that color before the second quarter of this year rolls around – bank on it!

Google Nexus 7 and 4 tipped for spring refresh in White and HD is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.