Proving that Apple doesn't have exclusive rights to launch events where products sell out in record time, the newly launched Nexus 4 smartphone has sold out completely in the UK in 30 minutes.

The handset, the latest Google-branded smartphone, manufactured by LG and based on its LG Optimus G, boasts a quad-core processor, is NFC-enabled for wireless payments, and is one of the few Android devices that runs the latest version of the open source operating system, Jelly Bean.

The Nexus 4 is available to order November 13 via Google Play stores in the US, Australia, France, Germany and Spain, and sites have been sluggish and unresponsive due to sheer traffic numbers, suggesting the handset is likely to also sell out in the US and Europe within 24 hours.

The 8GB version is priced at $299 (£239 in the UK and €299 in Europe) while the 16GB version retails for $349 (£279 in the UK and €349 in Europe).