LG admits reason behind dropping 4G in Nexus 4

The redundant 4G chip in the Nexus 4 caused confusion, but now LG has told TechRadar why it's there.

The presence of the LTE connectivity hardware in the Nexus 4 caused some to believe that it could be next-gen speed-enabled in the future.

"In order to provide the best possible specification for Nexus 4, LG utilised the same powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset as can be found in its 4G LTE product, namely LG Optimus G," a spokesperson told us.

"This powerful chipset is only available with a combined processor and modem and cannot be implemented separately.

"The modem contains 4G LTE capabilities but is only effective when combined with other essential hardware parts such as a signal amplifier and filter in order for it to work. It therefore cannot be upgraded to 4G LTE capability through software.

That's why it's cheaper

This will disappoint a number of fans who hoped for a firmware update to give them access to super speed. But the lower number of components means the phone can be brought to the market at an improved cost, despite LG selling for more in other territories:

"With the inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, Nexus 4 therefore offers the same amazing processing performance as LG Optimus G but for the 3G market," added the spokesperson.

However, let's not be too down: who else can see the day in a few months' time where LG or Google announce a 4G-enabled Nexus 4 to keep interest in the handset alive?