It’s gadget season, and Google wants in on all the fun that Microsoft and Apple have been having.
Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) unveiled a new “Nexus” phone, tablet and Android operating system on Monday. Its goal is wrest back some of the attention that Windows 8, Surface, the iPad, iPad mini and iPhone 5 have gotten over the past several weeks.
The Nexus 4 is the fourth annual “Google phone,” designed by the search giant and manufactured by one of its Android partners — this time, LG. Google didn’t say much about the device, other than that it has the latest quad-core mobile processor (that’s fast), and a 4.7-inch screen (really big).
Google’s Nexus phones have never sold particularly well, but this time around Google is trying something bold. For $299, customers can buy a Nexus 4 without a two-year contract. That’s quite cheap for an “unlocked” high-end smartphone. An unlocked iPhone 5, by comparison, costs $650
