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Nexus 4 completely sold out on UK launch day, confirms Google

Buyers have snapped up all the Nexus 4 smartphones offered via the Google Play Store, the company has confirmed, after people claimed on Twitter the Android Jelly Bean 4.2 handset sold out within minutes after its launch.
Written by Sam Shead, Contributor

The LG-made Nexus 4 has sold out on Google's store on the day of the smartphone's launch in the UK, Google has confirmed.

Would-be customers posted on Twitter when they realised the handset was no longer available to buy through the Google Play store, with many saying it was out of stock within 30 minutes of going online on Tuesday morning.

 Both the 8GB and the 16GB models of the Nexus 4, which cost £239 and £279 respectively, displayed a dead 'order' button and a live 'notify me' stock alert button to visitors.

Google confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that it no longer has any inventory of the Jelly Bean Android 4.2 phone to sell.

"The Nexus 4 is sold out on the Google Play store in the UK," a Google spokeswoman told ZDNet. "We're not sure when it will be available again."

However, the smartphone is still in stock at O2, the only network provider with rights to carry the phone right now. People can get the phone for free on contracts over £36 a month, via O2's online or high street outlets.

Nexus 4

In addition, online retailer Carphone Warehouse is offering the Nexus 4 on plans from O2, Vodafone and Three, with a free handset on tariffs over £31 a month.

The LG-built Nexus 4 has an 8-megapixel camera, NFC capability and wireless charging. The smartphone, Google's fourth, runs the latest Android OS, Jelly Bean 4.2.

eBay listings

Already, listings have appeared on eBay for Nexus 4 handsets, with the sellers saying they bought them from the Google Play Store. At the time of writing, for example, an 8GB model had a bid of £270 (a £31 premium) with 18 hours of the auction still to go, while a 16GB version had an offer of £350 (a £71 premium) with 20 hours left.

Tuesday also saw the release of the Google Nexus 10 on the UK Google Play store, though the tablet is still on sale for £319 for the 16GB model and £389 for the 32GB version. The Google Nexus 10, reviewed by ZDNet earlier this month, comes with an A15 processor, a 10-inch display and the highest screen resolution of any tablet on the market.

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