It seems that Google may have underestimated the demand for its new Nexus smartphone, the Google/LG Nexus 4 once again. The smartphone was unavailable through the Google Play Store for some time, and while it went back on sale again, immediately sold out again. This means that if you want a basic LG Nexus 4 handset, you'll have to wait until 2013, or will have to go through a third party.
At the time of this article, the estimated ship time from the Google Play store is 8-9 weeks for a $299.99 8GB Nexus 4 smartphone. This means that if you order today, November 28, the device won't arrive until late January 2013 at the earliest. A $349.99 16GB Nexus 4 has a ship time of 4-5 weeks, meaning a ship time of around early January 2013. The only viable option will be paying an exorbitant price through third-party retailers such as Amazon or Ebay.
So why is the LG Nexus 4 so popular? The Nexus 4 is both sleek and chic, but its two most outstanding features are its Google brand and affordable price tag.
Since the Nexus 4 is a Google-branded 'Nexus' device, this means it will receive the newest version of Android first. For instance, the Nexus 4 has already started receiving Android 4.2.1, while most Android devices are still waiting for a Android 4.1.1 update. This makes the Nexus 4 an extremely desirable handset for Android users who wish to stay up to date.
Starting at $299.99 from Google, the LG Nexus 4 is a great deal for an unlocked smartphone. Many technically sound unlocked smartphones cost well over $500, making the contract-free Nexus 4 a steal for those who want an unlocked GSM/HSPA+ smartphone.
On top of that, the Nexus 4 comes with a 4.7-inch screen, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB RAM. It also has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.
While the Nexus 4 lacks active LTE support, there is an LTE chip in the handset that can be activated to work on Band 4 - the same Band that T-Mobile's LTE network will be launching through next year.
The Nexus 4 is also available through T-Mobile at the price of $199.99 with a contract. The carrier is listing the Nexus 4 as being out of stock as well.