LG Nexus 4
Like the OS, the camera is kept
minimal, but with a bit of know-how it can produce some impressive results
The LG Nexus 4 feels solid to hold and the
design is aesthetically pleasing, with a lovely glass backing that reflects a
chequered pattern when tilted in certain light conditions. The handset though
is on par with the HTC in that it doesn’t feature a removable battery, a
dedicated camera key, nor does it have removable storage.
On a positive note, the LG device is
powered by 2GB of RAM, a quad-based CPU and the latest Android 4.2 OS along
with all of its graces, including multi-touch controls and better
notifications. Put it this way, the device ran as smooth as silk!
LG
Nexus 4
On the flip side we found the supplied
software was limited to standard Google apps and this minimalist approach
transferred over to the Camera app. The interface is intuitive because most of
the functions are quick to access by touch or simple gestures. There are a few additional
features including a macro mode and gimmicks like face detection. Long pressing
the screen does enable you to quickly access some advanced options (albeit
limited), such as exposure, white balance and a HDR mode on the fly.
You also get to use the phone’s party
piece, which is the 360-degree Photo Sphere option. This lets you effortlessly
photograph an entire horizon in all its glory. It works similar to the other
products’ panoramic modes, but on a greater scale.
For a simple point-and-click shooter, shot
times were quick and the zoom was marginally better than the Sony. Sadly like
the latter, indoor shots with the flash suffered more from noise and a lot of
the images outdoors suffered from underexposure. As a result we had to enable
the camera’s HDR mode or adjust the white balance to improve matters. Which
they did detail and colors were brought to life, resulting in a better final
image than the HTC could muster.
However, while its video audio capture
quality was good, there were issues with auto-focus locking in to macro mode
and its battery life was also under par – any heavy use will require regular
charging.
Android 4.2
Even though the phone is made by LG it is
still a Google phone at heart. Because of this you get the latest Android OS
and all of its enhancements. Additionally you should get all future Android
upgrades a lot sooner
Even
though the phone is made by LG it is still a Google phone at heart. Because of
this you get the latest Android OS and all of its enhancements.
Limited options
The OS is limited to standard Google apps
and the same rule applies to the camera interface/ feature set. However, a lot
of the options are transparent to the user, such as face detection and the
editing software is held in the Gallery
360-degree Photo Sphere
Its camera offers a true panoramic mode
which enables you to quickly capture an entire room (unlike the other devices)
and then view back the results on your handset or via the Google+ desktop
Ample spec
Despite the lack of expandable storage you
do get a mouth-watering spec sheet with the Nexus 4. On top of a quad-core
processor you also have 2GB of RAM. Thus for the cost of the phone you are
getting a very quick device
The
LG Nexus 4 feels solid to hold and the design is aesthetically pleasing, with a
lovely glass backing that reflects a chequered pattern when tilted in certain
light conditions
LG Nexus 4 information
Price: $419 (16GB)
Head to head
Picture quality
Its biggest problem was with underexposure,
but this could be fixed with the HDR mode or by adjusting the white balance.
This then resulted in more colorful images and improved detail. Low light shots
did produce more noise.
General performance
Shot times were quite quick, but it does
rely almost completely on its auto focus. The interface however is simplicity
personified, with almost no visible on-screen options. It’s something you will
either love or hate.
Features
Features are kept minimal. It lacks the
advanced options of the Samsung (including memory expansion), but it does have
a nice Photo Sphere option. Its video recording tracks okay with good audio,
but the focus locks into macro too easily.
Battery life
We expected this to be the best in the
group, but it proved completely the opposite. Due to its high spec, heavy
general use (with Wi-Fi and multimedia in operation) would see regular
charging.
Verdict
If you adjust the white balance or enable
HDR, this simple camera does a respectable job for the lower price point
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Technical
specs
§ Operating
system: Android OS, 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)
§ Processor:
Quad-core 1.5GHz Krait
§ Memory:
2GB RAM, 16GB storage
§ Dimensions:
133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm
§ Weight:
139g
§ Display:
4.7” (318 ppi), 768 x 1,280
§ Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth V 4.0, GPS (including tagging), DC-HSDPA, 42
Mbps, HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, TV-out (via MHL A/V)
§ Camera:
8-MP rear (LED flash), 1.3-MP front camera, 1080p full HD video recording
@30fps
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