N4 Timeline

This is the timeline for events in the Nexus 4's existence. The latest news is at the top.

Due to the lack of stock, the initial history of the Nexus 4 is organized into waves of orders.

Other waves

After Wave 2, people who ordered for 4-5 weeks shipping got theirs in a few days. Google even released an apology for the mess. But there are hints that LG is turning away from the Nexus 4, a phone that cuts into the sales of the Optimus G.

• 12/17/12 - For the first time in the Nexus 4's history, an official statement from a Google UK/Ireland Official leaks out. He offers grave apologies for the absymal ordering experience to the a mob in Google+, but shifts the blame to LG for failing to fulfill orders.
  • Some users think that LG is refusing to fulfill the wave of new orders, which have low profit margins and are threatening their own sales. It might not be long before the Nexus 4 becomes a limited edition phone...
• 12/12/12 - The last few stragglers are still waiting from Wave 1, with orders over a month old even while those who ordered two days ago got theirs. Redditors call it Barry Bonds Steroid Limbo. The issue becomes so bad that many of them end up reordering or buying new phones.

Wave 2

*Most of the Nexus 4 community was established in the second wave, containing advanced users armed to the teeth with website attack scripts and backed by the Reddit community. The shopping fiasco was no different, but Google eventually came to their senses and established a preorder scheme; just allow 8-9 weeks shipping.

• 12/4/12 - The first ad for the Nexus 4 is made by LG UK, a pittiance presented on Youtube. Yet the LG Optimus G has had well-designed TV commercials blaring since November. In an nutshell, "With the limited supply of Nexus 4s the whole town had to share just two devices." - Girwaffles, Reddit r/Nexus 4
• 12/1/12 - Strikes cripple the Port of Los Angeles. As a result, Nexus 4 shipments from Korea are stuck waiting on container ships in port. Most people are now stuck in the "The Yellow Box of Death" (shipping label created. And somehow, a few people with 2-3 week shipping get their phones long before the 1-2 week group.
• 11/31/12 - The first orders from Wave 2 begin to ship earlier than expected. This is restricted to people with 1-2 weeks shipping. Backorders from Wave 1 are still shipping and pending for those in limbo, however.
• ~1:30PM PST 11/27/12 - Google finally comes to it's senses and begins a "pre-order" system that is built on backorders up to 8 weeks long. However, since the payment system is still busted, the proceed/checkout button does not work. Some users report success by rapidly mashing the button.
• 12:00PM PST 11/27/12 - Google begins the second wave of Nexus 4 orders. In a scenario oddly reminiscent of the the first release, it sold out in a matter of minutes with the same pain inducing purchase system.

Wave 1

The first wave was full of hype and joy about Google's new Nexus 4, pretaining to it's high specs and low unlocked price. Unfortunately, it was full of disappointment with a botched release and a small community of first users. Even those who ordered were usually stuck in "limbo", with devices shipping weeks after initial purchase, using mandatory two-day shipping.

• 11/23/12 - Users on XDA-Developers discover a way to activate the Nexus 4's hidden LTE chip. The chip was first found by Anandtech and Ifixit during device teardowns, but was thought to be unusable at the time. However, it is built for Band 4, which is only supported by Telus in Canada and T-Mobile in the US. Also, while LTE does work at full speeds, it uses more power than on other phones due to the lack of a matching radio amplifier.

• 11/15/12 - Users on XDA-Developers discover that USB OTG/Host mode does not work in any form on the Nexus 4. While Android 4.2 broke OTG in all devices, workarounds were found on the Nexus 7 and 10; not so for the Nexus 4.

• 8:30AM PST 11/13/12 - The Nexus 4 is given a fateful first release in the US. It is released 30 minutes earlier than the announced release time, and is sold out by 9:00 AM. Anger ensues.

• With no purchase limit, scalpers take the opportunity to resell on eBay, and most customers are left in the dust by a small stock and a monsterously bad shopping experience, with items disappearing from carts, and orders failing to process right in the middle.

• Somehow, even with their limited stock and infuriating shopping experience, Google discovers that they have sold more orders than they can actually meet. Backorders ensue.

• 11/13/12 - The Nexus 4 sells out in less than an hour in Australia, Germany, and the UK, a premonition of issues to come.

• Unknown - Google puts the Nexus 4 on the Play Store with a box to enter your email for a notification of release. Nobody recieved an email until the second wave.

Prehistory

• 10/29/12 - The Verge goes to Google's Mountain View headquarters to review the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. This is the only official announcement or video ever given from Google about the Nexus 4. Matias Duarte states that the Nexus 4 is, as of writing, the only smartphone that has been worthy of the Nexus name.
• 10/20/12 - A pre-release model of the LG Nexus 4 is lost in a bar, in a similar manner to the iPhone 4 of yesteryear. The result is an interestingly heavy-handed attempt by Google at confidentiality.
• • A pre-release model is documented on a Belarusian blog. Many Android fans are deeply dismayed by Google's choice of LG, a company known for old featurephones and famously infuriating Androids.