Android L Release Date Update for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7: Android 5.1 Will happen in Early March

By Mark Rollins
Google Nexus 7
Google Nexus 7 during its announcement in 2012. Photo: Anandtech.com

Many Android users are anxiously awaiting a Lollipop update (Android operating system 5.0), as many are still using the older operating system of KitKat (Android 4.4).  However, some Android devices have already achieved Android 5.0.1, and now a handful of them in the Nexus series, the Nexus 7 (2012), Nexus 7 (2013), and the Nexus 10 have already received Android 5.0.2.  Some of the Nexus series, including the Nexus 5, has already received version 5.0, and are only awaiting version 5.1. 

Android Geeks reports that the Android 5.1 Lollipop update will be out soon for all the Nexus series, and this includes the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10.  The best that they can estimate is early March.  This information comes from HTC's Mo Versi, who has stated that Google's next Android Maintenance Release will be made available at that aforementioned time.

So what does this mean for the Nexus series?  Let's start with the Nexus 5.  According to Android Pit, the Nexus 5 is actually running Android 5.0.1.  While it is good that is running Android Lollipop, diehard Android fans are going to want it to run the latest version of Android, which would be Android 5.1.  Android Pit has a leaked image of a Nexus 5 running version 5.1, which is a plus in that direction and shows that Android 5.1 will probably be readily available for download on the Nexus 5 very soon. 

According to Android Pit, many of Google's Nexus devices such as the Nexus 7 (2013 LTE version) and the Nexus 7 (2012 3G version) have been updated to Android 5.0, and even Android 5.0.1, which is meant to fix the bugs from Android 5.0.  Even Android 5.0.2 is available but not OTA (Over the Air), which means that you have to follow a procedure which is not part of the usual updates for Android.  The procedure is provided by Android Pit, but use with discretion as it is a very unofficial way of how to get Android 5.02. on the Nexus 7 device right now

So what can Android 5.1 do for the Nexus series?  Well, it really isn't there to bring any new features as version 5.0 did, but essentially improve the system performance and fix a few bugs.  These are bugs that happened during the version 5.0 changeover, which versions 5.0.1 and 5.0.2 are also supposed to clean up. 

We have reported that the Nexus 7 Android L 5.0.2 Update was released for the Wi-Fi Edition, which is presumably different than the Nexus 7 2012 and 2013 editions that still haven't got their fill of Android 5.0 yet.  If you haven't got it, and it is available for OTA, head into Settings > About Device > System Updates > Check Now to see if it is even attainable.