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Google pulls the Android 4.2 factory image for the Google Nexus 4

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Dec 12, 2012, 11:33 AM

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LG Android Software updates

The Google Nexus 4

Without explanation, Google has apparently removed the factory image for the Android 4.2 powered Google Nexus 4. To refresh your memory, the factory image is the file you would use to return your phone to the factory settings if something goes wrong while you're hacking or modifying your handset. Considering that the factory images for other devices carrying Android 4.2 like the Google Nexus 10, Google Nexus 7, Google Nexus 7 with Wi-Fi and HSPA+ and the Samsung GALAXY Nexus have not been removed, there is something up specifically with the hard-to-find Nexus 4.

There is some speculation that the removal of the factory image has something to do with the dormant LTE radio that lies inside the Google Nexus 4. A hack has allowed those near a Band 4 (AWS) signal to have some LTE connectivity on the phone. If Google is planning to send out an update to block any LTE hack from working, the pulling of the current factory image would make sense. It is also possible that Google was feeling some heat from the FCC on this subject.

source: NexusFactoryImages, TheAndroidSoul via AndroidCentral

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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