Google released an update to their Android Lollipop operating system, Android 5.0.2 for Nexus 7 Wi-Fi 2012 edition users. The update is meant to fix some major bugs, but the reviews so far haven’t been very favorable. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for Nexus and we’re going to reveal what Android users should expect from the new Lollipop update.
Android Lollipop
Google revealed their new operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop on June 25, 2014 during the Google I/O and became available to the masses over-the-air at the end of the previous year, on November 12, 2014 for Google Nexus and Google Play edition devices. The operating system update for Google Nexus included the following devices: Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus 10. Naturally, Lollipop saw many improvements to the Android OS, but also delivered quite a few bugs and problems.
The first update for Lollipop, Android 5.0.1, came soon after the initial launch and it was made available for Nexus, 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013 edition), Nexus 9 and Nexus 10. Unfortunately, the update was not available for users of Nexus 7 2012 Wi-Fi edition.
Android 5.0.2 Update for Nexus
Now, Google has released another update to their operating system, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, and it’s only available for the Nexus 7 Wi-Fi 2012 version. It appears that Google wanted to make amends for those users, but this very specific update left many other users, such as the Nexus 7 3G 2012 ones, quite frustrated. They’re still using Kit Kat and they’re not very happy about it.
The thing is that this update might just be a very targeted update, for the Nexus 7 Wi-Fi 2012 model only. There is still no news about other devices, so before you get any more excited than you already are, keep this in mind and rejoice only if you’re a proud Nexus 7 2012 owner. Also, Nexus 7 2013 edition doesn’t seem to be getting the Android 5.0.2 update any time soon.
All this fragmentation between updates is going to make Android lose some of its users. The fact that there is no universal availability of Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2015 is something most users find unacceptable.
The update rollout is coming at a snail’s pace, but it is coming, so keep an eye out for it or for Google’s announcement. Aside from design changes, expect major bug fixes, such as battery drain. Tech blog, Naked Security, revealed that:
Google recently confirmed a fix for the memory issues causing app crashes on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company says that the fix has been approved for a future Android update though the company did not say what the update might entail. It’s possible that we’ll see it arrive with an Android 5.0.3 update or we could see it arrive with the rumored Android 5.1 update. Nothing is confirmed and it could take months for Google to roll out a fix.
Lollipop Massive Memory Leak
Many of those folks who did manage to get an update to their Android are now complaining of bugs. More bugs than anyone ever imagined, unfortunately. As mentioned above, the Nexus 7 2012 version didn’t get a 5.0.1 update, but a 5.0.2 one, which means that the vast majority of Android users are still using Android 5.0.1. The bug that seems to be really wreaking havoc in Android these days is a software bug that affects RAM memory. The operating system causes memory to simply leak; for example, when you are running 5 apps at the same time, your phone is going to decide at one point that it is at a critical point and that it is running too many apps and it is going to close some apps just to free up some resources.
No matter how much memory your smartphone or tablet has, if you are running Android 5.0.1 there is a chance that your system will run out of memory, which is never a great thing to be around.
This is by far the most annoying and common bug that Android 5.0.1 has offered the world so far. Android 5.0.2 didn’t fix anything because it wasn’t a targeted update, but Google is expected to release Android 5.0.3 Lollipop any time soon.
Tech blog, Naked Security, revealed:
The thread on the issue tracker is hard to follow as there are lots of complaints and there is lots of general unhappiness, but little in the way of official comments from Google or Android developers. However it does now seem that Google has agreed that this is a bug, and that it has been fixed in the source code.
Until something is done to help all those affected by the bug, nothing is going to change, apparently:
What that means is that the latest source code used to build Android doesn’t leak memory. However that doesn’t actually help affected users at the moment. The next step is for Google to make a new release of Android, probably Android 5.0.3 Lollipop, with this and other bug fixes. However there is no news on when that will be. Let’s hope it will be soon.
Until the new Android 5.0.3 update comes along, all you can do is wait patiently and try not to get annoyed by the whole situation. If you’re experiencing a memory leak and nothing seems to help, then we suggest you file an official complaint with Android and wait for them to reply and maybe give you a few pointers on the issue.
Have you experienced any issues with Android 5.0.1 or Android 5.0.2? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about your experience.
Deborah Campbell
