What We Liked: The competitively priced LG Nexus 4
delivers a pure and polished experience with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean,
it's powered by a snappy quad-core processor, and it's packed with new
photo-editing and camera features.
What We Didn't Like: The Nexus 4's construction is solid but uninspiring, its call volume is too low, and it lacks 4G LTE.
All in All: While
the LG Nexus 4 wins on internal performance and user experience, anyone
shopping for an unlocked phone should consider a comparable LTE handset
first.
In general, the device is excellent and reliable -- its internal speeds are zippy and smooth, the camera is packed with new features, and Android 4.2 is indeed sleek. The Nexus 4 is one of the best LG phones out there alongside the Optimus G, and for such a recognizable phone, it's extremely affordable. In addition, if you're already a T-Mobile user, the Nexus 4 is the carrier's best offering next to the Galaxy S3.
But aside from natively sporting Android Jelly Bean, the Nexus 4 doesn't offer up anything significantly new. If you ask yourself, what does this phone do to expand and progress the Nexus brand? The answer is, nothing much.
Though it's fast, the Optimus G also has a quad-core CPU and the AT&T model is 4G LTE-capable to boot. Compared with the Samsung Galaxy S3's design, the Nexus 4 looks all too common. And if you're concerned about what Google said about LTE and battery life, look no further than the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD. Plainly put, while the Nexus 4's HSPA+ speeds are respectable, its lack of LTE capabilities will definitely leave users feeling behind or slighted.
