Will Nexus 4 work well in India ? FAQ for Indian owners of LG Nexus 4

96 Replies

UPDATE (16th May, 2013) : Nexus 4 is now officially available in India for 25999Rs

Airtel Nexus 4

Are you thinking of buying a Nexus 4, but are skeptical whether it works well in India ? Are you worried that you can use your existing sim card like Airtel/Vodafone with your new phone ? Are you scared that you wont be able to download India-only apps on the play store ?

Then this blog post is for you. This will help you decide whether it is safe to import nexus 4 from outside India.

If you want to buy a nexus 4, read my article on how to buy nexus 4 in india.

Does Nexus 4 work well on Indian SIM cards ?

Yes it does.

 

See the screenshot below which shows Nexus 4 running on Airtel prepaid sim.

 

But the only catch is that it requires you to have a micro sim .. just like iPhones and iPads. Its easy to ask your connection providers like Idea, BSNL etc to provide you a new micro sim with the same number, but if you are impatient, you could as well cut out your regular sized sim card to micro sim. This is what I did with my Airtel sim and it works without a glitch. There are loads of tutorials which help you in cutting your sim, in addition to that you can buy a cheap micro sim cutter from ebay for 150 bucks. I personally used a micro sim template (a print out which helps you cut your sim), and it need not be a perfect cut for the sim to work.
Nexus 4 works well on both 3G and 2G bands on all India mobile service providers, although it is incompatible with the upcoming Airtel 4g postpaid connections. The call quality is good and I have never experienced call drops on nexus.

Can Nexus 4 download India-only apps from the app store ?

Yes it can. There have been some reports floating around about some devices bought in the US showing messages like “this app is not available for your country”. But nexus 4 is not one among them. You will be able to sign in with your google account tied to your Indian address and will be able to download
both free and paid apps easily.

Will nexus 4 devices in India get android OS updates later than the ones in US ?

Nope. You will get it around the same time as the update is released. Unlike some Samsung and Sony devices who roll out updates slowly to  India, Nexus 4 updates can be downloaded instantly. Personally, I was able to download the android 4.2.2 update the same day it released in US. Nexus devices are usually the first ones to get android updates. With Android Key lime pie around the corner, you will be the lucky ones to experience it before your friends on non google devices.
Play store India running on Nexus 4

What about warranty in India ?

Unfortunately warranty of LG nexus 4 devices are only valid in the country you bought them in. If anything goes wrong, you will have to take it back to the place you bought it from.

How about accessory availability ?

There are already a lot of accessories floating around on Indian shopping sites which sell accessories like screen guards, hard covers, wireless chargers etc. With time they will only become more cheaper.

Do I have to buy a separate adapter to accomodate the voltage difference ?

No. The adapter provided will work in Indian voltage range (~230 Volts).

Can I root Nexus 4 ?

Yes, I have done it myself and it is very easy to install custom roms like Cyanogen mod. It is also very easy to restore your old OS, in case something goes wrong. By rooting, you have an advantage of getting OS upgrades faster. For e.g, if google releases an OS update for the upcoming Nexus 5, the developer community will port it to Nexus 4 and you can install it by rooting.
Also, for android developers, rooting is a must, since you get access to internals like reading SQLite database of other apps to see their schema, reading other apps private files/shared preferences etc.

Will LG provide paid service in India ?

No, I have contacted LG and they say that until LG officially launches Nexus 4 in India, even paid service is not an option. You have to take it back to the country you bought it in to get paid service.

Screen Shot 2013-03-24 at 1.33.59 AM

UPDATE: Since Nexus 4 has launched in India, you can get service from the following service centers :

Bangalore :

OPTIMA MOBILE SERVICES
Address New No:90 (old no 577), 1st Floor, 2nd Main 2nd Block, Off Rajkumar Road (opp Bridge Stone TVS Show Room), Rajajinagar, Bangalore,BANGALORE,KA,560010 Phone
DIRECT SERVICE CENTRE KH ROAD-BLR
Address No: 93, TKN Mansion, KH Road (Double Road), ,BANGALORE,KA,560027 Phone
Josh Tech Services P Ltd
Address #F-57, KSSIDC, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RAJAJINAGAR,BANGALORE,KA,560044 Phone
DIRECT SERVICE CENTER KR ROAD
Address No:335, K R Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage,,BANGALORE,KA,560070 Phone
Delhi:
ELCOM TRADING CO P L CDMA
Address 308, 3rd Floor Madhuban Building 55,Nehru Place,DELHI,DL,110019 Phone
Rohan Tele Services
Address C-21, 1st Floor, Near Bus Stand Bhajanpura,DELHI,DL,110053 Phone
SUKRITI COMMUNICATIONS
Address 101 Patparganj Mayur Vihar Phase I,DELHI,DL,110091 Phone
LGEIL Delhi Direct Service
Address LGEIL,13 Milestone, Rohtak Road, Opp Maharaja Agrsen Hospital Punjabi Bagh,New Delhi ,DELHI,DL, Phone
Mumbai:
G P ELECTRONICS
Address Shop No 6 Ambika Cooperative Housing Society, Jawahar Nagar Road No 2, Near Railway Crossing, Goregaon West, Mumbai 400062,MUMBAI,MH,400062 Phone
GRACE TELESERVICES
Address Shop No.3, C/1 Manik Nagar Society,MUMBAI,MH,400092 Phone
Chennai :
SABISU
Address B2, GOLDEN ENCLAVE, NEW 275, OLD 184,,CHENNAI,TN,600010 Phone
GENESIS COMMUNICATION
Address 63/3,First Main Road Gandhi Nagar,Adyar Chennai,CHENNAI,TN,600020 Phone
FORWARD INFO SYSTEM PVT LTD
Address NO.293, ARCOT ROAD KODAMBAKKAM CHENNAI,CHENNAI,TN,600024 Phone
GS SYSTEM
Address 547/352,F.M. TOWERS MOUNT ROAD,NADANAM Chennai,CHENNAI,TN,600035 Phone
How about Indian language support ?

Hindi font support Nexus 4Nexus 4 supports all major Indian fonts. I could receive hindi SMS, open hindi websites etc without any modifications. This is because Jelly bean officially supports all major Indian languages. Checkout the screenshot on the left.

Some queries I received via email

Hi Kiran,

I really liked your blog and it has inspired me a lot to buy a Nexus 4 for myself. I’ve a friend in US who has already ordered phone for me from Google Play, and expecting to deliver it in a day to two. Now, I’m looking to find a cost effective and reliable option for shipping from New Jersey to Bangalore. I did check with Fedex, and UPS but they’re quoting around $100, which seems to be pretty high to me. I’m wondering how come you got $35 as shipping cost? Any pointers you can share to guide me in this regard. Appreciate for your response.

Thanks,
Rajat

Hi Rajat,

Congrats on your new phone.
About $35 shipping, MYUS.com has some tieup with fedex I guess which allows them to provide cheap shipping.
You have a few choices here,
1. Sign up on myus.com and ship to their address.
2. Use aramex for shipping ( 40 -50 USD)
3. Sign up on hopshopdrop.com where they offer very cheap shipping (more like 1000 Rs).
 
Regards

 

Hi Kiran,

I am Yash Jugran from New Delhi, and I read your blog a few days back. Felt quite impressed, and of course I am hoping that you can help me buy the phone directly from US.

I have registered with MyUS.com, and 563 bucks just went off from my account. I realized I failed to register in mind the line in the blog where you mention ” I did manage to access play store page with the help of my friend who has a server in the US.”

Humph… Bad luck none of my friends have a Server in US, and I am trying my wits out to buy this phone I-dunno-since-when.

Could you PLEASE help me out here? I am desperately waiting for your response.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Yash

Did you try using a proxy like hidemyass.com ?

 

I bought a Nexus 4 from US recently, when I had my Sim cut yesterday and tried to put inside Nexus 4 and when I selected Airtel Network after Searching for Networks it throwed me up an error stating ” This Sim doesnt allow connection to this network”???

Please let me know if you have come across this and any solutions to get it worked?

Thanks
Kaushik

I did not face such an issue, nor did my friends who have a Nexus 4 in India.
You should try some online solutions like http://thewichitacomputerguy.com/blog/how-i-fixed-your-sim-card-does-not-allow-connection-network-g1 where they ask you to change network type etc.
Also do try putting the same sim on someone who has an iOS device like iPhone 4, iPad 2 etc to check whether the SIM has got damaged

I am planning to buy an android phone and i already have a nexus 7 tab (wifi 32gb). Is there any added advantage to buy nexus 4 then. As both the gadgets are of nexus series.
Is there any other phone in the market with specs even close nexus 4 as my budget is quite constrained.
Also can i use internet on my nexus tab using dongles…connecting the dongle using usb converter.
and the $299 nexus 4 works well in india or is there some other model?

Normally people with android phones buy iOS tablets and vice versa. But there is not better android phone than nexus 4 in that price range.

Hi Kiran,

I came across your blog and want to share one problem i am having with the nexus device. I am using a vodafone sim and have enabled 2g on my phone. Although the net works fine but there is a problem of delayed connecivity and slow internet speed. I can tell that since i have another phone samsung galaxy s duos and that also have a vodafone sim.

Some problems i face are:

1. When i open whatsapp it shows the last online time after some delay…like 20-30 seconds but my galaxy s duos shows it instantly.

2. Also when i am browing pages take longer time to load and gets stuck quite often which doesnt happen on my galaxy.

Please let me know if u face such issues and let me know if u can check it from your end.

Thanks and Regards,
Asim Khan

No. I am with Airtel and never faced any issues. Did u try upgrading to android 4.2.2

i was already upgraded to 4.2.2 when i bought it. Anyways thanks for the help. I guess its a device specific issue, since it was bought from us i can’t even give for repairing. :(

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96 thoughts on “Will Nexus 4 work well in India ? FAQ for Indian owners of LG Nexus 4”

  1. Utsav

    Hey buddy.You have prepared good bunch of FAQs.
    But my question is , “if anything goes wrong with Nexus 4, is LG service center provides paid service for it? “

    Reply ↓
  4. karan

    Jst got a nexs 4 frm n.z as a present for sm1 in india. I was jst wonderin if they will b able to dwnload basic apps lyk viber, wats app by accesing the play store in india. Or shld I install dem ere nd dn snd da phne…..I js din wanna open da packaging

    Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      You can install Viber, Whatsapp etc from the indian store, in fact I am using these apps. When they start the phone for the first time, ask them to login using a google india registered for India.

      Reply ↓
    1. admin Post author

      I would recommend gadget shieldz. Its a little expensive (350rs) but it provides screen guard from front ,back and sides.

      Reply ↓
  7. anks

    would u please give me quotation for 16 gb nexus 4
    if some one sending phone form US
    like
    price
    excise duty
    shipping charges

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  8. Ketan

    Hi Kiran. Thanks for all the clarifications and FAQ on Nexus 4. I have got it from USA and as you said, it supports Hindi. My problem is I get SMS and messages in Gujarati as well, which I can’t read on Nexus 4. Can you please help me with procedure to install Gujarati fonts? Thanks in advance.

    Reply ↓
  9. NMir

    Hi,

    A friend of mine ordered a Nexus 4 for me from the US and we both just realised that it doesn’t come with headphones. Since he is going to leave in 1-2 days, it is too late to order the headphones now so I was wondering which headphones work best with it so that I can purchase from a set from here itself.

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
    1. Kiran Kumar Post author

      You could buy any branded pair of headphones and they should work just fine. The buttons and headphone jack have pretty much become a standard across all brands nowadays. So nothing specific for nexus 4, even apple headphones should work

      Reply ↓
  10. Anirudh

    Hi,

    Would it make any difference as to where the nexus 4 has been bought?
    I ask this as I make out that the blog in general talks about the nexus 4 imported from US.
    Will it work if I get it from Canada?

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  11. Sree Vinayak

    What should I tell my uncle(who does not know what android is btw) in UK to buy a Nexus 4..as in from google play store without the contract etc.,? I do not know how the contract thing works thats y..waiting for your reply at the earliest. Thanks.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kiran Kumar Post author

      Ask him to search for nexus 4 on Google. His first result will point him to Google play store website. Ask him to click buy. After that its just like any other online shopping. By default all purchases on on play store are factory unlocked.

      Reply ↓
  12. Vibhu Gauba

    Hey Kiran, great blog really! Helped me out on various questions I had regarding Nexus 4. My sister’s getting it for me from US. So as you say, phone will be under warranty ‘once’ LG launches it in India? And as for the back glass, the fact that it’s not the toughest, how important is that issue really? And sooner or later, LG will launch it in India, right?
    Thanks!

    Reply ↓
    1. Vaibhav aka Vibhu

      Hey what a pleasant surprise to see you here man, we got the same names and now we are looking for the same phones LOL! So you decided to buy it yet? I’ll talk to you on gmail chat :) Cheers!!

      Reply ↓
  14. Vikram

    My Nexus 4 fell in the Indian Ocean and the batter is dead :( . How do I get a new one or the phone fixed?

    Reply ↓
  15. chandrasekar

    Hi kiran
    I had put the cut airtel microsim in nexus 4 and it says “your Sim does not allow you to connect to the network”. However this sum works perfectly on other phones.Is there a solution to this.
    Please help.
    Regards
    Chandru

    Reply ↓
  16. S.Subramanian

    Hi, I tried using vodofone 2G prepaid micro sim to my LG NEXUS 4. But the phone is not recognizing the sim. Can any one throw some light on how to fix it ?

    Reply ↓
  17. AK

    Hi Kiran,
    I am about to purchase nexus 4 from US for my trip to India. How easy it is to get mirco sim card? Is it a long process? I am guessing sim card will give me local phone number. Please assist.
    Your blog is extremely helpful. Great job!
    Thanks,
    AK

    Reply ↓
  18. varn

    What are the overhead charges on Nexus 4 16gb above 349$? does it have any taxes and shipping charges ..?if yes how much is it?

    Reply ↓
      1. sid

        hie kiran,
        how did you solve your problem regarding “your sim card doesnt allow a connection to this network” I’m facing the same problem I purchased a google nexus 4 15days ago

        Reply ↓
  20. sunmeena

    Hi there….if I buy google nexus 4 in the USA and take to India, will it be covered by warranty in India by LG and will LG provide services under warranty…?

    Reply ↓
  21. Talkien

    Hi Kiran,

    You allayed a lot of fears..
    With the Nexus 4 launching in India in May-end, are you sure the warranty will be valid if brought in US..??

    @others : Got my vodafone micro sim from the vodafone store…10 min job…only annoying part was the waiting…cost me rs.25

    Reply ↓
  22. sagar sathe

    my nexus 4 is from dubai and it showing ““your sim card doesnt allow a connection to this network”
    please help…….

    Reply ↓
  23. Priya

    I got a nexus 4 from US.. I had my idea sim cut and placed.. I have good network, can make calls and receive messages but cannot SEND messages. I had this problem with my old Nokia phone as well and solved it by entering the message centre number. But I don’t know where to enter it in the nexus 4.. I’m from Maharashtra. Pls help.

    Reply ↓
  26. Ramprakash

    Hey Kiran,

    I am really in trouble. As you would have known this issue already, Nexus 4 phone’s earpiece stops working and the only way to make calls is to use headset/handsfree. My phone has been brought from US. Are there any ways to repair this in India since the phone is launched here?

    Thanks,
    Ramprakash K R

    Reply ↓
  27. gaurav chadha

    hello there . this question is for the writer of the blog whom i assume is using the nexus fone and for any other person who uses the phone
    the phone is NOW available in india thankfully BUT while researching (a lot of researching) i came to some links (mentioned in the end) that nexus 4 has a heating problem. it heats if we use google crome/google earth/games/3g/heavy calling . and temeprature of battery rises to 60 to 85 degrees and the phone auto powers off and when it heats it drains battery from 100 to 2% within minutes .
    need user feedback if this is true or false …
    dnt want to spoil hard earned money into a heated up smart fone

    regards
    gaurav

    Reply ↓
  28. gaurav chadha

    hello there . this question is for the writer of the blog whom i assume is using the nexus fone and for any other person who uses the phone
    the phone is NOW available in india thankfully BUT while researching (a lot of researching) i came to some links (mentioned in the end) that nexus 4 has a heating problem. it heats if we use google crome/google earth/games/3g/heavy calling . and temeprature of battery rises to 60 to 85 degrees and the phone auto powers off and when it heats it drains battery from 100 to 2% within minutes .
    need user feedback if this is true or false …
    dnt want to spoil hard earned money into a heated up smart fone
    http://efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=100719
    https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=40334
    regards
    gaurav

    Reply ↓
  29. Sanath

    My nexus 4 fell from a height of around 4 feet. The front glass panel along has broken. The phone right now is totally unusable. Be aware, this phone is very fragile.

    I am now waiting when LG india will support this and how much the glass panel costs. Anybody has replaced the glass panel in India?

    Regards,
    Sanath

    Reply ↓
  30. Aditya Deuskar

    I just bought the nexus 4 I am using it with a 3g vodafone prepiad connection but for some reason the phone remains at (E), it does not go to 3g is there an issue with 3g and Nexus 4?

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  32. ramya

    Hi
    I recently got hold of my nexus 4.My cousin actually bought it from play store u.s.everything is fine except watsapp is not getting connected .after verifying my mobile number…even though internet connectivity is present..it says no internet connectivity and asking me to check by rebooting the phone.I have tried rebooting the phone,uninstalling and re installing wants app…when I checked it with my friends s2 its working in there.please suggest a way out of this

    Reply ↓
    2. harsha

      Hi rRmya,
      I my galfren has the same problem with watsapp.
      It would b. Helpful if you could share your remedy.
      Egarly waiting for your reply.

      Thanks in advance,
      Harshs

      Reply ↓
        1. harsha

          Kiran,
          She actually did that but still it doesn’t work.
          And also non of the chat applications work.
          She tried wechat, xms everything.
          :(

          Reply ↓
  34. amitesh

    Hi,

    I just wanted to know,how many hours battery back up are you guys getting?
    My phone doesn’t give me more than 14-16 hours back up,I use it generally for whatsapp and a little net surfing.
    Also I charge my phone with a Samsung corby charger which I have,does it impact the battery in anyway?

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  35. sharmila

    I bought nexus 4 16gb recently….everything is fine and happy with that phone. but i am not able to enable radio in my nexus 4.
    please suggest me how to do?

    Reply ↓
  36. sneha

    Hi,
    I was planning on buying a Nexus 4 from Flipkart.
    Is there any alternative place where you can suggest buying it from(for lesser if possible) ?

    Also, your FAQ doesn’t deal with the issue of Nexus 4 not having a MicroSD card slot and also about the wireless charging. How does one deal with these issues?

    Reply ↓
  37. praveen

    Hi..

    I bought my nexus 4 recently in India itself.I am having terrible battery issues.it is not even giving 4 hours of screen time.can I ask for a replacement. I have tried all the battery saving options.if so where should I claim for replacement? Please help

    Regards

    Reply ↓
  38. keval

    hey, i am using reaince network..
    i am having problems in getting msgs while using whatsapp..
    i get delayed notifications.. any probs?
    read few articles, ppl say its wifi bug..
    any fix?

    Reply ↓
  39. Shilpa

    Hi Kiran,
    Thanks for the many FAQs. I bought mine from the US sometime in March. Didn’t really use it as a phone until like a month back because my previous one still worked well. Started using the Nexus 4 regularly from like 6 weeks now. From about 10 days, the screen goes completely blank while making calls. I can’t cut the call or type anything or even put it on loudspeaker. Have to wait for the other person to hang up. Internet is also slow from a couple of days. You or anyone else facing these issues?
    Noticed many people asking about battery issues as well. In my experience it has improved with continuous usage. Lasts an entire day with full charging only if you are not using the internet too much.
    Regards,
    Shilpa

    Reply ↓
  40. Rajesh Kumar S

    Hi Kiran,
    I bought LG Google Nexus 4 last 2 months before,but then network coverage sensitivity is so poor.
    I got one major problem in Nexus 4,The Inbuilt 3 hidden keys are not working.Please let me know the solution to reslove..

    Rajesh Kumar S

    Reply ↓
  42. Subba Rao

    Hi Kiran,
    Since last night my nexus 4 got switched off and when i tried to switch on its not getting started. Even when i start charging then it z showing red light sensor indicator in d bottom of the screen. Since many hour it z under charging. Nothing was showing on the screen except red indicator. Appreciate your help. I stay at hyderabad.

    Reply ↓
  43. keyur

    Is there any problem like overheating of nexus 4 if we update it to 4.3 jelly bean? or any other issue in updating os of nexus 4 to 4.3?

    Reply ↓
  44. keyur

    Hi.
    Is there any problem like overheating of NExus 4 if it is updated to 4.3 Jelly Bean? Or any other issue related to that?
    I m little bit confused in updating the devices after reading many articles on issues related to 4.3 update.
    Pl. guide me.

    Keyur

    Reply ↓
  45. Jobin John

    I have a box packed Nexus 4 with bill. If anyone want to buy please email me jobinjohn247 @gmail.com or call 9711539580

    Reply ↓
  46. Jobin John

    I have a box packed Nexus 4 with bill. If anyone want to buy please email me jobinjohn247 @gmail.co2m or call 9711539580

    Reply ↓
  47. dinesh

    Hi Dude,
    I brought Nexus 4 from USA and cut normal SIM to micro SIM using template.
    But it is not working. Still it shows No Sim.
    Whats wrong.

    Reply ↓
  48. Jigs

    Hi kiran,
    The info which has been provided by you is very helpful…my friend who is in US ordered nexus 4 for me from Google website itself…just a week back I got my Phn here in India..Phn is amazing but there is a big prob I’m facing Im using Vodafone 2g network n my internet works fine but whenever I tried downloading whatsapp or any other app from Google play store it showing downloading error..I did factory reset but the problem still persists don’t know wat to do next..can u pls help?

    Reply ↓
  49. vineet

    please help me i bought Nexus 4 in the month of june and in august, suddenlly phone was switched of so i tried to switch on there was no resopnse then i took it to Lg service center those ppl said some water was found near the motherboard, so i have to pay now 10,000 bucks for repair Lg is not responsible for that so please help me out

    Reply ↓

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