First came the HTC-built Nexus One in early 2010. Then it was Samsung's turn with the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus in the years that followed.And in recent days it's become pretty clear that Googles 2012 Nexus partner is LG, with the upcoming fourth-generation Nexus phone being based on the Korean manufacturers Optimus G.
Photos have leaked showing a curved design with a glass back, and reported specs include a beastly 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, a 4.7-inch IPS display and, as ever, a "pure Google" vanilla Android experience. And there's been plenty of discussion and speculation over on the Android Central forums. But there are a lot of rumors circulating as to the exact nature of LG and Google's upcoming hig h-end smartphone, and it's not always easy to separate out the facts.
So just what do we know about the upcoming 2012 Nexus phone? Weve collected all the most reliable leaked information into one handy report, which you can check out after the break.
The design: a steamrolled, glass-plated Galaxy Nexus
The leaked images of the LG-E960 shown a device very similar in appearance to last years Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- an all-glass front, curved design and textured back. There are several differences worth commenting on, however. The front face appears to be less curved than the Galaxy Nexus -- if anything, its tapered downwards towards the plastic trim like the Galaxy S3. And around the back, the hyperskin textured battery door has been replaced by a fixed back, as the phones battery isnt removable, and theres no microSD card slot either.
The back panel appears to be furnished with LGs crystal reflection process texture, which is also used on the O ptimus G. This results in a smooth, glass-like surface that has the appearance of texture behind it. Our own Phil Nickinson was mightily impressed with the back panel used on the Optimus G, saying it made the phone feel more substantial and less plasticky. The other side of that equation might be increased weight, as whatever LGs making it out of (dont call it glass) is likely to be somewhat heavier than a traditional plastic battery door.
Also on the back panel are your Google and LG logos, but no giant Nexus logo like on the Nexus 7. As were dealing with prototype hardware in these leaked images, we have to wonder whether that might change before release. There are, of course, cut-outs for the camera lens and microphone, along with an LED flash.
The trim appears to be a Galaxy Nexus-like metallic grey deal, which well presume to be plastic. A headphone jack can be seen up top in one of the leaked photos, along with a power button on the right edge. Presumably the volume rocker will be located around on the left. Along the bottom theres a microUSB port, next to the microphone hole. Its not in any of the leaked pictures, but we have it on good authority that theres a clip-out area along the side for a SIM, and that the device takes microSIM cards, rather than the newer nanoSIM standard.
Overall, it looks like were dealing with a thin device with a lot more glass than previous Nexus model. The larger 4.7-inch screen and lack of any hump around the back should make the LG Nexus larger, but thinner than last years model.
The specs: killer hardware, with a few caveats
The most reliable list of purported specs comes from MoDaCos Paul OBrien, who's been passed the following list f rom a "very reliable" source --
- Quad Core Snapdragon S4 processor
- 2GB RAM
- 1280x768 True-HD IPS screen
- On screen soft keys (of course)
- 8 Megapixel Camera
- No microSD slot
- 8GB and 16GB versions only (at least initially)
- Non-removable battery
- Wireless charging built in
This information matches the device weve seen in leaked photos, and information thats shown up online in benchmark results. The inclusion of a quad-core Snapdragon S4 chip is a huge deal for this years Nexus, and should provide plenty of horsepower. Qualcomms quad-core Krait is considered to be the most powerful mobile chip out there, and weve been salivating over the chip since we first reported its existence early last year.
Two full gigabytes of RAM also places the new Nexus at the high-end of the Android smartphone scale. With more memory-intensive apps like Google Chrome coming pre-loaded, having 2GB of RAM is a smart move.
An 8MP camera isnt surprising -- the Optimus G ships in 13MP and 8MP flavors, however we have to wonder about the quality of an 8MP LG shooter. We havent had the best experience with LG phone cameras over the past year. The Optimus 4X HD suffered from poor image quality and autofocus issues, so we hope the Nexus uses a different camera module. Nevertheless, it should be an improvement upon the fairly dismal 5MP shooter of the Galaxy Nexus.
The lack of a microSD card shouldnt be surprising. Google doesn't like insecure removable storage. The reports of relatively meager helping of internal storage could present some cause for concern, though, if accurate. This could be a sign that Google wants to remain competitive on price when it ships the LG Nexus through the Play Store. But even with cloud storage options available, an 8GB starting point is going to be hard to swallow, as anyone with a Nexus 7 will tell you.
Some may also take issue with the reported non-removable battery, later confirmed by leaked images. However, thats just the way things are moving in the smartphone world. For what its worth, the fact that the battery is fixed should allow a larger-capacity battery to be used.
Wireless charging is a significant development, if accurate. Hopefully compatible wireless charging pads will be available at launch. Anyone remember the eternal waiting for official Galaxy Nexus accessories?
The software: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean?
The software in the leaked photos shows Android 4.1.2 running on the LG Nexus, however we understand this is an old build, and were hearing that the device is currently being tested with Android 4.2.
Theres no word on exactly whats new in this version, but wed imagine itd be a minor update to Jelly Bean rather than a major software revision. So dont expect to see any sweeping changes to the Android 4.x design language. The Jelly Bean moniker might even continue into a second point release, as Eclair did for Android 2.0 and 2.1.
The name: still unknown
Our gut says "Optimus Nexus," but so far all we have is the codename Mako from leaked photos.
Announcement and availability: Play Store and beyond
Theres speculation Andy Rubin may reveal more about the new LG Nexus at AllThingsD conference in late October. That should give us our first indication of how the upcoming Nexus launch plans will proceed.
Wha tever happens, were sure Google will want to get their new Nexus out in time for the holidays, so a mid-November launch is likely internationally and on the Google Play Store. Price-wise, Google will want to remain competitive, just as it has been with the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 over the past year.
On-contract availability with U.S. carriers is considerably murkier, though. The current LG Nexus hardware that recently passed through the FCC -- the same one currently being tested by Googlers -- only supports AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ bands. Presumably therell also be support for Europe-friendly frequencies too, but LTE could present a significant problem due to its closed nature.
It wouldnt be impossible to pack 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz LTE support into a variant of the device and support burgeoning LTE markets in Europe. However, if Google wants U.S. LTE on its Nexus, its going to have to work with the carriers. Given the shambolic Verizon Galaxy Nexus launch , we think Sprint might be a more likely launch partner this time around, though were speculating here.
However things proceed, its going to be an exciting couple of months. Keep watching Android Central for all the latest Nexus news as it emerges.
More: LG Nexus discussion on the Android Central forums
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