18 ms·

Google has lowered the price of the Nexus 4 by $100

402 points by shuzchen 13y ago

thezach 13y ago
could this mean Nexus 5 is around the corner and they have to clear inventory?
- nighthawk24 13y ago
  hmm, hope so!
- jamesharding 13y ago
  At this rate we will have Nexus tablets in our pocket in two years...
  - sahaskatta 13y ago
    There won't be a Nexus 5. It will be titled "Nexus 4" again. The number refers to the size, not the iteration. The second-gen Nexus 7 which just made a debut kept the same name. Same will likely apply to the next-generation Nexus 10 as well.
    - mehrdada 13y ago
      It's true that the number refers to its size; that said, Nexus 4 is really 4.7". 4.7 is closer to 5 than 4, so I would not be surprised if they did name the next one Nexus 5.
      - sejordan 13y ago
        I went through the same thing, correcting everyone with "the next Nexus 4 will be Nexus 4 again, not Nexus 5" And then I read some rumors saying it will have a full 5" screen. We'll see.
        cbhl 13y ago
        Sigh, this is exactly backwards from where I want flagship Android phones going. It follows the typical tech trend of "bigger, better, faster", but I miss the small size of the Nexus One. None of the Nexus devices fit in the pockets of the clothes of women I know. (First world problems, yes, but I wish I could recommend an Android device to them that they could carry around without having to use a purse. It doesn't help that Android is eating into the low-end market; barely anyone makes feature phones in the old candybar and flip form factors.)
        mehrdada 13y ago
        You can make the screen bigger without making the device bigger. There's a lot of bezel to get rid of. Case in point: Moto X.
        cbr 13y ago
        I wish I could recommend an Android device to them that they could carry around without having to use a purse My wife really likes her Razr M. Almost no bezel, so big screen for its size. And with a small hack you can run it on ATT or T-Mobile.
        fpgeek 13y ago
        If you're interested in good, smaller Android phones, keep an eye on Sony. The current rumor is that the mini-edition of their next flagship will keep the high-end specs of its larger sibling (except for the screen resolution, of course).
        vidarh 13y ago
        There's plenty of smaller Android phones available too. But users clearly seem to like the bigger sizes, and frankly women seem to be a large driver. At least around here, most women I see have their phones - regardless of size - in their purse, and so they also seem to be very quick to adopt the large form factor phones. It's fairly common to see people with 6" phones here now. But check out Aliexpress.com, and you will find lots of small form factors, if you're ok with ordering direct from China.
      - otikik 13y ago
        I will wait for the Nexus 3 then.
    - shuzchen 13y ago
      Honestly I wish they changed the name. Shopping for a Nexus 7 online or in stores is not friendly to the regular population. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing and even I'm not 100% certain a Nexus 7 on any site (besides play.google.com) is the new refresh model or the older one. That said, they should avoid the naming scheme of the galaxy line (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0).
      - bobbles 13y ago
        They should really emphasise the date more in the name (like you would with a car). eg: Nexus 7 (2013). Some retailers do this but a lot of them dont
        tsahyt 13y ago
        Nexus 7 MkII?
    - fauigerzigerk 13y ago
      I think jamesharding knows that very well if I understand his joke correctly :)
    - r00fus 13y ago
      This is exactly why I didn't buy an N7 when I was looking a while back - I wanted an older model but not the original, which I understand had major issues. No way to differentiate without lots of reasearch. I gave up and decided not to spend the hours trying to find the best Android tablet that runs (or can run) stock. Still haven't bought one, despite my interest.
- veemjeem 13y ago
  A cousin who works at Qualcomm confirms this.
  - VeejayRampay 13y ago
    Do you have more information about any release date for the next generation Nexus 4? I'm looking to buy a phone "by Google" and wouldn't want to be buying the Nexus 4 just when the new one is about to be released. Thanks.
    - veemjeem 13y ago
      All he said was "soon" and that was about a month ago, so it's hard to extract what he actually meant by that. I'm guessing he doesn't want to be the leak for any info. I also asked about the hardware and all he said was "it's gonna be great". Sorry to be a let down, but I guess he wants to keep his job.
      - VeejayRampay 13y ago
        No worries, I'll stay tuned in.
fchollet 13y ago
Right after I buy one, awesome.
- ridruejo 13y ago
  If you have not yet received the shipment, you can instruct UPS to refuse it and you will be refunded everything (incl. shipping costs)
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- what_ever 13y ago
  You should probably check this: https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price
  - dougbright 13y ago
    Ha, wish I had seen this link first. My Nexus 4 arrived last Thursday so I was well within the 15 day window. I just called their customer service (https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3053039 https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3053039) and they processed a refund for the difference. They're a bit swamped right now so you may have to hang on for 10-15 minutes before you can talk to someone.
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
  - fchollet 13y ago
    Thank you, I didn't know about this. Very helpful.
jacquesm 13y ago
Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon.
- mrxx 13y ago
  me too
  - ajarmoniuk 13y ago
    not even possible to look at the item
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- markdown 13y ago
  http://www.priceusa.com.au/ http://www.priceusa.com.au/ I'm not even in/from Australia, but have used them a couple of times, including for 2 macs and a nexus 4. Highly recommended.
  - lostsock 13y ago
    You can buy it from the play store in Australia. The price discount is there in AUD too
    - markdown 13y ago
      Did you read the original post? It's by someone from somewhere in the world where the Play store isn't available. I provided an option for those people.
      - bobbles 13y ago
        He did read it, but you singled out Australia, which has this available (and in stock)! He was just clarifying this.
PaulHoule 13y ago
The tablet price wars are heating up. I bought my first tablet, a Nook HD+, last week, because I wanted something I could use to read technical docs when I do cardio. I wanted something bargain basement cheap because I don't want to feel bad if it gets smashed. Barnes and Noble has made the decision to deliver the most possible value per $ for customers by making the Nook HD+ compatible with Google Play and Kindle. The device isn't the most powerful and doesn't have a camera or GPS, but the screen is great. Other tablet vendors are going to be rushing to deliver products that appeal to different market segments. Quite exciting!
- engrenage 13y ago
  The Nexus 4 is not a tablet.
- xster 13y ago
  ya... Nexus 4 isn't a tablet...
- bdg 13y ago
  I'm very anxious to see what will happen when FoxOS hits the market. Presently developer preview phones are going for less than $150 (including shipping and taxes) entirely unlocked and without bloatware (ie, uninstallable freecell junk). Prices like that for the specs they're talking about are nearly unheard of here in Canada. I'll have a more informed opinion about it once it ships next month.
  - LukeShu 13y ago
    The ZTE Open (which is not a developer preview) hit in the US a couple of weeks ago for $80. Unfortunately, it is now sold out. http://stores.ebay.com/ztemobileus http://stores.ebay.com/ztemobileus
    - arthulia 13y ago
      Hold on, the phone itself was $80?
bane 13y ago
Best guess is to get the N4 into the pipeline before Apple's next iPhone 5whatever announcement in a month-ish.
- eco 13y ago
  Possibly but I think it seems more likely that they're clearing stock before the next Nexus device. Nexus devices typically become available around November and are announced around October. This would give them a month or two to clear out N4 stock before the announcement kills demand.
  - mynameisvlad 13y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Nexus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Nexus I mean, the last phones two were released in November, but I wouldn't really call that "typical" with that few data points.
    - fauigerzigerk 13y ago
      Maybe not "typical" but not unexpected either. We're all Bayesians here, aren't we? ;-) The prior probability of a new gadget getting released in time for the Christmas shopping season is pretty high, so it doesn't require too many additional data points to "know" what's going on.
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  Apple already leaked the date to the WSJ: it’s going to be September 10, two weeks from now.
  - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
    ...aaaand the invitation: http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/09/03/apple-announces-special-event-for-september-10/ http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/09/03/apple-announces-specia...
- phaus 13y ago
LandoCalrissian 13y ago
Honestly if you haven't tried Android yet this is the device to do it with. Really shows off what the system is capable of.
- tracker1 13y ago
  It isn't the most powerful Android phone out there, but it does run stock, has regular updates, will run third party ROMs, and is absolutely the best value for an out of contract smart phone, even more so with the $100 price drop. If you're in a T-Mobile coverage area, look at Simple Mobile ($50/month unlimited everything)
  - gvb 13y ago
    Or, if you don't talk a lot, the $30/month 100 minutes / unlimited / unlimited plan: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans "$30 per month - 100 minutes talk | Unlimited text | First 5 GB at up to 4G speeds" Fine print: "New activations only." A new SIM card ($10) counts as a new activation. ;-) For more detailed discussion: http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57587175-278/is-this-the-best-smartphone-plan-ever/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57587175-278/is-this-the-b...
    - untog 13y ago
      I'm on this plan, and can definitely recommend it. Also, enabling LTE on the Nexus 4 is very, very easy if you're in a T-Mobile LTE area.
    - ghshephard 13y ago
      "don't talk a lot" - and "First 5 GB at up to 4G Speeds" - on a smart phone this is somewhat confusing. I talk a lot - 2-3 hours/day, typically conference calls, but also with family, friends - and I'm trying to recall the last time I used any of my "Minutes" with my telco. Skype and Whatsapp get used a lot on my phone @ 8kilobytes/second (=30 megabytes/hour, 1.8 Gigabytes/month @ 2Hours/day talking)
    - troebr 13y ago
baggachipz 13y ago
Yoink!
Ellipsis753 13y ago
Did anyone else notice that they still offer the same item with half the memory for £40 more?
mrbill 13y ago
I bought an 8G N4 when they first came available last year (upgrading from a GSM Galaxy Nexus, which was an upgrade from a CDMA Galaxy Nexus), and it's never been away from me for more than an hour or two at a time since then. I bought a 16G about a month later, but haven't had the need just yet to move my stuff to the bigger model. Glass screen protector, Diztronic TPU case, and this is the best phone I've ever owned (so far).
- tracker1 13y ago
  I got my 16gb N4 ordered pretty soon after release (finally delivered early January). It's actually the first Android phone I liked out of the box, without feeling slow/sluggish. It's now my fourth android phone (first was the G1). Each one seemed like if it were just a little faster, I'd be happy with it. It's actually a little more responsive than my 2012 model Nexus 7 tablet. Which is why I've been considering getting a new N7. I've also played with both using the Chromecast, and have to say it's pretty nice and works smoother for Netflix than my typical pattern in the past, which was queue up stuff on my tablet/phone, then use my roku (bedroom) or the tv's built in player (living room). Can't say enough positive about this phone.
  - mgcross 13y ago
    I went from a Nexus One to an N4, so obviously it was fast to me! Also had a 2012 N7 (JB prompted me to buy the N4). I just picked up a new N7 and so far it's perfect (none of the reported problems), but a little harder to hold. I bought B&M so that I could return it easily if necessary, and hand-picked the only July manufacture date out of 8 other Junes.
mattholtom 13y ago
Dang, I bought one like a month ago. Poor timing. Have been very happy with it though.
eliben 13y ago
Oh wow, the N4 was already the best value on the market - very powerful device for a very low price. Now the price is ridiculous... I have my N4 since the beginning of the year and I love it.
- light3 13y ago
  If you want value go for something more recently released, like the Lenovo A820: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/814529232/2013_Newest_android_mobile_phone_lenovo.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/814529232/2013_Newest_andr...
  - coolnow 13y ago
    Keep in mind that the Lenovo has a MTK cpu which is A7 vs the A9 in the Nexus 4's Qualcomm S4 Pro, and has 1GB RAM vs the Nexus' 2GB. You also get the latest firmware on the Nexus. For £50, i'd go for the Nexus any day, especially since the prices i see online for the Lenovo bets on the chance that the device goes through customs without getting taxed.
  - lhl 13y ago
    I sincerely hope that no one follows your advice. The phone you point to might be a few bucks cheaper, but it has 1/2 the RAM, 1/2-1/4 internal storage, and while the MTK6589 performs surprisingly well for a Mediatek chip, it still performs below the Nexus 4's S4Pros both for CPU and GPU. The screen is also much lower res and 245ppi vs 320ppi. It doesn't have any support for LTE (Nexus 4 is flashable to Band 4) and doesn't appear to support NFC, or, probably more importantly, BT4/BTLE. There's also no front camera or a flash (!) on the back camera. Of course, the worst thing is that it's already running an outdated (4.1.2) version of Android and is unlikely to be updated. There's a small community working on ROMs but it's sketchy (no dedicated forum on XDA, no CM port, much less an official build). If you buy the A820, and almost all the other Shanzai'd devices, you effectively get a dead product, while w/ the Nexus 4 you'll get better hardware and both official and community support for years. Seems like a no-brainer for a $50-100 difference.
deleted 13y ago
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- MacsHeadroom 13y ago
  Or, hear me out, it could be due to Google releasing new Nexus phones every year around September. Maybe, just maybe, that's why we've seen the same exact move for the past 3 years in a row. But what do I know?
- jacquesm 13y ago
  Nonsense.
zenlinux 13y ago
I upgraded to the Nexus 4 after owning a Galaxy Nexus and I have to say I feel mixed about the changes. As an Android device, the N4 is definitely faster and nicer to use. But as a phone, I found two important issues were a step back - the max volume of the earpiece and the strength of the vibration. The latter, in particular, is so weak on the N4 that I usually miss texts and other notifications. Instead I get to be yet another obnoxious person with a loud ringtone to avoid missing calls and texts. :(
- Kiro 13y ago
  That's why you need a Pebble. My phone is always on silent (no vibration) and I haven't missed a call or text since.
- jsnell 13y ago
  For the problem with missing SMS notifications, there's software in the play store that'll periodically trigger an alarm if there are unread texts / unanswered phone calls. You can usually also use a different alarm sound than the default for these, so you can use something discreet for the original text arrival message, and then something more obnoxious for the repeated alarms. The best thing ever. The one I use is "Missed Call Reminder", but there are plenty of others.
- savszymura 13y ago
  Same here. I also feel like the Gnex had a better form factor, and I liked the screen colours better. If you miss stuff, try using an app that repeats them at an interval, sorry, can't remember the name now.
- andypants 13y ago
  The strength of the vibration is ridiculously low, I've never felt it vibrate when in my pocket, and even when the phone is out on a surface the vibration is easy to miss.
deleted 13y ago
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deerpig 13y ago
It would be nice if Google would actually let people who aren't using a US ip address to be able to view the site. I have an account and mailing address in the States, but I live outside of the States. So even though I can buy, they won't let me see it outside of the States.... Way to go Google!
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- fpgeek 13y ago
  If you're logged in and you have a "US" Google account (credit card and shipping address, not sure if there are other requirements) you should be able to see it (at least I can, but only when logged in).
induscreep 13y ago
It was 299, now its 249...so 50 bucks?
- yohui 13y ago
  The 16GB model went from $349 to $249, the 8GB model from $299 to $199.
cheald 13y ago
Grabbed one for my wife. She's been tottering along on an old phone for a while, and we've been hemming and hawing over getting an N4 for her, but at that price, it's a no-brainer.
giulianob 13y ago
If only Sprint had gotten this device
ellie42 13y ago
Scumbag Google: lowers Nexus 4 price - makes it unavailable in your country.
marcamillion 13y ago
This would OBVIOUSLY happen 1 week after I bought the S4 Mini. I was seriously considering the Nexus 4, but couldn't justify the $350 price range when compared to the Mini for only $400. Go figure, I couldn't wait any longer and Google couldn't do this any sooner. Just my luck!
- kamjam 13y ago
  I was just about to buy one 2nd hand for more expensive! So glad I didn't catch one in time... all those unlucky sods selling their phones just lost out on another $100! I'm gonna keep an eye in the classified, these will go dirt cheap now! :)
- coolnow 13y ago
  I'm curious, just why did you go with the S4 mini instead of the Nexus in the first place, especially when (if i'm understanding correctly), it was cheaper? The SD card?
  - marcamillion 13y ago
    Well the Camera for one, and the reviews I read just kept coming up with an analysis like...The Nexus is a great 'Android starter' phone...but if you can plump for the S4, do it. The only reason I didn't want to get an S4 was because of the form factor. Once the mini came out, at only $50 - $100 more, it was a no-brainer. Now, though, I would make a different purchasing decision. Although, experience tells me that with the price recently dropped, that probably means they are trying to empty shelves and clear our their backlog to make way for a new unit coming in the next few months. Soo......I am not sure what I would do - to be honest. Overall, am happy with my S4 Mini :)
    - coolnow 13y ago
      You do realise that the S4 and the S4 Mini are quite different? When reviews talk about the S4, you cannot extrapolate to the Mini due to different chipsets (quad core vs dual core), differing amount of RAM, resolution etc. I'm sure you know now. Also, the only features of the Nexus 4 i would class as "starter" is the price (really cheap, accessible to a lot of peopl) and maybe the fast updates. That's about it. The camera is good, not the best, but more than good enough for casual stuff like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Douwd 13y ago
And this is why I love living in a 3rd world country (Sweden): Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon.
- rikelmens 13y ago
  Sweden's a 3rd world country? I would gladly switch countries with you... I live in CA, USA btw.
  - inovator 13y ago
    sarcasm my friend...
- adidash 13y ago
  Use tunnel bear to browse the US/Uk play store. Use a forwarding address from www.borderlinx.com and www.entropay.com for a US visa number. Have it shipped to your country for a small shipping & customs fee.
- ajarmoniuk 13y ago
  Finally, almost as if born equal. It's also blocked here in Poland.
Amadou 13y ago
Why I would buy a N4: Wireless charging, after getting a tablet with it the convenience is now mandatory. Why I would not buy a N4: No removable storage. I don't trust my data in the hands of a cloud provider, I want it on my phone where it is completely under my control.
- saraid216 13y ago
  I don't think I've ever seen anyone describe data on their phone as "completely under my control".
- Ackley 13y ago
  even if it was on your phone, they have the power to delete anything (but yes a Google Nexus 4 is convenient)
- rohitnair 13y ago
  Wireless charging was one of the reasons why I got a Nexus 4. It's a shame the stock wireless charger is so terribly designed though (no adhesion and unnecessary angle). Judging by the reviews it's gotten, looks like I'm not the only one who hates it.
  - jrockway 13y ago
    Why is it a shame that you dislike the "official" charger? The N4 uses the standard Qi charging protocol, so you can get pretty much any charger you want. I've tried a bunch of Qi chargers. Samsung's official S3/S4 charger is my favorite. They cheap out and don't include a USB cable or power supply, though, so you have to buy those separately. (Anker sells one on Amazon that does include a power supply that works great with the N4. Works very poorly with the S4, though, which just goes to show you how flaky random Chinese imports can be, even if you pay $50 for them.)
- Tichy 13y ago
  I don't understand why "no removable storage" implies that you'd have to use a cloud provider? Why not just use the fixed internal storage?
bdcravens 13y ago
So when did they start actually have these things in stock? I know a few months ago whenever I'd check they were unavailable. With this price reduction, I guess Apple should cancel their 5S/5C event, no need since the phones will flop due to everyone with their shiny Nexus 4's.
- pearjuice 13y ago
  Apple will not cancel anything as the cheap iPhone 5 and the one in the higher segment will outsell the Nexus 4. Even if they have lower specs or worse performance.
  - pearjuice 13y ago
    The guy who downvoted me, care to explain why? Apple has much better brand recognition, loyalty and advertising than Google currently has for their phones department. It is only logical the iPhone will perform better in sales. This doesn't say anything about the actual products.
  - blisterpeanuts 13y ago
    I think it's two different markets. iPhone users are rather a different category from Nexus users; they're almost polar opposites. Mind you, I'm not knocking iPhones; they're excellent products. It's just a different way of purchasing, a different price point, and a different target audience.
    - foobarbazqux 13y ago
      They're only polar opposites within the space of smartphone users. Within the space of people who would like to use the phone, they're bunched very close together at the "wants to use a smartphone" end of the spectrum, the other end being "doesn't want to use the phone".
- notatoad 13y ago
  they've been in-stock everywhere the play store sells them since early February.
Ackley 13y ago
Only wished it was waterproof...
sayanchowdhury 13y ago
High time to buy a N4
wavesounds 13y ago
This might make me finally switch from Verizon.
arikrak 13y ago
How are they able to sell it this cheap? Similar smartphones often cost $500-$800 unlocked and this is only $200! I understand the unlocked price is heavily marked up, but still...
- vidarh 13y ago
  The going rate for similarly spec'ed smartphone on Alibaba/Aliexpress is well below $200 now in quantities of 1 and have been for a while. For the most expensive phones, you pay a large premium for the newest models, and you pay a large premium for brand names, and a bit extra for better build quality in some cases (but not always - a lot of the reasonably unknown Chinese brands deliver very solid phones), and it adds up quickly.
Ackley 13y ago
I don't see any advantages going from 8gb to 16gb (16gb isn't enough to fit all my stuff anyways)
- blisterpeanuts 13y ago
  I would recommend the 16gb model if it fits your budget. The extra gigs make a difference in this era of 1+ gig apps and 1080p video cameras, I have found. If they offered a 64 gig model, I'd buy it. Obviously, a microSD slot would be ideal, but that would go against Google's current religious crusade to rid the world of local storage :)
h4pless 13y ago
If you buy this phone, get a case for it. The thing slides off of pretty much anything, including apparently flat counter tops. Screen replacements are $130 and take 2 weeks. You won't get the awesome feel of the beveled edges, or the nice solid feeling of a thin but reasonably weighted piece of equipment, but definitely get a case lest you watch in horror as your shiny new phone crashes onto your hard tile bathroom floor after sliding off the granite counter top like a magical hovercraft.
- timdorr 13y ago
  Note that newer versions of the Nexus 4 have small nubs on the back that provide some additional traction, and also give enough of a gap to stop the speaker from being completely muffled on flat surfaces. http://www.gsmarena.com/updated_nexus_4_design_adds_nubs_around_the_rear_edge-news-5777.php http://www.gsmarena.com/updated_nexus_4_design_adds_nubs_aro...
  - h4pless 13y ago
    It's good that they did this for sure. I remember reading that people were also having problems with the rear glass shattering from the thermal shock of being placed on cold counter tops. I'd still probably get a case for it, though. If you have generally pretty dry hands like mine, a case can reduce the strain of holding on to a generally slippery phone. I also don't know if this would be changed by the little nubs but I had issues with it regularly sliding out of my pocket while on couches.
- redthrowaway 13y ago
  Agreed. Mine broke without even dropping it within 20 minutes of taking it out of the box. They replaced it, but it took quite some arguing on my part.
- andrenotgiant 13y ago
  Also DONT BUY THE WIRELESS CHARGER. It is a joke, the phone might stick to it the first time you use it, if you're lucky. The only thing keeping the above mentioned slippery phone on the un-necessarily slanted charger is some slick rubber material. The rubber holds dust like a pro, but alas cannot grip the phone. If you don't believe me read Amazon reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Google-Nexus-4-Wireless-Charger/dp/B00BGSPIP2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377660795&sr=8-2&keywords=nexus+4+wireless http://www.amazon.com/Google-Nexus-4-Wireless-Charger/dp/B00...
barista 13y ago
and this is a top news on HN because?
chenster 13y ago
It's actually a good price for a decent piece of equipment out of contract. At the same time, for only $199 and $249, you get what you pay for. So don't complain it doesn't make sandwich.
- hyperbovine 13y ago
  Not even an ice cream sandwich?
bobbles 13y ago
Wowzers, this just dropped the N4 (8GB) directly into my impulse buy territory. I'm currently on the iPhone 4S so it'll be interesting to try this out while I wait for the latest iPhone announcements
BlakePetersen 13y ago
Get this for that --> http://www.ubuntu.com/phone http://www.ubuntu.com/phone
devnetfx 13y ago
I screamed after seeing this headline in hacker news! I knew my colleague is looking for a mobile as he lost his one last weekend. He wants a mid range one as he keeps losing/breaking his mobile! I told him about this one but he had already ordered one yesterday. Well, he cancelled his order and has now placed the order for Nexus 4!
- dtf 13y ago
  I've gone through two 8GB models in the last two months. Lost the first one (slid out my pocket), then had to buy a replacement at a jacked up price from a different supplier as I was starting work on an Android job the next day. At least I know that the next time I lose it, a replacement will be cheaper :-)
smitec 13y ago
well damn. I placed my order, and was charged, yesterday.
- smitec 13y ago
  Update: for anyone else in this boat (bought in < 15 days) see here https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price
kgabis 13y ago
Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. It would be better if they finally released it outside US. I can't even see the site.
- sidcool 13y ago
  It's available in India, not from Google play store, but otherwise available. I own one. It's a wonderful device.
  - polskibus 13y ago
    at what price? in Poland the nexus 4 is much more expensive - you pay LG's price, not Google's.
  - pekru 13y ago
    Well, it is being sold at around 24-25K INR. (~ 400 USD) And that puts it way above the reach of commonfolk.
brandonheato 13y ago
Despite Google's global presence and all the smart and capable people they have, are still unable to offer international purchasing/shipping for one device almost one year after it's launch?
martin_bech 13y ago
Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. Im in Denmark, we usually get the newest iPhone a couple of weeks after the US. Availability is one of the reasons the Nexus brand isn't as big as it could be.
- kijin 13y ago
  Availability == whether or not local carriers are willing to carry, or at least tolerate, the phone in question. This can be especially problematic with unusually cheap phones like Nexus 4 that aren't even tied to anybody's contract. Unfortunately, Google doesn't have much control over telecoms around the world. Even in Korea, where the phone's manufacturer (LG) is based, it took several months for Nexus 4 to become officially available. Lots of hurdles, including LG not wanting to cannibalize sales of its other phones.
  - rplnt 13y ago
    I really don't think carriers have any say whatsoever to what phones are sold within specific area. edit: Also, the phone is sold here (from regular stores, or through carriers), just Google Play doesn't sell it. So only Google is to blame here.
    - lucaspiller 13y ago
      It's the same here in Ireland. Which is ironic, as Google's European HQ is here.
  - sireat 13y ago
    In most of Europe, buying a phone off contract is perfectly normal, so Google is losing out on a ton of sales. I do not see how carriers in Europe could block sales of Nexus 4. In fact, I think there is even some EU law against this(limiting phones). I think the real reason has to do with Google not willing to jump through some regulatory hurdles for each EU country. It would be interesting to see what exactly is preventing them from selling.
xsace 13y ago
Don't want to influence people who are going to order this but last week I order a Nexus 4 but I sent it back the next day it arrived. The internal ear speaker didn't work, apparently a very frequent defect. (see http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/mobile/2eVRjUXPS-A/yAknId9q5G8J http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/mobile/2eVRjUXPS... ) The hassle was some of the people had the issue originated from a radio firmware (software). So I spent my evening unlocking the bootloader, rooting and flashing various rom without success to understand it was a hardware issue in my case (half the people complaining have software defect, the other half hardware). Ended up buying an iPhone instead (my first).
mseebach 13y ago
What has the price been lowered to? (The price is not shown outside the US)
- codeulike 13y ago
  £159 for 8Gb, £199 for 16Gb
jay_kyburz 13y ago
OMG I bought one last week!
mrmondo 13y ago
No LTE? No Buy.
infinite_snoop 13y ago
Is the missing micro SD slot due to price or to encourage you to move your data to the cloud I wonder?
- pauljohncleary 13y ago
  The latter- removable SD cards aren't always a great proposition for non-technical users, and google doesn't sell them.
wldlyinaccurate 13y ago
I've been considering getting a Nexus 4 for months now, but my Galaxy SII still mostly works (with Cyanogenmod) so I didn't have much of a reason to spend the money. But this new price is right in my impulse buy range, so it looks like I'll get one after all!
hekoru 13y ago
And the 16GB version is gone in the UK. Good lord, that was fast
pilooch 13y ago
yeah right, and my bill looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/WxZCFrH.png http://i.imgur.com/WxZCFrH.png Thanks to Google maths I presume!!
- blisterpeanuts 13y ago
  My God, the tax! What country are you in?
  - Ives 13y ago
    Countries like Norway and Sweden have 25% VAT. 24% for Finland, 21% for Belgium and the Netherlands. There's plenty of choice really.
Sarkie 13y ago
I'm still on my Nexus One, running Jelly Bean now... But this is very tempting...
junto 13y ago
I'd like to thank @shuzchen for posting this. I bought a new Google Nexus 4 from MediaMarkt here in Germany on Saturday for 329 EUR and had luckily not yet opened the box (waiting for a Micro SIM to turn up from my provider). I managed to take the phone back this morning after reading this, and get a full refund, and have now just ordered the phone direct from Google Play for 249 EUR (plus 9.99 EU shipping). As a mental note I should always order online. In the EU you automatically get 14 days grace to return something for ANY reason (EU law). My spontaneous purchase on Saturday could have cost me 70 EUR more than it had to!
- mcpoulet 13y ago
  Google has a program in place to refund you the price difference if you bought a Nexus 4 in the past two weeks https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price
  - junto 13y ago
    This program is only for customers who have bought the phone via Google Play. It doesn't include orders placed via distribution (as far as I can tell).
netcan 13y ago
The Nexus 4 is completely baffling to me from a pricing /market strategy perspective. There are ends to the pricing strategy spectrum take: low price, high volume (aka market penetration) or higher price lower volume (aka differentiation). The former is about matching specs and winning on price (eg, last years's Galaxy S model). The latter is about making something a little different that some people are willing to pay a little more for, usually at the cost of volume (eg, Samsung Galaxy S note). The Nexus 4 was squarely in the category of large screen Android phones that all major manufacturers have been selling like crazy as their flagship products for the last year. They all compete with similar prices and specs. Nexus 4 matches the spec, priced 30% lower! Great, cut price market penetration strategy! Accept that the product hasn't been available. It's not in phone/electronics stores. Its not on Amazon. Its not available in most countries. Its not available from carriers (I like this, but if you are taking this position, find other distribution channels) etc. etc. Whats the point of that? They could have been selling this as a niche product at a higher margin and made some good money. Alternatively, they could have gotten it into stores at the $300 price they were supposedly selling it at and outsold the S3, especially in Europe where other manufacturers add a big markup over US prices.
- devx 13y ago
  What I don't really get is to what end are they doing this? Does this help Google, or hurt them - especially now that they have Motorola? Is the bigger over-arching goal here to go around the carriers, no matter what?
  - netcan 13y ago
    I think the first/early of a kind nexus models worked well. They set a standard price/spec range for a high end android. The first couple of nexus phones led to the current generation flagship Androids. The first couple of nexus tablets led to the current generation of Android tablets and discovered a great opening.: 7-8" @ ~$200-$250. They even forced Apple to play catch-up. The Nexus 4 doesn't make sense. What are they trying to do here? Sell phones? Maybe you should put them in shops where people can buy them. Concept phone? That doesn't make sense either. Nexus 4 is pretty similar to the top selling androids that already exist.
NatW 13y ago
I can confirm/attest that in France, they lowered the price by 100€. That's bigger news than the headline since 100€ = $133.51 (at this moment). Google Play shows: 8GB: 199€ (+9.99€ shipping) = 208.99€ 16GB: 249€ (+9.99€ shipping) = 258.98€ Personally, I'm going to hold off to see if they release something new, though. I wish the battery life on the Nexus 4 was better.
- Jhsto 13y ago
  How weird, still 500€ for the 16GB version in Finland.
- tluyben2 13y ago
  Spain lowered 100 euros too.
ausjke 13y ago
shoot, I just bought one last night, can I get $100 back? I'm checking if I can cancel that order now then reissue a new order.
- ausjke 13y ago
  https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price not sure if my purchase yesterday qualifies the price protection, i.e. google will refund me $100? it sucks when you buy something one day ahead of a big price drop.
mcv 13y ago
Now if only they actually start selling this thing in my country, I might consider buying it.
jareds 13y ago
I’m now thinking of getting the Nexus 4 as a device to learn Android programming instead of the Nexus 7. Since I’m blind I actually prefer a smaller screen since there’s less blank space in between icons and it’s easier to keep track of where things are. Is it possible to use the Nexus 4 without a cell plan? I assume this would just involve putting in a deactivated sim. Is there any prior experience to guess at how long Google will support both the Nexus 4 and the new Nexus 7 with Android updates? If the Nexus 4 may only get one more update but the Nexus 7 will get 3 that would change my decision.
- georgemcbay 13y ago
  To answer your first question: You can use a Nexus 4 as a simple wifi device without a sim card at all if you don't want cellular data. As far as updates go, that is harder to say. I would be shocked if the Nexus 4 doesn't get Key Lime Pie. After that? Who knows... but I'd say the same for the Nexus 7, even the newer one. Key Lime Pie will probably be around for a long while with minor point upgrades much like Jellybean was. In any case, if this is for development I wouldn't worry about it that much. There are relatively few points where Android diverged enough that it makes a huge difference to developers if the OS they are developing on is the very newest or slightly older. For example, you can pretty much target Ice Cream Sandwich and above right now and it makes very little difference in terms of how you develop and which APIs you'd use. And if you have to develop on systems even older than that, the combination of the Android Support Library here: http://developer.android.com/tools/support-library/index.html http://developer.android.com/tools/support-library/index.htm... And ActionBarSherlock here: http://actionbarsherlock.com/ http://actionbarsherlock.com/ do a good job of smoothing this sort of thing out from a developer's point of view even if you're developing on Froyo or Gingerbread era devices.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- cko 13y ago
  Sorry for my ignorance, and I'm sure you've answered this question many times before, but: how do you type and reply to comments and go about your daily routine while blind? Are there any links to articles you have written describing this? The reason I ask is because I enjoy being in possession of very few things, and those that I own should preferably be pocket-sized. I read about developers daisy-chaining multiple hi-res displays and developers who use 11" ultrabooks and presumably Alt-Tab to get to other windows.
jstalin 13y ago
Man, I just bought the ZTE Open to play around with Firefox OS for $80. I should have just waited and bought the Nexus 4 for $200...
jessaustin 13y ago
After reading so many tales of the device's slipperiness and fragility, a price drop does not surprise.
shmerl 13y ago
Good. Now with Freedreno getting ready, this will be very useful.
keepkalm 13y ago
They must be getting ready to release the next model of Nexus phone.
pekru 13y ago
sigh I would be very grateful if anyone traveling to India could get one for me, since Google doesn't sell it in India (and local dealers sell it around 400 USD)

402 points by shuzchen 13y ago

thezach 13y ago

could this mean Nexus 5 is around the corner and they have to clear inventory?

nighthawk24 13y ago
hmm, hope so!
jamesharding 13y ago
At this rate we will have Nexus tablets in our pocket in two years...
- sahaskatta 13y ago
  There won't be a Nexus 5. It will be titled "Nexus 4" again. The number refers to the size, not the iteration. The second-gen Nexus 7 which just made a debut kept the same name. Same will likely apply to the next-generation Nexus 10 as well.
  - mehrdada 13y ago
    It's true that the number refers to its size; that said, Nexus 4 is really 4.7". 4.7 is closer to 5 than 4, so I would not be surprised if they did name the next one Nexus 5.
    - sejordan 13y ago
      I went through the same thing, correcting everyone with "the next Nexus 4 will be Nexus 4 again, not Nexus 5" And then I read some rumors saying it will have a full 5" screen. We'll see.
      - cbhl 13y ago
        Sigh, this is exactly backwards from where I want flagship Android phones going. It follows the typical tech trend of "bigger, better, faster", but I miss the small size of the Nexus One. None of the Nexus devices fit in the pockets of the clothes of women I know. (First world problems, yes, but I wish I could recommend an Android device to them that they could carry around without having to use a purse. It doesn't help that Android is eating into the low-end market; barely anyone makes feature phones in the old candybar and flip form factors.)
        mehrdada 13y ago
        You can make the screen bigger without making the device bigger. There's a lot of bezel to get rid of. Case in point: Moto X.
        cbr 13y ago
        I wish I could recommend an Android device to them that they could carry around without having to use a purse My wife really likes her Razr M. Almost no bezel, so big screen for its size. And with a small hack you can run it on ATT or T-Mobile.
        fpgeek 13y ago
        If you're interested in good, smaller Android phones, keep an eye on Sony. The current rumor is that the mini-edition of their next flagship will keep the high-end specs of its larger sibling (except for the screen resolution, of course).
        vidarh 13y ago
        There's plenty of smaller Android phones available too. But users clearly seem to like the bigger sizes, and frankly women seem to be a large driver. At least around here, most women I see have their phones - regardless of size - in their purse, and so they also seem to be very quick to adopt the large form factor phones. It's fairly common to see people with 6" phones here now. But check out Aliexpress.com, and you will find lots of small form factors, if you're ok with ordering direct from China.
    - otikik 13y ago
      I will wait for the Nexus 3 then.
  - shuzchen 13y ago
    Honestly I wish they changed the name. Shopping for a Nexus 7 online or in stores is not friendly to the regular population. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing and even I'm not 100% certain a Nexus 7 on any site (besides play.google.com) is the new refresh model or the older one. That said, they should avoid the naming scheme of the galaxy line (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0).
    - bobbles 13y ago
      They should really emphasise the date more in the name (like you would with a car). eg: Nexus 7 (2013). Some retailers do this but a lot of them dont
      - tsahyt 13y ago
        Nexus 7 MkII?
  - fauigerzigerk 13y ago
    I think jamesharding knows that very well if I understand his joke correctly :)
  - r00fus 13y ago
    This is exactly why I didn't buy an N7 when I was looking a while back - I wanted an older model but not the original, which I understand had major issues. No way to differentiate without lots of reasearch. I gave up and decided not to spend the hours trying to find the best Android tablet that runs (or can run) stock. Still haven't bought one, despite my interest.
veemjeem 13y ago
A cousin who works at Qualcomm confirms this.
- VeejayRampay 13y ago
  Do you have more information about any release date for the next generation Nexus 4? I'm looking to buy a phone "by Google" and wouldn't want to be buying the Nexus 4 just when the new one is about to be released. Thanks.
  - veemjeem 13y ago
    All he said was "soon" and that was about a month ago, so it's hard to extract what he actually meant by that. I'm guessing he doesn't want to be the leak for any info. I also asked about the hardware and all he said was "it's gonna be great". Sorry to be a let down, but I guess he wants to keep his job.
    - VeejayRampay 13y ago
      No worries, I'll stay tuned in.

fchollet 13y ago

Right after I buy one, awesome.

ridruejo 13y ago
If you have not yet received the shipment, you can instruct UPS to refuse it and you will be refunded everything (incl. shipping costs)
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
what_ever 13y ago
You should probably check this: https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price
- dougbright 13y ago
  Ha, wish I had seen this link first. My Nexus 4 arrived last Thursday so I was well within the 15 day window. I just called their customer service (https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3053039 https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3053039) and they processed a refund for the difference. They're a bit swamped right now so you may have to hang on for 10-15 minutes before you can talk to someone.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- fchollet 13y ago
  Thank you, I didn't know about this. Very helpful.

jacquesm 13y ago

Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon.

mrxx 13y ago
me too
- ajarmoniuk 13y ago
  not even possible to look at the item
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
markdown 13y ago
http://www.priceusa.com.au/ http://www.priceusa.com.au/ I'm not even in/from Australia, but have used them a couple of times, including for 2 macs and a nexus 4. Highly recommended.
- lostsock 13y ago
  You can buy it from the play store in Australia. The price discount is there in AUD too
  - markdown 13y ago
    Did you read the original post? It's by someone from somewhere in the world where the Play store isn't available. I provided an option for those people.
    - bobbles 13y ago
      He did read it, but you singled out Australia, which has this available (and in stock)! He was just clarifying this.

PaulHoule 13y ago

The tablet price wars are heating up. I bought my first tablet, a Nook HD+, last week, because I wanted something I could use to read technical docs when I do cardio. I wanted something bargain basement cheap because I don't want to feel bad if it gets smashed. Barnes and Noble has made the decision to deliver the most possible value per $ for customers by making the Nook HD+ compatible with Google Play and Kindle. The device isn't the most powerful and doesn't have a camera or GPS, but the screen is great. Other tablet vendors are going to be rushing to deliver products that appeal to different market segments. Quite exciting!

engrenage 13y ago
The Nexus 4 is not a tablet.
xster 13y ago
ya... Nexus 4 isn't a tablet...
bdg 13y ago
I'm very anxious to see what will happen when FoxOS hits the market. Presently developer preview phones are going for less than $150 (including shipping and taxes) entirely unlocked and without bloatware (ie, uninstallable freecell junk). Prices like that for the specs they're talking about are nearly unheard of here in Canada. I'll have a more informed opinion about it once it ships next month.
- LukeShu 13y ago
  The ZTE Open (which is not a developer preview) hit in the US a couple of weeks ago for $80. Unfortunately, it is now sold out. http://stores.ebay.com/ztemobileus http://stores.ebay.com/ztemobileus
  - arthulia 13y ago
    Hold on, the phone itself was $80?

bane 13y ago

Best guess is to get the N4 into the pipeline before Apple's next iPhone 5whatever announcement in a month-ish.

eco 13y ago
Possibly but I think it seems more likely that they're clearing stock before the next Nexus device. Nexus devices typically become available around November and are announced around October. This would give them a month or two to clear out N4 stock before the announcement kills demand.
- mynameisvlad 13y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Nexus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Nexus I mean, the last phones two were released in November, but I wouldn't really call that "typical" with that few data points.
  - fauigerzigerk 13y ago
    Maybe not "typical" but not unexpected either. We're all Bayesians here, aren't we? ;-) The prior probability of a new gadget getting released in time for the Christmas shopping season is pretty high, so it doesn't require too many additional data points to "know" what's going on.
Samuel_Michon 13y ago
Apple already leaked the date to the WSJ: it’s going to be September 10, two weeks from now.
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  ...aaaand the invitation: http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/09/03/apple-announces-special-event-for-september-10/ http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/09/03/apple-announces-specia...
phaus 13y ago

LandoCalrissian 13y ago

Honestly if you haven't tried Android yet this is the device to do it with. Really shows off what the system is capable of.

tracker1 13y ago
It isn't the most powerful Android phone out there, but it does run stock, has regular updates, will run third party ROMs, and is absolutely the best value for an out of contract smart phone, even more so with the $100 price drop. If you're in a T-Mobile coverage area, look at Simple Mobile ($50/month unlimited everything)
- gvb 13y ago
  Or, if you don't talk a lot, the $30/month 100 minutes / unlimited / unlimited plan: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans "$30 per month - 100 minutes talk | Unlimited text | First 5 GB at up to 4G speeds" Fine print: "New activations only." A new SIM card ($10) counts as a new activation. ;-) For more detailed discussion: http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57587175-278/is-this-the-best-smartphone-plan-ever/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57587175-278/is-this-the-b...
  - untog 13y ago
    I'm on this plan, and can definitely recommend it. Also, enabling LTE on the Nexus 4 is very, very easy if you're in a T-Mobile LTE area.
  - ghshephard 13y ago
    "don't talk a lot" - and "First 5 GB at up to 4G Speeds" - on a smart phone this is somewhat confusing. I talk a lot - 2-3 hours/day, typically conference calls, but also with family, friends - and I'm trying to recall the last time I used any of my "Minutes" with my telco. Skype and Whatsapp get used a lot on my phone @ 8kilobytes/second (=30 megabytes/hour, 1.8 Gigabytes/month @ 2Hours/day talking)
  - troebr 13y ago

baggachipz 13y ago

Yoink!

Ellipsis753 13y ago

Did anyone else notice that they still offer the same item with half the memory for £40 more?

mrbill 13y ago

I bought an 8G N4 when they first came available last year (upgrading from a GSM Galaxy Nexus, which was an upgrade from a CDMA Galaxy Nexus), and it's never been away from me for more than an hour or two at a time since then. I bought a 16G about a month later, but haven't had the need just yet to move my stuff to the bigger model. Glass screen protector, Diztronic TPU case, and this is the best phone I've ever owned (so far).

tracker1 13y ago
I got my 16gb N4 ordered pretty soon after release (finally delivered early January). It's actually the first Android phone I liked out of the box, without feeling slow/sluggish. It's now my fourth android phone (first was the G1). Each one seemed like if it were just a little faster, I'd be happy with it. It's actually a little more responsive than my 2012 model Nexus 7 tablet. Which is why I've been considering getting a new N7. I've also played with both using the Chromecast, and have to say it's pretty nice and works smoother for Netflix than my typical pattern in the past, which was queue up stuff on my tablet/phone, then use my roku (bedroom) or the tv's built in player (living room). Can't say enough positive about this phone.
- mgcross 13y ago
  I went from a Nexus One to an N4, so obviously it was fast to me! Also had a 2012 N7 (JB prompted me to buy the N4). I just picked up a new N7 and so far it's perfect (none of the reported problems), but a little harder to hold. I bought B&M so that I could return it easily if necessary, and hand-picked the only July manufacture date out of 8 other Junes.

mattholtom 13y ago

Dang, I bought one like a month ago. Poor timing. Have been very happy with it though.

eliben 13y ago

Oh wow, the N4 was already the best value on the market - very powerful device for a very low price. Now the price is ridiculous... I have my N4 since the beginning of the year and I love it.

light3 13y ago
If you want value go for something more recently released, like the Lenovo A820: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/814529232/2013_Newest_android_mobile_phone_lenovo.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/814529232/2013_Newest_andr...
- coolnow 13y ago
  Keep in mind that the Lenovo has a MTK cpu which is A7 vs the A9 in the Nexus 4's Qualcomm S4 Pro, and has 1GB RAM vs the Nexus' 2GB. You also get the latest firmware on the Nexus. For £50, i'd go for the Nexus any day, especially since the prices i see online for the Lenovo bets on the chance that the device goes through customs without getting taxed.
- lhl 13y ago
  I sincerely hope that no one follows your advice. The phone you point to might be a few bucks cheaper, but it has 1/2 the RAM, 1/2-1/4 internal storage, and while the MTK6589 performs surprisingly well for a Mediatek chip, it still performs below the Nexus 4's S4Pros both for CPU and GPU. The screen is also much lower res and 245ppi vs 320ppi. It doesn't have any support for LTE (Nexus 4 is flashable to Band 4) and doesn't appear to support NFC, or, probably more importantly, BT4/BTLE. There's also no front camera or a flash (!) on the back camera. Of course, the worst thing is that it's already running an outdated (4.1.2) version of Android and is unlikely to be updated. There's a small community working on ROMs but it's sketchy (no dedicated forum on XDA, no CM port, much less an official build). If you buy the A820, and almost all the other Shanzai'd devices, you effectively get a dead product, while w/ the Nexus 4 you'll get better hardware and both official and community support for years. Seems like a no-brainer for a $50-100 difference.

deleted 13y ago

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MacsHeadroom 13y ago
Or, hear me out, it could be due to Google releasing new Nexus phones every year around September. Maybe, just maybe, that's why we've seen the same exact move for the past 3 years in a row. But what do I know?
jacquesm 13y ago
Nonsense.

zenlinux 13y ago

I upgraded to the Nexus 4 after owning a Galaxy Nexus and I have to say I feel mixed about the changes. As an Android device, the N4 is definitely faster and nicer to use. But as a phone, I found two important issues were a step back - the max volume of the earpiece and the strength of the vibration. The latter, in particular, is so weak on the N4 that I usually miss texts and other notifications. Instead I get to be yet another obnoxious person with a loud ringtone to avoid missing calls and texts. :(

Kiro 13y ago
That's why you need a Pebble. My phone is always on silent (no vibration) and I haven't missed a call or text since.
jsnell 13y ago
For the problem with missing SMS notifications, there's software in the play store that'll periodically trigger an alarm if there are unread texts / unanswered phone calls. You can usually also use a different alarm sound than the default for these, so you can use something discreet for the original text arrival message, and then something more obnoxious for the repeated alarms. The best thing ever. The one I use is "Missed Call Reminder", but there are plenty of others.
savszymura 13y ago
Same here. I also feel like the Gnex had a better form factor, and I liked the screen colours better. If you miss stuff, try using an app that repeats them at an interval, sorry, can't remember the name now.
andypants 13y ago
The strength of the vibration is ridiculously low, I've never felt it vibrate when in my pocket, and even when the phone is out on a surface the vibration is easy to miss.

deleted 13y ago

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deerpig 13y ago

It would be nice if Google would actually let people who aren't using a US ip address to be able to view the site. I have an account and mailing address in the States, but I live outside of the States. So even though I can buy, they won't let me see it outside of the States.... Way to go Google!

deleted 13y ago
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fpgeek 13y ago
If you're logged in and you have a "US" Google account (credit card and shipping address, not sure if there are other requirements) you should be able to see it (at least I can, but only when logged in).

induscreep 13y ago

It was 299, now its 249...so 50 bucks?

yohui 13y ago
The 16GB model went from $349 to $249, the 8GB model from $299 to $199.

cheald 13y ago

Grabbed one for my wife. She's been tottering along on an old phone for a while, and we've been hemming and hawing over getting an N4 for her, but at that price, it's a no-brainer.

giulianob 13y ago

If only Sprint had gotten this device

ellie42 13y ago

Scumbag Google: lowers Nexus 4 price - makes it unavailable in your country.

marcamillion 13y ago

This would OBVIOUSLY happen 1 week after I bought the S4 Mini. I was seriously considering the Nexus 4, but couldn't justify the $350 price range when compared to the Mini for only $400. Go figure, I couldn't wait any longer and Google couldn't do this any sooner. Just my luck!

kamjam 13y ago
I was just about to buy one 2nd hand for more expensive! So glad I didn't catch one in time... all those unlucky sods selling their phones just lost out on another $100! I'm gonna keep an eye in the classified, these will go dirt cheap now! :)
coolnow 13y ago
I'm curious, just why did you go with the S4 mini instead of the Nexus in the first place, especially when (if i'm understanding correctly), it was cheaper? The SD card?
- marcamillion 13y ago
  Well the Camera for one, and the reviews I read just kept coming up with an analysis like...The Nexus is a great 'Android starter' phone...but if you can plump for the S4, do it. The only reason I didn't want to get an S4 was because of the form factor. Once the mini came out, at only $50 - $100 more, it was a no-brainer. Now, though, I would make a different purchasing decision. Although, experience tells me that with the price recently dropped, that probably means they are trying to empty shelves and clear our their backlog to make way for a new unit coming in the next few months. Soo......I am not sure what I would do - to be honest. Overall, am happy with my S4 Mini :)
  - coolnow 13y ago
    You do realise that the S4 and the S4 Mini are quite different? When reviews talk about the S4, you cannot extrapolate to the Mini due to different chipsets (quad core vs dual core), differing amount of RAM, resolution etc. I'm sure you know now. Also, the only features of the Nexus 4 i would class as "starter" is the price (really cheap, accessible to a lot of peopl) and maybe the fast updates. That's about it. The camera is good, not the best, but more than good enough for casual stuff like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Douwd 13y ago

And this is why I love living in a 3rd world country (Sweden): Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon.

rikelmens 13y ago
Sweden's a 3rd world country? I would gladly switch countries with you... I live in CA, USA btw.
- inovator 13y ago
  sarcasm my friend...
adidash 13y ago
Use tunnel bear to browse the US/Uk play store. Use a forwarding address from www.borderlinx.com and www.entropay.com for a US visa number. Have it shipped to your country for a small shipping & customs fee.
ajarmoniuk 13y ago
Finally, almost as if born equal. It's also blocked here in Poland.

Amadou 13y ago

Why I would buy a N4: Wireless charging, after getting a tablet with it the convenience is now mandatory. Why I would not buy a N4: No removable storage. I don't trust my data in the hands of a cloud provider, I want it on my phone where it is completely under my control.

saraid216 13y ago
I don't think I've ever seen anyone describe data on their phone as "completely under my control".
Ackley 13y ago
even if it was on your phone, they have the power to delete anything (but yes a Google Nexus 4 is convenient)
rohitnair 13y ago
Wireless charging was one of the reasons why I got a Nexus 4. It's a shame the stock wireless charger is so terribly designed though (no adhesion and unnecessary angle). Judging by the reviews it's gotten, looks like I'm not the only one who hates it.
- jrockway 13y ago
  Why is it a shame that you dislike the "official" charger? The N4 uses the standard Qi charging protocol, so you can get pretty much any charger you want. I've tried a bunch of Qi chargers. Samsung's official S3/S4 charger is my favorite. They cheap out and don't include a USB cable or power supply, though, so you have to buy those separately. (Anker sells one on Amazon that does include a power supply that works great with the N4. Works very poorly with the S4, though, which just goes to show you how flaky random Chinese imports can be, even if you pay $50 for them.)
Tichy 13y ago
I don't understand why "no removable storage" implies that you'd have to use a cloud provider? Why not just use the fixed internal storage?

bdcravens 13y ago

So when did they start actually have these things in stock? I know a few months ago whenever I'd check they were unavailable. With this price reduction, I guess Apple should cancel their 5S/5C event, no need since the phones will flop due to everyone with their shiny Nexus 4's.

pearjuice 13y ago
Apple will not cancel anything as the cheap iPhone 5 and the one in the higher segment will outsell the Nexus 4. Even if they have lower specs or worse performance.
- pearjuice 13y ago
  The guy who downvoted me, care to explain why? Apple has much better brand recognition, loyalty and advertising than Google currently has for their phones department. It is only logical the iPhone will perform better in sales. This doesn't say anything about the actual products.
- blisterpeanuts 13y ago
  I think it's two different markets. iPhone users are rather a different category from Nexus users; they're almost polar opposites. Mind you, I'm not knocking iPhones; they're excellent products. It's just a different way of purchasing, a different price point, and a different target audience.
  - foobarbazqux 13y ago
    They're only polar opposites within the space of smartphone users. Within the space of people who would like to use the phone, they're bunched very close together at the "wants to use a smartphone" end of the spectrum, the other end being "doesn't want to use the phone".
notatoad 13y ago
they've been in-stock everywhere the play store sells them since early February.

Ackley 13y ago

Only wished it was waterproof...

sayanchowdhury 13y ago

High time to buy a N4

wavesounds 13y ago

This might make me finally switch from Verizon.

arikrak 13y ago

How are they able to sell it this cheap? Similar smartphones often cost $500-$800 unlocked and this is only $200! I understand the unlocked price is heavily marked up, but still...

vidarh 13y ago
The going rate for similarly spec'ed smartphone on Alibaba/Aliexpress is well below $200 now in quantities of 1 and have been for a while. For the most expensive phones, you pay a large premium for the newest models, and you pay a large premium for brand names, and a bit extra for better build quality in some cases (but not always - a lot of the reasonably unknown Chinese brands deliver very solid phones), and it adds up quickly.

Ackley 13y ago

I don't see any advantages going from 8gb to 16gb (16gb isn't enough to fit all my stuff anyways)

blisterpeanuts 13y ago
I would recommend the 16gb model if it fits your budget. The extra gigs make a difference in this era of 1+ gig apps and 1080p video cameras, I have found. If they offered a 64 gig model, I'd buy it. Obviously, a microSD slot would be ideal, but that would go against Google's current religious crusade to rid the world of local storage :)

h4pless 13y ago

If you buy this phone, get a case for it. The thing slides off of pretty much anything, including apparently flat counter tops. Screen replacements are $130 and take 2 weeks. You won't get the awesome feel of the beveled edges, or the nice solid feeling of a thin but reasonably weighted piece of equipment, but definitely get a case lest you watch in horror as your shiny new phone crashes onto your hard tile bathroom floor after sliding off the granite counter top like a magical hovercraft.

timdorr 13y ago
Note that newer versions of the Nexus 4 have small nubs on the back that provide some additional traction, and also give enough of a gap to stop the speaker from being completely muffled on flat surfaces. http://www.gsmarena.com/updated_nexus_4_design_adds_nubs_around_the_rear_edge-news-5777.php http://www.gsmarena.com/updated_nexus_4_design_adds_nubs_aro...
- h4pless 13y ago
  It's good that they did this for sure. I remember reading that people were also having problems with the rear glass shattering from the thermal shock of being placed on cold counter tops. I'd still probably get a case for it, though. If you have generally pretty dry hands like mine, a case can reduce the strain of holding on to a generally slippery phone. I also don't know if this would be changed by the little nubs but I had issues with it regularly sliding out of my pocket while on couches.
redthrowaway 13y ago
Agreed. Mine broke without even dropping it within 20 minutes of taking it out of the box. They replaced it, but it took quite some arguing on my part.
andrenotgiant 13y ago
Also DONT BUY THE WIRELESS CHARGER. It is a joke, the phone might stick to it the first time you use it, if you're lucky. The only thing keeping the above mentioned slippery phone on the un-necessarily slanted charger is some slick rubber material. The rubber holds dust like a pro, but alas cannot grip the phone. If you don't believe me read Amazon reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Google-Nexus-4-Wireless-Charger/dp/B00BGSPIP2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377660795&sr=8-2&keywords=nexus+4+wireless http://www.amazon.com/Google-Nexus-4-Wireless-Charger/dp/B00...

barista 13y ago

and this is a top news on HN because?

chenster 13y ago

It's actually a good price for a decent piece of equipment out of contract. At the same time, for only $199 and $249, you get what you pay for. So don't complain it doesn't make sandwich.

hyperbovine 13y ago
Not even an ice cream sandwich?

bobbles 13y ago

Wowzers, this just dropped the N4 (8GB) directly into my impulse buy territory. I'm currently on the iPhone 4S so it'll be interesting to try this out while I wait for the latest iPhone announcements

BlakePetersen 13y ago

Get this for that --> http://www.ubuntu.com/phone http://www.ubuntu.com/phone

devnetfx 13y ago

I screamed after seeing this headline in hacker news! I knew my colleague is looking for a mobile as he lost his one last weekend. He wants a mid range one as he keeps losing/breaking his mobile! I told him about this one but he had already ordered one yesterday. Well, he cancelled his order and has now placed the order for Nexus 4!

dtf 13y ago
I've gone through two 8GB models in the last two months. Lost the first one (slid out my pocket), then had to buy a replacement at a jacked up price from a different supplier as I was starting work on an Android job the next day. At least I know that the next time I lose it, a replacement will be cheaper :-)

smitec 13y ago

well damn. I placed my order, and was charged, yesterday.

smitec 13y ago
Update: for anyone else in this boat (bought in < 15 days) see here https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price

kgabis 13y ago

Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. It would be better if they finally released it outside US. I can't even see the site.

sidcool 13y ago
It's available in India, not from Google play store, but otherwise available. I own one. It's a wonderful device.
- polskibus 13y ago
  at what price? in Poland the nexus 4 is much more expensive - you pay LG's price, not Google's.
- pekru 13y ago
  Well, it is being sold at around 24-25K INR. (~ 400 USD) And that puts it way above the reach of commonfolk.

brandonheato 13y ago

Despite Google's global presence and all the smart and capable people they have, are still unable to offer international purchasing/shipping for one device almost one year after it's launch?

martin_bech 13y ago

Sorry! Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring devices to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon. Im in Denmark, we usually get the newest iPhone a couple of weeks after the US. Availability is one of the reasons the Nexus brand isn't as big as it could be.

kijin 13y ago
Availability == whether or not local carriers are willing to carry, or at least tolerate, the phone in question. This can be especially problematic with unusually cheap phones like Nexus 4 that aren't even tied to anybody's contract. Unfortunately, Google doesn't have much control over telecoms around the world. Even in Korea, where the phone's manufacturer (LG) is based, it took several months for Nexus 4 to become officially available. Lots of hurdles, including LG not wanting to cannibalize sales of its other phones.
- rplnt 13y ago
  I really don't think carriers have any say whatsoever to what phones are sold within specific area. edit: Also, the phone is sold here (from regular stores, or through carriers), just Google Play doesn't sell it. So only Google is to blame here.
  - lucaspiller 13y ago
    It's the same here in Ireland. Which is ironic, as Google's European HQ is here.
- sireat 13y ago
  In most of Europe, buying a phone off contract is perfectly normal, so Google is losing out on a ton of sales. I do not see how carriers in Europe could block sales of Nexus 4. In fact, I think there is even some EU law against this(limiting phones). I think the real reason has to do with Google not willing to jump through some regulatory hurdles for each EU country. It would be interesting to see what exactly is preventing them from selling.

xsace 13y ago

Don't want to influence people who are going to order this but last week I order a Nexus 4 but I sent it back the next day it arrived. The internal ear speaker didn't work, apparently a very frequent defect. (see http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/mobile/2eVRjUXPS-A/yAknId9q5G8J http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/mobile/2eVRjUXPS... ) The hassle was some of the people had the issue originated from a radio firmware (software). So I spent my evening unlocking the bootloader, rooting and flashing various rom without success to understand it was a hardware issue in my case (half the people complaining have software defect, the other half hardware). Ended up buying an iPhone instead (my first).

mseebach 13y ago

What has the price been lowered to? (The price is not shown outside the US)

codeulike 13y ago
£159 for 8Gb, £199 for 16Gb

jay_kyburz 13y ago

OMG I bought one last week!

mrmondo 13y ago

No LTE? No Buy.

infinite_snoop 13y ago

Is the missing micro SD slot due to price or to encourage you to move your data to the cloud I wonder?

pauljohncleary 13y ago
The latter- removable SD cards aren't always a great proposition for non-technical users, and google doesn't sell them.

wldlyinaccurate 13y ago

I've been considering getting a Nexus 4 for months now, but my Galaxy SII still mostly works (with Cyanogenmod) so I didn't have much of a reason to spend the money. But this new price is right in my impulse buy range, so it looks like I'll get one after all!

hekoru 13y ago

And the 16GB version is gone in the UK. Good lord, that was fast

pilooch 13y ago

yeah right, and my bill looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/WxZCFrH.png http://i.imgur.com/WxZCFrH.png Thanks to Google maths I presume!!

blisterpeanuts 13y ago
My God, the tax! What country are you in?
- Ives 13y ago
  Countries like Norway and Sweden have 25% VAT. 24% for Finland, 21% for Belgium and the Netherlands. There's plenty of choice really.

Sarkie 13y ago

I'm still on my Nexus One, running Jelly Bean now... But this is very tempting...

junto 13y ago

I'd like to thank @shuzchen for posting this. I bought a new Google Nexus 4 from MediaMarkt here in Germany on Saturday for 329 EUR and had luckily not yet opened the box (waiting for a Micro SIM to turn up from my provider). I managed to take the phone back this morning after reading this, and get a full refund, and have now just ordered the phone direct from Google Play for 249 EUR (plus 9.99 EU shipping). As a mental note I should always order online. In the EU you automatically get 14 days grace to return something for ANY reason (EU law). My spontaneous purchase on Saturday could have cost me 70 EUR more than it had to!

mcpoulet 13y ago
Google has a program in place to refund you the price difference if you bought a Nexus 4 in the past two weeks https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price
- junto 13y ago
  This program is only for customers who have bought the phone via Google Play. It doesn't include orders placed via distribution (as far as I can tell).

netcan 13y ago

The Nexus 4 is completely baffling to me from a pricing /market strategy perspective. There are ends to the pricing strategy spectrum take: low price, high volume (aka market penetration) or higher price lower volume (aka differentiation). The former is about matching specs and winning on price (eg, last years's Galaxy S model). The latter is about making something a little different that some people are willing to pay a little more for, usually at the cost of volume (eg, Samsung Galaxy S note). The Nexus 4 was squarely in the category of large screen Android phones that all major manufacturers have been selling like crazy as their flagship products for the last year. They all compete with similar prices and specs. Nexus 4 matches the spec, priced 30% lower! Great, cut price market penetration strategy! Accept that the product hasn't been available. It's not in phone/electronics stores. Its not on Amazon. Its not available in most countries. Its not available from carriers (I like this, but if you are taking this position, find other distribution channels) etc. etc. Whats the point of that? They could have been selling this as a niche product at a higher margin and made some good money. Alternatively, they could have gotten it into stores at the $300 price they were supposedly selling it at and outsold the S3, especially in Europe where other manufacturers add a big markup over US prices.

devx 13y ago
What I don't really get is to what end are they doing this? Does this help Google, or hurt them - especially now that they have Motorola? Is the bigger over-arching goal here to go around the carriers, no matter what?
- netcan 13y ago
  I think the first/early of a kind nexus models worked well. They set a standard price/spec range for a high end android. The first couple of nexus phones led to the current generation flagship Androids. The first couple of nexus tablets led to the current generation of Android tablets and discovered a great opening.: 7-8" @ ~$200-$250. They even forced Apple to play catch-up. The Nexus 4 doesn't make sense. What are they trying to do here? Sell phones? Maybe you should put them in shops where people can buy them. Concept phone? That doesn't make sense either. Nexus 4 is pretty similar to the top selling androids that already exist.

NatW 13y ago

I can confirm/attest that in France, they lowered the price by 100€. That's bigger news than the headline since 100€ = $133.51 (at this moment). Google Play shows: 8GB: 199€ (+9.99€ shipping) = 208.99€ 16GB: 249€ (+9.99€ shipping) = 258.98€ Personally, I'm going to hold off to see if they release something new, though. I wish the battery life on the Nexus 4 was better.

Jhsto 13y ago
How weird, still 500€ for the 16GB version in Finland.
tluyben2 13y ago
Spain lowered 100 euros too.

ausjke 13y ago

shoot, I just bought one last night, can I get $100 back? I'm checking if I can cancel that order now then reissue a new order.

ausjke 13y ago
https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price not sure if my purchase yesterday qualifies the price protection, i.e. google will refund me $100? it sucks when you buy something one day ahead of a big price drop.

mcv 13y ago

Now if only they actually start selling this thing in my country, I might consider buying it.

jareds 13y ago

I’m now thinking of getting the Nexus 4 as a device to learn Android programming instead of the Nexus 7. Since I’m blind I actually prefer a smaller screen since there’s less blank space in between icons and it’s easier to keep track of where things are. Is it possible to use the Nexus 4 without a cell plan? I assume this would just involve putting in a deactivated sim. Is there any prior experience to guess at how long Google will support both the Nexus 4 and the new Nexus 7 with Android updates? If the Nexus 4 may only get one more update but the Nexus 7 will get 3 that would change my decision.

georgemcbay 13y ago
To answer your first question: You can use a Nexus 4 as a simple wifi device without a sim card at all if you don't want cellular data. As far as updates go, that is harder to say. I would be shocked if the Nexus 4 doesn't get Key Lime Pie. After that? Who knows... but I'd say the same for the Nexus 7, even the newer one. Key Lime Pie will probably be around for a long while with minor point upgrades much like Jellybean was. In any case, if this is for development I wouldn't worry about it that much. There are relatively few points where Android diverged enough that it makes a huge difference to developers if the OS they are developing on is the very newest or slightly older. For example, you can pretty much target Ice Cream Sandwich and above right now and it makes very little difference in terms of how you develop and which APIs you'd use. And if you have to develop on systems even older than that, the combination of the Android Support Library here: http://developer.android.com/tools/support-library/index.html http://developer.android.com/tools/support-library/index.htm... And ActionBarSherlock here: http://actionbarsherlock.com/ http://actionbarsherlock.com/ do a good job of smoothing this sort of thing out from a developer's point of view even if you're developing on Froyo or Gingerbread era devices.
deleted 13y ago
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cko 13y ago
Sorry for my ignorance, and I'm sure you've answered this question many times before, but: how do you type and reply to comments and go about your daily routine while blind? Are there any links to articles you have written describing this? The reason I ask is because I enjoy being in possession of very few things, and those that I own should preferably be pocket-sized. I read about developers daisy-chaining multiple hi-res displays and developers who use 11" ultrabooks and presumably Alt-Tab to get to other windows.

jstalin 13y ago

Man, I just bought the ZTE Open to play around with Firefox OS for $80. I should have just waited and bought the Nexus 4 for $200...

jessaustin 13y ago

After reading so many tales of the device's slipperiness and fragility, a price drop does not surprise.

shmerl 13y ago

Good. Now with Freedreno getting ready, this will be very useful.

keepkalm 13y ago

They must be getting ready to release the next model of Nexus phone.

pekru 13y ago

sigh I would be very grateful if anyone traveling to India could get one for me, since Google doesn't sell it in India (and local dealers sell it around 400 USD)