LG Nexus 4: release date, news and rumours

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LG Nexus 4: release date, news and rumours

It's no secret that there's a new flagship handset coming from the search giant, and while several rumours have pointed to multiple Nexii, only the LG Nexus 4 (or Google Nexus 4 by LG, depending on how the two brands have decided).

The smart money is on the phone being the poster boy for Android 4.2, which will still be known as Jelly Bean - and while we're yet to get anything approaching confirmation about this new OS, features such as a double notification bar, for quick access to settings, seem pretty much nailed on.

But what of the phone, we hear you cry? There's a lot of info spewing out of the rumour mill at the moment regarding the next generation of Nexus phone, so we've waded through it all to bring you the most likely things we'll see later this month - and help you find out what stories you should say both 'Tish!' and 'Pah!' at when you see them mentioned.

LG Nexus 4 design

Nobody gave the rumour that LG would be chosen as the new flagship partner for Google, but after a litter of leaks, the smart money is on the Korean brand as the next in the Nexus clubhouse.

But how will it actually look? Well, with a litany of leaks spewing from the internet with increasing regularity, it seems pretty likely we know what the Google Nexus 4 will actually look like.

One of the most interesting pictures of the Nexus 4 is one with a worryingly sparkly back, bearing the moniker 'with Google' on the rear.

There's no notion of the Nexus name on there, but that's in line with the usual leaks – Google doesn't affix the brand name on it until the last minute usually.

The phone will be similar to the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus in shape, with the rounded corners encasing a larger screen; in this case expected to be around 4.7 inches in size.

LG Nexus 4 name

The LG Nexus 4 is the name currently being bandied about for the handset, thanks to a leak from a retailer database, and given it's the fourth iteration of the Google Nexus brand there's a lot of logic to it – especially as the first phone was the Nexus One.

Add to that the EXIF data from some recent snaps has indicated that the phone will be called the Nexus 4 as well (although it's worth noting it's not too hard to fake such info) and the name seems to be pretty much nailed on.

Of course, it will be a bit of a confusing message to consumers – the Google Nexus 7 is so called as it's named after the size of the screen, and given the LG Nexus 4 won't be launching with an iPhone 5-sized screen, the naming will be pretty interesting.

LG Nexus 4 specs

Specs-wise, it seems almost certain the Nexus 4 will have quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, an 8MP rear camera, 2GB of RAM and of course the latest version of Android.

Wireless charging would be an innovative new feature for the phone too, but of course we'll have to put up with the same non-removable battery and lack of microSD card slot too.

Google has a history of basing phones on other devices from the chosen manufacturer: the HTC Desire from the Nexus One, the Nexus S on the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Nexus loosely taking cues from the S2.

With the LG Optimus G recently popping out from Korea (you can check one of the world's first hands on: LG Optimus G reviews if you want to know all about this new powerhouse) it seems likely that the internal specs will be largely the same, so the aforementioned specs make a lot of sense.

This could also mean that we'll be treated to 32GB of internal storage too, which is the minimum we think users should be entitled to these days, but the notion that we'll only see 16GB and 8GB Nexus 4 variants seems more likely given Google's previous strategy.

LG Nexus 4 release date

One thing we can pretty much agree on is the fact that there's a new Nexus phone in the offing, and right on cue Google has announced a special event on October 29 to show off something.

What does that mean for a Nexus 4 release date? Well, it seems that we'll get something in the region of mid-November before we get anything on the shelves in preparation for the Christmas rush.

LG Nexus 4 price

If the Nexus 4 price is anything like the labels attached to previous Galaxy phones, then we're in for an eye-watering outlay to get your hands on the new handset.

The Galaxy Nexus came in at £41 a month before you could get a free phone, which would put it miles ahead of the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 or HTC One X, which are the main competitors on specs at least.

At least the phone would come down in price pretty soon, as that's what happened most of the time with the other Nexii… but perhaps the Nexus 4 can blaze a trail and, wow, we don't know: actually come in at market value.

LG Nexus 4 competition

There are many rumours about other handsets are launching at the same time as the Nexus 4, with a number of phones being unveiled at once.

The HTC Nexus 5 was one of the first mooted, but that has since been shown as the HTC J Butterfly, the super-phone that will only be available in Japan.

Next up was the Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2, but this was simply due to the model number that fitted in the Nexus line up being spotted online. The Samsung Galaxy Premier was also 'shown' in benchmarks, but given the lack of Nexus name it's unlikely.

And finally we've seen the Sony Nexus X – but this was proven to be an elaborate hoax by a 3D renderer.

So it seems that there won't be anything other than the Google Nexus 4 by LG on its way – at least there will probably be other tablets to talk about in the shape of a 3G, 32GB Google Nexus 7 on offer too.

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