Google Unveils New Nexus 4 Smarthphone, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 Tablets

Google launched its long-awaited new Nexus 4 smartphone and new Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets on Oct. 29, despite the cancellation of its originally-scheduled New York City announcement party due to the approach of the powerful Hurricane Sandy that brought heavy rain and gale force winds to the East Coast.

Instead of what was to be a fun gala on a New York City pier, Google debuted its new hardware in a post on the Official Google Blog.

"Today, we’re excited to announce three great new Nexus devices … in small, medium and large," wrote Andy Rubin, Google's senior vice president of mobile and digital content, in the Oct. 29 post. "And they all run Android 4.2, a new flavor of Jelly Bean—which includes the latest version of Google Now and other great new features."

The new Nexus 4 phone, which is built by LG, features a quad-core processor, a 4.7" display running at 320 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and wireless charging that allows it to be charged by placing it on a charging surface, according to Google.

The Nexus 4 also features the latest version of the Android Jelly Bean operating system, which is being called Android 4.2. Under Android 4.2, Google has "reinvented the photo experience with Photo Sphere, which lets you capture images that are literally larger than life," wrote Rubin. "Snap shots up, down and in every direction to create stunning 360-degree immersive experiences that you can share on Google+ with friends and family—or you can add your Photo Sphere to Google Maps for the world to see."

The Nexus 4 starts at $299 for the 8GB model, or $349 for the 16GB model and are available unlocked and without a contract starting Nov. 13 on the Google Play store in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Canada. The 16GB version will also be available through T-Mobile for $199 with a 2-year contract.

Also included in Android 4.2 is the rumored feature, Gesture Typing, which allows users to glide a finger over the letters they want to type on the keyboard. Instead of lifting a finger, users can glide their finger from letter to letter across the screen without lifting from the surface.

Android 4.2 also adds support for wireless displays so users can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos and play games right on a Miracast-compatible HDTV, according to Google.

The new Nexus 7 tablets are available in several models, including 16GB of storage for $199 or 32GB of storage for $249 for the WiFi versions. A mobile version with built-in HSPA+ mobile data is also available at $299 for a 32GB model that can operate on more than 200 GSM providers worldwide, including AT&T in the United States, according to Google.