Nexus Android 5.1 - What to Expect?

Android 5.1 Lollipop has been rumoured since 2014. We never thought it would come out of development hell, but two weeks ago Google announced that the new Android 5.1 update will begin to roll out. Fast forward two weeks to the present and the update is available only for select Nexus users, leaving the rest to wonder what bug fixes have they actually fixed. Android 5.0, 5.0.1, and 5.0.2 are clustered with lock screen issues, connectivity problems and some down right weird bugs that don’t have a repro rate, and appear randomly. Android 5.1 will probably fix them all, probably.

No love for the Nexus 4?

We are all wondering why Nexus 4 wasn’t a part of Google’s initial announcement of Android 5.1 – at the current moment, Nexus 4 is running on Android 5.0, and Android 5.0.1, not releasing 5.1 would seem like a huge mistake on their part. But I’m really confident that the update will most likely be rolled out within 2 months. Worst case scenario is that Nexus 4 owners will have to wait until Summer hits. Why am I so confident? Well, basically, a Google employee named Sascha Prüter, posted a “cryptic” message to G+ ” Locked and loaded! #LMY47D” – he did the same when Android 5.0 was released for Nexus 4. So it’s safe to say that good things come to those who wait.

Nobody is expecting Google to go out of their way announcing the update for Nexus 4. No, we don’t expect anything actually. It will most likely be made stealthily. But we do expect to be shocked if the update doesn’t come. I don’t want to create a panicky mob, but we need to think of the possibility, even if the chances are incredibly slim, that they might skip the update entirely – and we all know what that means, don’t we? Hello Android 6.0. Hello waiting a year for it to come out.

Even if it’s going to be announced you’ll still have to wait for it. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll be on the select few list that will get the update early. I need to remind you that there are Nexus 6, Nexus 5, Nexus 10, and Nexus 7 2012 users that still don’t have Android 5.1 installed. Google takes its time, and the speed that the rollout is being made is terribly, terribly slow.

There is a way to guarantee your spot on the list, but it requires some mind boggling workarounds and know-hows to get it – use the factory images from the AOSP to make it work, alongside the OTA file that will most surely be captured on Google servers. If you’re successful, then you’ll have Android 5.1 sideloaded without having to worry about the infinite queue.

What does Android 5.1 change?

One of the greatest, but at the same time minor, changes that Android 5.1 will make is how a user accesses Quick Settings. At the moment, you need to drag down the notification bar twice for it to appear and you have access to auto rotate settings, screen brightness, Bluetooth, Wifi, airplane mode, location, and other toggles.

Android 5.1 adds a ton of new animations and effects to smooth out the rough edges – making them more fluid, more life-like. Tapping on auto-rotate will animate the little icon telling you that it has been selected.

Android 5.0 added ” Screen Pinning”. It doesn’t seem confusing, but the fact of the matter is that using it is confusing. Most owners don’t even know they have it available for use on their phone. What it does is that it lets you pin an app on the screen and lock it – with a password of your choice. It’s a great thing if you’re, let’s say, handing the phone over to a friend and you don’t want him to accidentally close the app you were before you got the call, or your little child wants to play a game, and you don’t want him meddling in your contacts, or buying a ton of games from the store. You can turn it on, and off as you like. Android 5.1 makes it more intuitive to use – it even explains how to properly use it.

Android 5.0 tackled the idea of “Alarm Volume” but 5.1 Lollipop refines it. Go the alarms tab, and turn the volume up or down – you will control the alarm volume; instead of just turning up or down the default notifications sound that made absolutely no sense. At least they added it to be refined.

Regarding device protection, Android 5.1 is at the top of the game. If you have a password, or a PIN protection, it will remain in the phone’s memory even if someone tries to reset it to factory settings – afterwards you will be needed to sign into your G-mail account for proof of ownership. It’s a great way to combat smartphone theft, and if you lose it, you’ll rest assured that nobody will try to use it without repercussions.

Dual Sim support is made smarter with Android 5.1 – no more wasting time to backtrack and change the Sim. If you need to call someone, a drop down menu appears and lets you select with which Sim you want to perform the action.

We would love a Silent option, that is actually silent – turning off the vibrations too; but one could only dream. We would also love if they added a function so we could Reboot the phone, instead of just Powering it off.

Android 5.1 fixed memory leaks issues, but others appeared in their place. Only time will tell if the update is a divine gift, or a hellish burden.

Image Source: 1,2,3,4

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.