Nexus 4 back in Stock in US

[tubemonkey]

Since the Nexus 4 is unlocked, why doesn't Google sell it in the same stores they sell the Nexus 7 and at the same price they sell it online?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Since the Nexus 4 is unlocked, why doesn't Google sell it in the same stores they sell the Nexus 7 and at the same price they sell it online?

I thought it was Asus that sold the Nexus 7 in the stores.

But the reason is probably the broken phone market in the US. Shops are not setup to sell unlocked phones and there might be contracts restricting what shops can do.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by taosaur

I may be a wizard, but I have never had to replace a phone battery, and I tend to keep the same phone for a while.

Then you don't find yourself traveling extensively in places where you might not be able to recharge easily. Many of us do, and for us, being able to switch to a second battery, or choosing a higher capacity battery for primary use, is quite important. Being able to do a hard reset by removing the battery briefly can be important as well.

And if you end up keeping the same phone for three years, diminishing battery capacity can be avoided as well.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Since the Nexus 4 is unlocked, why doesn't Google sell it in the same stores they sell the Nexus 7 and at the same price they sell it online?

Rather a good point.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

Then you don't find yourself traveling extensively in places where you might not be able to recharge easily. Many of us do, and for us, being able to switch to a second battery, or choosing a higher capacity battery for primary use, is quite important. Being able to do a hard reset by removing the battery briefly can be important as well.

I have tried extra battery for previous phones but they are very inconvenient because you have to reboot. It is much better to buy an external battery and use that to charge the phone.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by tompe

But the reason is probably the broken phone market in the US. Shops are not setup to sell unlocked phones and there might be contracts restricting what shops can do.

This. I asked an associate at Best Buy why they didn't sell unlocked phones and he said this was the reason why. He said that if they sold unlocked phones in stores, they could actually get in trouble with carriers.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by tompe

I have tried extra battery for previous phones but they are very inconvenient because you have to reboot. It is much better to buy an external battery and us that to charge the phone.

That's my thinking. I've tried battery swapping before simply because my new phone took the same battery as my old phone, so I had two batteries, but it was more trouble than it was worth. If you're reliably running into "I'm living off my phone and I can't plug in" scenarios, then a general purpose USB battery pack might be a simpler option. Prioritizing battery life in your choice of phone is another.

I have had to pull the battery for a "hard reset" on old phones, but I've always been able to get around it on my tablets, which simply require a button combination (usually home + power) to accomplish the same thing. Presumably there's some similar safeguard on my current phone (which lacks an accessible battery), but I don't know for sure. I do know battery life has been working out fine for me--I've used my emergency charger once in the three weeks I've had my current phone. I haven't traveled in that time, but given that I usually take more than one gadget along when I travel, I'd almost certainly go for an external power pack before a spare battery.

[Penforhire]

Nexus 4 larger size may make this less convenient but my iPhone 4 lives every day in a Mophie Juice Pack series of battery case. I end up with an old-fashioned looking chunky phone that is still able to sit in a shirt pocket. If I'm trying to be fashionable, wearing more tailored clothes, it comes right out of the case and I'm back to a super-slim phone.

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by tompe

I have tried extra battery for previous phones but they are very inconvenient because you have to reboot. It is much better to buy an external battery and use that to charge the phone.

I tend to use a larger third-party battery and back cover, which obviate the need to carry a second power-retentive object. This solution has served me well with the original Galaxy S.

Perhaps that tactic won't be as necessary with a Note II. Which external battery do you use?

And again, removing a phone's internal battery is sometimes crucial for a quick restart -- not necessarily at the beginning of a smartphone's life, but a year or two in. Something to consider when button mashing fails.

Penforhire:

The Mophie 2029 JPU-Powerstation-Duo is the external battery I've meant to buy ever since NYC's last major blackout, when I had to use my smartphone as an alarm clock.

Battery cases are likely out because I tend not to own iPhones.

Taosaur:

My grillfiend and I live in different cities, so I travel at least three weekends a month. That and imminent power issues in NYC are reasons I'd look at battery life even if I ever did finally check out of Amazon with that separate charger which has spent oodles of time idling in my cart.