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Android 5.0.1 Review: 10 Things Nexus Users Need to Know

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With an Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update on the way, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop updates rolling out, and Android 5.0.1 problems continuing to emerge for Nexus users, we want to review Google’s Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update and tell you about 10 things we think you need to know about Google’s ongoing Lollipop update release for its stable of Nexus smartphones and tablets.

In November, Google finally released the Android 5.0 Lollipop update that it introduced earlier this year at Google I/O. As expected, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update delivered a number of new features, tweaks and enhancements to owners of Google’s Nexus devices including the company’s new Material Design. Android 5.0 is Google’s biggest Android update in years and an update that’s been installed by countless Nexus smartphone and tablet owners over the past few weeks.

As time passed, we started to hear more about Google’s new Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. And while a lot of the feedback from Nexus users was good, we also heard about some of the Android 5.0 Lollipop problems affecting various smartphones and tablets. Some of these issues were isolated, some of them were widespread.

In an effort to quell these complaints, Google released Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, a bug fixer that quickly emerged for the Nexus 9, Nexus 7 2012 and Nexus 10 and one that recently started rolling out to the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 6. Android 5.0.1 Lollipop isn’t a massive update but it’s an important one given the fixes that it has on board.

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Android 5.0.1 Lollipop still has a strong presence in the Nexus community and this week alone we’ve seen a number of new details emerge. With that in mind, we want to review everything we know, right now, about Google’s Android 5.0.1 update. This overview includes feedback on the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update itself and broader information about the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update and Google’s new Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update. Let’s catch you non-power users up to speed.

Nexus 7 2013 Android 5.0.1 Update

Over the past week, we’ve been using the Nexus 7 Android 5.0.1 update on the Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi. The Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi was one of the first devices to get the Android 5.0.1 update. It was also among the first to get Android 5.0 Lollipop back in November. So we’ve put some mileage on Google’s aging tablet and overall, the results have been nothing short of impressive.

In these mini reviews we want to answer three questions. One, how is performance doing? Battery life, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. Two, are there any major bugs on board? If so, what are they? And three, is it worth installing right now? Let’s get to it.

Apps and overall performance are good on the Nexus 7 2013 Lollipop update.

Apps and overall performance are good on the Nexus 7 2013 Lollipop update.

Excellent Performance

The Nexus 7 Android 5.0.1 update, from a performance standpoint, has been outstanding. We’re still able to get a full day of use, if not more, out of Google’s aging slate. We’re still able to get great Wi-Fi speeds, something that is essential given that we’ve been watching a lot of movies and playing games that require a Wi-Fi connection. Bluetooth is also extremely stable after the update. We’ve had Bluetooth issues in the past but we aren’t seeing any after about a week with this update.

The speed of the software might just be the most impressive thing about the Nexus 7 2013 Lollipop update. Often times major updates, particularly updates for older devices, wreck havoc on the speed and fluidity of an operating system. Not the case with the Nexus 7 2013. It’s fast, silky smooth and downright impressive.

Very Stable

So how about bugs and issues? So far, so good. We haven’t run into any problems in the week after the update’s release which is an extremely good sign. Typically, Android bugs will jump out after about a week or so of use. The fact that we haven’t run into any noticeable issues means that this is an update of quality.

We could see problems emerge down the road but for now, Android 5.0.1 is extremely stable on the Nexus 7 2013. You cannot ask for much more out of an incremental bug fix update. These updates are supposed to keep performance intact while delivering fixes for major problems and the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update does just that.

It’s Definitely Worth Installing

This is an update that is, in our eyes, an absolute must for Nexus 7 2013 users. If you haven’t installed Android 5.0 at all, we should note that we love all of its features including the Material Design. For those of you already on Android 5.0, note that the performance is extremely solid after about a week. That’s pretty huge.

The Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update is also a must for Nexus 7 2013 users running into video playback problems. Android 5.0.1 delivers a fix for those. So if you watch a ton of video on your Nexus 7 and you’ve been running into issues with Android 5.0, Android 5.0.1 is going to be worth a download.

Nexus 5 Android 5.0.1 Update

We haven’t spent as much time with the Nexus 5 Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update, it just started rolling out this week, but here are our collective thoughts after a few days spent with one of Google’s latest Android 5.0.1 updates.

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Solid Performance

Nexus 5 users on Android 5.0 Lollipop complained about lag in the aftermath of the Android 5.0 release. We did not encounter those issues ourselves though we believe those who did stumble into problems. Mileage varies quite a bit when it comes to software updates, especially on Android devices that are highly customizable like the Nexus series.

While we can’t say if Android 5.0.1 is going to improve your performance, we can tell you that Android 5.0.1’s performance on our versions of the Nexus 5 has been nothing short of stellar. Battery life still isn’t amazing but it’s good. Wi-Fi and LTE both are working properly. Even Bluetooth is working right after the jump to Google’s new software.

Like the Nexus 7 2013 update, the Nexus 5’s Android 5.0.1 update is fast. Animations and transitions are fast and fluid and this update feels right at home on a device that’s now more than a year old. Again, that’s exactly what you want from a small update for an aging device. No complaints about performance here.

It’s Stable, So Far

We’ve been searching far and wide for major Android 5.0.1 bugs on the Nexus 5 and thus far, we’ve come up empty-handed. That’s not to say that there aren’t bugs on board, we just haven’t run into any in our travels.

Granted, we’ve only have the Nexus 5 Android 5.0.1 on our device for a few days now but it’s still a good sign, especially when you consider how much time we’ve spent, collectively, with the update.

If you do happen to run into problems, and this goes for all of you Nexus users, take a look at our list of bug fixes. They aren’t guaranteed to fix your Android 5.0.1 issues but they’re a good starting point.

It’s Probably Worth Installing

The update seems to be a solid successor to the device’s Android 5.0.1 update but because we’ve only spent a few days with it, we can’t say for sure. We need at least a week or so before we can recommend it outright.

If you are having problems on Android 5.0 Lollipop, it’s almost certainly worth an upgrade. And if you use your lockscreen a lot, you also might want to think about updating. Android 5.0.1 fixes a lockscreen bug that has the potential to wipe your device. For many of you, that fix is going to outweigh any potential problems you might encounter.

Android 5.0.1 Problems Mount

Now we step away from these two devices and offer some details for owners of Nexus devices currently on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop. The first thing that we think Nexus users need to know is that there are a growing number of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop problems. While we haven’t encountered any, Google’s Nexus Help Forums are starting to fill up with complaints.

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One Nexus 5 owner says that it his device no longer starts after the update. Nexus 7 2013 users say that the display will no longer rotate after the update. At least one Nexus 4 user is experiencing an odd storage problem after making it to Android 5.0.1. A Nexus 6 user shares a connectivity problem that popped up after the move. There are plenty of complaints about Android 5.0.1 and we expect the list of issues to grow as we push away from the Android 5.0.1 release dates.

Some of these problems are rare and isolated, others are more common. We’ve put together a list of common fixes that will help those of you who run into more general problems like battery drain and issues with Wi-Fi. We highly recommend gathering feedback from other users as well. Our fixes and Google’s forums are a great place to start.

Android 5.0.1 Lollipop Updates Still Rolling Out

Note that Google is still rolling out Android 5.0.1 to several Nexus devices. To our knowledge, the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and Nexus 6 OTAs are still live right now. Google’s OTA updates usually take about a week or two to complete so if you haven’t seen the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update yet, you’ll probably get its soon. Expect Google to continue these OTAs even after it releases Android 5.0.2.

These Nexus Android 5.0.1 Lollipop Update Tips Will Help

In an earlier review of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, we put together a list of tips that we think will help those of you thinking about moving to Android 5.0.1 and those of you already on Android 5.0.1. Check those out if you’re in need of some assistance.

Android 5.0.2

The cellular versions of the Nexus 7 still sit on Android 4.4.4 KitKat and now, we think we know why. On Friday, Google released the factory image for the Nexus 7 2012 Android 5.0.2 update. The update is for the Wi-Fi version of the device though we suspect that it will be the update that lands for the cellular models down the road.

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The Nexus 7 2012 OTA should start in the near future and the update should deliver the bug fixes that many Nexus users got with the arrival of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop. It’s not clear what might be different though we suspect that we’ll learn more about this Android 5.0.1 successor in the coming days.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. user

    12/21/2014 at 11:02 am

    Lollipop 5.0.1 is causing !Amy nexus 5 phone to have their battery drained even while being charged. The culprit seems to be the WiFi. Turning off the WiFi fixes it which is ridiculous.

  2. Eric

    12/22/2014 at 1:23 pm

    I am unable to access my photos with a Nexus 5 / Android 5.0.1,before or after the update – what gives with this ?

  3. kavalier

    12/22/2014 at 7:00 pm

    My 2013 WiFi Nexus 7 still on 4.4.4 Showed an update to 5.0.1 and disappeared when clicked on a while back.

    • John Rosengreen

      01/07/2015 at 3:10 am

      I had the same problem where the 5.0 and 5.0.1 updates were not showing up. I had to side load 5.0 onto my tablet and then the 5.0.1 update appeared on the tablet a minute after.

  4. benny

    12/24/2014 at 10:53 am

    My nexus 4’s back & home button doesn’t work after update lollipop 5.0.1

  5. Mike

    01/11/2015 at 7:44 am

    Link after link but no fix, can’t wait until I can crush this phone. Have a Nexus 5 and have had nothing but issues after issues. Better things to do than fix this crappy phone. Guess we have something in common right!!!

  6. prince

    05/05/2015 at 11:28 pm

    I have updated lollipop 5.0.1 i am facing lots of problems in this update the applications are not working in manner,applications are getting close while using them,music player stopes,keyboard doest work many times screen wallpaper changes automatically also my phone is gtg hang number of times.

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