Nexus 4 update: The LG-made Nexus 4 has been a breakaway success for Google with what seemed like obituaries floating around the web when rumors that the former flagship has reached end of run status to give way to Nexus 5. It’s important to note that the Nexus 4 has been listed out of stock for weeks after a Labor Day sale effectively drained the inventory of the device.

There have been rumors prior to the Nexus 5 availability that the LG Nexus 4 will be refreshed, arriving in Nexus 4 LTE and will be made available together with the Nexus 5. But according to ZDNet, amidst the rush for the new flagship, Google has silently dropped the device’s much-loved predecessor from its stores.

It notes in the UK Google Play site, which still has the Nexus 4 8GB and 16GB listed as “no longer available for sale.” The device is also unavailable at UK resellers and in some US retailers, which has carried the Google device.

The Nexus 4 has suffered persistent shortages when it was still available and has remarkably well-received for the price of its unlocked version, giving the device’s owners the ability to negotiate lower contracts with their carriers of choice.

The affordable unlocked pricing model of the Nexus 4 has somehow forced carriers to be creative with their pricing, with many major U.S. carriers now offering programs - like AT&T’s Next and Verizon’s Edge - that will allow users to purchase new phones in less than 12 months.

The $250 price tag offering of the 8GB of Nexus 4 last Labor Day is reported to have completely dried up the supply for this in-demand handset, whose success Google hopes to duplicate with the Nexus 5.