Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10

Late last year, the folks at Google pushed the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update to the owners of the Nexus 7 2012 WiFi. Without a doubt, the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 is on its way to the users, as well as the update for the latest Nexus devices, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. In fact, the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 have already been upgraded with the new firmware, but the owners of the remaining Nexus devices are still waiting.

As you may know already only three terminals have received the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update so far. After the new software update was rolled out for Nexus 7 2012 in late December 2012, we saw the update hitting both Nexus 7 2013 and Nexus 10 a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Mountain View-based giant failed to give any information about when the Android 5.0.2 update for the remaining Nexus terminals will be rolled out. Anyway, we are pretty sure you won’t have to wait for too long.

The Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 is just a minor update, therefore you shouldn’t get your expectations to high. The new firmware is mostly about fixing bugs and improving the system stability. Even so, I am sure that many of you want your device to run the latest available software.

The Android 5.0.2 builds that were made available to date have build number LRX22G. You would probably want to know that the factory images for the respective builds are already up for grabs in the repository and they can be downloaded from here. You will be able to use the factory images to install the latest Android version on your device, but be aware that you will lose all your data in the process. It seems though that if you remove the ‘-w’ flag from the ‘flash-all.bat’ script you might be able to avoid the factory reset, but we can’t guarantee that this workaround is viable for all devices. You can find tutorials that teach you how to install Android 5.0.2 factory images on Nexus 7 2012 WiFi, Nexus 7 2013 WiFi, and Nexus 10 here, here, andhere, respectively.

The best way to get Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on your device is to either wait for the official roll out or to use the OTA ZIP files to manually force the update onto your device. Keep in mind that the OTA ZIP files can only be used if your terminal is already running Android 5.0.1. All you need to do is download the files and use the ‘adb sideload’ comand to manually update your phone/tablet. You can find help on how to install Android 5.0.2 on Nexus 7 2012 WiFi, Nexus 7 2013 WiFi, and Nexus 10 using the OTA ZIP files here, here, and here.

Just like any other software release, the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 6, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9 will face a staged roll out. This basically means that only a few lucky users will be able to grab it right away, while the rest might have to wait a few more days, or even weeks. After the new firmware is made available for download for your device, you should be able to see a pending system update notification. All you need to do is tap on it, select ‘Download now’, then press ‘Install now’ after the download is finished. Your device should reboot and flash the new firmware. If you can’t see the system update notification, it’s also worth checking for the OTA update manually under Settings > About device > System updates > Check now.

I remind you that Android 5.0 Lollipop is the most major update Google’s mobile operating system has received so far. The first thing you’ll probably notice after you install the new software is the new design philosophy called Material Design which brings more vivid colors and realistic 3D effects and shadows which are meant to make the whole interface more intuitive. Among others, the performance improvements include support for 64-bit chipsets and ART (Android Runtime) instead of Dalvik.

As soon as you hit the Recents button you should be able to notice the new card-based interface. The Recents menu also introduces document-centric multitasking, which allows certain apps to display more than one card in the Recents screen. Lollipop has also received redesigned notifications bar and Quick Settings. While the old toggles behave differently now, you might also enjoy the new Fashlight and Screen Cast shortcuts. Those of you who already have a Lollipop-powered device already know that the Quick Settings area can now be accessed by either swiping down with two fingers from the top of the screen or by swiping down twice from the top of the screen.

Lollipop also debuted Lock Screen notifications. The even better news is that you can select the privacy level for all the apps that show notifications in the lock screen, or even block apps from showing notifications. Another first is the multi-user support for phones. My favorite Lollipop feature is Smart Lock, which can automatically remove the lock screen security if your phone or tablet is connected to a Trusted Device or if you are in a Trusted Place.

Android 5.0 comes with better battery statistics and it introduces Battery Saver Mode. You can instruct your device to automatically turn on Battery Saver when the battery level drops below 15% or 5%. In Lollipop you can see how much time it’s left until the battery is fully charged (while the device is plugged in), or how much time you have left until the battery is completely empty (when unplugged).