Consumers waiting to get their hands on Google's current Nexus 4 smartphone, may have to wait longer. In some fresh news surrounding the smartphone, which has been running into serious supply shortages, LG apparently denies that there is a problem with Nexus 4's production.
Speaking to the Korean publication Chosun Ilbo, an LG official states that production of the smartphone at the domestic Pyeongtaek plant in South Korea is proceeding without a hitch, thereby denying problems in supplying
Nexus 4 units. In addition, LG has said that the rumours about the company working on a new Nexus 5 device are "unfounded".
Google, on the other hand, seems to think otherwise. Google UK Chief Dan Cobley had earlier said that the Nexus 4 supply from LG was "scarce and erratic". So, this means a blame game is in place.
Last week,
IBTimes reported that production for the LG Nexus 4 may have allegedly been halted altogether in a an attempt to focus on the company's "upcoming smartphones". At CES, LG's Senior Vice President James Fisher hinted at more Nexus devices in partnership with Google.
Fisher said, "Through our collaboration with Google, we launched the LG Nexus 4 smartphone. This is the first of many devices to come from our growing partnership with this very selective company." It would be interesting to see the device(s) debut at MWC next month, if there are any.
But what about the Nexus 4 that many consumers are desperately waiting for? The fact that it has strong demand was proved when the latest Google
smartphone sold out in some countries within an hour of its release on the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, two months hence and the current status for the device still remains "SOLD OUT" with no signs of return.
This isn't the first time we're seeing the Nexus 4 running into controversy. In November last year, there was an outcry relating to the phone's pricing. The Korean manufacturer planned to sell the Nexus 4 on its own ranging between
€549-€599, which was definitely a big deal when compared to Google's offering of $299 for the 8GB version and $349 for the 16GB model in the U.S. and €299/€349 in European countries.
As a consequence, many angry users protested this exorbitant price increase by venting their frustration on LG's Facebook page, while some retailers reportedly refused to carry the phone at the inflated price tag.
It is tough to decipher what actually seems to be the problem. But clearly something doesn't seems right at all with the Nexus 4 continuing to remain unavailable for purchase for a never-ending period. Even if LG really has something new to show off, what the company really doesn't need at this point is more angry Nexus 4 consumers. Slowing down production of the device was clearly not the right move.
Google Nexus 4 in pics