Google and LG recently collaborated to launch the Nexus 4 smartphone. The device has been quite popular with the Android audience and its stock with different retailers has repeatedly run dry. Although neither of the two companies has divulged sales stats, Android fans have now calculated that nearly 400,000 Nexus 4 units have been sold to date.

The calculation has been made by a clever interpretation of the IMEI number of Nexus 4 handsets. IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment Identity number. Nearly all phones have their IMEI numbers printed on the back of their battery packs.

Once you read the IMEI number off your Nexus 4 device, you can enter it at the LG website to find the relevant firmware. However, the website returns your query with your IMEI number as well as a long string of other numbers. For instance, a given result yielded by the site may look like, “LGE960 ACAGBK 212KPHG188745 20121206 GLOBAL/GLOBAL N N.”

Each of these numbers are significant. The string of numbers indicates the phone’s model, its make as well as the storage size and production month of the handset. Finally, the ’188745′, the Android enthusiasts claim, shows that the given handset was the 188745th unit in the production line.

Making use of these hints, the Android fans have been able to determine that LG has sold nearly 70,000 Nexus 4 phones in October, another 90,000 units in November and some 210,000 in December. From the looks of it, the sales of the phone are only mounting and LG may have to ship out even greater number of these handsets in the coming months.

Alternatively, it is possible that Google and LG are finally getting the supply chain straight to fill up the stocks as soon as they empty. Initially, the users had complained that they weren’t able to buy the smartphone since stocks were out at most places. The mounting sales may indicate that the phone is finally being made available for the eager Android users.

Source: XDA Developers forum

Courtesy: TechCrunch

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