Well, how about that? After Google’s much criticized decision to not make an LTE variant of the Nexus 4 was announced, it was found out in a tear down of the device that it does indeed carry an LTE chip inside, though it was thought to be disabled permanently. However, that isn’t the case, as a few Canadian Nexus 4 users have found out that it is possible to enable LTE on the smartphone.

There is a catch however, as LTE on the Nexus 4 seems to be working only on the networks which use LTE Band 4, which would be carriers Bell, Telus, and Rogers in Canada, and AT&T in the US, though AT&T uses Band 4 in only in a few areas. T-Mobile will also be rolling out Band 4 LTE, but that’s not happening before next year.

While no one on AT&T’s network has yet confirmed it, several XDA members residing in Canada have reported it to be working, and have confirmed that they have been able to enable LTE and obtain near LTE speeds, and there are even two videos proving the fact (see at the end of the article).

To try out if your Nexus 4 works on LTE, follow the instructions below to enable it, though you have be on either Bell, Rogers, or Telus’ network in Canada, and on AT&T in the US (which may or nay not work depending the area you’re in).

How to Enable LTE on Nexus 4

  1. Open the dialer on your Nexus 4, then dial *#*#*#4636#*#*#*.
  2. This will open the “Testing” menu on the phone. Here, click on “Phone Information”.
  3. Scroll down a bit, then click below the “Set preferred network type” text and above the “Turn off radio” button.
  4. Select “LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)” from the list.
  5. Then, check to see if you get LTE signals on your Nexus 4. If you don’t, try selecting any of the other LTE options in the Testing menu, and see if it works then.
  6. NOTE: If you do manage to enable LTE, you might need to enter the correct APN settings for data connectivity in Settings » More » Mobile Networks » Access Point Names. Also, the setting in the Testing menu will be reset every time you reboot your phone, so you will have to repeat the process every time you reboot.

If you manage to enable LTE on your Nexus 4, do let us know which carrier you’re on and whether it works properly.

Check out the two videos below showing the Nexus 4 with LTE enabled on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GXOY9EVZ4vA

Source: XDA