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LG Nexus 4

8.3 Verge Score 9.0 User Score Write Review
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Verge Review

Getting the Nexus 4 for review was something of a treat for me. I've been anticipating the arrival of a follow-up (and upgrade) from the company's previous flagship device — the Galaxy Nexus — for a handful of very specific reasons. In fact, I've held off on moving to other, excellent devices with expectations of this mystery phone in mind. While I have been largely pleased with using the Samsung-produced Nexus, there are some irksome qualities to the handset (a poor camera, weak display,...

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Basic Specs

Thickness .36 inches
Weight .31 pounds
Form factor Slab
Screen size (diagonal) 4.7 inches
Carriers T-Mobile
Operating system Android
Launch OS version 4.2

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Tech Specs

Hardware

Height 5.27 inches
Width 2.7 inches
Thickness .36 inches
Weight .31 pounds
Form factor Slab
Color Black, White
Loudspeaker Mono
Noise cancellation Hardware (multi-mic)

Display

Screen size (diagonal) 4.7 inches
Technology IPS LCD
Pixel arrangement RGB
Resolution (Y) 1280 px
Resolution (X) 768 px
PPI 320
Touchscreen type Capacitive

Connectivity

Carriers T-Mobile
GSM Yes
GSM frequencies supported 1900, 1800, 900, 850
UMTS / HSPA Yes
UMTS frequencies supported 900, 2100, 1700, 1900, 850
WWAN data standards supported UMTS, EDGE, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA, GPRS
Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi support 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
GPS Yes
Bluetooth Yes
NFC support Yes
Media streaming DLNA

Processor

Manufacturer Qualcomm
Brand / family Snapdragon S4 Pro
Model APQ8064
Clock speed 1.5 GHz
Number of cores 4

Memory

RAM size 2 GB

Storage

Internal size 8 GB, 16 GB
External No

Front Camera

Resolution 1.3 megapixels

Rear Camera

Resolution 8 megapixels
Flash LED
Focus type Autofocus
Video resolution 1080p

Software

Operating system Android
Launch OS version 4.2

Interface

Video out Yes
Headphone jack 3.5mm
Other ports Micro USB

Sensors

Sensors Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity, Ambient light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer

Battery

Capacity 2100 mAh
Quoted use time 10 hr
Wireless charging Optional

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  • 9.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by MTown2013 (Currently owns)

    January 26, 2013 04:35 pm

    I don't want to make this long, so here's what I think in a simple format

    -Great screen. Good in sunlight and displays colors pretty well. It'll just take a while to get used to IPS vs Amoled. I also wish the screen wasn't so conservative when it comes to autobrightness. That more software though.

    -Good battery life. Get's me through a day fine. I rate a 9 as Razr Maxx or Windows phone 7.5 (or below) battery life and a 10 as flip phone battery life.

    -Beautiful Design that feels good in the hand. I'm slightly worried about it cracking, but I've had it for more than a month, it's taken a few spills and it still looks good. Let's put it this way: I'm not worried enough to be willing to put the bumper case on and hide these beautiful lines.

    -Good Software. It runs great, but I attribute this to the device itself rather than the software, as the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus slowed down on the update from 4.1 to 4.2. I assume 4.2 isn't as smooth as 4.1, but the Nexus 4 just powers through it to make it buttery smooth again. And might I say this phone is FAST. I'll still give it a 10, but that's just barely a 10. Google can still make some changes for the better.

    -Fast to charge

    -Okay camera quality. <- to be fair, that's not saying much as I came from a Galaxy Nexus

    Overall a great device.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 7
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 10
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by RichardST (Currently owns)

    January 22, 2013 07:36 pm

    In the time that I've had a working Nexus 4, it worked well for me. This is only about my third smartphone but I know it could be improved. I was expecting a lot more. I will be happier with the updates though and thank god for stock Android.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 8
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 7
    • Reception / call quality 10
    • Performance 8
    • Software 7
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by RSammy (Currently owns)

    January 18, 2013 09:46 am

    I love this phone. It's well built - much more solid than the Nexus 7 - and feels every inch the premium device. The screen is slick and beautiful and doesn't suffer from that weird blue tinge that Samsungs do. Compared to the iPhone 5, which feels too narrow, I really think LG has nailed it with the screen size and aspect ratio. It really shines with stock Android 4.2 - although it could really benefit from some more lock screen widgets (WhatApp would be a real boon). Also looking forward to a wireless charger and a Miracast adapter (come on Google)...

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 9
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 8
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by anan.banka (Currently owns)

    January 16, 2013 10:25 am

    I've been using the Nexus 4 for about a month now. Absolutely love it.
    I've always preferred stock android experience over TouchWiz/Sense.
    The phone has a great design and a brilliant display, but those wanting something exceptional should check out the FHD phones coming out off late. I preferred the camera on my Galaxy S II over the Nexus. But I honestly don't use it much.
    The reception and call quality is fine. I've noticed some static, but that's very rare. The performance is unparalleled. If you've heard some apps opening faster on the iPhone 5, its only because those apps are made natively for iOS and ported to Android. So naturally it would perform better on iOS.
    The software is beautiful, and more than anything, this will be the first device to get Android 5.0 which is one of the biggest selling points and something to look forward too.
    Really disappointed with the battery life. Have to charge it at least once a day if I want to use multiple apps and data. Screen brightness is always kept at a minimum. Hopefully software updates will help.
    If you're looking for a great Android phone, Nexus 4 is the one to have. I don't have LTE in my country, so the omission of that feature was no deal breaker for me.
    Get yourself one, if you can find one!

    The Breakdown

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    • 10
    • Design 9
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 7
    • Reception / call quality 7
    • Performance 10
    • Software 10
    • Battery life 6
    • Ecosystem 9
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by Signum_01 (Currently owns)

    January 7, 2013 06:19 am

    Having upgraded from a considerably ancient HTC Desire, the Nexus 4 is a wondrous device in comparison. It feels solid in the hand, and looks better in the flesh than I though it would. Android 4.2 is fast and slick, and despite some initial problems with connecting on WiFi (seems it's a bit fussy about what it connects to), I'm having a great time exploring the capabilities of the device. Google Now is a very welcome addition, information that's relevant appearing at a glance.

    This is what mobile technology should be about. And all for a fraction of the cost of an iPhone 5.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 8
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 10
    • Software 10
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 9
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by Gareth (Currently owns)

    January 6, 2013 11:25 pm

    If you care more about saving money than being able to stream HD movies on a 4-inch screen (in other forms, if you're not 14 years old), you owe it to yourself to purchase this phone. It's incredible.

    For what its worth, I'm a former iPhone user and have no regrets whatsoever about switching to the Nexus.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 10
    • Software 10
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by Dinty Moore (Currently owns)

    January 4, 2013 10:42 am

    This is the first Android phone that I have owned, after having each iPhone previously. I became annoyed with some of the directions that Apple was going and decided to try out the competition.

    The phone took about a week to get tweaked to my liking. This was both a positive and a negative. There were a few applications that I bought so as to replicate functions available on the iPhone (such as the universal music control), and I wish those had just been there from the beginning. On the other hand, I have always been a tweaker, so I didn't mind spending time playing with my new phone. A large part of the time was figuring out how I wanted the phone to work for me and finding the necessary apps or addons to enable it.

    I say tweaking, but my phone is still recognizably Jelly Bean. I generally try to stay in harmony with the underlying system - do it Apple's way on the iPhone, and Google's way on Android. It is just that extending the system is built into Android, so it was more fun to try different ways of working with the phone.
    This is why I give a 10 to the ecosystem; there is a huge variety of not just apps, but extensions to the operating system itself. The iPhone doesn't generally allow the same level of easy customizability - jailbreaking notwithstanding - so there was never as much that I did to the iPhones that I had.

    I have been surprised by how much I like Google Now, and the voice typing built into Android is scarily good. I like that I can set default apps and I love the back button - its a much better UI paradigm for flipping between two related tasks than the iPhone's home button (single or double click).

    Things I don't like:
    - The default exchange-compatible email client is not the same as the Gmail client. I wish there were just one.
    - I wish there were better included inline PDF renderer. There are a number that work just fine, but I think the iPhone is better in that respect.
    - I had to get/use JuiceDefender to get the battery life I wanted - although with JD it is just fine.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 10
    • Reception / call quality 10
    • Performance 10
    • Software 9
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by josemedina1983 (Currently owns)

    December 23, 2012 10:05 pm

    Pros:
    Great Screen
    First Android device with no freaking lag
    Stock Android
    Above average battery life
    Price
    Works with AT&T and T-Mobile
    Design is quite good
    Qualcomm quadcore

    Cons
    LG phone in a Samsung world
    Not many bells and whistles
    No LTE and SD card
    Camera is 3 years behind
    Chrome bezel easy to scratch like the GSII and III
    Back glass is a hate it or love it
    Regular consumers will never understand unlock devices and the nexus project

    The Breakdown

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    • 10
    • Design 8
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 7
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 9
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 9
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 1.0
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    Reviewed by chekmanirov (Previously owned)

    December 15, 2012 01:32 pm

    I have honestly never seen such an outdated product. It is slow, and cannot compare to the iPhone 5. I booted Temple Run, and it took the Nexus 4 nearly 3 times as long to boot a simple app. Kind of pathetic for a quad core device. The lack of LTE, combined with the unrefined design, make for an overall weak product. I would honestly prefer the iPhone 4 over this product.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 1
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    • Camera(s) 1
    • Reception / call quality 1
    • Performance 1
    • Software 1
    • Battery life 1
    • Ecosystem 1
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by Jason Aaron Carpenter (Previously owned)

    December 14, 2012 07:30 pm

    I Love the Nexus 4 but don't own it, I have seen it in stores and read/watched several reviews.
    I have now come to this conclusion. That I have been an Apple iPhone users since 2007.
    Now I beginning the switch from iOS to Android through the Nexus 4. It seems perfect to me.
    I have used and owned the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 and the Motorola Atrix 4G. None of them have been able to sway me to move to Android but the Nexus 4... it is Sexy, Fast, Cost Efficient and it has guaranteed updates from Google themselves, how cool is that! I have already got the iPhone 5 so now I will have the best of both worlds, you know. I now know some people actually care about "LTE" but I don't give a ****. LTE eats battery life like your mom eats donuts, no offense. At this point in time like 3G 4 years ago is LTE today it is virtually useless for Efficiency. It is fast if you can get it and your battery holds up. LoL! c: /)
    I Love the Nexus 4. It's just awesome. Also anyone with a Nexus 4 there is a Candy Kane Easter Egg within the Bean Flinger Easter Egg. It is usually within the dead center of the screen once you've tapped Android 4.2.1 Several Times. I Love that Candy Kane. Yes I realize I am typing it incorrectly but **** you!
    Candy Kane. To see this awesome Candy Kane on your Nexus 4 go to Settings, About Phone, Locate your OS Version which should be 4.2.1, now simply tap it over and over to activate "Bean Flinger," in the center of your screen there should be a single Candy Kane floating about being awesome like Candy Kane's are. LoL! c: /)
    Again I love the Nexus 4 you should too!

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 10
    • Performance 10
    • Software 10
    • Battery life 9
    • Ecosystem 8
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
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