Google drops Nexus 4 price, now starts at $199

The Nexus 4 just got a lot cheaper. The flagship phone of Google’s Nexus line is now available for a full $100 less than it was just hours ago. The 8GB model is on sale through the Google Play Store for $199, while the 16GB model is $249. There’s no mention of a newer Nexus smartphone, but the Nexus line itself is certainly due for some sort of update. When the Nexus 4 was introduced last year it was already lacking in one major way — LTE connectivity — and since its introduction the Android ecosystem has continued to churn out multiple competitors. Not only that, but the Nexus 4 isn’t the only way to get the stock Android experience at this point, either; the “Google Play” editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One provide something very close to the same software, albeit at much higher prices.

This cut puts the Nexus 4 in the same price range as phones subsidized by carrier contracts, making it a much more appealing option on paper. Whether that will be enough to steer customers towards the LG-built device rather than newer devices like the Moto X, however, remains to be seen. Google declined to comment on the reason for the price cut.

Google says that the price drop applies in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Korea, and the US and the UK; the price drop is at least 25 percent off in all of those countries.