Google easily won raves following the Nexus 4 release late last year. Now the internet giant is peppered with rising complaints of the stock Android smartphone's inferior workmanship.

In a report, Christopher Chavez of Phandroid labelled the LG-assembled handset as "the most fragile smartphone ever built," as he scored the use of glass material as the gadget's back cover.

He conceded it was a sight to look at but such ecstatic feeling immediately melted away when the Nexus 4 slipped out of grip and fell, with mere two inches of impact.

The worst Mr Chavez had expected was negligible dents but to his horror, the Nexus 4 had absorbed ugly cracks on the back, giving the phone unwanted spider web designs. In a huff, the device's quality sheen finish disappeared.

It appears too that the specific Nexus 4 vulnerability is not an isolated case as the same Phandroid report pointed to similar woes that numbered to a high of close to 400 incidents, detailing the same problem with slight variations.

And the issue was compounded by the realisation that product warranties provided by Google and LG do not cover ruined glass covers due to accidental drops. In the end, users were made to shell out some $US130 for the problem to be fixed, according to Gotta Be Mobile.

Also, Nexus 4 accessories, officially sold on Google Play store, are not spared from the same defect criticisms.

The Orb-looking wireless charging kit, for instance, seems ill-fitted with the Nexus 4 as it slides slowly during overnight attempts to energise the handset.

Forum members on Android Central shared specific cases of the Nexus 4 sliding from the charger, leaving the handset only gradually charged.

These issues were highlighted following the supply chain debacle that marked Nexus 4's global rollout last year. Most of the time, the device was nowhere to be found and consumers were made to wait for weeks and months before getting their deliveries.

Nexus 4 easily connected with the Android fan as it fused power with affordability but its scarce supply during the initial months of release tempered its commercial promise, experts said.

As a result, the enthusiasm for the gadget eventually fizzled out, giving it no chance to compete on equal terms with the dominant iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.