Nexus 4 Update: Google Aspires For Handset’s Successor, Nexus 5 To Be Equally Successful

Nexus 4 seems to be officially at an end-of-run status, after both of its models (8 GB and 16GB) are out of stock in Google’s official online storefront Google Play, for weeks now. It’s a key reason why the smartphone world is awaiting for the arrival of the highly anticipated Nexus 5.

Google is hoping that the Nexus 5 would be as great as success as the Nexus 4. Many tech watchers are focused to see if Google can duplicate the positive reception that Nexus 4 has received.

The Nexus 4, which was introduced last November, immediately sold out on the Google Play market and was unavailable for many weeks until Google was able to fix its supply chain and churn up the necessary supply. According to United Press International, after it was made available again, it sold very well all through August of this year until Google decided to announce a price reduction. The discount wiped out the remaining inventory, making it unavailable almost everywhere.

Google worked with South Korean tech giant LG to build the Nexus 4. Based on a recently leaked manual of an LG-made Nexus 5, Google kept the partnership going for the next model.

When Nexus 4 was first released, the $299 entry-level version of the Google-branded device seems to be too high. Consumers at that time where attracted to 2-year monthly contracts for discounted prices of iPhones and Samsung phones.

What differentiated the Nexus 4 was the fact that it’s a high-quality Anroid-powered device that is unlocked. As termination fees become more of an issue because of manufacturer’s regularly churning out new models and consumers wanting to get the latest “in” gadget.

“Savvy consumers cottoned on to what Google was offering; a quality, well-built and feature-laden phone for less than the full retail price of its competitors,” the United Press International writes.

UPI continues saying that the Nexus 4 offer allowed a customer to take to any GSM carrier and negotiate the best monthly rate they could.

The Nexus 4 sales strategy has sparked similar moves form the carriers themselves, like AT&T’s Next and Verizon Edge, where the customer is charged an extra monthly payment for the new device they’d like. Afterward – 6 months for Verizon Edge- they become eligible, a much faster timetable of snagging a new device than the usual two-year contract.

According to UPI, this payment model for new phones may dim the bright prospects of a Nexus 4-like success for the Nexus 5. But with a rumored price point of $350 for the next iteration of the device, an amount still less than the $600 or more you’ll need to get an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S4, Google is hoping the Nexus 5 could repeat the sales success of the Nexus 4.