Essential Official Android Thread
Google’s New Wireless ‘Charging Orb’ Might Be the Coolest Product Shown Off Today
Matias Duarte coming to Google to head up Android’s user interface was a huge acquisition for all us Android fanboys. Not only has he helped Android to grow up and into its own, but he has influenced many things about the OS since he arrived to help with Ice Cream Sandwich. His former job at Palm has never been more evident before today with Google’s new Charging Orb for the Nexus 4, which looks eerily similar to the Touchstone Charger.
Using the Qi charging standard, Google has created a half-orb that magnetizes to the back of the Nexus 4 for easy charging by just setting your phone on it. The new feature in Android 4.2 named “Daydream” will be activated when set on this dock and the phone will display information from Google Currents and Google Now. There has been absolutely no word on pricing or availability for this accessory but if you’re like us, you are waiting impatiently until it is announced.
Matias Duarte coming to Google to head up Android’s user interface was a huge acquisition for all us Android fanboys. Not only has he helped Android to grow up and into its own, but he has influenced many things about the OS since he arrived to help with Ice Cream Sandwich. His former job at Palm has never been more evident before today with Google’s new Charging Orb for the Nexus 4, which looks eerily similar to the Touchstone Charger.
Using the Qi charging standard, Google has created a half-orb that magnetizes to the back of the Nexus 4 for easy charging by just setting your phone on it. The new feature in Android 4.2 named “Daydream” will be activated when set on this dock and the phone will display information from Google Currents and Google Now. There has been absolutely no word on pricing or availability for this accessory but if you’re like us, you are waiting impatiently until it is announced.
Starting November 13, Google Music will be available in select parts of Europe along with Google Match
Google Music has been one of Google’s most underrated products. It allows people to upload their music to Google’s cloud and then stream it to any device that has Android or a web browser. Users can upload up to 20,000 tracks to their Google Music accounts. With each song having a maximum allowable size of 250MB, that means most don’t have to worry about space. Now, Europe will be feeling the Google Music goodness.
Google has announced that selected parts of Europe will be getting Google Music starting on November 13. Unfortunately, not all of Europe will have it all at once. The list of countries that will get include:
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Everyone else will have to wait for future releases. Given that a good portion of the continent will have it already, it shouldn’t take Google long to roll it out for everyone else. Those who are getting it will enjoy all the features that current users have now with no restrictions.
In addition, Google will be releasing Google Match along with Google Music. Google Match is actually pretty cool. It scans your music library to see what you already own. It then adds those music tracks to your account from their own music store, free of charge. This means people with gigantic libraries won’t have to spend a month uploading 15,000 songs. Most of it will simply just be there.
Why didn’t Google release Google Music to all of Europe?
That’s a good question and there are likely a number of contributing factors. No statement was made, but the best guess is that Google is still working on optimizing the experience for those countries. The release to parts of Europe is great news, though. It simply means that the rest will get Google Music eventually.
With the release just over two weeks away, is any of our European readers excited about getting to use Google Music for the first time? Let us know your thoughts.
Google Music has been one of Google’s most underrated products. It allows people to upload their music to Google’s cloud and then stream it to any device that has Android or a web browser. Users can upload up to 20,000 tracks to their Google Music accounts. With each song having a maximum allowable size of 250MB, that means most don’t have to worry about space. Now, Europe will be feeling the Google Music goodness.
Google has announced that selected parts of Europe will be getting Google Music starting on November 13. Unfortunately, not all of Europe will have it all at once. The list of countries that will get include:
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Everyone else will have to wait for future releases. Given that a good portion of the continent will have it already, it shouldn’t take Google long to roll it out for everyone else. Those who are getting it will enjoy all the features that current users have now with no restrictions.
In addition, Google will be releasing Google Match along with Google Music. Google Match is actually pretty cool. It scans your music library to see what you already own. It then adds those music tracks to your account from their own music store, free of charge. This means people with gigantic libraries won’t have to spend a month uploading 15,000 songs. Most of it will simply just be there.
Why didn’t Google release Google Music to all of Europe?
That’s a good question and there are likely a number of contributing factors. No statement was made, but the best guess is that Google is still working on optimizing the experience for those countries. The release to parts of Europe is great news, though. It simply means that the rest will get Google Music eventually.
With the release just over two weeks away, is any of our European readers excited about getting to use Google Music for the first time? Let us know your thoughts.
Ukbrotha
Superstar
The more im reading about the Nexus 4 the more Im absolutely gutted about no 32GB variant.
Google Play Magazines Launches In Canada, Because There Just Weren't Enough Announcements Today
We've already heard that Google was expanding their Play Movies and Play Music services today to new countries and with new content. Play Magazines isn't getting left out in the cold, though. Today, the storefront is opening up to our neighbors up north, in addition to signing extra content partners for a more robust distribution platform.
As part of the huge announcement Google put together, the company touted its magazine partnerships:
Were now working with Time, Inc. to bring you even more magazines like InStyle, PEOPLE, TIME and others...Were now working with all...the major U.S. magazine publishers."
We've already heard that Google was expanding their Play Movies and Play Music services today to new countries and with new content. Play Magazines isn't getting left out in the cold, though. Today, the storefront is opening up to our neighbors up north, in addition to signing extra content partners for a more robust distribution platform.
As part of the huge announcement Google put together, the company touted its magazine partnerships:
Were now working with Time, Inc. to bring you even more magazines like InStyle, PEOPLE, TIME and others...Were now working with all...the major U.S. magazine publishers."
Why Doesn't The Nexus 4 Have LTE? Here's Google's Explanation, And Why It Sort Of Makes Sense
If you haven't heard by now, the Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE. It probably won't ever have it, either, based on what Andy Rubin told The Verge regarding the latest Nexus handset's network situation in an interview.
He talks a lot about "tactics" and "user experience" (read: battery life), but it really boils down to one issue: money. The fact that the unlocked 8GB version of the Nexus 4 is just $300 is absolutely crazy. Looking at the hardware, this is easily a $600 phone. Having used an Optimus G (the platform this phone is based on), I already know this is a truly premium device. The processor is the fastest one in any Android phone on the market, and the display is brilliant.
So, how can Google afford to sell it for $300? Honestly, I don't think they can - I'm pretty sure they'll lose money on each and every one of these. If, by some miracle, they're being sold through at cost of production, they're still going to lose money on things like advertising and R&D. Anyway, why is this relevant to the Nexus 4 lacking LTE?
Like I said, the interview with Andy Rubin comes back to two issues: the user experience, and the network compatibility ("tactics"). The user experience part is explained as being an issue of battery life, but really, Andy Rubin somewhat unintentionally lays bare a big issue with LTE: two radios. This adds to cost of production in two ways.
First, you have to pay the piper (eg, Qualcomm) for an LTE baseband chip, which involves lots of patents and licensing arrangements that probably make it fairly expensive. Second, you have to then make sure that LTE chip doesn't decimate the battery life, or in some other way make the user experience worse (connectivity issues, for example). Making sure that stuff works (on multiple networks) takes time. If you want a Sprint or Verizon version, you need a CDMA radio. Qualcomm does make "all-in-one" radio chips that work on pretty much every network out there, but as I said, these are probably significantly more expensive than the 3G-only models. You'd then need different software versions for each carrier's radio configuration, too. That means more work to support the hardware post-sale.
As for CDMA, then you have to deal with carriers that won't allow you to bring just any device onto their networks. Verizon has to certify and approve any phone on its network - 700MHz block C "open access" provisions be damned, because Verizon's CDMA network basically nullifies those requirements. Sprint is the same. That then means these carriers don't want you selling the hardware strings-free. They want to sell it with a contractual commitment. Then there's the cost of carrier certification, and going through the carrier software update approval regime. And that's if Verizon even wants a Nexus phone after its numerous PR boondoggles with the poor-selling Galaxy Nexus.
So, with CDMA out of the picture, bringing an unlocked, GSM LTE Nexus that's really only fully compatible with AT&T's 77-market LTE network to market probably wouldn't be worth the money, especially when you consider how historically poorly Nexus phones have sold. This is where Rubin's logic about UX and "tactics" does fall apart a bit, though - why not just have an LTE mode toggle switched to "off" by default, so 3G-only network subscribers could use it as a normal GSM device? And that's why I think cost is the larger issue.
Rather than play ball with the carriers (and pay the cost of that game), Google has thrown up its arms and said "forget it - we'll do it our way." Which means they're going back to the model they originally dreamed up with the Nexus One. Which seems kind of silly, in a way. But I like that idea, especially when the hardware costs half of what it did when they tried it the first time. Who knows - this might actually work.
But the fact that even the iPhone 5 now has LTE, whereas the latest and greatest from Google's Nexus line does not, is certainly a bit of a slap in the face for the Android-faithful. Then again - it is $300.
If you haven't heard by now, the Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE. It probably won't ever have it, either, based on what Andy Rubin told The Verge regarding the latest Nexus handset's network situation in an interview.
He talks a lot about "tactics" and "user experience" (read: battery life), but it really boils down to one issue: money. The fact that the unlocked 8GB version of the Nexus 4 is just $300 is absolutely crazy. Looking at the hardware, this is easily a $600 phone. Having used an Optimus G (the platform this phone is based on), I already know this is a truly premium device. The processor is the fastest one in any Android phone on the market, and the display is brilliant.
So, how can Google afford to sell it for $300? Honestly, I don't think they can - I'm pretty sure they'll lose money on each and every one of these. If, by some miracle, they're being sold through at cost of production, they're still going to lose money on things like advertising and R&D. Anyway, why is this relevant to the Nexus 4 lacking LTE?
Like I said, the interview with Andy Rubin comes back to two issues: the user experience, and the network compatibility ("tactics"). The user experience part is explained as being an issue of battery life, but really, Andy Rubin somewhat unintentionally lays bare a big issue with LTE: two radios. This adds to cost of production in two ways.
First, you have to pay the piper (eg, Qualcomm) for an LTE baseband chip, which involves lots of patents and licensing arrangements that probably make it fairly expensive. Second, you have to then make sure that LTE chip doesn't decimate the battery life, or in some other way make the user experience worse (connectivity issues, for example). Making sure that stuff works (on multiple networks) takes time. If you want a Sprint or Verizon version, you need a CDMA radio. Qualcomm does make "all-in-one" radio chips that work on pretty much every network out there, but as I said, these are probably significantly more expensive than the 3G-only models. You'd then need different software versions for each carrier's radio configuration, too. That means more work to support the hardware post-sale.
As for CDMA, then you have to deal with carriers that won't allow you to bring just any device onto their networks. Verizon has to certify and approve any phone on its network - 700MHz block C "open access" provisions be damned, because Verizon's CDMA network basically nullifies those requirements. Sprint is the same. That then means these carriers don't want you selling the hardware strings-free. They want to sell it with a contractual commitment. Then there's the cost of carrier certification, and going through the carrier software update approval regime. And that's if Verizon even wants a Nexus phone after its numerous PR boondoggles with the poor-selling Galaxy Nexus.
So, with CDMA out of the picture, bringing an unlocked, GSM LTE Nexus that's really only fully compatible with AT&T's 77-market LTE network to market probably wouldn't be worth the money, especially when you consider how historically poorly Nexus phones have sold. This is where Rubin's logic about UX and "tactics" does fall apart a bit, though - why not just have an LTE mode toggle switched to "off" by default, so 3G-only network subscribers could use it as a normal GSM device? And that's why I think cost is the larger issue.
Rather than play ball with the carriers (and pay the cost of that game), Google has thrown up its arms and said "forget it - we'll do it our way." Which means they're going back to the model they originally dreamed up with the Nexus One. Which seems kind of silly, in a way. But I like that idea, especially when the hardware costs half of what it did when they tried it the first time. Who knows - this might actually work.
But the fact that even the iPhone 5 now has LTE, whereas the latest and greatest from Google's Nexus line does not, is certainly a bit of a slap in the face for the Android-faithful. Then again - it is $300.
Slow lane: why Google's new Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE
The Nexus 4 is an impressive smartphone that ticks off every modern spec checkbox you could ask for, save one: LTE. Instead, the Nexus 4 will only come unlocked with HSPA+ radios. It is a disappointing omission, driven by both Google's complex philosophical desire to build open devices as well as the fairly simple economics of building a halo product for a small niche of early adopters.
For Google, Nexus is a flagship brand that represents the best of Android, with Google leading by example to show other hardware manufacturers what Android can be. And though partners build the hardware, Google wants direct control of the software on Nexus devices with no carrier intervention. That alone means Google can't sell an LTE device, as there's simply no access to LTE networks without working with carriers in one way or another: Verizon and Sprint's LTE networks still require compatibility with their 3G CDMA systems, and there's essentially no such thing as an unlocked CDMA device. AT&T's fledgling LTE network runs on different frequencies than other LTE networks around the world, so Google would have to build a custom phone for just 77 markets in the US. Doing that without AT&T's financial assistance makes little sense.
GOOGLE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD A CUSTOM PHONE FOR JUST 77 US MARKETS
Android head Andy Rubin calls the lack of LTE a "tactical issue," and cites cost and battery life as major concerns with devices that have to support multiple radios. "A lot of the networks that have deployed LTE haven't scaled completely yet — they're hybrid networks [...] which means the devices need both radios built into them," he said. "When we did the Galaxy Nexus with LTE we had to do just that, and it just wasn't a great user experience." But the reality now is that many LTE devices — including the iPhone 5 and the LG Optimus G, which shares common hardware with the Nexus 4 — use larger batteries and newer, more efficient chips to balance the power draw from LTE.
VERIZON'S LTE OPEN ACCESS RULES ARE VIRTUALLY MEANINGLESS
That leaves the issue of control, and the politics of LTE network access tilt almost exclusively towards carriers. For example, Verizon has offered an "Open Development" initiative since 2008, offering other companies the ability to run devices on its networks, including the LTE network. "As long as the person follows our specifications and certification process as outlined on our open access website, they can get a device on our network," a Verizon spokesperson told us. However, that program — which to date has primarily been used in a business-to-business context — would still prevent Google from updating its phones in a timely manner. "Firmware pushed to devices over the air must be tested and certified," Verizon told us.
Ironically, Verizon's LTE network runs on 700MHz "C Block" spectrum which has FCC "open access" rules attached to it, which require that any compatible device be allowed to connect. Google fought vociferously to put these rules in place, even participating in the FCC's spectrum auction to ensure Verizon paid the minimum bid price that triggered the rules. But the rules have turned out to be virtually meaningless in practice, as Verizon uses 700MHz in conjunction with CDMA spectrum that doesn’t have similar open access rules — so while Verizon might be legally required to support an unlocked LTE device, the legacy CDMA network still effectively keeps all of Verizon’s phones locked.
AT&T WILL ALLOW UNLOCKED DEVICES TO ACCESS ITS LTE NETWORK
For GSM / HSPA carriers, the issues are primarily economic, not access. AT&T, T-Mobile, and international carriers all uniformly allow unlocked devices to run on their GSM / HSPA networks, and AT&T says it will allow any unlocked device to access its LTE network, although the carrier can't guarantee everything will work or that it would be able to provide technical support.
But building an LTE phone is an extremely costly undertaking with sharply limited potential markets. Although Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Everything Everywhere, and other carriers are working quickly to roll out LTE networks, it's still a nascent technology with significant interoperability problems across many spectrum bands, requiring companies to create different hardware variants of their phones for each network. Profitably building all those variants requires either financial assistance from the carriers or a large addressable market for an unlocked device. So while Verizon has by far the largest LTE network in the world, covering over 400 markets and over 250 million people in the US, Google has no access to those customers. Other LTE networks are much smaller: AT&T currently has LTE in just 77 markets covering 135 million people, and Everything Everywhere in the UK has a goal of covering only 20 million people by year's end.
NEXUS PHONES HAVE NEVER BEEN BESTSELLERS
In short, the number of people that Google could reach with any single unlocked LTE Nexus 4 is relatively small. And while the Nexus 4 looks like a solid flagship device, Nexus phones have never been bestsellers, shrinking an already-small potential market to virtually nothing. Google may be getting serious about selling hardware with the Nexus 4, but not so serious that it's willing to compromise with carriers, and compromising with carriers is the only way to make LTE work.
And there's precious little to suggest working with carriers is even in Google's best interests, or in the best interests of Nexus customers. The Galaxy Nexus was announced last year with a promised LTE version on Verizon, but the carrier held back releasing the phone for months to promote its own Droid RAZR instead. Google eventually grew tired of waiting and sent unlocked HSPA+ devices to reviewers. And software updates for Nexus phones sold through carriers have been problematic as well: it took the Verizon three full months to disseminate the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to its Galaxy Nexus, slightly longer than Sprint. That's actually better than it used to be with carrier-partnered Nexus devices, but still much longer what Google can achieve without carrier intervention — and far too long in a marketplace where Apple has set a standard for simultaneous worldwide software distribution across multiple carriers.
"TACTICALLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY NETWORK ON THE PLANET."
Andy Rubin put it this way: "Tactically, we want to make sure the devices are available for every network on the planet." For now, that means that the Nexus 4 will only be available as an unlocked HSPA+ device. Whether the fault lies more with carriers for forcing Google’s hand or with Google for refusing to work within the standard carrier model, the end result is a flagship phone that’s missing an essential flagship feature.
The Nexus 4 is an impressive smartphone that ticks off every modern spec checkbox you could ask for, save one: LTE. Instead, the Nexus 4 will only come unlocked with HSPA+ radios. It is a disappointing omission, driven by both Google's complex philosophical desire to build open devices as well as the fairly simple economics of building a halo product for a small niche of early adopters.
For Google, Nexus is a flagship brand that represents the best of Android, with Google leading by example to show other hardware manufacturers what Android can be. And though partners build the hardware, Google wants direct control of the software on Nexus devices with no carrier intervention. That alone means Google can't sell an LTE device, as there's simply no access to LTE networks without working with carriers in one way or another: Verizon and Sprint's LTE networks still require compatibility with their 3G CDMA systems, and there's essentially no such thing as an unlocked CDMA device. AT&T's fledgling LTE network runs on different frequencies than other LTE networks around the world, so Google would have to build a custom phone for just 77 markets in the US. Doing that without AT&T's financial assistance makes little sense.
GOOGLE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD A CUSTOM PHONE FOR JUST 77 US MARKETS
Android head Andy Rubin calls the lack of LTE a "tactical issue," and cites cost and battery life as major concerns with devices that have to support multiple radios. "A lot of the networks that have deployed LTE haven't scaled completely yet — they're hybrid networks [...] which means the devices need both radios built into them," he said. "When we did the Galaxy Nexus with LTE we had to do just that, and it just wasn't a great user experience." But the reality now is that many LTE devices — including the iPhone 5 and the LG Optimus G, which shares common hardware with the Nexus 4 — use larger batteries and newer, more efficient chips to balance the power draw from LTE.
VERIZON'S LTE OPEN ACCESS RULES ARE VIRTUALLY MEANINGLESS
That leaves the issue of control, and the politics of LTE network access tilt almost exclusively towards carriers. For example, Verizon has offered an "Open Development" initiative since 2008, offering other companies the ability to run devices on its networks, including the LTE network. "As long as the person follows our specifications and certification process as outlined on our open access website, they can get a device on our network," a Verizon spokesperson told us. However, that program — which to date has primarily been used in a business-to-business context — would still prevent Google from updating its phones in a timely manner. "Firmware pushed to devices over the air must be tested and certified," Verizon told us.
Ironically, Verizon's LTE network runs on 700MHz "C Block" spectrum which has FCC "open access" rules attached to it, which require that any compatible device be allowed to connect. Google fought vociferously to put these rules in place, even participating in the FCC's spectrum auction to ensure Verizon paid the minimum bid price that triggered the rules. But the rules have turned out to be virtually meaningless in practice, as Verizon uses 700MHz in conjunction with CDMA spectrum that doesn’t have similar open access rules — so while Verizon might be legally required to support an unlocked LTE device, the legacy CDMA network still effectively keeps all of Verizon’s phones locked.
AT&T WILL ALLOW UNLOCKED DEVICES TO ACCESS ITS LTE NETWORK
For GSM / HSPA carriers, the issues are primarily economic, not access. AT&T, T-Mobile, and international carriers all uniformly allow unlocked devices to run on their GSM / HSPA networks, and AT&T says it will allow any unlocked device to access its LTE network, although the carrier can't guarantee everything will work or that it would be able to provide technical support.
But building an LTE phone is an extremely costly undertaking with sharply limited potential markets. Although Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Everything Everywhere, and other carriers are working quickly to roll out LTE networks, it's still a nascent technology with significant interoperability problems across many spectrum bands, requiring companies to create different hardware variants of their phones for each network. Profitably building all those variants requires either financial assistance from the carriers or a large addressable market for an unlocked device. So while Verizon has by far the largest LTE network in the world, covering over 400 markets and over 250 million people in the US, Google has no access to those customers. Other LTE networks are much smaller: AT&T currently has LTE in just 77 markets covering 135 million people, and Everything Everywhere in the UK has a goal of covering only 20 million people by year's end.
NEXUS PHONES HAVE NEVER BEEN BESTSELLERS
In short, the number of people that Google could reach with any single unlocked LTE Nexus 4 is relatively small. And while the Nexus 4 looks like a solid flagship device, Nexus phones have never been bestsellers, shrinking an already-small potential market to virtually nothing. Google may be getting serious about selling hardware with the Nexus 4, but not so serious that it's willing to compromise with carriers, and compromising with carriers is the only way to make LTE work.
And there's precious little to suggest working with carriers is even in Google's best interests, or in the best interests of Nexus customers. The Galaxy Nexus was announced last year with a promised LTE version on Verizon, but the carrier held back releasing the phone for months to promote its own Droid RAZR instead. Google eventually grew tired of waiting and sent unlocked HSPA+ devices to reviewers. And software updates for Nexus phones sold through carriers have been problematic as well: it took the Verizon three full months to disseminate the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update to its Galaxy Nexus, slightly longer than Sprint. That's actually better than it used to be with carrier-partnered Nexus devices, but still much longer what Google can achieve without carrier intervention — and far too long in a marketplace where Apple has set a standard for simultaneous worldwide software distribution across multiple carriers.
"TACTICALLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY NETWORK ON THE PLANET."
Andy Rubin put it this way: "Tactically, we want to make sure the devices are available for every network on the planet." For now, that means that the Nexus 4 will only be available as an unlocked HSPA+ device. Whether the fault lies more with carriers for forcing Google’s hand or with Google for refusing to work within the standard carrier model, the end result is a flagship phone that’s missing an essential flagship feature.
4G iPhone On AT&T? New Network Indicator Causes Controversy
If you're an AT&T iPhone owner, your download and upload speeds remain the same; so why are you now being told that your iPhone is 4G?
"The simple reason is that it's a 4G device," AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told the Huffington Post in a phone interview. "AT&T runs two 4G technologies: One is called HSPA+ and the other is called LTE. This is an HSPA+ device, hence the 4G indicator."
"It [the iPhone 4S] has always had that capability, and we're glad it's now displayed on the phones."
And responding to the charge that HSPA+ is a 3G, not a 4G network:
"I've seen that criticism, but it's been accepted for some time by a variety of standards bodies that HSPA+ is a 4G network," Siegel said. "I understand what people are saying but [HSPA+] has been recognized as 4G."
If you're an AT&T iPhone owner, your download and upload speeds remain the same; so why are you now being told that your iPhone is 4G?
"The simple reason is that it's a 4G device," AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told the Huffington Post in a phone interview. "AT&T runs two 4G technologies: One is called HSPA+ and the other is called LTE. This is an HSPA+ device, hence the 4G indicator."
"It [the iPhone 4S] has always had that capability, and we're glad it's now displayed on the phones."
And responding to the charge that HSPA+ is a 3G, not a 4G network:
"I've seen that criticism, but it's been accepted for some time by a variety of standards bodies that HSPA+ is a 4G network," Siegel said. "I understand what people are saying but [HSPA+] has been recognized as 4G."
Demonic Jenkins
Pro
I disagree..
I use the cloud but not for everything...I don't want to have to stream just to listen to my own music when I want too. When I'm at work I have no WiFi access. I have .98gigs left on my 16gig gs3...I just ordered a 32gig micro SD card cuz I need it...if I had this nexus I'd be fukked and HAVE to use the cloud...fukk that.
I know in the future we'll all probably be forced to get smaller onboard space and no SD card slots but as long as theyre here...I want them.
Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S3
Nexus 4 is trash, no sd or lte? 
GS3 & GS4>>>>>>>>>>>*
GS3 & GS4>>>>>>>>>>>*T-Mobile Confirms Nexus 4 HSPA+ 42Mbps Connectivity 
Unlocked GSM/UMTS/HSPA+
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
HSPA+ 42 Mbps
In an effort to clear up some confusion, Ive re-confirmed with T-Mobile that the Nexus 4 sold by T-Mobile will have HSPA+ 42Mbps connectivity on board. Thats different from the Google Play store which indicates the Nexus 4 will have HSPA+ 21Mbps. There doesnt appear to be any other differences between the T-Mobile and Play Store models, other than the radio. Moreover, its entirely possible that the Play Store specs are remnants of the Galaxy Nexus and will be updated to show the radio later on. Then again, that may be wishful thinking and the unlocked version may in fact only be 21Mbps.
To clear up one more question, the T-Mobile edition of the Nexus 4 is bone stock, no add-ons, bloatware or carrier branding. You can take a peek at the Fact Sheet below which indicates all the T-Mobile related material on the Nexus 4. In other words, there doesnt seem to be any differences between the T-Mobile Nexus 4 and the unlocked Nexus 4 purchased from the Play Store, other than the HSPA+ radio.
The Nexus 4 is the latest device in the Google Nexus lineup, and T-Mobile will be the premier U.S. launch partner. With cutting-edge hardware designed collaboratively by LG and Google, favorite Google Apps, and the latest version of Android, Nexus 4 puts the best of Google in the palm of a customers hand. And, with access to T-Mobiles fastest 4G (HSPA+42) network, T-Mobile is again giving its customers the best choice of devices. Nexus 4 comes with a high-performance 8MP camera and takes stunning Photo Sphere images to capture every detail of the world. The all-new camera lets customers quickly view and edit photos with powerful new tools, and share favorite shots in a snap. When combined with T-Mobiles Value plans or T-Mobiles Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan, the Nexus 4 gives consumers a top-notch Android experience.
Unlocked GSM/UMTS/HSPA+
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
HSPA+ 42 Mbps
In an effort to clear up some confusion, Ive re-confirmed with T-Mobile that the Nexus 4 sold by T-Mobile will have HSPA+ 42Mbps connectivity on board. Thats different from the Google Play store which indicates the Nexus 4 will have HSPA+ 21Mbps. There doesnt appear to be any other differences between the T-Mobile and Play Store models, other than the radio. Moreover, its entirely possible that the Play Store specs are remnants of the Galaxy Nexus and will be updated to show the radio later on. Then again, that may be wishful thinking and the unlocked version may in fact only be 21Mbps.
To clear up one more question, the T-Mobile edition of the Nexus 4 is bone stock, no add-ons, bloatware or carrier branding. You can take a peek at the Fact Sheet below which indicates all the T-Mobile related material on the Nexus 4. In other words, there doesnt seem to be any differences between the T-Mobile Nexus 4 and the unlocked Nexus 4 purchased from the Play Store, other than the HSPA+ radio.
The Nexus 4 is the latest device in the Google Nexus lineup, and T-Mobile will be the premier U.S. launch partner. With cutting-edge hardware designed collaboratively by LG and Google, favorite Google Apps, and the latest version of Android, Nexus 4 puts the best of Google in the palm of a customers hand. And, with access to T-Mobiles fastest 4G (HSPA+42) network, T-Mobile is again giving its customers the best choice of devices. Nexus 4 comes with a high-performance 8MP camera and takes stunning Photo Sphere images to capture every detail of the world. The all-new camera lets customers quickly view and edit photos with powerful new tools, and share favorite shots in a snap. When combined with T-Mobiles Value plans or T-Mobiles Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan, the Nexus 4 gives consumers a top-notch Android experience.