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

[Eug]

I have to wonder if this killer Nexus 4 pricing has anything to do with Amazon's rumoured Android phone. Probably not, but I'm still having trouble understanding why Google would lower the price bar this much so quickly.

In fact, if the phone turns out to be half-decent, and if there were carrier-friendly LTE models, in 2013 I betcha it could outsell both the Samsung Galaxy S III (with its high price tag and its bloated OS), and the iPhone 5 (with its high price tag).

Too bad there are no such LTE-endowed models.

[EDIT]

Hmm...

The Next Web: Spanish retailer suspends plan to sell the Nexus 4 as LG hikes its retail price by hundreds of euros

Google is currently advertising the new handset as being available on 13 November at price points of €299 for the 8GB model and €349 for the 16GB model. However a statement on Phone House Spain’s Facebook page says that the company has discovered that LG will be offering it to them with a recommended retail price of €599. Although the retailer doesn’t say which model it’s referring to, the price isn’t exactly competitive when compared with buying direct via Google Play, amounting to a €250 to €300 price hike.

The sentiment is echoed in Italy, where angry would-be customers are taking to the LG Mobile Facebook page to protest against the huge disparity in pricing. The problem is more acute for Italian customers, as unlike Spain, Google has not yet announced plans to sell the Nexus 4 directly there. (Update: As Holger Eilhard tells us, the same problem is apparent in Austria too, with the 16GB model being the only one available, at €549).

 

[Fire&Blood]

Why would Google alienate the partners, it will need them for next year models, at least one of them or they won't have anyone to build the phones/tablets for them? Nexus 4 will be forgotten before the year is over, Droid DNA, SGS4 and their siblings are on their way, featuring everything the Nexus 4 doesn't have.

A Nexus device with Verizon's LTE is very unlikely, Google won't budge and judging what Verizon did to the Note's home button, they won't care for anything they can't alter to their liking.

 

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

If you just use it with a tablet for email and browsing, you'll be fine. I'm on t-mo and do it all the time, but don't abuse it. Never had a problem.

If I am spending nights in a hotel room, most likely I will be on laptop to surf the web. So this is not going to work?

 

[Red Storm]

I have to wonder if this killer Nexus 4 pricing has anything to do with Amazon's rumoured Android phone. Probably not, but I'm still having trouble understanding why Google would lower the price bar this much so quickly.

To combat subsidized pricing. Remember average Joe consumers don't think of smartphones as ~$600, they only think of the subsidized price.

 

[ponyo]

If I am spending nights in a hotel room, most likely I will be on laptop to surf the web. So this is not going to work?

It will work. And it will work out of the box without any modification because Nexus devices from the Play Store are all unlocked, unrestricted. That's one of the beauty of Nexus phone direct from Google Play Store. No carrier BS.

I used my Nexus as WiFi hotspot in hotels with laptop and tablets while on T-Mobile and now Straight Talk AT&T. It works beautifully. What other phone can you do that with? You certainly can't do that with an iPhone.

 

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

It will work. And it will work out of the box without any modification because Nexus devices from the Play Store are all unlocked, unrestricted. That's one of the beauty of Nexus phone direct from Google Play Store. No carrier BS.

I used my Nexus as WiFi hotspot in hotels with laptop and tablets while on T-Mobile and now Straight Talk AT&T. It works beautifully. What other phone can you do that with? You certainly can't do that with an iPhone.

I thought iPhone has Wi-Fi hotspot built-in as well. Although, it might require additional data plan I don't know.

So now that's out of the way, I am concerned with camera quality. The sample pictures Nexus 4 took are, IMHO, sub-par compared to iPhone or other high-end device.

I realize it's only $350 but.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Too lazy to look but did the Optimus G also get reviews on having poor camera quality?

Poor battery life is one strike(if true) but also poor camera quality makes me think if I buy a Nexus 4 it's just going to be a short stop-gap.

 

[ponyo]

I thought iPhone has Wi-Fi hotspot built-in as well. Although, it might require additional data plan I don't know.

So now that's out of the way, I am concerned with camera quality. The sample pictures Nexus 4 took are, IMHO, sub-par compared to iPhone or other high-end device.

I realize it's only $350 but.

iPhone does have Wi-Fi hotspot built-in but requires additional data plan in the US. But I was talking more about the ability to do it on both T-Mobile and AT&T. Nexus is pentaband and iPhone quadband. I've used my Nexus on both T-Mobile and AT&T and used the WiFi hotspot feature. iPhone will only get 2G EDGE on most of the T-Mobile markets. Nexus will get 3G on both AT&T and T-Mobile.

As for the camera, no comment. It is what it is and looks fine to me.

 

[lothar]

Why would Google alienate the partners, it will need them for next year models, at least one of them or they won't have anyone to build the phones/tablets for them? Nexus 4 will be forgotten before the year is over, Droid DNA, SGS4 and their siblings are on their way, featuring everything the Nexus 4 doesn't have.

A Nexus device with Verizon's LTE is very unlikely, Google won't budge and judging what Verizon did to the Note's home button, they won't care for anything they can't alter to their liking.

How do you know that Google is doing this to alienate it's partners?
Don't you think that if this was inconvenient for LG, they would have backed out of the Nexus 4 deal at the last moment?

The only phone I care about is the Nexus and possibly SGS4(depending on it's specs, and if Samsung becomes more open as they promised regarding Exynos).
But for the most part, I'm done with Android skins from the manufacturers and delayed updates.

 

[Eug]

I thought iPhone has Wi-Fi hotspot built-in as well. Although, it might require additional data plan I don't know.

Really depends on the carrier. On mine (Fido), iPhone WiFi hotspot support is included, as long as your plan is 1 GB or more.

To combat subsidized pricing. Remember average Joe consumers don't think of smartphones as ~$600, they only think of the subsidized price.

That doesn't make much sense. Most people know an unlocked phone costs more.

 

[Red Storm]

Really depends on the carrier. On mine (Fido), iPhone WiFi hotspot support is included, as long as your plan is 1 GB or more.



That doesn't make much sense. Most people know an unlocked phone costs more.

Most people buy their phones subsidized. When the new iPhone launched the 6 people who got here at our office never once mentioned the retail price, just the $199 price. The typical consumer is going to compare to the subsidized price, so Google went for lower cost.

 

[Tom]

To combat subsidized pricing. Remember average Joe consumers don't think of smartphones as ~$600, they only think of the subsidized price.

Not disagreeing, but what reason does Google have to discourage people making 2 year commitments to cell phone carriers ?

Is it possible they have plans to become a carrier, with a new non-contract paradigm ?

 

[bigrash]

I used my Nexus as WiFi hotspot in hotels with laptop and tablets while on T-Mobile and now Straight Talk AT&T. It works beautifully. What other phone can you do that with? You certainly can't do that with an iPhone.

Yes you can do that with an iPhone. Hotspot is included on all new Verizon plans (no additional charge). I use the my iPhone 5 as a mobile hotspot so that I can browse on my Nexus 7 tablet.

 

[ponyo]

That doesn't make much sense. Most people know an unlocked phone costs more.

That's just the old way of thinking. Unlocked phones do not have to cost more. It's a broken system. Phone is an appliance. Appliances do not have 50% profit margin.

 

[Red Storm]

Not disagreeing, but what reason does Google have to discourage people making 2 year commitments to cell phone carriers ?

Is it possible they have plans to become a carrier, with a new non-contract paradigm ?

Maybe because carriers want locked down devices which kind of go against what the Nexus is all about? Remember these are the same companies that used to charge $2 just to get a new ringtone.

 

[ponyo]

Yes you can do that with an iPhone. Hotspot is included on all new Verizon plans (no additional charge). I use the my iPhone 5 as a mobile hotspot so that I can browse on my Nexus 7 tablet.

You can't use your Verizon phone on T-Mobile and AT&T. I was commenting on the pentaband nature of the Nexus phones from the Play Store. GSM iPhone is limited to 2G EDGE on T-Mobile on most markets.

 

[Sid59]

I was hoping they'd open up pre-orders with people receiving units on the 13th. I guess another week or so doesn't hurt.

 

[vshah]

I was hoping they'd open up pre-orders with people receiving units on the 13th. I guess another week or so doesn't hurt.

play store usually has 2 day shipping on devices as the slowest option (not free though)

 

[ponyo]

I was hoping they'd open up pre-orders with people receiving units on the 13th. I guess another week or so doesn't hurt.

If it's like the Nexus 7 and the Chromebook, the initial stock is going to sell out fast. Holiday and Christmas is around the corner and I can see this phone being bought for resale in other countries.

 

[Eug]

Most people buy their phones subsidized. When the new iPhone launched the 6 people who got here at our office never once mentioned the retail price, just the $199 price.

Well, I got comments about both the subsidized price and the full price. A lot of people do travel these days.

The typical consumer is going to compare to the subsidized price, so Google went for lower cost.

And in the process pissed off a bunch of their potential partners. I just don't see a lot of people champing at the bit to pay $199 for a 2-year contract for a $349 phone.

Meanwhile, some European stores are refusing to sell the Nexus 4, because LG/Google won't give them a wholesale price that will let them sell it competitively priced against Google Play.

In fact, eBayers would make huge money by buying Google Play sourced Nexus 4s and reselling them in countries where Google Play doesn't exist, because the LG MSRP vs. the Google Play price discrepancy is so huge. There is simply no incentive for some retailers and some carriers to carry this phone.

 

[abaez]

Ars Technica's battery life:

Out and about town, the Nexus 4's battery life was stellar. After a full day's worth of use, which included standard tasks like checking e-mail, tweeting, and lots of Google Maps Navigation usage, the handset's 2100 mAh battery ended up at about 60 percent. In the morning, after about 7 hours had passed and the Nexus 4 sat all night doing push notifications on IMs and e-mails, the handset had 47 percent battery life left.

Wonder why different sites are getting such different battery life.

 

[Eug]

I'm starting to think that with light usage, the battery life is decent compared to other phones with the same light usage, but with heavy usage the phone may suck the battery dry faster than other phones.

...or not. I just dunno.

 

[Red Storm]

Well, I got comments about both the subsidized price and the full price. A lot of people do travel these days.


And in the process pissed off a bunch of their potential partners. I just don't see a lot of people champing at the bit to pay $199 for a 2-year contract for a $349 phone.

Meanwhile, some European stores are refusing to sell the Nexus 4, because LG/Google won't give them a wholesale price that will let them sell it competitively priced against Google Play.

In fact, eBayers would make huge money by buying Google Play sourced Nexus 4s and reselling them in countries where Google Play doesn't exist, because the LG MSRP vs. the Google Play price discrepancy is so huge. There is simply no incentive for some retailers and some carriers to carry this phone.

Err, the whole point is to not have to buy with a contract. Considering you only buy it from the Play Store and it's not being sold in stores next to other phones at subsidized prices, I don't see why they'd be mad. Though apparently T-Mobile is going to do just that, but that's only going to sucker in the tech illiterates who don't know what the Play Store is.

Frankly I have zero sympathy for carriers. They've been overcharging customers for years and years. I don't think even Google can shakeup the majority of people's pre-conceived notions about phone prices, but for those of us who are in the know, it's great to see.

 

[Jodell88]

I'm starting to think that with light usage, the battery life is decent compared to other phones with the same light usage, but with heavy usage the phone may suck the battery dry faster than other phones.

...or not. I just dunno.

This was the only thing that stuck out to me in the article on ars technica.

The Nexus 4 generates a considerable amount of heat to deliver that performance boost. LG included some additional power management routines on the Optimus G, using a feature it calls "Automatic mode" to control how quickly the CPU and GPU run in order to provide "optimized system performance" (so says the phone's settings). LG is more conservative with its allocation of juice, limiting the SoC so that it doesn't put out huge amounts of heat. The Nexus 4 lacks the same carefully-tuned power management and runs wide-open until it crosses some preset thermal threshold. So, the Nexus 4's CPU is going to start out running faster and at full power, but after a short time it's throttled down to slower than the Optimus G. The OG, on the other hand, will maintain a lower but more consistent speed. The Nexus 4 is a sprinter, but can't manage long runs; the OG holds a steady pace throughout.

It sounds like this is the reason for low battery life and performance problems.

 

[Eug]

Frankly I have zero sympathy for carriers. They've been overcharging customers for years and years. I don't think even Google can shakeup the majority of people's pre-conceived notions about phone prices, but for those of us who are in the know, it's great to see.

I don't have any sympathy for carriers either. I'm just saying that Google's approach here is odd, because the carriers and retailers are pretty powerful money-making partners.

Now, instead of having the carriers subsidize the phone, Google is doing it themselves, while burning bridges with its partners.

This was the only thing that stuck out to me in the article on ars technica. It sounds like this is the reason for low battery life and performance problems.

The Nexus 4 generates a considerable amount of heat to deliver that performance boost. LG included some additional power management routines on the Optimus G, using a feature it calls "Automatic mode" to control how quickly the CPU and GPU run in order to provide "optimized system performance" (so says the phone's settings). LG is more conservative with its allocation of juice, limiting the SoC so that it doesn't put out huge amounts of heat. The Nexus 4 lacks the same carefully-tuned power management and runs wide-open until it crosses some preset thermal threshold. So, the Nexus 4's CPU is going to start out running faster and at full power, but after a short time it's throttled down to slower than the Optimus G. The OG, on the other hand, will maintain a lower but more consistent speed. The Nexus 4 is a sprinter, but can't manage long runs; the OG holds a steady pace throughout.

If true, I'd like to see Google seriously improve the power management characteristics of the Nexus 4. Such CPU behaviour seems like a rushed and half-assed implementation.

Absent that, I'd love to see a non-root-requiring app that allows me to shut off cores and/or underclock the CPU as needed, to conserve power (assuming that would help).