Nexus 4 Review: The Verdict Is Out

By Prarthito Maity | Dec 07, 2012 10:16 AM EST

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The Nexus 4, since its arrival, has seen an overwhelming response from owners with more and more people wanting to own the smartphone that comes packed with a pure Google experience.

The entire Nexus movement started with the release of the first Nexus One. The device was sold only through Google directly and never achieved massive sales. However, it was a sign of what’s coming from the Android front.

The Nexus 4 is now one of the most sought after smartphones, and one of the best things about the Nexus 4 is how it feels in the hands. While it may seem a bit heavy, but at the same time not too heavy that it would be difficult to carry around, along with solidity of the device.

The 4.7-inch Nexus 4 has dimensions of 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm (5.27 x 2.70 x 0.36 inches) and weighs nearly 140gms (4.90 ounces). It has a True HD IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen with 768 x 1280 pixels (318 ppi pixel density). However, while these are just numbers, the Nexus 4 as a device has impressive ergonomics.

The Nexus 4 is slightly smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S3 and more comfortable to hold. Here’s a round-up of what reviewers have to say about the Nexus 4.

Walt Mossberg of Wall Street Journal: “I found the Nexus 4 more evolutionary than revolutionary. It has some nice features and carries on Google's recent tablet tradition of low pricing. But there's no knock-your-socks-off stuff in the new phone. Even the new version of Android is just a further iteration of the current variant, called Jelly Bean, rather than an all-new edition, such as Google introduced last year at this time with the prior Nexus phone. I found the latest Nexus to be a solid, reliable, phone and a good value.”

Brad Molen of Engadget: “The Nexus line has always been a solid indicator of the state of the smartphone industry. While these phones aren't guaranteed to have the absolute best components available, they're still highly competitive and, in recent times, have offered some of the best value, dollar for dollar. This leaves us even more impressed, then, that the LG-made Nexus 4 has been endowed with state-of-the-art silicon and is backed up by some of the best components on the market.”

Joshua Topolsky of The Verge: “When I had a chance to venture out to Google's Mountain View headquarters for a feature on the next phone, I already knew a bit about what was next on tap. We'd covered a variety of leaks of the alleged new Nexus, a glass-backed device apparently made by LG. The device turned out to be more than just what I'd seen in leaks — it's a robust handset, with the all the bells and whistles you'd expect, and a design sensibility that suggests Google is continuing to move in a smart direction with its hardware.”

Matt Warman of The Telegraph: “So the Nexus 4 features a lovely 4.7” display, with 320 pixels per inch that are indistinguishable from the iPhone 5’s 326ppi. The operating system is now so slick that there’s not that previously perceptible lag between moving it with you finger and the screen reacting. Some of that, of course, is down to the quad-core processor that is now absolutely standard in all top-end phones.”

With all the big reviewers stating that Nexus 4 is indeed one of the best devices of the year, there’s no reason why users shouldn’t opt for one this holiday.