One of the more popular phones of 2012 was the Google Nexus 4, a top-end smartphone with a mid-range price, and has sold out again and again. While some might be waiting for Google to tell them when the online store is back in stock, at least one Aussie retailer will be receiving units from February 1st.
While it lacked 4G connectivity, the LG-built Google Nexus 4 was easily one of the better smartphones we looked at last year, and if you’ve been trying to find one, waiting patiently as Google got its act together and built / sourced more products, LG has been talking with Harvey Norman to make sure the phone is stocked in Australia.
“The response in Australia has been overwhelmingly positive on Google Play already, and we know our Harvey Norman partnership will create even greater demand,” said LG’s General Marketing Manager for Australia, Lambro Skropidis.
Also called the LG-E960, the Nexus 4 will hit Harvey Norman stores with the same list of specs it receives when ordered through Google’s Play store, complete with the 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 16GB memory, 2GB RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera, 1.3 megapixel front camera, Near-Field Communication, 2100mAh battery, Android 4.2 “Jelly Bean,” and 4.7 inch 1280×768 IPS display.
While Harvey Norman will be the exclusive retail provider of the phone, there will be two ways to buy it, with the outright phone grabbing a price of $496, while purchasing it on an Optus plan in store could reduce the price considerably. Regardless of how it’s bought, LG did confirm to GadgetGuy that the phone will be sold unlocked.
Keen buyers will probably note that the cost of the Nexus 4 has increased by roughly $100 from ordering online to grabbing it at retail, with LG telling us that the $496 price “reflects the added costs required to sell a product in store, such as staffing, distribution, point of sale and other marketing assets.”
As for how much stock there will be, representatives for LG would only say that “production of the Nexus 4 has ramped up and stock levels are expected to meet current and future demand of the handset.”
Here’s hoping that means there won’t be more stock shortages or delays.
