Forget it, the LG Nexus 4 is not coming to India

The buzz around LG Nexus 4 finally making it into the Indian market is now beginning to get tiring. While there doesn't seem to be any major manufacturing related issue, LG hasn't yet announced plans of launching the device anytime soon. All the earlier reports pegged the release to be round about now; of course, all of those reports were speculative. LG India representatives continue to be tight lipped and are not ready to reveal anything.

Grey market punters are suggesting that this is a standard ploy that vendors use to keep users guessing and waiting, because such tactics directly affect grey market sales, and vendors would much prefer the sales to happen through official channels or not happen at all. Grey market veterans also insinuate that vendors keep leaking information without backing it with any real action to often upset the launch plans of their competitors. And chances are very high that the Nexus 4 may never officially get launched in India.

When will LG launch Nexus 4 in India?

One reason for the no-show could be the LG Optimus G, which spec-for-spec is a replica of the Nexus 4. Of course, the design for the Optimus G, like many other LG phones, is nothing to rave about and can be termed functional at best.

A Nexus device is typically sold at a very competitive price point, as is seen in the case of the international pricing of the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 tablets. This means the OEM that makes these devices ends up with very thin margins on each device sold. OEMs find it far more profitable to sell their own version that carries the same specs as the Nexus device. In this case, both the Nexus 4 and Optimus G sport a 1.5Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, an 8MP shooter and a 4.7-inch True HD IPS LCD screen with a 768 x 1280 resolution.

Before the current global 'shortage' of the device, which Google clearly stated was LG's fault, the Nexus 4 was available in the Indian grey market for less than Rs 30,000, but with no clear word on the launch or even pricing, the grey market rates have shot up. And for those who just can't wait anymore, the phone is available for a whopping Rs 36,000. Word on the street is that the sale of the new Nexus 4 is just about OK, with very few pieces moving every month. This could be directly linked to its current price, but the same cannot be said about its predecessor – the Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus, although over a year old, is still a big hit and has an increasing demand among consumers. Its price, which had dipped to below Rs 20,000 following the launch of the latest generation Nexus phone, has now risen to Rs. 21,500 (yesterday's price).