Google drops Nexus 4 price, now starts at $199

By +Frank B.
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Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

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Google drops Nexus 4 price, now starts at $199

 

The Nexus 4 just got a lot cheaper. The flagship phone of Google's Nexus line is now available for a full $100 less than it was just hours ago. The 8GB model is on sale through the Google Play Store for $199, while the 16GB model is $249. There's no mention of a newer Nexus smartphone, but the Nexus line itself is certainly due for some sort of update. When the Nexus 4 was introduced last year it was already lacking in one major way ? LTE connectivity ? and since its introduction the Android ecosystem has continued to churn out multiple competitors. Not only that, but the Nexus 4 isn't the only way to get the stock Android experience at this point, either; the "Google Play" editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One provide something very close to the same software, albeit at much higher prices.

 

This cut puts the Nexus 4 in the same price range as phones subsidized by carrier contracts, making it a much more appealing option on paper. Whether that will be enough to steer customers towards the LG-built device rather than newer devices like the Moto X, however remains to be seen. Google declined to comment on the reason for the price cut.

Google says that the price drop applies in Australia, Canada, France Germany, Spain, Korea, US, and the UK, and the price drop is at least 25 percent off in all of those countries.

 

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Source: The Verge

Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

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Can I get $100 back if I purchased it 20 days ago :D ?

No. Only if you purchased it after August 12th: http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/08/28/early-play-store-nexus-4-buyers-have-15-days-to-ask-google-to-refund-the-100-price-difference/

  • 2 weeks later...
Neowinian

annoyednexusowner

Posted
Posted

Don't do it.  This phone is so buggy - I am on the second phone and this one has the same problems as the first: Wifi connection issues (will not connect to my home or work wifi) that have not been resolved by google; I tried to root it today so I could flash a zip through recovery, but there are no drivers for it that my laptop sees as compatible!  I have a device that completely relies on having everything backed up to my google account, but if it won't connect to wifi, how can I back it up?  I live in Canada, so no unlimited service.  I am ready to throw the thing through the window! Worst of all, Google has done nothing to remedy this situation.  I read an article on here todayabout how the 4.3 update bricked some phones and many commenters were quick to blame people who had been impatient or who had rooted their phones. My phone is unrootable, and didn't work before the 4.3 update either.  It is going back tomorrow.  Galaxy s4 here I come.  You shouldn't have to put so much time and energy into trying to make your phone work.  I shouldn't have to be a developer to use a stupid cell phone!

Community Regular

Mieky242

Posted
Posted

To bad he terrible camera makes pretty much all the nexus line worthless anyway. Even if you just take the occasional picture, there are better alternatives.

 

So the entire Nexus line is judged solely on their suitability as a camera? I would say their merits in other departments more than makes up for their poor cameras.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

So the entire Nexus line is judged solely on their suitability as a camera? I would say their merits in other departments more than makes up for their poor cameras.

Not solely. But a smartphone today is a multi function device. That means each function needs to meet a minimum standard for the device to be acceptable.

The camera is so terrible it doesn't meet the minimum requirement for a smart phone today. Not for a camera. If you want a good camera phone, then you're a lot more limited. I'm talking just for talking a few pictures here and there like every dumb and smart phone user does. There old Nokia flip phones with better camera than the nexus.

And what other merits does it have that the regular user cares about ? All the merits of the nexus is things only geeks care about. People who also generally want stuff like a decent camera more than the average person. Even then. The ability to install the latest "clean" android OS isn't that gig of a merit anyway. And since those that actually care about that are geeks, they can do the same on pretty much every other android phone anyway.

Meaning they can cen a phone that is overall better in every way than the nexus, for the same or lower price.

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

Not solely. But a smartphone today is a multi function device. That means each function needs to meet a minimum standard for the device to be acceptable.

The camera is so terrible it doesn't meet the minimum requirement for a smart phone today. Not for a camera. If you want a good camera phone, then you're a lot more limited. I'm talking just for talking a few pictures here and there like every dumb and smart phone user does. There old Nokia flip phones with better camera than the nexus.

And what other merits does it have that the regular user cares about ? All the merits of the nexus is things only geeks care about. People who also generally want stuff like a decent camera more than the average person. Even then. The ability to install the latest "clean" android OS isn't that gig of a merit anyway. And since those that actually care about that are geeks, they can do the same on pretty much every other android phone anyway.

Meaning they can cen a phone that is overall better in every way than the nexus, for the same or lower price.

 

Nexus phones are marketed mainly at developers, they aren't really being pushed into the mainstream. Cutbacks are made in areas that aren't so important for developers to keep the phones at a reasonable cost.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

Nexus phones are marketed mainly at developers, they aren't really being pushed into the mainstream. Cutbacks are made in areas that aren't so important for developers to keep the phones at a reasonable cost.

 

As a developer, I would prefer my developer phone to be good in all areas so I didn't need to have a regular use phone in addition. 

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

As a developer, I would prefer my developer phone to be good in all areas so I didn't need to have a regular use phone in addition. 

 

So as a developer you often work on coding projects that really require your phone to take camera quality snaps?

Grand Master

LaP

Posted
Posted

So the entire Nexus line is judged solely on their suitability as a camera? I would say their merits in other departments more than makes up for their poor cameras.

 

You did not get the memo ?

 

These days the camera is more important tha the actual phone communication capabilities.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

So as a developer you often work on coding projects that really require your phone to take camera quality snaps?

 

Who said anything about camera quality anyway ? 

 

but developers need good cameras just as much as anyone, especially if they're developing camera apps or apps that use cameras. 

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

You did not get the memo ?

 

These days the camera is more important tha the actual phone communication capabilities.

 

It's a smart phone. not a dumb phone or feature phone. it needs to do several things to satisfactory quality

- call

- sms

- surf

- camera

- music

 

None of these are really more important than the other, they're all important and need to be of a satisfactory quality.  if one of them isn't then you're better off finding another phone where the part that isn't of satisfactory quality is as well as the other functions. 

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

Who said anything about camera quality anyway ? 

 

but developers need good cameras just as much as anyone, especially if they're developing camera apps or apps that use cameras. 

 

Why? As long as the phone has a camera, you have a yardstick to tell you whether your camera app works properly.

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