More than a week ago, we were baffled when iFixit found out that the Nexus 4 actually sports a QUALCOMM WTR1605L 4G LTE chip. Turns out we were not the only “curious ones,” as the entire tech industry also took their questions to their pages. In an attempt to explain the idea behind the LTE modem, an LG spokesperson told TechRadar that the company simply wanted to provide the best possible specification for the Nexus 4. “LG utilized the same powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset as can be found in its 4G LTE product, namely the LG Optimus G,” the spokesperson said.
“This powerful chipset is only available with a combined processor and modem and cannot be implemented separately.” Although the model possesses LTE powers, the LG spokesperson explained that it can only work when combined with a signal amplifier and filter, similar to what the folks over at the XDA Developers did. This means that the Nexus 4 cannot be upgraded to 4G LTE via software updates. “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,” the spokesperson added.