The Google Play Store has run out of stock of the 16GB Google Nexus 4 smartphone, just two weeks after the 8GB model sold out. According to The Verge, Google has no plans to restock either model — and that could be a sign that the launch of the new Nexus 5 smartphone is imminent.
Another good indicator that the Nexus 5 is on the way? The billion and one leaks about the phone that have been popping up all over the internet for the past few weeks.
When the Nexus 4 launched in 2012, it offered high-end specs at a low to mid-range price. Google sweetened the deal recently by knocking $100 off the price, allowing you to pick up a phone with a 720p screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and the latest version of Android for as little as $199.
While those specs are still pretty good, there’s not exactly state of the art anymore. Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, and others now offer phones with higher-resolution displays, faster processors, better cameras, and other premium features.
It’s likely that the upcoming Google Nexus 5 will share some hardware with the LG G2, a speedy phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 13MP camera with optical image stabilization. But we’ll have to wait until Google officially unveils the device to know for sure. Until then, we can keep poring over FCC documents and leaked photos and videos).
As for the Nexus 4, it’s still available for purchase outside the US. And if you’re in the States, you can find plenty of folks selling the phones on eBay… often for more than their list price.