LG has produced 400,000 Nexus 4 units so far

While the Nexus 4 has been launched for quite some time now, the device is still relatively rare. It has been mostly out of stock since its release and since Google doesn’t reveal device sales, it’s especially difficult to figure out how many devices LG has produced so far. However, some detective work by members of the XDA Developer forums has revealed that LG has produced about 400,000 devices so far.

According to Tech Crunch , the number was arrived on by analysing the serial numbers that were printed on the box. The date of production is encoded in the first three positions, with the first position defining the year and the second and third positions defining the month. The fourth position defines the country. The last six digits of the number match the last six numbers of the IMEI. This seems to be incremented by one with each newly produced unit.

Only 400,000 of these so far

The Nexus 4 hasn’t yet been launched in India, but if you’re lucky, you can grab one from some online retailers. The phone is available online at the steep price of Rs 35,999. It is rumoured though that the Nexus 4 is expected to launch in India this month. Along with this handset, LG is expected to introduce the LG Optimus G in India, which is the company’s flagship handset.

Google had announced the latest devices in its Nexus line-up in late October, 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, was also announced alongside the LG Nexus 4.

The Nexus 4 is Google’s latest smartphone developed together with LG. It has a quad-core processor, runs on android 4.2, has a crisp 4.7-inch (320 ppi) display and boasts of wireless charging. 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 4.2 brings some great goodies, including 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 4.2 also adds support for wireless displays, so you can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos and play games right on a Miracast-compatible HDTV.

The phone has also proven to be durable in some tests. In a 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 glass on either side of the body 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 nut.