LG Nexus 4 E960 Review

Google Nexus 4 is the fourth generations Nexus smartphone, and this time LG has the privilege. The Google Nexus 4 is a smartphone that will continue Android’s march into the mainstream not only as an alternative to Apple iPhone but also as a desirable platform in its own right.

Google Nexus 4 is armed with the latest version of Google’s Android software and if you are looking for an Android smartphone then there is no reason not to buy this smartphone except with some nagging issues. Furthermore, the price tag the Nexus 4 comes with is either extremely aggressive (if you get it from Google) or fairly good (if you get it from other retailers) this can help the Nexus making a big impact in 2013. Size wise, the Nexus 4 is somewhat similar to its predecessor as it comes in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm, however, it is far more stunning to look at and hold as compared to its predecessor.

Talking about the screen it is invisible when off but when you light it up, you will be treated with a 4.7 inches of True HD IPS Plus beauty. The screen with 768 x 1280 pixels along with a pixel density of 318 is razor sharp, colors look truly stunning, icons and text are razor sharp and everything floats without a glitch.

The retail package of the Nexus 4 contains the following accessories.

• microUSB Cable
• Wall Charger
• SIM Eject Tool
• Quick Start Guide
• Safety & Warranty Guide
• Terms & Conditions, Return Policy, and Limited Warranty Guide

The Google Nexus 4 was built from Gorilla Glass on the front and back and it feels very solid as well as innovative. Moreover, it also comes close to the exceptional feel of the iPhone 5. Frankly speaking, the last two Nexus smartphones were not trailblazing as far as design department is concerned but, with thanks, LG manages to bring to mind a small touch of premium to the beloved line. Although, the overall design of the Nexus 4 does not match the precision and attention to detail that we have seen with the original Nexus One. Yet, it is very impressive handset as it employs a cool looking pattern design that is very analogous to what we have seen over with the ‘Crystal Reflection’ rear casing of the Optimus G.

A fair amount of thought has gone into this product while designing that is evident from its design. Buttons are kept even to the sides and placed reasonably within your grasp but then again away from where most people may naturally hold the phone. The Nexus 4 is somewhat slippery in the hand and if you place it on a slightly inclined surface then you have to keep an eye on it.

No capacitive buttons are there below the screen rather its LED pulse notification light is positioned there instead. On the opposite edge, you will find earpiece, light and proximity sensors and a front facing camera of 1.3 megapixels that can shoot videos in 720p.

The Google Nexus 4 features a 4.7 inch WXGA True HD-IPS + LCD screen of 768 x 1280 resolution and 608 nits of brightness. The screen delivers colors in the most natural tone that gives it a distinctive realistic appearance thanks to its IPS LCD technology. Moreover, the screen works well when it comes to outdoor visibility which is attributed to its strong brightness output, decent reflection rate and wide viewing angles.

The screen is deeply protected with Gorilla Glass 2, which is rounded around the trim to flawlessly transition and mix well with its sides. The Zerogap technology that the handset uses combines the LCD panel with the glass, eliminating the air gaps that are usually found there. In this way, making it appear closer to the surface. There is no second opinion that the screen is sharp looking.

The Google Nexus 4 like every new member of the Nexus family runs on an updated Android version, and this time it is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. With this, the handset carries along some nice surprises that steers the platform’s evolution into the correct direction. Moreover, the user interface is made more minimalistic and straightforward with its presentation.

Since the Android 4.2 is very much identical to the 4.1 Jelly Bean version, therefore many users will be familiar with the surroundings. The lockscreen in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean features the same large dotted circle around the center-placed padlock button. Lockscreen widgets are full screen and resizable. You can tap and drag down to expand and show more content. Multiple unlock patterns are there to choose from like simple slide, pattern, pin or password, and face unlock. The lockscreen could even be skipped altogether.

Notification panel is also updated and now it boasts expandable, actionable notifications. Google has also contributed a bit of personalization to the Quick Toggle panel in the notification area. Your name and photo are displayed but only after you've logged in to Google+. Furthermore, apps and widgets are ordered alphabetically and there's no other sorting option.

The Nexus 4’s lack of LTE also known as 4G is a big letdown for all those people who are used to the comforts associated with LTE’s lightning fast data speeds. But, on the other hand, the device does sport HSPA+ speeds and there is a wide list of connectivity options. The Google Nexus 4 packs a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and penta-band 3G. The Google Nexus 4 powerful processor allows it to maintain a lovely response with Chrome’s performance and for the most part, you will be content with it. The web browsing experience is also very smooth and more than adequate to our liking.

Lastly, the Nexus 4 is equipped with the bunch of connectivity features like GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, NFC, and mobile hotspot functionality.

The Google Nexus 4 comes with an 8 megapixel camera that can produce still images with resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels. The camera UI is made as an even more uncluttered interface. By default, the camera’s settings are set for facial recognition to automatically focus however, you can override it with touch focus as well that works reasonably fast. Unfortunately, there are not too many manual controls and shooting options, but the few that are available include picture size, changing the white balance & exposure and HDR.

A simple tap and hold gives you access to the different options simply place your finger on a setting icon and its options will be revealed. Alternatively, you can also invoke the settings circle by pressing the icon in the top right corner. The user interface is friendly and intuitive. On the other hand, the image quality of the Nexus 4’s camera is somewhat disappointing as the image are pretty noisy as well as do not have a lot of fine details. Moreover, contrast is not always great but the colors are relatively accurate.

Videos recorded with the Nexus 4 are shot at 1080p and have a consistent 30fps framerate. The camcorder interface is almost the same as the still camera i.e. you will get the same panel on the right and quick settings when you hold your finger over the viewfinder. The output is saved in MP4 files, having a bitrate of 12Mbps, which is rather low for high-quality 1080p capture.

At first glance, it may appear as it does not have anything new in the Gallery app but upon diving deeper, you will find an extensive set of photo editing tools along with a ton of cool instagram-ish filter effects and borders. Google Play Music app works absolutely fine. Talking about its audio output, its internal speaker is sufficient enough with its pleasant output. The audio quality is strong and distortion free.

Watching videos on the Google Nexus 4 is a real fun thanks to its large screen real estate, high resolution, pleasant color representation and of course swift performance. The handset executes a flawless and lovable experience though it does not support video codecs like DivX and Xvid but at least it has MPEG-4 and H264 support. Moreover, with the help of Movie Studio app which is quite feature rich app, you can add multiple videos to the timeline and can trim their start and end points as well.

The music player is also far behind the competition and has the same side-scrollable tabs like much of the other stuff in Jelly Bean. The handset also features the latest stock Music app.

The call quality on the Google Nexus 4 is excellent despite the fact that the hint of crackling was heard through the speakerphone at its loudest volume setting. The clarity of voice is simply superb through the earpiece. Voices are natural in tone, distinctive and distortion free as well. Similarly, the caller on the other end also hears the same quality. Furthermore, the phone manages to put up strong signal strength in the high coverage areas and therefore, no dropping of phone calls or fluctuating with its connection found.

The Google Nexus 4 although is very impressive smartphone but surely it may not be the best phone in any particular category. It does come with some shortcomings such as there is no microSD card slot which means no expandable memory storage. Furthermore, there is no flash internet and no 4G. Camera of the Nexus 4 is less than stellar and could have been made even better and there is no shutter key either. Moreover, mediocre display sunlight legibility and non-user-replaceable battery also are the shortcomings that should be kept in mind.

Well, the answer varies based on who you are and what you already own. No doubt that the Nexus 4 is an impressive handset with an incredibly powerful processor and a brilliant IPS screen. On the whole, it is a very well-balanced package with some excellent features. On the other hand, if you are thinking of upgrading on a contract then you should bear the lack of expandable storage in mind.

The Google Nexus 4 is an attractive option for those who are after an unlocked and SIM free handset, but if you are looking for buying this handset on contract then there are far better and more cheaper options available such as the Samsung Galaxy S III .

The Google Nexus 4 is a beautifully designed and stunning handset that has some of the best specifications around but it is not just great value, it is fantastic value almost too good to be true. Without doubt, the Nexus 4 may not be the ultimate smartphone at the moment, however taking all things into account, it is difficult to not to appreciate this smartphone. If you are planning to buy a new smartphone, then you should check out the Google Nexus 4 straight away.