Rumored 'Nexus 4G' specs are juicy -- but will they hold up?

By Phil Nickinson
last updated

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. A 1.2GHz to 1.5GHz processor. 720p "monster-sized" display. 1GB of RAM. 1080p playback. A 5MP rear camera with souped up sensor. LTE data. Possibly with some sort of low power-consumption 28nm Snapdragon chip, or a TI OMAP 4460. In a thin, light body.

Sure sounds like a specs party, doesn't it? That's the rumored "Nexus 4G" -- not to be confused with the Nexus S 4G, which actually exists on Sprint -- as reportedly described by an unnamed source to BGR.

We've seen a lot of straw-grasping lately in regards to the next "Pure Google" phone. There's the now-debunked fake Nexus 3, and the rehashing of an old LG promo graphic that was so wrong we didn't even bother with it. And now we have the "Nexus 4G."

Google's certainly going to make another Nexus device, no doubt about it, if only to serve as a developer phone. And they've been making some damn good ones, starting with the Nexus One in January 2010, and following that in November with the Samsung Nexus S.

As for the rumored specs of the "Nexus 4G?" It doesn't take much imagination to dig up that a new phone will be faster than an old phone. That's pretty much a given, right? Either a TI OMAP or new Snapdragon processor, and not the NVIDIA quad-core Kal-El, which we've actually only seen in tablets so far anyway. As for the huge, high-def screen? Sure. Why not. Let's just hope whomever the manufacturer is (BGR's source says LG or HTC are in the running), let's just hope they can make enough of them.

But it's the possibility of it being an LTE device that gets a little more interesting. On the one hand, it makes no sense. The Nexus One was released as an unlocked GSM device. (OK, it first was released as a T-Mobile 3G-compatible phone; an AT&T 3G version came a couple months later.) Same goes for the Nexus S, which first saw life as a T-Mobile 3G-compatible device. The Nexus S 4G on Sprint came later. (You can import an AT&T 3G-compatible version, but one has not been officially released in the United States.) So a developer phone with LTE? Right now, only Verizon has an LTE network in the United States, and the rest of the world is just getting started with it. We know how much you Verizon fans would love a Nexus phone. (Remember how the Nexus One was supposed to come to Verizon?)Might one finally be on the way?

"But, Phil!" you say. "AT&T will have an LTE network! They say so in 2011!" Yes, they do. They say they'll have five cities (Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and San Antonio) up this summer, with 10 or more markets by the end of the year. That'll cover 70 million people, AT&T says. Might we see AT&T and Google team up for the launch? That could get interesting.

Point is, this is all unconfirmed and unofficial -- and while we're practically drooling over some of the specs, we're still a ways away from seeing anything. The fact that the unnamed source gives a veritable multiple choice of specs should tell you something about how unofficial all this remains.

That mean we wouldn't wanna see any of this happen? Hell, no. We, and our credit cards, welcome it.

Source: BGR

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
42 Comments
  • its not going to be on verizon, they publicly stated they will not have any unlocked bootloaders on their network
  • What? All the Samsung devices currently running on Verizon have unlocked bootloaders - including my rooted and highly customized one.
  • Link?? I think you are confusing locked bootloaders & encrypted bootloaders. Practically ALL devices have locked bootloaders out of the box. If you meant that VZW won't have any bootloaders that CAN be unlocked, you are wrong, because HTC & Samsung devices fall under that category. VZW does & still will carry their phones. Even Nexus phone bootloaders have to be unlocked, they are just easier than all the rest.
  • I dont see anything mind blowing about this. My GS 2 is so good already.
  • Who knows at this point but I don't see it on Verizon any time soon. The company has way to much history in locking down features on phones and then loading their own apps (bloatware) for me to believe they'll allow a Nexus phone. Since Verizon can keep any phone odd their network unlike a GSM carrier they will. I wouldn't be surprised to see a wimax aditiin for Sprint given their recent cozy relationship with Google.
  • What about the iPhone?
  • Yeah, and what about the original Droid? That was about as close to a Google phone as one could get before an actual Google phone. Unlocked and unbloated, total Moto/Goog collaboration.
  • Even the original Droid had Verizon apps and its starting to look like that was a fluke with it being so open. The Xperia Play is stock Gingerbread but still has Verizon bloatware installed as well. Remember Verizon used to always strip wifi and navigation from phones before the original Droid in order to get you to use their services. I think they only stopped that because they needed a real competiter to the iPhone and the Droid was their first real shot.
  • The iPhone is a different case entirely. Apple had Verizon over a barrel. -if they want the iPhone they do it Steve Jobs way or he takes his fruit phone and goes home. Google doesn't have that kind of weight because Verizon knows there's 5 other oems making Android phones that will bend over and take Verizon's BS.
  • Although nothing has made me want to trade in my Droid X yet, if it comes to Verizon, I will buy one on launch day.
  • I'm right there with you on that.
  • Ditto. My OG Droid is looking pretty worn out.
  • Specs look viable. But the name and the way its going to deploy doesnt make sense. I would think Sprint would be there first choice to launch since they do have that Google voice integration. OR they could launch on both at the same time. If apple releases ONE new iphone for all carriers then the nexus should be no different. If it is then i think there might be trouble.
  • If it comes to Verizon it won't.be a.nexus branded phone it will.be more like the og Droid and the xoom.. that makes sense to me what a way to introduce Android 4.0 like they did with 2.0 and 3.0 on.Verizon's LTE then come out with a nexus phone for T-Mobile Sprint and ATT
  • Four inch screen or bust.
  • Hoping "monster screen" means 4.3" or larger.
  • I hope we finally start pushing the screen resolutions along with the other specs, and larger batteries please!
  • Please, please, please, please, please be on Verizon. I have an enV Touch, and the contract is up, so I'm waiting for a Galaxy 2, but if they say this is coming to Verizon, I'd be the happiest man ever.
  • Someone clue me in: Does LTE = LTE? Can an LTE phone run on anyone's LTE network?
    Isn't GSM the base of LTE? If so, is Verizon going with sims? Or do we still have to play the carrier specific version game for another 10 years?
  • Verizon uses SIM cards in all of its LTE phones.
  • Each carrier's LTE frequency will be different.
  • Are you sure?
    What would prevent a manufacturer from making a phone that could handle ALL of the bands? There was no point to this when some were CDMA and the rest GSM, but if LTE is LTE except for different bands why not make ONE phone?
  • From what I have read, Verizon & Sprint are definitely going to be on different bands. I don't know that I have seen for sure what frequency AT&T is going to use. I guess a manufacturer COULD use a LTE radio that works across multiple carriers but I would think LTE would have to be pretty widespread for it to be feasible since current LTE phones also have to work on that carriers 3G bands since LTE isn't everywhere. Wouldn't the user still have to swap out SIM cards for each carrier to jump on their network though?
  • Coming from a Nexus One, the idea of an updated Nexus with a bigger screen sounds great. I can't wait. ps: Hey Google, don't forget the SD card slot this time
    pps: Hey HTC, stop screwing around and give us a bigger battery
  • That's exactly why I hope Motorola makes a Nexus. They don't cut corners. -Samsung leaving off LED notification lights, microSD slots, & using plastic.
    -HTC using underperforming batteries.
  • Nothing wrong with using plastic in a device you expect to keep less than 3 years.
  • I concur, especially if it's high quality plastic; and no, high quality and plastic are not mutually exclusive.
  • Plastic, or metal. Doesn't matter to me when it's going to be covered in a case anyway. They all get beat up over time. A cheap plastic battery cover is easy to replace too. My. CHARGE is a pretty slick phone. Started with the Oh Droid to the X and then TBOLT, traded for a charge. Reboots too much to handle. Hope it's a Sammy, especially after Motorola and their debacle with my XOOM. Really hope it comes to Verizon.
  • it doesnt take a genius to figure out what the consumers want... i really just want a souped up nexus one... -bigger screen
    -a MUCH better processor(everything coming out lately is only marginally better than the nexus one and really doesn't make a difference unless you're a heavy user)
    -dont forget the sd slot (lol someone said that already, it's sad that this is even an issue)
    -better battery life
    -better screen resolution
    all without making it any bigger than an evo 4g i think in 2 years time...all this should be possible i think motorola does a good job at hardware but software...they SUCK
    being as how nexus will be stock anyways using motorola might not be a bad idea
  • I've said this before and I'll say it again.. "If Apple can convince Verizon to not have any branding and bloat then so can Google!"
    All this talk about Verizon locks everything down blah blah blah... yeah, they definitely used to be notorious for this.. the lengths I went into hacking my Moto RAZR just to have it function as Motorola intended were extreme, outrageous and something no consumer should have to go through just to use functionality that was built in to a device.. Verizon also has history cramming Bing and CityID into things! BUT to say that they would NEVER allow something is silly! Verizon knows that a Nexus device would out sell anything they've ever sold including the OG Droid and the one thing Verizon really cares about above all else (bloat, locking dumbphones down and Bing) is MONEY!! and if a unlocked, unbranded, bloatfree phone is going to make them some Benjamins you better believe that they'll get in line to offer said device. :)
  • Samsung please, I fell in love with them for the Nexus S, and I'm ready to again for the GSII. Then again, if the processor is supposedly either Snapdragon or OMAP, it's either HTC, Moto, or LG. Likely LG I think, since it would be in line with all the other rumors and whispers about the Nexus.
  • >"Sure sounds like a specs party, doesn't it?" Well, not really. Evo 3D will be out in a few weeks and it has pretty much all those specs... Except it is not a "pure Google" phone, which doesn't bother most people all that much (I like Sense, myself).
  • 720p screen with "old" dual cores? I don't think that will work. I'm betting it will be paired with qHD + dual core, or 720p with Kal-el. Remember, Kal-el is not a quad core processor, it's an architecture. It will be a significant improvement to current gen dual cores even in it's own dual core configuration. That could be interesting. Of course, until the day it launched, or near enough at least, the Nexus S had a dual core. That turned out well.
  • Actually, the snapdragon processors (particularly the new 1.5 ghz dual cores) can handle 720p HD quite well. If these chips can perform well in Honeycomb tablets, which have a resolution of 1280 x 800 (hint: a bigger resolution than 720p) then they should be able to sing on a 720p smartphone device, especially if the OS is optimized for it.
  • according to bgr, this will actually have qualcomm's new "krait" dual-core, which is MUCH faster than the dual core snapdragons in devices like the sensation. also, iirc, its gpu is 4x faster than the one in the sensation
  • This is most likely going to Tmobile. The Snapdragon chips support all radios remember?
  • This is most likely going to Tmobile. The Snapdragon chips support all radios remember? http://www.phonearena.com/news/New-28nm-Snapdragon-chipset-sampling-in-J...
  • Verizon makes sense here -- they've always been big on Android, and the iPhone launch has been underwhelming. I think they expected many more AT&T converts than they got. Apple is in no rush to make an LTE iPhone until the chipsets can deliver comparable battery life. (In other words, not this year.) Verizon, which is all about the network, doesn't want to keep promoting an iPhone that's not only slower than AT&T's iPhone, but slower than its own LTE Android devices. Apple needed always Verizon more than Verizon needed Apple. Going the extra mile with a big Google play for the holidays is logical, especially if the iPhone 5 is less than impressive, hardware-wise.
  • I still like my DInc, but this has garnered my attention. 4" screen is the sweet spot tho. Maybe monster screen is referring to the quality of screen rather than size?
  • I may be crazy, hell I am, but, I am thinking about how Sprint and Google have been cozying up to each other. I also remember how the Nexus 1 was originally going to Sprint. I know I'm WAY out on a limb with this one, but Sprint may end up with this phone. Remember the whole article is pure speculation. I know they have sources that are pretty good, but speculation while it MAY be solid, isn't good enough for me. I will just sit back, wait and see.
  • Phil I think you meant December rather than November
  • Sprint has Wimax, not LTE. So its not going to sprint (not it it's truly 4G phone)