Google Nexus 4 Android Phone Review
Here we are ladies and gentleman with one such gadget that sure does prove to be an absolute delight to geeks. The annual gadget unveiling from Google has always been a massive event and after teaming up with brands like Samsung and HTC, looks like it is now LG’s turn. It is time for the next-gen Nexus and while Google is all “Be my guest,” LG decides to take full privilege of the same. The Google Nexus 4 is all set to emasculate its rivals pricing by giving out its most competitive performance and speed. Undeniably, Google’s Smartphones have always raised the bar to the maximum extent possible in terms of pure Google experience. The big brother Nexus One was an absolute geek device with Google reserving all rights of sales; but then it unfortunately never managed to accomplish massive sales. Nevertheless, it sure did manage to give the Android world, absolute raw power saving it from all other bloatware variants. Now there are a couple of handsets that we look forward to with too much of anticipation only to be disheartened with actual usage. Then there are the others that we wait for with little-to-no expectation, that clearly takes us by surprise. Well, the Nexus 4 is one such rare device that is nothing but a pot of surprises.
The Nexus lineup that originally started off as a playing field for developers to experiment their apps on, has slowly and steadily mastered the craft along with gaining increasing popularity. Not to mention the gaining momentum, in less than 5 months Google has hewed 2 Nexus tablets together with their latest Smartphone, Google Nexus 4 and all of these smartly-priced above devices are gaining more popularity than they did before.
Coming to the pricing of the Nexus, it is one of the biggest selling points for the Nexus 4. If you (manage to) purchase it from Google, then you will have to shell out £239 for the SIM-free 8GB variant while the 16GB is priced at £279. Now just to give you a quick glimpse of how big a deal the pricing of the Nexus 4 is: SIM-free rates of some of the rival handsets are as follows – £529 for the iPhone 5 and £499.95 for the S3, the 16GB variants, we mean. Isn’t the Nexus 4 an absolute steal by the way it is priced??? Provided you manage to purchase one, as it keeps running out of stock from Google’s very own store. Well, the retailers do have stocks of the same, but then it comes at a price! For instance, Car Phone Warehouse sells the 16GB variant at £389.95, and they do not have the 8GB variant on offer.
There is not much of a difference between the Nexus 4 and the LG Optimus G, so do not be surprised if you hop across quite a few of similarities between the two handsets, and additionally there are also few traces of DNA of the prior Nexus phone. So, isn’t it time to quickly leap to the following sections to find out what exactly does this handset look like – dad’s features or mom’s traits??
First impressions
The retail box in which the Nexus 4 comes packed is kind of big than the phone itself and packs a USB cable, charger, a Quick start guide together with a SIM eject tool. Yes, that’s it, if you are waiting for us to mention of any headset, no it’s not there, Yeah! The retail box is devoid of one. Now size-wise it measures almost the same as the Optimus G at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm, probably a little taller and 0.6-mm thicker. Weighing about 139g, the Nexus 4 cannot be called the lightest, but yes it sure seems solid enough to forget that extra weight and shuts out critics who are of the opinion that Android devices seem more like a firm toy. Again, there is not much of difference in weight between the Optimus G and Samsung Galaxy Nexus that weigh 145g and 135g respectively with the latter measuring somewhere around 135.5 x 67.9 x 8.9 mm (almost the same as the Nexus 4). Moving on with the looks of this lovechild, it seems more to be a crossover between the Optimus G (the rear) and Galaxy Nexus (the front). The sides have been curved unlike the rectangular shaping of the Optimus with the handset being flat on both sides, that is obviously good news to those who never really appreciated that humpback chassis of the Galaxy Nexus. Again, the screen of the Nexus 4 is almost invisible with it being off, but fire it up and you will have a 4.7-inch visual treat of True HD IPS beauty with 768 x 1280 pixels featuring a pixel density of 318. And mind you, it is RAZOR sharp that blows Retina display out through the window, indeed the best we’ve seen until date on a handset. Now, while the front almost seems featureless (with the display being off), it is a striking contrast to the back that features a glass coating with an intriguing 3D-like pattern akin to the Optimus G. Both the front and the back are made of Gorilla Glass 2, so it would be ideal to ensure enough protection for the handset. Also with the glass in the front being curved at the edges, it is an absolute delight as swipes generally tend to start from the edge of phone, like swiping the pages of the lockscreen, etc., and sometimes, resembles the Nokia N9, which is actually a nice tweak.
Now those of you who are already wondering as to why are we making this many comparisons to the Optimus G, well you are smart to have observed the comparison. We’ll tell you why, it’s simply because both the handsets share way too many commonalities, don’t you think?? For starters the same 4.7” True HD IPS+ screen with a pixel resolution of 1280×768, a 2GB RAM, and a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro Chipset. In fact, both the handsets pack a 2,100mAh battery. Now with this many commonalities, they sure enough make people wonder if they are some kind of fraternal twins or blood relatives, perhaps huh? If not for the gentle curves of the Nexus 4, it would be highly impossible to tell the two apart, wont it?
So getting back to where we left, the Gorilla Glass 2 on the front curves down while meeting the right and left edge that sure make the Nexus 4 a lot more elegant. The whole idea is to give the phone a more natural feel with swiping back and forth, something that HTC already tried on their One X. The only hitch here would be the amount of dust and other tiny particles that it tends to attract, which might settle down between the glass and the chrome lining towards the edges.
Moving on, while the 1.3Mp front-facing shooter sits on the right top, the sensors have been placed on the top left. Above the screen lies the earpiece and right beneath the screen one can have a glimpse of the pulse notification light, something that we saw on the Galaxy Nexus, and the capacitive buttons have been ditched as LG has decided to go with the virtual navigation keys for the screen.
While the left side houses the volume rocker, the headphone jack together with a secondary mic sits up top. Also on the left would be the microSIM compartment, that requires a SIM eject tool to be opened. Towards the right lies the Lock/Power button conveniently right above where the index finger goes by default, a thoughtful thing to do such that one wouldn’t accidentally bump it every now and then, and yet it is well within easy access. Moving towards the bottom of the handset, that is where one would find the Slimport and the micro-USB socket. Talking of Slimport, let us do some enlightenment for the tech-deprived. Both LG and Google seem to have unanimously chosen Slimport to help with tethered display sharing as against the conventional MHL. No specific reasoning done for the same, and so you might have to purchase a separate adaptor for the same, if you are looking at utilizing this facility. If it is of any consolation, Slimport is not the only means that would help with mirror imaging your handset’s display on the big screen (TV) – Android 4.2 seems to have included native support for wireless display standards with Miracast, ie., if you are equipped with the required gadgets. Otherwise, there is always a Slimport adaptor that comes to your aid and looks to be a cheaper alternative too as against investing in a Miracast-compatible gear.
Getting to the rear of the handset, as mentioned above, there is a scratch-resistant glass covering the phone with a non-removable cover and is obviously meant not to be removable by the user. Now, you can choose to get adventurous with undoing the screws, but yet it would be next to impossible to stick in a spare battery there; so, do not waste your time. Additionally, the Nexus 4 is devoid of a microSD card too. Though the former doesn’t really bother us a lot as the 2100mAh battery is no slouch, but the absence of a memory card is sure to annoy quite a few, we guess, especially the ones with loads and loads of content who are not a great fan of streaming.
Moving on towards the top left, one can spot the 8MP rear shooter with a LED flash neatly aligned vertically, together with the elegant Nexus logo perched right below. LG has also included its own imprint on the rear, right next to the speaker grille towards the right. Now for the most fascinating part, the checkerboard pattern of the piano black glass. With the glass being polarized, there is a shift in the pattern depending on lighting and the viewing angle bringing forth a 3D pattern-kind of illusion. Well, this is more prominent on the black variant of phone than the white. All said and done, it sure does add to the subtle aesthetics of the Nexus 4 and makes the phone stand apart from all of those conventional and mediocre rectangular phones.
Unfortunately, the glass-laden rear works both as a charm and a curse to the Nexus 4, as it is one potential hazard to the phone. Users might want to be careful in this department as it is an undeniable fact that though it indeed looks stunning and sleek, you are probably better off guarding it with your life and taking it as far away as possible from concrete.
Moving on to the entrails, well LG has left no stone unturned here in making the Nexus 4 a premium handset by packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, an absolutely latest version of Jelly Bean 4.2 – DC-HSDPA, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, NFC, A-GPS with GLONASS, etc., etc. Also the Nexus 4 is fully compatible with Qi Wireless charging, meaning you may now refill your battery via any Qi-compatible pad too. Also check out the cool Nexus-branded Wireless charging orb (provided you manage to find one). Again, the Lumia handsets from Nokia utilize the same wireless standard, so there is every good chance that their accessories work for the Nexus too. All you gotta do is to Google for Qi (pronounced chee) charging options.

Display/ Interface/ Camera
So getting to the display of the Nexus 4, it is essentially the same that we saw on the LG Optimus G, the elder brother of the Nexus 4. It is in fact way better than what we got to see on the HD panel of the Galaxy Nexus. Because what we have here is a 4.7” True HD 1280 x 768 PLUS display covered by a Gorilla Glass 2 sheet. This Corning-furnished glass has a huge role to play here as opposed to the display on the other Smartphones. Meaning, LG has managed to develop one such technology that amalgamates the touch sensor of the display taking it to the outer layer of the glass. There is this technology called Zerogap touch used by LG, which basically is nothing but a laminated screen that manages to keep the screen layers free of air (but causes glare) and also utilizes the in-cell touch technology. The topmost layer is obviously Gorilla Glass 2 for protecting the handset.
So, now not only does this bring about a thinner phone, but it actually gets the pixels closer to the display itself. Well, does this ring any bell, it would – as Apple did something similar as this with their iPhon5 and so did Microsoft with their Surface for Windows RT.
Again, while the WXGA resolution renders a pixel density of 320ppi, RGB subpixel layout manages to pack that extra visual oomph in comparison to the Super AMOLED PenTile HD screen that we saw on the older models of the Nexus. Pixelation is at bare minimum (i.e., if there is anything as such) with fabulous viewing angles that makes reading articles or watching movies a wonderful experience. Again, the display looks to be the best if it has to be viewed under the midday sun. Everything looks bright and legible at about 50% brightness, and it still is fairly easy to read despite the settings being brought down to 30%. Again, the panel would easily be the best that one can get right now and is in par with 720p displays like the S3 and One X. It measures up to the aforementioned competitors when it comes to color saturation with the darks being dark and the whites being way brighter than either of the two rivals. The Nexus right royally flaunts its lightest yellows and greens along with the darkest reds and magentas – the result being, there might a wee bit of change in the viewing experience in comparison to the other 720p displays, but it only leaves one absolutely pleased and not disappointed.
Cameras
The Nexus 4 packs two cameras, while a 1.3 shooter sits on the front there is an 8Mp snapper on the rear of the handset that plays the role of a shutterbug fairly well. Now, 8MP has almost become a fad in the Smartphone arena, ain’t it? But then it is also pertinent to keep in mind that it is not just the megapixels that count, but there are other things too, things like compression and aperture and stuff like that which really matter the most. Now the snapper is fairly quick in loading from the home screen, almost in less than a second, all set to shoot. Also, it can be fired from the lockscreen too by just swiping the camera icon. It proves to be quite a piece of work and comes in handy in most of the scenarios, that is, as long as you don’t ditch your DSLR for this. But if that is what you are looking at doing, then you might want to take a look at the Nokia Lumia 920 that doesn’t disappoint you one bit.
With good lighting, there is awesome reproduction with the HDR mode making it even better, at times. With less or dull lighting conditions, the LED sure does produce satisfying results, but it looks to be no match for the giant Galaxy S3. Again, a simple tap would suffice to alter the focus of a shot and if you don’t, then the Nexus 4 does the focusing job for you and it even picks on faces and surrounds it with a circle. Google sure is innovative when it comes to options, like, holding the finger down on the screen and out pops the circular dial and you will have to just drag your finger to the icon that one wishes to access. Not to mention the likes of auto white balance and flash toggling and so on and so forth.
Nevertheless, it really takes sometime before one gets used to the camera app and initially it might prove to be fairly frustrating when the exposure gets whacked up by two notches while you were actually attempting to focus.
The Camera allows for setting resolution, adjusting the white balance, ISO and focus too. Additionally HDR images can also be shot by tapping on a dedicated icon. Towards the right is a big blue button that helps with capturing images. Right below is the camcorder/camera toggle icon that helps with shooting photo spheres and panorama (more about it in just a sec). Lastly, right above the capture button would be the settings’ shortcut menu. As already mentioned, touch focus is here and is convincingly fast too, just ensure not to hold the finger on it for too long, lest the settings circle pops up.
Low lighting condition is a no-no for the Nexus 4 where a significant dip in performance is seen and while the same can be rectified with the HDR mode on an iPhone5 or Galaxy S3, the Nexus is unfortunately not blessed enough to have this feature and it generally comes out totally blurred.
Getting to shutter speed, well nothing mind blowing here, as it seems to require more than two presses of the on screen button before it registers the touch and decides to shoot and ends up capturing several successive snaps. So guess, the Nexus 4 has a lot of catching up to do with focusing and snapping with the current days rivals in the Smartphone arena.
On contrary, in terms of Panorama shoots, users are in for a treat as there are two different varieties on offer. First one would the conventional Panorama mode that we saw in last year’s ICS models, which is, holding and moving the Nexus 4 makes it to automatically stitch photos together. Now for the second one, a real exciting one too, the Photo Sphere which is a new entrant on the Nexus 4. Ever heard of the 360Panaroma on the rival Android handsets or for that matter on the iPhone5, if yes, well then you will be able to relate to it better. In fact, it goes one step forward and is literally Panorama on dope as you will be able to not just move it right or left, but you could also move it up and down, better yet even complete a circle…..howz that?? In short, it is more like an ability to shoot your own Street View photos… almost anywhere. Well, you might not be lucky with all the angles, but Google proves to be a perfect guide in taking one through the process, and once you’ve got the hang of it, the results are absolutely bizarre. Matter of time before it is a hit with users and before we get to see some absolutely crazy images being shared.
Now, there is also something else that would be worth mentioning here, filters! It works something like this – after the pictures are shot, the Nexus 4 allows for manipulation of the same making the images look a lot old/funky. Yeah, kind of instagram-ish, and looks like it is got everyone hooked to it, with a lot of effects on offer to choose from. But then, the only hitch would be that it can be applied only after the photos have been shot, and can’t really be applied as it is being shot.
Interface
Every member of the Nexus family has an updated version of Android to boast about and why would the Nexus 4 would be an exception to this trend? Yes, it runs on the very latest Android version of Jelly Bean, v4.2. There are a whole lot of features that have been included and let us go over them one by one. For starters, the v4.2 features the very same large dotted circle that runs around the centre padlock button. Now, we enter the lockscreen widgets.
Widgets are resizable tiles and full screened with one always being visible on the top of the lockscreen right above the padlock icon with the remaining widgets just a swipe away (to the right). Again, the one sitting on the main lockscreen has been collapsed in order to fit the padlock button, but is expandable in case one requires any additional info. The Camera widget that was previously at 9’o clock in the unlock circle has now taken the shape of a standalone widget and has to be left swiped away from the lockscreen.
The widgets on the lockscreen can be reordered too with a tap and drag, so that one gets to choose which one would they like to retain in the main lockscreen or just be dragged in order to be discarded. Again, there are ample unlock patterns available right from a simple slide to pin, password, pattern or even face unlock. Or if one chooses to totally skip the lockscreen, well that is also a possibility here.
So, after you have successfully unlocked the lockscreen, there is the familiar Homescreen that welcomes users that we saw in ICS with the bottom being reserved for the 3 familiar and conventional navigation keys – Back, Home and Recent Apps.
Now if you are under the impression that v4.2 Jelly Bean means just business and is no fun, well then you are wrong. Check out this smart little feature that Google has managed to incorporate here named Daydream, sort of a screensaver. Turning it On, it can be set to display photo albums or Google Currents’ latest news, both when the device is idle or docked – a real cool feature, it is.
Again, the notification center has also been given some makeover by including some Quick toggles that can be accessed through an icon which sits on the top right corner in the notification arena. This gives you access to key settings like Wi-Fi, Battery, Brightness and Bluetooth and mind you these aren’t real toggles, but just quick shortcuts to the respective panels that can be found in the Settings menu. Again, Google has given the Quick Toggle panel a personal touch, by displaying one’s name and photo, that is only after you log in to Google+.
Getting to the Nexus 4’s app drawer, well it comes with 5 rows of icons as against the standard 4 rows. There are two tabs – Widgets and Apps that have side-scrollable pages. Scrolling past the available apps you reach the Widgets tab. Additionally, there is also a Market shortcut that sits right next to the tabs, that aides in quick access of the Android’s app repository. Both widgets and apps have been ordered alphabetically with no other sorting options available.
Finally, getting to the Recent Apps list, well that has been left untouched, but for a couple of optimizations in terms of load time and a couple of smart animations added here and there. All of it brings about an absolutely polished user experience and is really awesome.
So, it all doesn’t end here, obviously when it comes to offerings, it is almost endless especially when it comes from Google, right? And it leaves absolutely no stone unturned in making the Android UI exonerate any lags and stutter. Basically, Jelly Bean’s hardware allows for it to run at 60 fps, but looks like there is no stopping the Google engineers, so they went ahead and included triple buffering – meaning GPU, CPU and display all working together and not just in turns.
All in all, the 4.2 Jelly Bean OS works fabulous with all kinds of offerings like Nature UX, Sense 4+ and Optimus UI and it gets all the more interesting to watch Google spin on them. Nevertheless, this is not the end of tweaks; join us in exploring Google Now later in the review.
Miscellaneous
Elsewhere, check out this novel method of keyboard input called Gesture Typing that is nothing but Swype without Swype. So this is how it works – working in conjunction with the conventional tap keyboard that can be mixed and match effortlessly, thus making one-handed typing a literal cake walk. Now, we wouldn’t really know Swype’s reaction to this, but guess Google has successfully swiped the technology from them and it is indeed an absolute pleasure to have this feature on the Nexus 4’s Jelly bean keyboard, which by itself is a fab. Yet another surprise here would be, it can auto-predict even the biggest of strings, like an email addresses for example with ample training.
Again, the handy dropdown menu, Quick Settings (that we mentioned above) sits on the notification window and helps with the frequently used toggles like Bluetooth, Brightness, Wi-Fi, etc etc., without the need to delve deep into the settings. This can also be accessed from the top of a screen via a two-finger swipe. This is something that users might avail of most frequently and looks to be the simplest and still the most handy inclusion to a software.
Well, there are other petite tweaks like these included here and there all over the v4.2 Jelly Bean OS. Let us take the new menu of the call log for instance, now this allows for sorting of calls by type – Outgoing, Missed, Received, Voice mail etc – a fairly small tweak indeed, but one that could be incredibly helpful. Additionally, Google have also made life easy in using the Emoji keyboard — that is if you are the exploring type.
So, the above are couple of little inclusions done here and there in the v4.2, Oh yes! It would not be fair if we were to forget mention the absolutely fabulous clock app in 4.2. Yeah, Yeah, now what could be so special about a clock app, isn’t that what you were thinking? Oh! Why not – with the kind of fuss people make lately with alarms and clocks (to such an extent the phones have completely taken the place of watches as we keep looking at our phones for the millionth time a day, don’t we) – it is indeed highly impressive to see what Google has done with the clock app which otherwise is a rather mediocre and simple app. It goes on to show the company’s thoughtful interaction and investment, a type of minimalist, non-cluttered layout that is almost getting to be the norm for first-party Android contributions. But then, it would be highly appreciable to have the snooze button a tad bigger, especially for groggy sleepyheads like us.
GOOGLE NOW / VOICE SEARCH
Finally, there is Google Now too that Google has decided to add to the package, a kind of creepy, but extremely handy predictive search. This card-based app now has the skill to comb through mails, fishing out details like hotel and flight reservations and serves you up with that info at the appropriate time and date, like your day of travel or check-in. Additionally, the cards are also equipped enough to memorize the movies searched by you and prompts you about the same when it is available, remind people of their dinner reservations, pings you on events that you are supposed to remember (fairly handy huh? especially for all those absent-minded husbands, who successfully forget their anniversaries year after year or vice-versa too) and even keeps tracks of people’s packages, thus hinting them on the shipping details too. As always, the performance is extremely judicious, if anything way better.
Again the voice search has been improvised in terms of both looks/feel and the quality of results too and now pretty much resembles Google Now. In fact Google’s voice search beats Siri hands down in most of the queries, and doesn’t just get the responses correct, but has amazing perfection to the worded responses too.
Long story short, all of the tweaks in the v4.2 though seem subtle, but sure do provide one with an absolutely pleasant, cohesive, and responsive mobile OS experience. Well, Android’s learning curve sure does look to be more sharp than a Windows or iOS handset, but the result obtained for a wee bit of additional effort is indeed phenomenal. It is just matter of time before users find the Android 4.2 experience pretty much flawless and probably the advanced OS in the current Smartphone arena, at least we couldn’t agree more.
Connectivity & browser
When it comes to connectivity, there is only one word to describe it on the Nexus 4 – powerhouse. There is absolutely no kidding when they say that his phone doesn’t cut any corners. Now there are many elements in a handset that we expect to happen by default, for starters, GPS. What initially used to bring out a squeal of delight back in the day to have a GPS-enabled device in our pockets and roam around (irrelevant of it working or it) has become almost mandatory these days. Well, the Nexus 4 obviously doesn’t disappoint you here. Not only is it equipped with full GPS, there is GLONASS support too that not just manages to get a super quick lock, but is meticulously accurate too. There is an A-GPS receiver too that relies on digital compass and a barometer in getting a quick GPS lock.
The internet browser blazes as well (more on that shortly), and this is possible not just because of the processor, but partly due to Wi-Fi chip too that backs it up with a 802.11 a/b/g/n support, you will be whizzing past when it comes to internet speeds.
In terms of HSDPA+, it is of the DC-HSDPA variety, which though doesn’t measure up to 4G speeds, is way better than 3G. Bottom line, it is FAST, that is, if it’s amply backed up by your network. The same goes true for Bluetooth, DLNA and transmitting wireless devices too.
Well, the same doesn’t go true when trying to hook it up with a PC though. While connecting it with a Mac wouldn’t really be a seamless experience, there seems to be absolutely no issues in it being compatible with Windows. The reason being, these days Android utilizes something called the MTP protocol that is Windows-friendly (thankfully majority of them are Windows users), but Mac patrons will have to download an add-on (kind of an official software) that could be a bit annoying with not real satisfactory results. No issues though, everything has a solution in the technology world, doesn’t it?? And the solution here would be to download the iSyncr app that manages to sync and play the iTunes playlists fairly well with the Nexus 4. Windows users are free of this hassle though!
NFC is here too, but doesn’t really help much, but for some bragging. Yes! If works fine which is was evident from the buzzing sound that it emits when placed on top of a wallet owing to the presence of NFC cards that can be found inside of them.
Then there is Android beam too that helps with transferring files to another Android handset. A technology that we expect to boom off in the future – a simple tap and go does the trick.
Charging the Nexus 4 is fun too. No we don’t mean the mediocre wired charging, wireless is what we are talking of here. Yes, the same that we saw on the Palm Pre (though it wasn’t a real hit owing to the additional cost of the mat), LG and Google have decided to go with the same technology for the Nexus 4 here. The wireless charging orb indeed looks to be an essential kit for the Nexus 4, but only that it is yet to hit the retail shelves. While the built-in magnets manage to glue the phone and the orb together, the soft plastic base of the orb provides a scratch-free base for the handset. It sure looks fabulous, only that we are yet to see samples of the orb, let alone pricing of the same.
We doubt if the mat is included in the retail box because the price of the Nexus 4 is attractive enough and expecting freebies out of it wouldn’t really make sense now would it? We would only be too surprised if the retail boxing comes with a pair of headphones.
For all wired connections, the Nexus 4 depends on the SlimPort, which is a DisplayPort-based interface that aides with connecting with both HDMI cables (via adaptor) and to a standard microUSB. There is also this other option of Miracast (mentioned above) that the Nexus 4 supports for wirelessly mirror imaging to a HDTV.
One disappointment here would the lack of on-the-go USB connectivity on the Nexus 4. It doesn’t look to be a software limitation though, as it was very much there on the Galaxy Nexus, but the hardware just refuses to support it. All devices like mic, keyboard and others can be connected via the Bluetooth though, but is a no-no via the USB.
Web Browsing is taken care of by Google Chrome
The default browser on the Nexus 4 would be Google Chrome and ditches the generic Android browser. There is not much change in the interface since the launch of Chrome for Android and is kept minimal and simple. There is the URL bar on the top with the buttons like Stop, Refresh right next to the Settings and Tab buttons. You can toggle between tabs with a wide swipe both from right or left. Getting into the tab brings about the tab listing that can be again closed with a right or left swipe. The animation designated for this action looks to be a neat one.
With Chrome running on a WebKit-rendered engine, the underlying minimalistic UI is pretty much the same similar to any stock Android browser. Well one strong point of Chrome would be the seamless way with which it syncs with a desktop via a Google Account. So, that would mean you can commence reading an article from your PC and end the same on your mobile handset. Also, it helps to sync all your favorites and bookmarks too.
Chrome is fairly charitable when it comes to settings as well. One can just about control anything and everything related to web browsing right from choosing the kind of content that you are okay with loading, namely images JavaScript, pop-ups or cookies. Again, if you are outside a Wi-Fi zone, then you can choose not to load images (on a temporary basis). Delving further into Chrome’s options, there is also the option to turn the storing passwords and auto-fill of forms On or Off.
Alas! While it excels in all of the above areas, it falls short on something that is actually a deal-breaker for most of the Android users and that would be Flash; as you will not be able to view Flash content on the Nexus 4.
Performance & Battery Life
There are absolutely no doubt in Google’s claims of the Nexus 4 being the fastest phone around right now. Well, we couldn’t agree more as the responsiveness and performance of the handset looks to be second to none. It is indeed a very prompt handset that barely fails or hesitates to register commands or touches. Especially, the handset is a real pro when it comes to multitasking between applications and the handset sure does stay afloat, thanks to its munificent 2GB RAM.
Battery life is supposedly is top notch too in the Nexus 4 that has a 2100mAh Li-Po battery, clocking beneath it, which is designed by LG Chem and promises an amplified lifespan of 800 charge cycles. The official quotes for the battery life promises 15hrs of talk time and 390 hours of standby (3G). The Optimus G did indeed stick to its promises of battery life and we presume the Nexus 4 would too; well that is something that time has to tell, won’t it?
Good
- Excellent pricing
- Android 4.2 is fabulous
- Stunning and elegant design
- Awesome screen
Bad
- Lacks Flash and LTE
- Need to guard the glass rear with your lives
- Camera can do better
- Sparse memory allowance
- No 4G
Final word
So, now comes the question, should I buy the Nexus 4 or not? Well, as always depends on the kind of person you are and what you presently own. It indeed looks to be a juicy offer in terms of price, if you are an Android fan, already proud owner of prior models of Nexus phones and currently looking at a latest SIM-free model that promises zippy software updates Then again, if you are an iPhone fanatic, well, then it wouldn’t really sway Android fans anymore than what the iPhone 5 did. Nevertheless, Google’s tweaks on the Android devices and software definitely has been successful in keeping Apple on its toes and doesn’t really allow it to laze around on its laurels anymore. But then, beyond the tech battle of both of these renowned Smartphone giants, the Nexus 4 is by all means an amazing phone bringing out the best of Android and is a highly recommended one that will serve you faithfully for another year or two. The handset definitely boasts of some best specs, which is too good to be true. But for some downsides like the trivial memory allowance, lack of LTE, 4G and Flash, beyond any doubt this is the best Nexus handset we have seen thus far. Hence we would highly recommend this and if you wanna pamper yourself to a new phone, then it is worth checking it out without any further ado.
Specification Table
| Phone | Google LG Nexus 4 |
| Device type | Touchscreen |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm |
| Weight | 139g |
| Colour Available | Black & White |
| Capacities Available | 8/16GB |
| Display resolution | 1280 x 768 pixel resolution @320ppi |
| Display features | 4.7-inch diagonal WXGA x IPS Corning Gorilla Glass 2 |
| Camera | 8Mp (Main) 1.3Mp (front) 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, photo sphere Video: 1080p@30fps |
| Processor & Memory | 8GB or 16GB (actual formatted capacity will be less) 2GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth NFC (Android Beam) Unlocked GSM/UMTS/HSPA+ GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850 , 900, 1800, 1900MHz) 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100MHz) HSPA+42 Wireless charging SlimPort HDMI |
| Features | OS: Android OS, v4.2, Jelly Bean (upgradeable) CPU: Quad-core 1.5Ghz Krait GPU: Adreno 320 Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, gyro, barometer, compass Messaging: SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push, IM, RSS Browser: HTML5 GPS: With A-GPS support and GLONASS |
| Power/Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 2100mAh Standby: 2G – up to 390 h (3G) Talktime 2G – up to 15 h (3G) |
| Warranty | 1 year limited warranty on parts and labour |




































