Does N4 support external USB devices? Confused...

[JoeSimms]

Hi folks,
I ordered a Nexus 4 today. Will be my first Android device and in fact my first smart phone. Made do with an iPod Touch and a cheap $30 phone for years. So looking forward to the N4.
I was trying to figure out if I can plug it into an external USB hard drive? Some review sites were suggesting that as a workaround for the rather limited and non-expandable storage on the N4. The small storage is the biggest concern I have about the device. My iPod touch has about 40 GB of music on it, and I that device will be passed off the my partner when the N4 comes. So I realise I'll have to cull the music collection back a lot, and that's fine. But when I saw reviewers mentioning getting an adapter and plugging a packet HDD into the N4 I got curious.

Searching online I have found nothing to suggest 100% one way or the other whether it is possible or not. I've seen a few complaints about issues with mass storage, but wasn't clear.

Can someone tell me for sure if it's going to be possible to plug this N4 (when it arrives!) into the a pocket HDD?

Much thanks

Joe

 

[anon(847090)]

N4 dont support USB OTG so I would say No you cannot connect USB drive to it.

 

[minnemike]

Officially NO, but I think someone has a hack for that.... can't remember but fairly certain you need to root. I can't remember where I saw it - maybe in this forum!

 

[jonnie_r]

It is not possible to connect devices using USB OTG so no external USB devices can be connected unfortunately. I know there is some work going on over on XDA setting if they can get it enabled, but I haven't checked on it in a while.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[JoeSimms]

Thank you for the replies. So I understand this is normally done using something called USB OTG, and that this functionality is not supported on the N4, and that there is some chance it might be doable with a work around (involving rooting the device), and that it might be possible at some point in the future via XDA Settings (is that related to what I see over on xda-developers.com?).
Strange that Google would release a storage crippled deficient device and then cripple its ability to expand via OTG. Make me wonder what on Earth their developers were thinking. A way to make sure people have good reason to upgrade when their next Nexus is released?

Anyway... thanks for clarifying this. I'll dig around and see if it's possible via a hack on a rooted device.

 

[planoman]

Unfortunately, stickmount by chainfire does not work on a rooted Nexus 4 like it does the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 & 10...you could be severely limited using the Nexus 4 with that much media. My daily driver is a GNote 2 but bought the Nexus 4 for the weekends where I do not need as much battery or storage (I have no music loaded to device).

This was not an oversight on Googles part. They intentionally limit internal storage since it is designed primarily for developers to test their apps etc and they want you to use google drive. Once the Tablets went consumer (ads etc) they increased the storage. Hopefully someday we will see a Nexus phone with higher than 16 GB storage.

 

[leroy_sunset]

I'd like to know if Google has ever officially addressed this. OTG does not work on the N4. Works great on my Nexus 7.

 

[CoolBeit]

I'd like to know if Google has ever officially addressed this. OTG does not work on the N4. Works great on my Nexus 7.

I believe Google started officially that the nexus 4 would not have usb otg. Will attempt to find link and edit post...

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[anon(847090)]

I'd like to know if Google has ever officially addressed this. OTG does not work on the N4. Works great on my Nexus 7.

yes, they have. here is the nexus 4 support page Connect to keyboards, mice, & other devices - Nexus Help

 

[JoeSimms]

It's a bummer they didn't allow for OTG.
Does anyone have experience with connecting one of the available Wi-Fi drives to the N4?
Such as: Amazon.com: RAVPower? Wireless WiFi Disk Built-in 3000 mAh External Battery Pack Charger RP-WD01. Read & Write & Share Data in your SD card, USB Thumb Drive , USB External Hard Drive.For Tablet PC and Smartphones (iOS & Android System),iPad, iPad Min
or Amazon.com: Kingston Digital Wi-Drive 32 GB USB 2.0 Pocket-Sized Portable Storage with US AC Adapter (WID/32GB-A): Computers & Accessories

This Amazon.com: RAVPower? Wireless WiFi Disk Built-in 3000 mAh External Battery Pack Charger RP-WD01. Read & Write & Share Data in your SD card, USB Thumb Drive , USB External Hard Drive.For Tablet PC and Smartphones (iOS & Android System),iPad, iPad Min also looks like an interesting device. Not a storage medium itself, but it allows for connecting most media to a device via Wi-Fi.

I thinking that something like these may be an adequate substitute for larger onboard storage and expandable storage.

 

[JoeSimms]

Still interested to know if anyone knows if the Ravpower RP-WD01 will work with a Nexus 4. I see no reason why not, but I have not managed to find any reference to the two working together (as of yet). Another device I am also considering is the Seagate Satellite wireless drive (Amazon.com: Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage 500 GB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive STBF500101 Black: Electronics) or the newer Seagate Wireless Plus drive (Amazon.com: Seagate Wireless Plus 1 TB Mobile Device Storage with Built-In Wi-Fi Streaming (STCK1000100): Computers & Accessories)

 

[BensonClark]

Yes, you are right. It supports iOS and Android devices. So there's no reason that the Ravpower RP-WD01 can not work with your Nexus 4. It works well with my brother's Note 2. He tried to view videos on two mobile devices at the same time, it goes smoothly.
The only thing is the 3000mAh pack is not quite enough if go out for a trip.

 

[SiempreTuna]

There is of course, another very good reason (from Google's perspective) that their devices have little storage and no expansion options: they're a cloud provider. What Google really wants is that their millions of customers each fork out a few bucks a month for space in the cloud.

If you really don't believe the cloud's a good reason, you clearly haven't done the math. A quick Google tells me there are currently around 900 million Android users. At $5 a month that's a potential market of $54 billion a year - more than Google's record 2012 annual turnover. So basically, an opportunity to DOUBLE the size of the company.

This making sense yet ..?

 

[olgeezer44]

I signed up for Box.com. 50gb free storage. That's plenty for me. YMMV