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Nexus 4 8GB sells out in UK, 16GB still up for grabs at £199

The £159 8GB model of Google's super-cheap Android phone has now sold out in the UK Play Store, and the 16GB could well sell out soon, as it has in the US.

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Nick manages CNET's advice copy desk from Springfield, Virginia. He's worked at CNET since 2005.
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Nick Hide
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If you want a Nexus 4, you'd better get a move on. The £159 8GB model of Google's super-cheap Android phone has now sold out in the UK Play Store -- and while the £199 16GB version is still on sale, it's sold out in the US, so its days are surely numbered.

Time's running out because a sequel is rumoured to be very close -- possibly called the Nexus 5 because of a bigger 5-inch screen, maybe just called 'the new Nexus 4', like the new Nexus 7. A source at Google talking to The Verge claims that the Nexus 4 will not now be restocked.

The low-cost mobile quickly sold out after Google dropped the price from £239 just a few weeks ago. The 8GB Nexus 4 is still floating around in small numbers on eBay and for free on contracts starting at around £24 per month, but that's not a great deal. Retailers such as Expansys have sold out too.

The 16GB version is a solid-gold bargain for under £200, however, with specs that wouldn't disgrace a more recent phone: quad-core chip, latest version of Android (and first to updates), 720p 4.7-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camera with the cool Photo Sphere mode.

If a new Nexus phone does appear in the next couple of months, I'd expect it to be slightly more expensive. That's what happened with the Nexus 7 tablet, which upgraded to a fabulous 1080p screen and added £40 to its price tag.

A new Nexus phone may or may not have a 1080p screen (I don't think it's particularly useful on anything less than 7 inches) but it will almost certainly have 4G, which could add a few quid to the sticker.

It's possible it may launch at the same time as Android 4.4 KitKat, but as Android 4.3 has hardly had time to settle in since its arrival in July, that would seem premature. The last update was very minor, however, so a big new version in the next couple of months isn't out of the question -- especially as Apple is launching iOS 7 this week.

Are you tempted by a £199 Nexus? Or are you waiting for a future-proof 4G version? Hunt for bargains in the comments, or on our reasonably priced Facebook page.

Watch this: Google Nexus 4