The LG-made Google Nexus 4 smartphone made its official debut on Monday, Oct. 29, and will go on sale directly from Google on Nov. 13.
The much-rumored Nexus 4 seems like a combination between the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the LG Optimus G. The smartphone packs Qualcomm's biggest bet yet, boasting a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with Adreno 320 graphics under the hood. The fourth-generation Nexus smartphone also comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean+, a newer version of Android than the 4.1 Jelly Bean released earlier this year.
The Nexus 4 sports a 4.7-inch display that extends all the way to the side edges, with the glass curved on the sides. The display uses non-PenTile IPS LCD technology and has a resolution of 1,280 x 768 pixels, at a pixel density of 317.6 pixels per inch (ppi). The pixel density is sharper than that of the Nexus 10 and virtually the same as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which packs 316 ppi. Apple's iPhone sits at 326 ppi, while the HTC J Butterfly boasts 440 ppi - the most highly dense display on a smartphone.
The screen is surrounded by a seamless silver metal band that extends around the phone's perimeter, meeting the edge of the screen in a subtle curve. The smartphone features round edges on the top and bottom, while the back of the handset creates a moving-crystal effect reminiscent of the classic Google Nexus wallpaper. The handset is also coated in Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection for extra scratch-resistance.
Other features of the LG Nexus 4 smartphone include an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM and a 2,100mAh non-removable battery. The handset comes in 8GB and 16GB configurations with no micro SD card slot.
T-Mobile USA will be offering a subsidized version of the LG Nexus 4, which will be HSPA+ only. A 4G LTE Nexus 4 is not available. It may be more cost-effective, however, to purchase the SIM-free, unlocked option directly from Google's Play Store starting Nov. 13. The unlocked, off-contract Nexus 4 will come with a $300 price tag for an 8GB model and $350 for the 16GB version.
