
Google Nexus 4 withdrawn from sale - anigbrowl
https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_16GB?id=nexus_4_16gb&hl=en
======
hkmurakami
The steep reduction in price of the Nexus 4 earlier this year was definitely
an inventory clearance effort in preparation for the Nexus 5. My friend tried
to buy one but he said that lead time estimates were huge and suspected that
they were out of inventory. All makes sense now with the Nexus 5 launch.

In hindsight, I have to suspect that Google and LG's plans all along was to
create a phone with high specs at a low price point but restrict the supply as
they "learned" to lower costs for their subsequent models. We've suspected
that the Nexus 4 was most likely a loss making model for LG, but since they
were rapidly losing mindshare, a loss making low'ish volume high end phone was
something they were probably willing to stomach to partner with Google to get
back in consumers' minds.

Maybe they'll be making profit from day 1 on the Nexus 5 this year

~~~
thaumasiotes
> In hindsight, I have to suspect that Google and LG's plans all along was to
> create a phone with high specs at a low price point but restrict the supply
> as they "learned" to lower costs for their subsequent models.

Well, unfortunately the price of a nexus 5 is much higher than the price of a
nexus 4. (On release - $300 for an 8GB 4, or $350 for 16GB; $350 for a 16GB 5,
or $400 for 32GB. I would happily take an 8GB option; I don't make a habit of
storing anything other than pictures on my phone. Or, to get really crazy,
they could allow for removable media...)

~~~
Stratoscope
> Well, unfortunately the price of a nexus 5 is much higher than the price of
> a nexus 4. (On release - $300 for an 8GB 4, or $350 for 16GB; $350 for a
> 16GB 5, or $400 for 32GB.

What? You're saying the 16GB Nexus 4 was $350. The 16GB Nexus 5 is $349 for a
vastly improved phone. How is that a "much higher" price?

Is the issue just that they don't offer an 8GB model any more? I can
understand that. But comparing phone to phone with the same memory, isn't the
Nexus 5 a much better deal?

~~~
thaumasiotes
> But comparing phone to phone with the same memory, isn't the Nexus 5 a much
> better deal?

This is getting repetitive, but why would you do that? There are no lifetime
achievement awards for buying the most price-efficient phone, even if it costs
you $750,000 ("but think of all the features you get!"). Compare the minimum
price of $300 to the minimum price of $350. There's been a substantial
increase.

The Nexus S was $400 (in some model, likely the cheapest). The 4 was a welcome
signal of attention to price. This is going in the wrong direction.

------
makeramen
I thought the Nexus 4 had been unavailable for a while now?

------
dnautics
honestly, if google would make a nexus 3 I might consider it. I have a samsung
nexus S, and it's on the large side of what I am comfortable with.

~~~
snogglethorpe
Unfortunately the electronics manufacturers (and Google apparently) are, well,
not very thoughtful when it comes to phone design. It's like they don't really
know what _else_ to do, so they've settled on simple-minded memes like "bigger
= better!!!"

 _Often_ this is sort of a reasonable plan in general... faster CPUs and more
memory are usually helpful (if you can keep battery usage reasonable).

But when applied uncritically and universally, without much judgement or
thought, in a mad rush to out-spec the other guy ("Now Double The Size of Our
Competitor!!!!"), this just leads to mediocrity, where everything apparently
has great specs but nobody really likes them very much...

~~~
SkyMarshal
They're making them bigger b/c that's the cultural preference in much of Asia,
not b/c they have some flighty notion of _bigger=better_.

Same reason iPhone got bigger in a recent major version upgrade. This has been
discussed b/f at HN.

------
zainny
Accessing this from Australia it still shows as available and you can order
it. Must be geography specific (presumably, while inventory still lasts).

~~~
taspeotis
Yeah I have a hard time reconciling the title with the button in the middle of
my screen:

    
    
        Add to cart - AU$299.00
    

I clicked it and now I have a Nexus 4 in my cart.

------
Zenst
This is one of those rare times in which people in countries that are slow to
get the Nexus 5 will most likely be able to carry on buying the Nexus 4
longer. Just a thought.

Also I do wonder how many out there waitied for the Nexus 5 and then thought
Hmmm not huge jump from Nexus 4 given the nice price the N4 is at currently
and now maybe regretting not getting one. Too me for the price difference the
Nexus 4 does seem the more appealing, albiet a non option now, at least new.

------
PhasmaFelis
So every time they introduce a new model, they have to change the screen
diagonal? This doesn't seem like a well-thought-out naming scheme.

Yeah, I know, when they run out of numbers it'll just go to "Nexus Awesome" or
"Nexus Super Alpha" or something. You've got to at least give Apple credit for
giving each generation of mobile hardware a clear, distinctive name. Oddly
enough, their laptop/desktop hardware does the opposite--the new MacBook Pro
is officially just "the new MacBook Pro," and it's left to the fans to figure
out generations.

