Nexus 4

The fourth Google Nexus phone, released November 13, 2012.

Start a New Guide Ask a Question

Page 1 of 3

Nexus 4 Teardown

Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.

The Nexus 4 landed in our inbox just in time for a Friday teardown-a-rama. Questions that linger in our minds:

Is it good as a phone? No idea. We dived right into the Nexus 4—for science!
Will it blend? We'll let Tom answer that one.
How repairable is it? Only time will tell. Look below for the freshiest of the fresh information on the Nexus 4's innards.

We'll love you forever* if you follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

*But only if you're kind to us.

At first glimpse, the Nexus 4 doesn't jump out and grab your attention, but its clean, sleek design makes it anything but an eyesore.
Google chose LG as its design partner to manufacture the newest Nexus phone. For all of their hard work, LG gets their logo on the back of the phone (and probably a decent boost in sales revenue).
Perhaps we spoke too soon about the Nexus 4 not clamoring for attention. Upon closer inspection, the back of the phone shows off one of our favorite features: sparkles!

Left to right: iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy SIII, LG Nexus 4.
We wanted to add a Galaxy Note II to the mix, but this iPad Mini was the closest thing we had (size-wise).
- First world problems, right?
Despite the minor variation in appearance, not all black rectangles are created equal. Compared to the Galaxy Nexus—the phone it succeeds—the Nexus 4 is a hair heavier (139 g vs 135 g), thicker (9.1 mm vs 8.9 mm), and wider (68.7 mm vs 67.9 mm).

Whenever a new Android device hits the stage, we feel obligated to see how it measures up to the latest iPhone. Let's have a look-see.
Both phones have their main I/O connector on the bottom, flanked by two screws. For the iPhone, it's the Lightning connector (Apple proprietary) and two Pentalobe screws (also proprietary). The Nexus 4, on the other hand, wields a micro-USB/SlimPort HDMI port (universal) and two Torx screws (quite common).
Rather than hide the Micro SIM card underneath the battery—a common practice in many phones—LG pushed the Micro SIM slot to the side and included their own stubby SIM eject tool. Very Cupertino.

With our newly-acquired SIM card eject tool, we take the first baby step towards dismantling the Nexus 4.
Phew, that was exhausting! With the Micro SIM card tray out, the Nexus 4 slims down to a scant 138.8 grams.

After liberating the two T5 Torx screws from their imprisonment, it took a few minutes of diligent work with a plastic opening tool to remove the back cover.
- It wasn't particularly difficult to open this device, but anyone attempting it without the proper prying tool will face a lot of frustration.
Right off the bat we notice that the battery is much harder to replace than in the earlier Galaxy Nexus. This could hurt its repairability score, but it's still early!

The rear cover of most phones is a ho-hum piece of plastic that serves no real purpose other than covering the battery. That is not the case here.
A number of pressure contacts power the NFC antenna and connect the induction coil needed for wireless charging to the motherboard.
- With "wireless charging" listed as an official tech spec for the Nexus 4, we were anxious to try it out on our device. Alas, the phone doesn't ship with a wireless charger. Boo.
Two years ago, Google brought NFC to the smartphone realm with the Nexus S. It's been a long road, but the technology seems to finally be catching on.