Many smartphone enthusiasts have managed to lay their hands on the fast-selling Nexus 4, and some users have reported that the earpiece of the phone gives out a strange buzzing sound resulting in distorted calls.

Per Google's Android Project site forum under issue 39936: "Nexus 4 constant buzzing in earpiece," multiple users have reported a faint buzz or click originating from around the handset's earpiece/camera area. Users even say that they are experiencing distorted sounds when making calls.

"Confirmed.  When screen is on, there's a faint buzzing sound coming from earpiece and back of the phone near camera. When the screen is off, there is a very faint static buzz from the earpiece (barely audible), and a faint static buzz from the back of the phone near camera. I have also heard a faint clicking sound, but it has only happen a few times. All the noise is very faint, only audible when putting the phone next to ear," commented a user on Google's issue 39936 forum.

The buzzing sound issue has also triggered some users to ask for a replacement.

"I am going through the replacement process. Not sure if it's related or a different problem but the person's voice on the other end gets distorted at louder volume, sounds like a blown speaker or something... ? Hopefully the next one is better!" wrote a disgruntled user.

The root cause of the problem has not been identified, but is it expected that the problem will require more than a simple software fix. Most users speculate that the buzzing sound is due to a shielding problem within the handset's internal hardware setup which is creating the noise.

Most users report that the buzzing sound could be heard when the handset is within close proximity of the user's ear. Nexus 4 users will hope that Google fixes the problem as soon as possible, considering the smartphone's primary feature of making and receiving calls is affected.

Are you a Nexus 4 owner? Have you experienced the buzzing sound from the earpiece of your handset?