No Google Nexus 4 for SA: the real story
LG really wanted to to offer the Nexus 4 in South Africa, but unfortunately the distribution channel for high-end smartphones wasn’t interested in the device, head of mobile products at LG South Africa, Kenneth Hales, recently told MyBroadband.
South Africa’s high-end cellphone market is primarily operator-driven, Hales said, and the operators showed no interest in the Nexus 4 when LG showed it to them.
The lack of interest, Hales said, is because of the poor sell-through of previous Nexus devices.
Asked whether the lack of sales may be as a result of the high prices of Nexus smartphones in South Africa compared to what they cost internationally, Hales only said that the Nexus 4 is “extremely affordable” compared to other devices.
LG Optimus G vs Google Nexus 4
While operators aren’t interested in the Nexus 4, they will be ranging the LG Optimus G.
LG confirmed in September 2012 press statement that the device would be coming to South Africa, saying that it should be available during February 2013.
This date may be pushed back, LG said more recently, but the device is definitely coming to South Africa.
Asked about LG’s commitment to providing timely software updates to the Optimus G such as those Nexus users have come to expect of Google devices, Hales said that LG does have “over-the-air” update capabilities in South Africa now.
LG Optimus G press shot
He said that the speed with which updates become available on local networks is dependant on how quickly operators can test them and provide feedback.
Hales explained that it can take anything from 2 to 4 weeks to get software through network operator approval. Because of this they tend to do maintenance releases with a number of patches and fixed included, rather than more incremental updates.
The version of the LG Optimus G set to be launched in South Africa will also come with the latest version of the Android “Jelly Bean” operating system from Google: Android 4.2.
This is thanks to LG’s collaboration with Google on the Nexus 4, Hales said.
Can Google help the Nexus 4?
Another reason the Nexus 4 is dependant on operators “ranging” the device, Hales explained, is the absence of Google’s online store from South Africa.
Although the “apps” section of the search giant’s “Google Play” store is available in SA, Google has yet to launch the online device store locally.
Google didn’t sell any of its previous devices directly to the South African public – either operators or the local representatives of manufacturers have brought them in.
It’s also worth noting that for the moment Nexus 4 sales through Google Play are limited to a handful of countries: the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Canada.
Google Nexus 4 promo shots
“Without the support of Google or the operators there’s no way to bring the device in,” Hales said.
Google was asked whether they think the Nexus 4 is a viable product for the South African market and whether they are looking at selling the device here.
A spokesperson for Google South Africa declined to answer the questions, saying only that they have nothing to announce about the Nexus 4 for South Africa at this point.
“All we can say is ‘watch this space!’,” Google said.
Google didn’t want to say how long potential customers should wait and watch the space before opting for alternative devices. Neither did they indicate whether LG, Google, or another company is considered the distributor for the Nexus 4 in South Africa.
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