LG Nexus 4 hands on review, Facebook Home beta leaked

The LG Nexus 4 officially launched in the UAE last week, despite a November debut in the US, but handsets have been available in the region for several months on the grey market.

Nexus 4: hands on

A collaboration between three tech giants is no mean feat, but LG's design, Qualcomm's S4 Pro processor and Google's Android Jelly Bean OS has culminated in a slick, solid and lightweight phone.

While the Android OS comes kitted with all the usual Google apps, such as Maps, Search and Talk, the Nexus 4 also comes with Google Now as standard. One swipe from the base of the screen will bring up live traffic advice and suggested restaurants, based on your location, as well as bespoke newsfeeds and information on your favourite sports teams.

The 8MP camera records crisp images and the 360° Photo Sphere feature is built-in, enabling panoramic vistas, as well as those tricky wide indoor shots.

Under the 4.7inch 'True HD' Gorilla Glass screen, the 1.5GHz quad-core CPU ensures rapid processing, and multi-tasking with zero lag with normal use. The 1280x768 (320 ppi) is great for YouTube and really shows off the camera's abilities - and the Instant Upload feature means all of your pictures can be automatically backed up to G+.

Although the Nexus 4 is a good all-rounder, users have had some gripes about battery life, and a vulnerable glass back. If you're a light user, then the battery should be a non-issue - although a daily charge will still be the norm.

A simple case, despite hindering the aesthetics, can bolster the phone's durability, but this may also counter the benefits of a slim, light handset. Perhaps the biggest downfall is the lack of removable storage, since 16GB may not be nearly enough for music and movie lovers on the go.
The LG Nexus 4 is sold unlocked and will accept Micro SIM cards.

Facebook Home beta leaked

Facebook's new Home skin for Android is not set to launch until April 12, but a beta version of the software was leaked yesterday for LG's Nexus 4 smartphone.

While not completely functional, the Home beta does show off the main features, although 'Chat Heads', which allows users to constantly see SMS and Facebook Messenger chats on screen, is not up and running. The advanced release only supports displays up to 1280 x 768-pixels so it may not look up to par, but the Facebook-obsessed may still want to get their fix and sample Home, which will also work on the Nexus 7 tablet.

Still, Facebook Home will soon be a free option to the Facebook-obsessed and the release will give you a quick sample of the overarching experience if you own a Nexus 4 or Nexus 7.

It is thought that compatibility for Facebook Home will not exist on all Android devices. Advanced, new and popular phones may be treated to the new social skin, but it is likely that second-tier devices will have to wait until after the April 12th launch.