Micromax Canvas 4 vs. Google Nexus 4: How Do They Stack Up?

Indian smartphone manufacturer Micromax recently released the new generation Canvas 4 in to the market. Even though the device was a marginal upgrade to its predecessor A116 Canvas HD, it received appreciation for its improved build quality and camera specifications.

After the launch, many showered lot of praises on Micromax for delivering a worthy competitor to MNC brands such as LG Google Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy S4, and Sony Xperia ZR which are priced above the ₹25,000 range.

Prospective buyers who are looking for an affordable high-end smartphone can go for Micromax Canvas 4 or International branded Google Nexus 4, which are currently the most sought-after handsets in the market.

Here is a brief comparison between key features of Micromax Canvas 4 and LG-Google Nexus 4:

Display:

Micromax Canvas 4 sports a 5.0-inch IPS LCD screen with HD 720x1280p display resolution having pixel density close to 294 ppi (pixels per inch), whereas LG's Google Nexus 4 features a smaller screen of 4.7-inch HD display which marginally edge past its rival with a resolution of 1280x768 pixels and pixel density of 318 ppi.

Processor & GPU:

The MNC branded Nexus 4 packs a superior 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor smartphone which comes paired with Adreno 320 graphics engine. On the other hand, Micromax Canvas 4 houses a slower 1.2GHz MediaTek quad-core chipset with PowerVR SGX544 GPU.

RAM & Storage Space:

Micromax Canvas 4 houses 1GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt memory which can be further expanded up to 32GB. Nexus 4 packs 2GB RAM and 16GB storage space, but lacks microSD support for memory expansion.

Camera:

Micromax Canvas 4 sports a 13.0-megapixel main camera which boasts of 5-element lenses, auto-focus, and LED flash support. It is capable of taking full HD video and vertical panorama shots as well. On the front side, it packs a superior 5.0-megapixel snapper which can take HD 720p video.

Nexus 4 packs a pretty decent 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash support, auto-focus and record full HD video. It features a 2.0-megapixel camera on the front which can record 720p HD video.

Mobile Operating System:

Even though LG and Micromax smartphones run on the same Android platform, Nexus 4 holds the advantage of being a co-branded Google device. It has the unique privilege of receiving OS update first among all the android handsets.

Micromax canvas 4 ships with Android v4.2.1 Jelly Bean OS, while Nexus 4 has already started receiving the latest v4.3 Jelly Bean update via OTA (Over-the-air).

Price:

Micromax Canvas 4 price is hovering around the ₹18,000 range, whereas the LG-Google Nexus 4 is priced ₹25,990, almost ₹7000 more than its rival.

Even though the Micromax smartphone boasts of smart features like 'Blow to unlock screen', 'Smart Pause', and others, many tech pundits claimed they are more of a gimmick than useful features. On the hand, Nexus 4 received good response globally and in India as well. It is reportedly the sought-after handset in the country with a ₹20,000 plus price-tag, but due it high price margin many thrift buyers are likely to go for the Micromax phone.

Key specifications of Micromax Canvas 4 and LG-Google Nexus 4: