LG and Google launch the Nexus 4 in India for Rs. 25999

The Google Nexus 4 went on pre-order from Flipkart yesterday. Now LG and Google have officially launched the Nexus 4 in India. It was announced back in October last year, and it packs a 4.7-inch (1280 x 768 pixels) True HD IPS Plus display, powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

Regarding the launch, Soon Kwon, Managing Director, LG Electronics India, said,

LG Electronics is pleased to partner Google on the release of the Nexus 4 in India. We added the best of our talent to our strength, and the result is a feature- packed smartphone that packs superb hardware under a slim hood. With LG Nexus 4, consumers would be delighted by the perfectly balanced combination of style, function and power. The smartphone encourages consumers to explore a world of possibilities and also helps them balance between business and entertainment.

Google Nexus 4 Specifications

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
• Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean
• Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
• Memory: 16GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours
• Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 139g
• Wireless charging
• 3G HSPA+ 42, Bluetooth 3.0/USB /2.0HS /WiFI 802.11 a/b/g/n (Dual Band)
• GPS with GLONASS Support/ Slimport/ NFC (Android Beam)

LG’s Nexus 4 is priced at Rs. 25,999 and will be available at selected LG exclusive brand shops, Multi brand outlets and speciality stores across India.

Android Was Designed for Cameras

It is now time for smart cameras to show up, although the outgoing Android head Andy Rubin says that they could have been around for many years. During a tech event in Tokyo, he revealed that Android was initially developed as an operating system for cameras, not smartphones. He confirmed that the exact same platform and operating system the company developed for cameras became Android for smartphones. Rubin demonstrated slides from an investor pitch created 9 years ago, which was focused on wired and wireless cameras linked to a so-called “Android Datacenter”. So Android was destined to be used with smart cameras, but Google stepped in and made the operating system what it is today. According to Andy Rubin, his team of developers eventually decided that the market of digital cameras wasn’t big enough. In addition, Rubin said that he was mistakenly worried about Microsoft and Symbian, not Apple – this, as you can see, turned out to be wrong.

Android boss also talked about the decision to make the OS completely free for cellphone makers – the company wanted as many smartphones to use Android as possible. This is why instead of charging any sum of money – whether it is $99, or $59 – to Android, the company was simply giving it away for free, as they realized the industry was price sensitive. As you can see, this approach proved to be quite successful and in result, Android quickly occupied a huge share of the market, which grew up to 70%, as for 2012. In the meanwhile, the devices that the OS was initially intended for – Android cameras – are still few and far between. Well, at least they are finally hitting the market – it would be interesting to try a smart camera running a familiar Android.