[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by pl001

I love the price of the Nexus 4 and its overall package. But two things I really don't like: No LTE and 16 GB max. HSPA+ may be fast enough but the coverage is terrible around here compared to LTE.

Why Google's new Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE

Sometimes the only winning move is not to play.

For Google, Nexus is a flagship brand that represents the best of Android, with Google leading by example to show other hardware manufacturers what Android can be. And though partners build the hardware, Google wants direct control of the software on Nexus devices with no carrier intervention. That alone means Google can't sell an LTE device, as there's simply no access to LTE networks without working with carriers in one way or another: Verizon and Sprint's LTE networks still require compatibility with their 3G CDMA systems, and there's essentially no such thing as an unlocked CDMA device. AT&T's fledgling LTE network runs on different frequencies than other LTE networks around the world, so Google would have to build a custom phone for just 77 markets in the US. Doing that without AT&T's financial assistance makes little sense.