In the yard the midst of autumn, and that means approaching the inevitable - the announcement and the subsequent release of a new smartphone model line Nexus. My very first "smart phone", Google has created in collaboration with HTC, the Taiwanese developer then it changed to Samsung. It seems that after two years of partnership with the founder of the series Galaxy Internet giant is again thinking about changing partners.
That the new Nexus is manufactured by LG, we have no doubt. According to rumors, this year, Google may go to an entirely new strategy, with the support of not one but several manufacturers. Maybe so, but so far there is only accurate information about one model - LG E960, also known under the code name Mako. If we believe the data leakage from the documentation of foreign stores, selling new product will be known under the name of LG Nexus 4 - and we shall call it. The number "4" in this case points to the generation of smartphones Nexus.
To the Editor Onliner.by got one of the prototype LG Nexus 4. In a preliminary review of the device will consider features of the model and compare it with its predecessor - Galaxy Nexus .
Features of the prototype
The smartphone has been extremely problematic, so some features we have not been able to test (eg, Beam). Moreover, it is likely that the final version of the LG Nexus 4 will be slightly different from what we are facing today. The device is likely to receive a more recent version of the OS and capacious drive (unlikely Google and LG to market a model with 8 GB of internal memory with no slot microSD).
The following are the most serious and common problems of the prototype. Model like from time to time to reboot, sometimes it does not respond to the power button, and then have to resort to a "soft reset."Smartphone hardly charged when connected to a computer (goes into an endless loop on / off), reset network Wi-Fi, it also can not connect to the computer for lack of a driver.
Not forgetting the pile of issues specific to the LG Nexus 4, let us examine it more closely.
Design
"So it's a Samsung Galaxy Nexus!» - Says one, looking at the front of the smartphone. In front view LG Nexus 4 is really very similar to last year's model: the same shape, curvature of the upper and lower ends, the absence of a touch-sensitive buttons below the screen in place, even "firm" invisible when inactive indicator of system events, hidden under the display.
- On the left - LG Nexus 4, right - Galaxy Nexus
The differences lie in the details: the LG Nexus four straight, not curved glass slightly differently decorated earpiece, camera for video calls more pressed to the upper right corner.
In size both smartphone also close. According to our measurements, the size of Nexus 4 is 134 × 69,2 × 9,2 mm, weight - 139 g Thus, the device is 1.5 mm shorter than the Galaxy Nexus, but nearly 1.3 mm wider. Model from LG thicker predecessor by 0.3 mm. Here, however, we must remember that the new product is flat cap, while the Galaxy Nexus is the "hump", under which the thickness of the shell passes away for the 9 mm.
- On the left - Galaxy Nexus, right - LG Nexus 4
On the case of Nexus 4 no contacts for connecting accessories, while on the right side Galaxy Nexus had such contacts. But the power button remains in the same place. Volume rocker has not disappeared from the left side, just move a little higher. Here, hidden tray cards microSIM: as in the case of the iPhone, it will open with iSkrepki or improvised as a needle or a pin. 3.5mm audio jack jumped from the lower to the upper edge, which also swept a second microphone. The main microphone along with microUSB connector located at the bottom.
The most interesting thing in the design of LG Nexus 4 - is his backside. To the touch it is completely smooth and glossy. Perhaps the cover is made of scratch-resistant glass. In any case, as we tried, but scratch the metal key and could not.
Despite the smooth uniform surface, visually textured rear panel appears. All the matter in the mosaic image, something resembling a "matrix effect" or some of the "live wallpaper" in Android. Drawing consists of many tiny dots, some of which change color from black to gray at a certain angle. Looks interesting, unusual, and not matter, as might be judged by some pictures. Because of the design features fingerprints on the lid are only visible from certain angles.
In the top left of the back of the eye swept the 8-megapixel camera and LED flash. Bottom, right of the logo LG, there is a vertical slit located external speaker.
Metal design elements in the design of LG Nexus 4 no. As mentioned above, the back of a smartphone or a covered glass or durable plastic. Along the perimeter of the apparatus used matte black rubberized plastic.Finally, around the front of the device is a thin strip of glossy plastic "chrome."
Cover the smartphone is not removed, so change the battery yourself will be difficult. For the prototype at Nexus 4 Average assembly bother unless too wide a gap between the two halves of the unit on the bottom.
In general appearance LG Nexus 4 leaves a good impression. Design itself seems to be a normal, but the back of the smartphone looks fresh. However, the standard bar with rounded corners are not going to go, "wow-effect" model does not.
Display
Unlike its predecessor, Nexus 4 received IPS-display instead of HD Super AMOLED, so of no PenTile, bluish, greenish or yellowish white is out of the question. The screen resolution is still the same 720 × 1280 pixels at a diagonal of 4,7 ".
We can not say for certain whether the touch layer is built right into the display LG Nexus 4. Rather, it is, as the technical features of the model are surprisingly exact match to the characteristics of the flagshipOptimus G , which is equipped with just such an innovative touchscreen.
Sensors embedded in the screen or not, but the image on the screen looks amazing. Contrast, sharpness, brightness - all of these new options left behind Galaxy Nexus and very close to the iPhone 5 . In the latter, except that the brightness of the above, but, subjectively, the contrast is worse, the rest of the display, both are very similar and are among the best on the market.
However, to evaluate all the advantages of the screen, it is better to disable automatic backlight that too strongly underestimates the brightness. The maximum possible viewing angles, natural color reproduction, high contrast - all set in an LG Nexus 4 matrix. Still IPS + gives "a light" AMOLED'am.
Camera
We had not much time for testing PV modules LG Nexus 4. The module, by the way, is one of the few significant differences from the LG Optimus G : in the last set 13-megapixel camera, while the Nexus content with an 8-megapixel. The quality of the photo, you can estimate the test on the following pictures:
In fact, to say something specific about the possibilities of the camera early - there are problems with software enhancement. In automatic mode, photo module prototype does not always work correctly, there are problems with the white balance, focus, often lack saturation and contrast.
Interface
Unfortunately, LG Nexus 4 running Android 4.1.2. "Unfortunately" - because everything (and including us) are waiting on Google for something new. In the end, the corporation that has taught us that with the announcement of the smartphone Nexus is a new version of mobile OS. It is hoped that Google still announced Android 4.2 at the end of the month and show it running on a Nexus 4.
As for Android 4.1.2, then no significant improvement compared to 4.1.1 we have not noticed. It's the same familiar "naked» Jelly Bean, which we have already mentioned. Of course, no brand no shells, the minimum set of applications. In general, expect the official presentation of the smartphone and significantly updated operating system in late October.
Performance
Model LG Nexus 4 is based on a chip Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (APQ8064) with 2 GB of RAM, quad-core Krait and graphics Adreno 320. Exactly the same chip is at the core Optimus G . Computing cores running at up to 1.5 GHz. In theory, the transition from 40-nm to 28-nm process technology had a positive impact on energy consumption smartphone.
Despite the strong base, with a capacity in the prototype is not so clear. Benchmark unit showed a surprisingly low results, and the test Vellamo he was not able to go because of the constant software failures. The explanation here may be only one - neoptimizirovannost tests, coupled with the "raw" firmware. In daily use to find fault with the device's performance will not work: instant response UI, hassle-free video playback Full HD. "Heavy" games also come with a bang.
For some reason we do not have to disassemble the LG Nexus 4, find a battery in another failed. But we were able to test the smartphone battery life. The test is this: we went to YouTube and launched HD-movies in full screen, and the network was activated Wi-Fi, all other wireless modules were disabled. In this mode, battery life is reduced by 10% every 20 minutes, the battery is fully able to "land" at 3:00 and change.
Our guinea equipped with 8 GB of internal memory, which is very sad. Perhaps this amount of storage is only a prototype, and the commercial version of the model will be 32 or 64 GB of memory. It is possible that the version with 8 GB also appear on the shelves, and will cost significantly less more capacious brethren.
General impressions
It is foolish to describe the pros and cons of the smartphone, which has not even announced and has the status of a prototype. Constant bugs interfere adequately assess the potential device. The same camera, it seems, sometimes suffers from software flaws, but overall gives hope for good shots in commercial samples LG Nexus 4. Definitely as a trump card may be noted one of the best in the segment of mobile display. At the same time, the situation is still unclear, with internal memory and a final version of the operating system.
As for the design smartphone, then, as it turned out, the appearance of the machine turned controversial. I liked the device, including the unusual design of the cover. Views of the entire editorial closely divided: some LG Nexus 4 like almost at first sight, others he called rejection. That in the end we will show Google and LG? According to rumors, the official presentation of the final version of the new Nexus is scheduled for October 29.
http://tech.onliner.by/2012/10/12/lg-nexus-4-review