LG and Google Announce the Nexus 4, Starts at $299
by Jason Inofuentes on October 29, 2012 12:39 PM ESTThis isn't how they wanted to do it, but LG and Google are going ahead with the announcement of the Nexus 4, and it's a steal. The lineage of the device is clear, with specs aping those of the LG Optimus G, but blessed with the latest update to Jelly Bean: Android 4.2. The Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro features four Krait cores clocked at 1.5GHz , the Adreno 320 GPU, and paired the requisite 2GB of RAM. The same 4.7" TrueHD IPS Plus display has a 1280x768 resolution, and the design is updated with a new back surface. Available in 8GB and 16GB configurations, the new Nexus will start at just $299, and top out at $349 unlocked and off-contract, through the Google Play Store on November 13th.
When Google's Galaxy Nexus was sold unlocked for $349 it was a stupendous bargain, despite somewhat dated hardware. With today's announcement, though, we have top of the line hardware being sold at prices that bend the price curve drastically against buying on-contract devices. We'll see how that all plays out over the coming months.
There's also some indication that announcements are imminent for the other devices that were in the works for today's canceled event, including the 32GB Nexus 7 and the new Nexus 10 slate from Samsung. We'll update as we hear more.
Update: And there it is! In addition to the Nexus 4, we'll also be seeing the Nexus stable expand with two new SKUs for the Nexus 7 and a brand new stablemate, the Nexus 10 from Samsung.
The first update to the Nexus 7 comes in a 32GB variant that takes the place of the original 16GB SKU at $249. The 16GB model now slots in at the $199 and both are joined by a new "mobile data" variant of the 32GB SKU that will be available unlocked for $299. The unlocked nature of the device indicates it may be 3G only, we'll dig in more in a second.
The Nexus 10 was first rumored just a few weeks ago, and piques our interest in a big way. Built in partnership with Samsung, the 10" tablet is powered by Samsung's Exynos 5 Dual (nee 5250) SoC, making it the first Android device powered by ARM Cortex-A15 cores. In this case, two Cortex-A15 cores, clocked as high as 1.7GHz, are mated to the Mali-T604 GPU and 2GB of RAM. On the front of the device you find a 2560x1600 10" display, making it the highest resolution Android tablet to date. The display is made possible by the Exynos memory subsystem that puts two-port DDR3-800 on the table for 12.8GB/s of bandwidth. The Nexus 10 will be priced at $399 (16GB) and $499 (32GB) and be available along with the rest of the line-up on November 13th on the Google Play Store. Interested shoppers can sign up for more information today through the store.
Source: Google
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UpSpin - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
No LTE: To keep costs low. Using LTE requires several patents, and thus increases the price. The APQ8064 also doesn't contain LTE, so additional chips are required. You can add this, but not for $300.SD-card: It's a Nexus phone and Google doesn't add SD-Cards, it's their philosophy. Get it. Google wants you to use the cloud and offers you many options to do so, and if you can't live with this, don't think about buying a Nexus device.
I also don't see how 16GB is not enough. If 16GB isn't enough, how can 32GB or 64GB?
If 16GB isn't enough, then you don't just store music or pictures on it, but movies. For HD movies, 32GB is ridicoulus with min. 4GB/Movie, just as 64GB.
MadMan007 - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
"If 16GB isn't enough, then you don't just store music or pictures on it, but movies"Just because you have a small music collection doesn't mean everyone else does.
oliwek - Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - link
not to mention there are emulators (playstation 1) requiring CD ISOs to play, and other space hungry software (GPS,...). I have a 16GB Nexus device, and it's always almost full up. 32GB is not so large for some users.JasonInofuentes - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
Cost is probably only a part of the answer. Individual components, radios inclusive, are relatively cheap. LTE involves something more than just cost, though. Unlike GSM/HSPA standards, and unlike the intentions of the bodies that govern radio interface standards, there's no way in the US to simply slip in an SD card and have an unlocked LTE device running. And what do the carriers want in exchange for their cooperation? A lot. They want to pick out the software package, they want to drape their logos all over the devices and they want to be the customers, not us. By deciding what our selection is they can exert greater control both in pricing and the character of the devices available.Today's announcement is a statement to the carriers that we are the customers, and they are the providers.
ciaphuas - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
The great thing about Android is different phones for different needs. It's not like Google is forcing you to buy only one type of phone.probedb - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
For the price, do I care? Not one jot. My S2 has HSPA+ which is plenty fast enough for me.Just because you don't like it doesn't make it rubbish.
Where are all these other devices for the same price with the same spec list with the things you're complaining that this is missing?
trynberg - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
It's hard to believe that Anandtech isn't biased towards Apple with statements like this:"On the front of the device you find a 2560x1600 10" display, making it the highest resolution Android tablet to date."
Why say highest resolution Android tablet? This is highest resolution tablet, period, correct? If this was an Apple blurb, I'm sure comparisons would have been made to the "inferior" competition. Also, no comment on how this pricing blows the iPad out of the water?
EnzoFX - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
Stop measuring everything by Apple standards =P.lmcd - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
Exactly.This is the highest-end ARM tablet out. T604 might not beat whatever is in the A6X but two A15s beat whatever Apple's CPU architecture is on the A6. Meanwhile, the screen is second-to-none for tablets, or really for any system under $1000.
JasonInofuentes - Monday, October 29, 2012 - link
If there's one thing we try to do above any other, it's not saying anything that we haven't tested for ourselves. Are the A15's faster than Swift? Maybe, we'll find out soon enough. Is this the best 10" screen ever? Maybe, we'll find out. That's what we offer you all, and I hope you'll understand.