The Google Nexus 4 is one of the most powerful phones on the market. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and runs Google Android 4.2. It doesn’t get great battery life and the phone gets surprisingly warm after a little use, but it’s arguably one of the best Android devices you can buy.

A lot of early reviewers were upset with one thing though: Google says the phone doesn’t support 4G LTE, and instead sells it for use on HSPA+ networks. But when the folks at iFixit tore apart the phone they found an LTE chip, and now it’s been confirmed to work on some wireless networks.

Nexus 4 motherboard
The LTE chip is circled in light blue (credit: iFixit)

Xda-developers forum member a1jatt noticed that he could enable LTE support by choosing it from the “preferred network type” in Android’s hidden Phone Info section (which you can bring up by dialing *#*#4636#*#*).

The folks at AnandTech confirmed that this works… but only on LTE Band 4 ,which is the band used by Canadian wireless carriers Telus and Rogers. It’s also the band that T-Mobile plans to use when it rolls out its 4G LTE network.

Unfortunately this means that the Nexus 4 in its current state won’t work with LTE networks from AT&T or Verizon.

via The Verge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXOY9EVZ4vA

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4 replies on “Google Nexus 4 has hidden 4G LTE support… on some networks”

    1. Because that was a package deal, you can’t get rid of what already backed in the circuit.

    1. As of now, 1,800 MHz – but are you sure it’s operational? I’m in the U.S., so no way to verify. I know there’re some problems using that particular band for LTE on LTE-capable iPads and iPhone5’s!

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