Google Nexus 4 drop tested, survives fall

The drop test is gradually becoming an essential and entertaining way to test the ruggedness of different handsets. We had recently seen the iPad mini undergo this form of torture and it is now the turn of the new Googlephone, the Nexus 4 to be the latest victim of this popular test.

In the video, the Nexus 4 underwent two drop tests, the first of which simulates a drop from a pocket. The second shows it dropped while a person is using it to talk with it being placed near the ear.

In the first test, when the handset is dropped, it survives with hardly any scratches, and this shows how strong the display on either side is. In the second drop test, which is from a height higher than the first, the front of the handset survives the fall but the rear glass panel comes off worse for wear.

However, in both instances the handset is functional, and this shows that the handset is one tough handset.

Damage found only at the back

In late October, through a blog post, Google had announced the latest devices in its Nexus line-up, along with a new flavour of Android - version 4.2. The new version is still named Jelly Bean. A revised version of the Nexus 7 tablet, a new 10-inch tablet called the Nexus 10, and Nexus 4, LG's offering with the Nexus branding, were announced today by Google on its official blog.

The Nexus 4 is Google's latest smartphone, developed together with LG. It has a quad-core processor, a crisp 4.7-inch (320ppi) display, and with wireless charging you just set the phone down on a charging surface to power it up, no wires needed. This device too runs on Android v4.2 said to be the simplest and smartest version of Android yet. Starting with the camera, the company has reinvented the photo experience with Photo Sphere, which lets you capture shots up, down, and in every direction to create 360-degree experiences that you can share on Google+. You can also add your Photo Sphere to Google Maps for the world to see.

Android v4.2, which will be featured on the Nexus 4 will bring other great goodies. These include Gesture Typing, which lets you glide your finger over the letters you want to type on the keyboard — thus adding the functionality of the Swype keyboard into the stock Android keyboard. Android v4.2 also adds support for wireless display so you can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos, and play games right on a Miracast-compatible HDTV.

It had been recently reported that the tech blogosphere in India has been abuzz with news of the highly anticipated Google Nexus 4 popping up on online retailer Saholic.com. The online retail website had listed the date of its availability as November 30, 2012, prompting many to believe that it would indeed be launched by the end of this month. However, our sources within LG have informed us that LG has not finalised the launch date of Google's flagship smartphone in India.

Saholic.com has since updated the listing and the ‘Tell me when available’ option on it suggests that the Nexus 4 will be available on January 15, 2013. This shows that India may not receive the handset in November, as previously believed. No price has been mentioned on the listing of the Nexus 4 on Saholic yet.