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Nexus 4 Design Gets Small, Smarter Changes

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It appears that LG and Google have slightly tweaked the design of the Nexus 4, several months after the device first arrived on shelves, and while the tweaks appear to be small, they are extremely smart.

The Nexus 4, which was released back in November of last year, has been no stranger to change. The device first went on sale in the middle of November and very quickly, it sold out. That sell out lead to another sell out two weeks later than lasted into the new year. It wasn’t until late January that the Nexus 4 finally returned to the Google Play Store in the United States and to other retailers like T-Mobile.

Older Nexus 4 models feature more space around the camera sensor.

Older Nexus 4 models feature more space around the camera sensor.

Since then, we’ve seen Google make some subtle changes to the Google Play Store as far as the shipping times are concerned. Now though, it appears that LG has slightly changed the overall design of the Nexus 4 to better accommodate those that wish to lay their device down flat.

The change was first reported by Mobiflip and has been confirmed by Android Central who says that their new Nexus 4 sports not only nubs that will help keep the design safe but also what appears to be change in the design of the camera lens.

A Nexus 4 redesign has brought subtle new changes.

A Nexus 4 redesign has brought subtle new changes.

The most notable and the most beneficial change is the addition of the nubs that can be found on the bottom of the device. While our older Nexus 4’s don’t possess the nubs, the new Nexus 4 models are equipped with them at the bottom, something that will not only prevent the Nexus 4 from sliding around on surfaces but also help users avoid scratches when picking the phone up. The glass back of the device is prone to scratching, made worse by the fact that the older devices laid flush on surfaces.

These new pegs help prop the phone up in order to avoid this type of damage.

The Nexus 4 bumper is back in stock but there is no telling how long that status might last.

The changes won’t likely negate the need for a bumper case.

The Nexus 4 camera housing also seems to have received a tweak as well as there appears to be less of an exposed area around the Nexus 4’s camera lens. This doesn’t appear to be as big of a change as the nubs but it could be that it helps protect the lens while also cutting down on any light leaking out. It also could just be a change in the looks department as well.

So while neither of these changes will likely wipe out the need for a bumper case to protect the phone, they have certainly made the Nexus 4 design smarter and smarter looking.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. stf287

    03/29/2013 at 1:34 am

    Are you sure about the purpose of the nubs? They look suspiciously like the nub that is on the 5 key of physical phone keypads. I think the purpose is the same – to help blind users quickly check the location of the important controls. Blind users won’t care whether or not the screen is upside down, but they need to be able to find the controls and connectors on the sides of the device.

    • dude

      04/13/2013 at 1:16 pm

      A blind user can just feel the differences in the physical buttons, headphone jack, and charger. Why would they need extra nubs?

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