Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Release: 10 Things to Expect

June has been a busy month for Samsung and its ongoing Lollipop roll out. The company’s rolled out tons of Android Lollipop updates including a brand new Android 5.1.1 update for select devices. The Android 5.1.1 roll out it still young which means that Galaxy owners have a lot of questions and today we want to help set your Android 5.1.1 expectations if you own a Samsung device.

In late 2014, Samsung started pushing out Android 5.0 Lollipop to the Galaxy S5. Since then, the update has moved on to a number of different devices. Big names like the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S4 have been upgraded but so have other lesser known devices like the Galaxy Alpha.

In June, Samsung made solid progress with its Galaxy Lollipop release, progress that included the start of its Android 5.1.1 roll out to Galaxy smartphones.

Android 5.1.1 Lollipop is the most current version of Google’s mobile operating system and it’s one that Samsung has begun deploying to top flagship smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy S5. The update is very limited at the moment but we expect it to continue on as we push into summer.

Samsung and many of its carrier partners do a horrible job setting customer expectations. Over the past four weeks, we’ve been getting tons of questions about the Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 release. We don’t have all of those answers but what we can do is share our expectations going forward.

We’ve been through numerous Samsung Android update roll outs. And while each one is a little different, they all have a similar progression and that allows us to make some educated guesses about the future of Samsung’s latest roll out. With that in mind, here’s what we expect from the Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Lollipop release.

More Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge Android 5.1.1 Updates

You should expect more Samsung Galaxy S6 Android 5.1.1 updates and Samsung Galaxy S6 Android 5.1.1 updates.

Several carriers have already confirmed plans to roll out their own versions of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Android 5.1.1 updates and our expectation is that more than just two carriers will push out updates to these flagship phones.

We expect Samsung’s international roll out to pick up in the weeks ahead and we also expect more U.S. carriers to push out Android 5.1.1 updates. As of right now, U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile are the only ones with updates that are live though we suspect that we’ll see the others join in.

Typically, when one U.S. carrier pushes out an update, it triggers a wider roll out. We’d be surprised if AT&T, Sprint and Verizon skipped in Android 5.1.1 in favor of a move to Android M. Not with an Android M roll out months away at least.

We’d expect the roll out to take place over several weeks so those of you who own Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models in the U.S. and aboard need to remain patient as Samsung and its carrier partners work behind the scenes testing the update for public consumption.

More Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 Updates

We’d expect the same from the Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 update. So far, French carrier SFR is the only one who’s made concrete plans to push out a Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 update but we’d be surprised if it and T-Mobile USA were the only ones with such ambition.

The Galaxy S5 is still a top phone and it’s one that would benefit from the bug fixes and enhancements of an update like Android 5.1.1. Lollipop hasn’t been kind to some Galaxy S5 users and an Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update could go a long way ahead of Android M. We’d be surprised if it was limited to just a few carriers.

Like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Android 5.1.1 roll outs, we expect the Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 push to drag on over the course of several months.

Silence from Samsung

Do not expect Samsung to provide explicit Galaxy Android 5.1.1 release details to owners of unbranded and branded devices.

We’ve seen a ton of people asking it for information on social media and while it might surprise with some early concrete information, most of the time it greets Android update questions with silence or vague responses. Don’t expect much more than that. And don’t expect a huge blog post outlining its plans either.

If you want to try your luck, you’re better off asking a regional arm of Samsung like Samsung UK or Samsung France for information. Regional arms often cough up information but that information is sometimes way off. Something to keep in mind if you’re getting antsy.

Silence from U.S. Carriers

Expect the same from U.S. carriers.

T-Mobile’s Android 5.1.1 updates for the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5 came out of the blue without any warning. As far as we know, it didn’t even list them on its Android software update page. Same goes for the updates for the U.S. Cellular Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Android 5.1.1 updates.

U.S. carriers have different names but they all use the same Android update protocol. They don’t like to confirm updates in advance and they instead like to confirm the release and the contents the day the update rolls out. We expect the same from the remaining U.S. carriers.

Similar Android 5.1.1 Updates

We’d expect the remaining Android 5.1.1 updates for Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5 to mirror the ones that have already rolled out to users in the United States and elsewhere. That is to say that we don’t expect any huge surprises.

Samsung’s upcoming Android 5.1.1 updates will likely be focused on bug fixes though we do expect them to come with some unique enhancements courtesy of service providers. They always put their own spin on Samsung’s updates. This time around, we’re not expecting anything deeper than some tweaks and smaller enhancements.

Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 Update

Samsung and its carrier partners haven’t confirmed anything yet but we’re confident that the Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 update is in the works.

We’ve seen numerous Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 leaks and SamMobile, a credible source, claims that Samsung is testing the software on the current Galaxy Note flagship. So unless something really gets fouled up in testing, we’d expect the Galaxy Note 4 to be the next device to get the Android 5.1.1 update.

Beyond these four devices, it’s tough to say, but with Android M on the way later this year, we wouldn’t expect every single Galaxy phone and tablet to get the Android 5.1.1 update.

Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 Release in July

We don’t have a solid release date for the Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 update though rumors have pointed to a release inside the month of July.

Given that the Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 update has already pushed out, we would not be surprised if the Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 release not only took place in July but was just a few short days away from its arrival.

Galaxy Note 4 users will want to keep an eye out, especially T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 users in the United States. T-Mobile was first to the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5 updates. Why not this one?

Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Problems to Continue

As the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update gains ground, we expect to hear and see more complaints about Android 5.1.1 problems on the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and others.

We’ve already seen some initial reports of Android 5.1.1 problems on the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5. These complaints will grow if and when the update hits more U.S. carriers and more international versions of these devices. We also expect to hear about Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 problems.

This shouldn’t be surprising to hear. Android updates, even bug fixers like Android 5.1.1, are never perfect. There are ways to minimize the risk of running into issues but there’s no way to guarantee a bug-free update. You’re always taking a risk installing new software.

We’ve put together steps to take before the update, some release date tips and some fixes for common Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 problems. Take a look at those if you’re at all concerned.

Samsung Galaxy Android M Release Next

Google hasn’t rolled out any new Android Lollipop updates and it appears poised to deliver a new version of Android 5.1.1 rather than Android 5.1.2. So, we’d expect the Android M release that’s coming in Q3 to Nexus devices to be the next version of Android for Galaxy Lollipop users.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything but we don’t expect it to make anything concrete until after Google makes the inevitable release date announcement later this year.

The Android M release date is rumored for August. We’d expect the bulk of Samsung’s Galaxy Android M updates to come a few months after that.

Android M to Fix Android 5.1.1 Problems

We mentioned that Android 5.1.1 is causing problems for some Galaxy owners. If third-party fixes don’t work, we’d expect Android M to tackle many lingering Lollipop problems including any issues with Android 5.1.1.

Android M is aimed at improving performance on Android devices and we expect many of its under-the-hood improvements to extend to Samsung’s devices. Will it be perfect? Nope. But we do expect it to wipe out many of the problems that have plagued Android 5.1.1 and other versions of Lollipop.

For more on Android M, take a look at the slideshow below.

Android 5.1 vs Android M - Lockscreen

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With Android 5.0 Google slightly changed the lockscreen and made everything very clean and simple, and they've done the same with Android M. In the developer preview build you'll only notice one change, and that is the addition of quick swipe to unlock right into voice controls for Google Now. On the bottom of the lockscreen are three icons. The middle unlocks into the phone, the right side unlocks right to the camera for quick access to instantly take photos, and on the left we have a microphone. This doesn't unlock your phone, and instead fires up Google Now voice controls. This can be used to make a call, ask for directions, "go to gottabemobile.com" and any other voice command. Google removed the quick launch to the dialer, and replaced it with Google Now voice controls.

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