Nexus 4 white version: the back of the phone
Google's Nexus 4 smartphone is not at the end of its life despite suspicions to the contrary during the run-up to Google I/O.
And if you were hoping to see a Nexus 5 from LG that is also out, the company reportedly said. To make up for this, LG has announced a white version of the Nexus 4. However, only the back of the phone actually is white. As you can see in the image above, the front of the phone is black.
LG says the phone will roll out to North America in the coming weeks, but did not announce an exact release date or pricing. The new phone debuts in Hong Kong on Wednesday. "Nexus 4 White delivers the same Google experience to consumers in a stylish and attractive color option," said LG's mobile chief Dr. Jong-seok Park in a statement.
The new Nexus 4 is nearly the same as the original smartphone that features the familiar 4.7-inch IPS Plus display with a resolution of 1280-by-768 pixels at 320ppi, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, and 2GB of RAM. Even the face of the phone will be the same familiar black you're used to. The only difference will be a white backing slapped onto the phone.
LG did not announce storage options for the device so it's not clear if it will be offered in 8GB and 16GB options. Who knows? Perhaps LG will go crazy and offer 32GB storage for the new vanilla-flavored Nexus 4.
LG: No Nexus 5 from us
While LG was announcing its latest and greatest Nexus device, the company's mobile vice president in Europe, Won Kim, talked tablets and Nexus phones with the Dutch blog All About Phones. Kim told the blog that the company wasn't working on a Nexus 5 phone.
Previous rumors speculated LG was working with Google on a Nexus 4 follow-up. While the rumors may not have been accurate, it is not unheard of for Google to partner with the same manufacturer for two Nexus phones in a row.
After working with HTC to create the Nexus One, Google worked with Samsung on both the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus before working with LG on the Nexus 4.
LG is also working on a new Android tablet that will come out soon, the Netherlands-based site reports. It's not clear if LG is planning a 7- or 10-inch device or what its specs will be. LG last July said it was putting its tablet development on the "back burner" to focus on smartphones.
Nexus 4, hold the LTE
The Nexus 4 first debuted in November and despite a bumpy start due to supply problems and customer service issues, Google's latest flagship Android phone has been fairly well received. TechHive's Nexus 4 review praised the device for its overall specs, great display, and for shipping with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, but dinged it for poor battery life and lack of external storage.
The Nexus 4 also has a great price. You can pick up a 16GB version of the phone without a contract for just $350. Most premium smartphones, by comparison, will set you back at least $500 to $650 without a two-year contract.
But that cheap price doesn't buy you LTE compatibility; instead, you're stuck with 3G. The lack of LTE is one reason why many were hoping to see a new Nexus smartphone during Google's I/O event, even though the Nexus 4 only rolled out in November. Instead, Google opted to introduce a version of the LTE-based Samsung Galaxy S4 running the standard version of Android sans Samsung's TouchWiz overlay. The Galaxy S4 Google Edition will be available from Google Play on June 26 for $650.
