The real reason why the nexus 4 is sold out...

[Eug]

if lg wanted to make more phones they could easily do it.

Yep. However, it takes time to ramp production.

lg is limiting the supply because the optomus g is the same exact hardware of the nexus 4 and lg is selling that for 700

That's likely bull. The fault is Google's for not correctly anticipating demand. There is likely some limitation on availability for the components for both phones, but that would have been dealt with had Google put in a bigger order to begin with.

I just don't understand WTF Google was thinking. Price a top tier smartphone for $299, but don't expect it to sell well?

 

[Aristotelian]

I'm personally disappointed in this launch. I enjoy my Galaxy Nexus immensely aside from some woes here and there that appear to be reducible to local data issues.

I was refreshing the play store every day, and in Belgium the Nexus 4 is not available yet. But guess what? I was asking friends in Germany to check every single day in December, and it was always sold out. Always. Even my friends at Google couldn't help out.

And then someone buys me an iPhone 5 for Christmas. I was really excited to try a Nexus 4 out, and in continental Europe it is exceedingly difficult to obtain one. Ahh well.

 

[dainthomas]

I remember someone claiming they only had 5,000 units on launch. LoL.

Ramping up production, buy that much when LG is likely focusing production on the Optimus G is impressive.

LG could have made way more Nexus 4s if Google had asked. (Isn't Optimus G just a skinned Nexus 4 with LTE?)

Seems like the whole fiasco was Google's fault.

 

[Fingolfin269]

LG could have made way more Nexus 4s if Google had asked. (Isn't Optimus G just a skinned Nexus 4 with LTE?)

Seems like the whole fiasco was Google's fault.

It really doesn't matter how little variance there is. Even the smallest unique part can cripple your ability to produce. Sometimes it can take months for a supplier to increase their output as well, maybe due to their own internal equipment issues or their inability to get a component from one of their own suppliers.

Basically in many cases if you screw up your initial volume source by a wide margin you can be screwed for a very long time.

 

[Eug]

The launch and lack of product has very much annoyed me, but what annoys me even more is Google's inability to cancel my several week old order, even though there is no indication at all they can send me a Nexus 4 any time soon.

And then someone buys me an iPhone 5 for Christmas.

Wow, nice gift.