Google revealed a host of new devices Monday, despite having to cancel an anticipated Android event, including the new Nexus 10 and Nexus 4.
The Nexus 4, LG's newest Android smartphone, will come with a host of attractive options like Android 4.2, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz processor and a 1280 x 768 screen with 320 pixels per inch.
The 16GB model is priced very competitively, with T-Mobile carrying the Nexus 4 in the U.S. at just $199 (£239 in the U.K.) on a two-year contract.
Despite all that the Nexus 4 seemingly has going for it, the smartphone is surprisingly missing a key feature many of its competitors include: LTE compatibility.
LTE cost, battery-life prohibitive
Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content Andy Rubin spoke with The Verge about the decision to leave LTE out of the LG Nexus 4.
According to Rubin, many of the LTE networks currently in use are hybrid networks, which also still make use of last generation networks.
"We certainly have a desire to offer devices on every carrier on the planet," Rubin said.
"The tactical issue is GSM vs. LTE. A lot of the networks that have deployed LTE haven't scaled completely yet - they're hybrid networks."
"They'll do their old thing and they'll do LTE, which means the devices need both radios built into them. For now, we're gonna sit back and let those networks evolve."
Issues
Network issues aren't the only reason Google was hesitant to include LTE support in its latest smartphone, as Rubin related there were some manufacturing concerns to consider as well.
"Two radios in a device right now certainly raises the cost, and diminishes battery life," Rubin stated.
"When we did the Galaxy Nexus with LTE we had to do just that, and it just wasn't a great user experience.
"It's possible to do it right, but that's not where we'll put our resources initially. Tactically, we want to make sure the devices are available for every network on the planet."
The Nexus 4 is currently slated to arrive on Nov. 13 (Nov. 14 on T-Mobile in the U.S.), but without LTE, the phone will definitely have a hard time standing out compared to devices like the iPhone 5, the Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X.
It's certainly possible Google could incorporate LTE into the device in the future, but for now, consumers will have to decide whether a moderately priced powerhouse like the Nexus 4 is worth the investment without current-generation network capabilities.