The first wave of Android 5.0 Lollipop has finally hit select Nexus and Motorola devices. Traditionally, Google’s Nexus devices have been the first to receive the update, but Motorola has also kept pace ever since it was acquired by Google. Fortunately, that trend is continuing after Lenovo’s purchase of Motorola.
In the war between Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS, device updates is one of the most frequently cited indictments against Android. The recent drive of several manufacturers to keep devices up to date has drastically improved the credibility of the dessert named mobile operating system.
The first announcement out was actually from Sprint, announcing the update of the Sprint Nexus 5. One of the biggest flaws in the Nexus program was brought to light when carriers first started selling the Nexus phones directly, when both the Sprint and Verizon Galaxy Nexus was months behind the rest of the Nexus family when it came to updates. Sprint has often been the first to announce updates since then, though, even beating Google to the announcement for some of its own Nexus devices this time around.
The unlocked Nexus 5, the Wi-Fi only Nexus 7 (both editions), and the Nexus 10 are the next down the pipeline. One of the main selling points for a Nexus is the speed with which it receives updates, so this isn’t necessarily shocking news. The exciting part is to see other manufacturers and carriers keeping pace with Google’s rollout.
Motorola holds the title for first non-Nexus phones to get the update, with Lollipop rolling out to US versions of the 2014 Moto X Pure Edition, and the Moto G. Carrier support is required if the device is carrier locked, but Motorola provides an excellent tool to check the status of the update for your specific device version. They’ll even point a finger straight at the carrier if it’s the one holding up the update process.
Android 5.0 Lollipop is packed full of new features as well as the all new Material Design interface. It is one of the biggest updates to ever hit Android, so the sooner more manufacturer’s and carriers get on the ball, the better.
Source: Pocket Now
