Late last year, October 29 to be exact, Google announced the Nexus 4. On that date, they unveiled a high-end device with a very small price tag. But, more than that, Google and LG showcased that a high-end device, a device that could very well have been sold at $199 with a new, two-year contract (which it was, courtesy of T-Mobile at the time), didn't need to have a ridiculously high price tag. And, because of that, the Nexus 4 became pretty popular.
While it may not have sold as well as other popular devices, there's no denying that the Nexus 4 saw plenty of attention around its release. LG managed to get a few more weeks of attention when they announced the oft-leaked and rumored white Nexus 4 last May, which probably did well into the spring months.
Now that it's the middle of September, and we're nearing what everyone believes is the launch of the next Nexus smartphone, I can't help but look back and reminisce.
About those good ol' days.
Actually, I didn't race to buy the Nexus 4 right when it became available in November. While I wanted to pick it up, I just wasn't in the mood to buy a new phone (which is very, very rare) at the time. So, I waited. Of course, that didn't work out too well for me, because I was forced to wait even longer than I wanted thanks to shortages of stock. But, I eventually got my hands on one, and the wait was well worth it.
I'm a fan of stock Android on some devices, and the Nexus 4 is one of those handsets. It was the pure definition of a Nexus device: sold through Google's Play Store, and available for mass consumption without a contract. (Not counting the T-Mobile version of the device, sold with a contract.) It felt great in the hand, and it had features that went toe-to-toe with other high-end handsets available at the time.
The main tipping point was the price. It launched for $299 for the 8GB model, and $349 for the 16GB version. With a 4.7-inch True HD IPS+ display, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a battery measured at 2100mAh, the Nexus 4 would have stood out in any store. Add to that the 8MP camera on the back, with the 1.2MP front-facing shooter, and you've got a phone that a lot of people wanted to get their hands on.
But, now we're on the cusp of another Nexus, and one that is rumored to be manufactured by LG again. One that, if the rumors are true, is based on the recently launched G2. That basically means we should be anticipating another high-end, fantastic device to get the Nexus brand, and see a launch in Google's Play Store.
However, what it doesn't necessarily mean is that we'll see the same ridiculously aggressive pricing this time around. Google made a point with the Nexus 4, that they could make a high-end device and sell it "for cheap," but they don't necessarily have to make that same statement again. Even if the Nexus 5, or whatever they call it, launches for $499 and $549, it'd still be cheaper than equivalent devices on the market.
I've essentially got my fingers crossed that Google does plan on pricing the next Nexus like they did the Nexus 4, because I genuinely miss the Nexus 4. I wish I had jumped on the recent price drops, because we all knew the reason behind that: a fire sale, in hopes of clearing out stock. And they did do just that: the 8GB Nexus 4 sold out pretty quickly, and the 16GB variation followed suit soon after. Neither is expected to get replacement stock, which makes sense.
So, now we're waiting for the next Nexus device manufactured by LG. And hopefully the next one has LTE-connectivity, because that's the reason why I got rid of the Nexus 4 in the first place. I couldn't live without LTE, so I had to give it up.
Did you ever buy a Nexus 4? If so, are you still using it? Did you buy one, use it for a little while, then get rid of it for some reason? If so, why? Or you someone who held out on buying the Nexus 4 entirely for one reason or another? Let me know!
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