Official Avail. Nov 13th - Android 4.2 - LG Nexus 4 - Asus Nexus 7 - Samsung Nexus 10

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/29/go...-nexus-4-none-of-its-excuses-are-good-enough/

If Apple can deliver timely updates to ALL its models, why can't Google?

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

I was going to hold onto my iphone 4 for awhile longer but the price of the nexus 4 is awesome. I am concerned like others about a 32GB version being available down the road, as I would much prefer that. I think upgrading the nexus 7 like that is a dick move from google and reeks of Apple like tendencies.

I also want a nexus 10 and love the Android OS but apps sucked on the nexus 7 and im concerned the 10 will have the same issue. Not sure what to do about that one.

 

[s44]

I was going to hold onto my iphone 4 for awhile longer but the price of the nexus 4 is awesome. I am concerned like others about a 32GB version being available down the road, as I would much prefer that. I think upgrading the nexus 7 like that is a dick move from google and reeks of Apple like tendencies.

Look, Google is going to offer the 32gb Nexus 4 when 720p on quad Krait is old hat, and not a moment before. To do otherwise would incite revolt from their hardware partners -- who are, at least outside North America, also competing with Google's mind-boggling unsubsidized price.

This will probably also coincide with a 32gb version coming out on Sprint.

As for the Nexus 10, it seems to guarantee that Key Lime Pie will have some sort of windowing/split-screening feature akin to the Note or Windows RT. The screen on that is, after all, basically two portrait Nexus 7 screens side by side.

 

[ponyo]

Look, Google is going to offer the 32gb Nexus 4 when 720p on quad Krait is old hat, and not a moment before. To do otherwise would incite revolt from their hardware partners -- who are, at least outside North America, also competing with Google's mind-boggling unsubsidized price.

This will probably also coincide with a 32gb version coming out on Sprint.

As for the Nexus 10, it seems to guarantee that Key Lime Pie will have some sort of windowing/split-screening feature akin to the Note or Windows RT. The screen on that is, after all, basically two portrait Nexus 7 screens side by side.

I definitely see the split screen multitasking happening and being added on the Nexus 10 in the future with Key Lime Pie. It makes perfect sense with that high resolution big screen.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

LTE does not imply launch delay. You don't need to launch an LTE phone THROUGH A CARRIER. Why do you think that LTE implies carrier launch? If this is your logic, then please answer the question I've asked a dozen times now. How is this ANY DIFFERENT than the inclusion of 3G as an upgrade to 2G? Does that require a carrier launch? Why is LTE any different?.

The largest LTE carrier in the world does require devices to be launched through them. I'm sure you response to that is to ignore Verizon but if they did that there is no point in having LTE at all, At&t's LTE coverage is pathetic and most of the world has even less coverage than they do.

It seems like there is no possible way that you could have been happy with the Nexus 4. You claim to hate the US carrier model of subsidizing phones yet you are relentlessly bashing the biggest challenge that model has ever seen. Besides judging by how much you claim developer support matters to you I would think you would be happy to see an S4 pro Nexus.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Ok, so for $350 is it ok if we get a 2G only phone? Is it ok if we get a monochrome screen? At what point do you stop making excuses for $350?

Looking at the average transfer speeds for Verizon's LTE it would be a downgrade versus what I get now on HSPA+(8.5Mbps, going on the reported average speed in the article linked earlier). So I'm not quite sure what to say to you. I started a thread a while back asking what people considered 4G and a bunch of sheeple, from either camp, said LTE- but they wouldn't put a transfer speed number on it. To me, that's all I really care about. Will this phone be able to stream YouTube without hitches with the modem it has? Yep, without a problem. That is my personal litmus test for connection speed.

The LG Nexus may be priced low, but it isn't being positioned as a crap phone.

It's being positioned as a high end off contract phone for under $400. Its' competitors in that market segment number zero. If you honestly mean what you say about wanting to see the carriers stranglehold broken in the US, then you should be championing this device.

Standard unlocked flagship cell phones cost $599. Apple sells for $699.

The $940 was honestly the lowest price I could find, just checked Apple's out of stock inventory and they have them listed at $649(cheaper then you quoted even). Not even close to the $349 though. Ultimately, price is the *main* consideration on how a product is viewed. If the N7 was $349 people would have said 'meh' at best, at $199 it was fantastic. In this particular case, the N4 is the first of its' type that we have seen, I can't in good faith bash it for anything honestly. The LTE I honestly consider an absolute non factor, it truly isn't important to me at all if I can get H+, the lack of memory is a much bigger concern. That said, ~$30 per month per phone off my bill? There comes a point where it's just too much to ignore. I could deal with paying the extra when it was a choice between an outdated device that was a POS when it was new, but the N4 is a game changer on that front. Now, I can't look my wife in the eye and justify a couple hundred a month for our family extra due to device superiority.

As for the Ford Focus and Lexus V8 analogy, you know that's not the case. If we use your analogy correctly, the HOX, SGS3, iPhone 5 are represented by the V8 Lexus, while the LG Nexus is a Ford Focus? Maybe you meant the focus st or whatever the sport one is, but I'm basically thinking power vehicle versus econobox when you make this comparison.

No, I meant the econobox. Double the price(entry level Lexus obviously). Faster then at least two if not all three of the devices you listed, but with the slowest network connection and the most limited memory(why I went with half the gas tank). If the econobox Focus came with an interior comparable to the Lexus, handled all the driving tasks you asked of it without issue, came with all the luxury features of the Lexus, but cost half as much, who would buy the Lexus? That *is* what we are looking at. I don't know how old you are but I would love to compare it to the '93 Z28. When that car came out it was running close to Ferraris, for under $20K. Obviously it wasn't in the league as an overall car, but it was almost universally agreed that it just got way too much right where it counted to bother with the details. The Nexus 4 to me, in car analogies, comes closest to that.

You're comparing standard market prices for old cell phones against Google's totally different strategy of just pricing freaking low for new Nexus devices. It's not a fair comparison.

I tried giving my wallet that speech, and an extra $300 didn't appear- how did you get it to work?

LTE to me is an utter non issue. If I was a Verizon or Sprint customer it would be very different, their 3G is utter trash, but I'm not and neither is this phone so no big deal to me. Would I exchange 2 cores for more on board storage? No. While I have already mentioned the on board storage to me *is* a concern, I try and always buy devices with the most powerful SoC on the market for my 'daily driver'. I have yet to regret this when I did it, and *always* regret it when I don't. I recall when I bought the first dual core device many on this forum said it was a waste, not going to help etc, etc, obviously we all know how that turned out. If this was a dual core *true* A15 versus the quad core Krait I would consider that a worthy swap, but a straight downgrade? No, I would rather have more power at my disposal.

Sacrifice GPU power? No chance. Way too important to me. I actually have been using my phone to game quite a bit lately, the quality of newer titles like Horn is really changing perspectives around on what can be done on UP devices IMO. No chance I would swap that out.

Half the RAM? The Atrix that launched almost two years ago has 1GB, DroidX2 was an identical SoC but with 512MB of RAM. When new they performed comparably, now the DX2 gets roflstomped. Nope, I'll stick with 2GB of RAM.

Low res/tiny display like the iPhone 5? No, tiny displays belong in the past. While Apple fans are likely quite pleased with the increase in real estate, to be honest I was giving deep consideration to the Note2. Clearly the Nexus4 isn't in that realm, but I can't see buying a 4" screen in late '12/early '13.

The reason why I chose the Nexus over the SGS3, which is a decision I will be making when this device goes on sale, is because for Android devices I value ROMming. I think more than a few people can attest to my needs to install CM10 here. In that case Nexus > SGS3 for me.

I don't feel like uploading it atm, but CM10 has been on the SGS3 for a while now, I took a screenshot if you are interested. Not that big of a deal. Not trying to talk you out of getting the Nexus, just saying if CM10 availability is key, SGS3 as of this second has the edge.

 

[dguy6789]

Nexus 4 and price impresses the hell out of me. I was expecting $499 or $529 and just being like "yawn another incrementally faster high end phone". $299 and $349 for this phone unsubsidized makes me start thinking about if I really want to stick with Verizon anymore or not.

 

[BenSkywalker]

$299 and $349 for this phone unsubsidized makes me start thinking about if I really want to stick with Verizon anymore or not.

That, right there, that is what I'm talking about. The Nexus 4 is, IMO, by far the best thing to happen to threaten the big carriers choke hold on us.

 

[basslover1]

Nexus 4 and price impresses the hell out of me. I was expecting $499 or $529 and just being like "yawn another incrementally faster high end phone". $299 and $349 for this phone unsubsidized makes me start thinking about if I really want to stick with Verizon anymore or not.

Yea I gave Verizon a big F and U when the GNex became available in the Play Store this past spring.

If T-Mobile continues to offer their value plan, and Google keeps selling Nexus phones for so cheap, I'll never take a phone subsidy ever again.

 

[vi edit]

The pricing on the nexus phone just makes me think that it paves the way for other companies like oh say...Amazon to publish their own phone and then back it with a reasonably priced data plan. Google has proven that they can make a fairly high end device and sell it cheap. Amazon has an enormous tie into many of our wallets and some semblance of a cellular infrastructure.

Connect the dots and $300 Amazon "Blaze" phone w/ $20 a month 1 gig data/voice/mms plan. BAM!

Fairy tales at this point...but the groundwork is there.

 

[ponyo]

The pricing on the nexus phone just makes me think that it paves the way for other companies like oh say...Amazon to publish their own phone and then back it with a reasonably priced data plan. Google has proven that they can make a fairly high end device and sell it cheap. Amazon has an enormous tie into many of our wallets and some semblance of a cellular infrastructure.

Connect the dots and $300 Amazon "Blaze" phone w/ $20 a month 1 gig data/voice/mms plan. BAM!

Fairy tales at this point...but the groundwork is there.

That would be so awesome. It wasn't until Straight Talk allowed BYOD that we finally got decent option to use high end phones on prepaid. But not many people know about Straight Talk or even PagePlus. When I tell people I'm on Straight Talk, they look at me like I'm speaking in foreign language. They have no idea what Straight Talk is or think all prepaid are for illegals and no/bad credit people. Amazon and Facebook have enough brand recognition and advertising that it could work.

 

[zerocool84]

What you guys are forgetting is that unsubsidized phones just don't do well here. People want to be able to look at what they are buying, that's why Best Buy is Amazon's show room. The average person will not know about this phone, there won't be tons of marketing for it, it won't hurt the carriers at all because not enough people will get this phone. By January, I'm definitely getting this and hopping on Tmobile prepaid but it's just not something the average person is doing. Yes it's subsidized on Tmobile but they are the 4th largest carrier here so not enough penetration for them.

 

[Ravynmagi]

What you guys are forgetting is that unsubsidized phones just don't do well here. People want to be able to look at what they are buying, that's why Best Buy is Amazon's show room. The average person will not know about this phone, there won't be tons of marketing for it, it won't hurt the carriers at all because not enough people will get this phone. By January, I'm definitely getting this and hopping on Tmobile prepaid but it's just not something the average person is doing. Yes it's subsidized on Tmobile but they are the 4th largest carrier here so not enough penetration for them.

This phone won't change the world. But it's a good step in the right direction.

 

[vi edit]

What you guys are forgetting is that unsubsidized phones just don't do well here

They haven't done well because historically your only real option was to subsidize or pay some retardedly obnoxious amount of money "off contract". It wasn't that people didn't do it, rather they didn't have a choice.

That's changing. And rapidly. Prepaid plans *are* gaining subscribers and with this announcement you are able to buy a fairly high end phone for not a lot more than what a subsidy price would run you.

As younger generations start to embrace web purchasing and the older generations phase out you'll see this really start to move forward even more.

I'm not saying next year it'll be a different game in terms of traditional carriers and their power, but in the next 5-10 it's going to be a very different landscape.

 

[jhbball]

I'm considering selling my HTC One X to get this phone (ATT). I wouldn't mind having an HSPA+ phone honestly, as I get ~500k/second in my area with HSPA+. When I move into an LTE coverage area, my battery drops a lot more quickly.

 

[dguy6789]

I just got a Razr Maxx HD for full retail a few days ago and am in love with it but man I am so strongly thinking about eating the $35 restock fee, canning VZW and getting this. Ahhhhrghhhh

 

[kpkp]

This phone won't change the world. But it's a good step in the right direction.

It might wont do well in the USA, but in Europe it has the potential to be a disrupting device. And here carriers could sell it too (like t-mobile). I know it will be the first device I will advice to anyone asking me....

 

[bearxor]

I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a N4, putting my wife on a AT&T ST SIM so her HSPA+ works on the 4S and then pulling a TMobile SIM for mine and selling the 5 to pay the ETF. Paying $170 a month now for two iphones and an ipad with 10GB shared data and could get away with 90+20 pretty easily.

There were just a few things I didn't like about Android UI-wise and I need to go back and think about it a lot and see if it's something I could live with.

 

[dlock13]

Can you guys tell me what network Straight Talk would run on with the Nexus 4?

I'm considering getting Straight Talk + Nexus 4. I currently have unlimited VZW LTE, but their lackluster phone choice and nazi-istic ways are just making me so angry anymore. The bad part about all of this is I'm on an employee plan so at the moment it's pretty good for me, but I just can't bear the thought of not getting another good phone... Plus, the fact that you can use 'any' device on Straight Talk for such a low price.. Wow. That makes me happy.

 

[jpeyton]

Can you guys tell me what network Straight Talk would run on with the Nexus 4?

I'm considering getting Straight Talk + Nexus 4. I currently have unlimited VZW LTE, but their lackluster phone choice and nazi-istic ways are just making me so angry anymore. The bad part about all of this is I'm on an employee plan so at the moment it's pretty good for me, but I just can't bear the thought of not getting another good phone... Plus, the fact that you can use 'any' device on Straight Talk for such a low price.. Wow. That makes me happy.

The Nexus 4 is unlocked pentaband, so it doesn't matter which network (AT&T or T-Mobile) you order your Straight Talk SIM for: http://www.straighttalksim.com/

I would choose the network which has better coverage in your area. Also note that AT&T's 3G network, while having better nationwide coverage than T-Mobile, isn't as fast as T-Mobile.

 

[magomago]

I'll wait for a google correction. Maybe this is the consolation Tmobile gets it when you buy it through them: you get HSPA+42 isntead of 21.

Not that it matters to me lol; I'm on a AT&T Bold 9000 running on the edge network, so I'll all feel faster haha.

Just want to requote this; on their webpage its still HSPA+ 21, not 42. I can't imagine how a correction hasn't been made at this point.

I'm assuming that Tmo direct gets HSPA+ 42 as part of the package. If its true, its not a bad compromise from google's standpoint; Tmobile gets slightly faster hardware, but they still get complete SW control. i just hope 21 vs 42 isn't radically different as I'm definitely getting it from the google play store

 

[Aikouka]

Looking at the average transfer speeds for Verizon's LTE it would be a downgrade versus what I get now on HSPA+(8.5Mbps, going on the reported average speed in the article linked earlier). So I'm not quite sure what to say to you. I started a thread a while back asking what people considered 4G and a bunch of sheeple, from either camp, said LTE- but they wouldn't put a transfer speed number on it. To me, that's all I really care about. Will this phone be able to stream YouTube without hitches with the modem it has? Yep, without a problem. That is my personal litmus test for connection speed.

I had an iPhone 4S on AT&T with HSPA+ and only got 4Mbps, and I get 20Mbps with my iPhone 5 on Verizon with LTE. That's also with 1/2 to 1/4 the latency. Honestly, I'm spoiled now with this speed. Stuff just loads up unlike before where it felt slow. What was even worse is that I could just walk into a restaurant and drop to 1/10 of the speed, but my signal didn't seem to degrade at all.

The only negative thing is that Verizon seems to have odd signal problems in certain stores -- Target and Walmart. I like checking prices on Blu-rays against Amazon, and I have to go to electronics first in Target or else I'll never get my data connection back until I go outside. Man, for people talking about Verizon being the bee's knees for signal penetration haven't been to their local Target!

 

[OBLAMA2009]

I had an iPhone 4S on AT&T with HSPA+ and only got 4Mbps, and I get 20Mbps with my iPhone 5 on Verizon with LTE. That's also with 1/2 to 1/4 the latency. Honestly, I'm spoiled now with this speed. Stuff just loads up unlike before where it felt slow. What was even worse is that I could just walk into a restaurant and drop to 1/10 of the speed, but my signal didn't seem to degrade at all.

The only negative thing is that Verizon seems to have odd signal problems in certain stores -- Target and Walmart. I like checking prices on Blu-rays against Amazon, and I have to go to electronics first in Target or else I'll never get my data connection back until I go outside. Man, for people talking about Verizon being the bee's knees for signal penetration haven't been to their local Target!

so you re saying building penetration with att is better than with verizon?

 

[abaez]

What you guys are forgetting is that unsubsidized phones just don't do well here. People want to be able to look at what they are buying, that's why Best Buy is Amazon's show room. The average person will not know about this phone, there won't be tons of marketing for it, it won't hurt the carriers at all because not enough people will get this phone. By January, I'm definitely getting this and hopping on Tmobile prepaid but it's just not something the average person is doing. Yes it's subsidized on Tmobile but they are the 4th largest carrier here so not enough penetration for them.

You can be sure this phone will be advertised on the google.com homepage - visited millions of times a day. The average person will definitely at least know about it.

 

[s44]

The Nexus 4 is unlocked pentaband, so it doesn't matter which network (AT&T or T-Mobile) you order your Straight Talk SIM for: http://www.straighttalksim.com/

I would choose the network which has better coverage in your area. Also note that AT&T's 3G network, while having better nationwide coverage than T-Mobile, isn't as fast as T-Mobile.

Perhaps more importantly, AT&T ST has a hard cap of 2gb/month, 100mb/day. T-Mo ST doesn't.