First the chrome around the screen, then the glass back...do we really need to make this phone more of an iPhone?
The Nexus 4 is easily one of the most beautiful and well designed Android phones to date. Just because it shares a few similarities to the iPhone, doesn't mean it is an iPhone. Jony Ives' iPhone designs were heavily inspired by Dieter Rams work at Braun in the 70s, and his ten principles of "good design." As much as I am not a fan of iOS, and it's boring, sterile, locked down interface, Apple's hardware is simplistic and timeless. A simple black screen, with a chrome bezel, is going to look just as good in 10 years as it will today. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus on the other hand, was a fantastic looking phone last December, but looks quite dated to me now. The GNex's sleek black screen doesn't match the bloated, cross hatched graphite, cheap plastic back and bulging camera lens. LG, on the other hand, did a great job designing a product that is minimal and honest. The reflective back may seem gimmicky to some, but I think in the long run the design will prove to be functional, hiding scuffs and scratches that will naturally occur. While it is entirely possible that LG set out to create an iPhone-like handset to entice Apple fans to come to the dark side, it's much more likely that they just set out to create a visually appealing handset, and ended up with a product that shared a few similarities, simply because they followed the same principles as Ives.