Connect with us

Android

February Nexus 5 Android 6.0.1 Update: First Impressions

Published

on

Google’s new Nexus 5 Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow build is rolling out right now and today we want to take a look at this February Nexus 5 Android 6.0.1 update and its performance.

The Nexus 5 Android 6.0.1 update has been around for several weeks now but Google continues to release new builds. The latest is the February Nexus security update which brings some important patches to the Nexus 5 and Google’s stable of Nexus-branded smartphones and tablets.

Google’s latest Android 6.0.1 build, MMB29Q for the Nexus 5, is a small update but even the smallest Android updates can cause problems. And that’s why I want to take a quick look at the Nexus 5 February Android 6.0.1 update today.

The new Nexus 5 Android 6.0.1 build first started rolling out in the beginning of February but it appears that it’s now starting to hit device en masse. I got a notification to install the update earlier today and I’ve been using the new build for a few hours now.

Nexus-5-Android-6-0-1

Android 6.0.1 Installation

If you haven’t manually installed it already, you can expect Google’s newest Android 6.0.1 build to appear out of thin air. I checked my phone once before work this morning and it wasn’t there. I then checked it about an hour later and the update was ready to download and install.

The Nexus 5’s February update is 8MB in size meaning it’s only going to take most of you a few seconds to download and install. If you must know, it took me three seconds over a high speed Verizon FiOS network.

The installation process took a few minutes to complete, about three, which is par for the course for these small security updates.

I didn’t run into any problems, haven’t heard about any major problems, and you can expect the whole process to be short and sweet.

Performance

This update doesn’t come with any new features so I am going to focus on its performance in key areas like battery life, connectivity and UI speed.

Before I get into these impressions, note that mileage varies when it comes to Android updates. So, if you’re feeling leery about this build, you should seek additional feedback.

Apps

I’ve spent a few hours poking around the various applications on my Nexus 5 and I haven’t run into any noticeable issues.

I don’t have every app on the Google Play Store installed on my Nexus 5 but I do have a fair amount. My core apps include Asana, Slack, YouTube, Chrome, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Hangouts, Spotify, Google Maps, and SoundCloud. None of them are exhibiting problems, at least not yet.

If you do happen to encounter a problem with your apps after installing this new build, try reinstalling the app or downloading the latest bug fixes. If that doesn’t work, get in contact with the developer and report your issue.

Battery Life

I can’t speak to long term battery life but in the few hours that I’ve spent with this new build, I haven’t noticed any major problems.

The Nexus 5’s battery is holding up well with the new Android 6.0.1 build on board  and with Doze enabled. I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. It’s holding an excellent charge and I don’t expect that to change.

Nexus-5-5

If you do run into an issue with battery life, take a look at our list of fixes.

Wi-Fi, LTE & Bluetooth

I’ve been taking a close look at connectivity with this update on board. And so far, I haven’t run into any problems.

AT&T’s LTE and 4G networks are still fast and reliable. I’ve also tested the Nexus 5 and the new build with several routers and two different connections and I haven’t run into any issues with Wi-Fi.

Likewise, I’ve successfully paired the Nexus 5 and the update with several different Bluetooth devices including headsets and speakers.

Connectivity issues can appear at any time so you’ll want to make sure you’re familiar with potential fixes.

Bugs & Issues

The Until Next Alarm bug is still present in this build and that’s the only frustrating issue that I’ve encountered thus far.

There might be some smaller issues lurking on the software but I haven’t come across any experience-breaking bugs just yet.

Nexus-5-25

I’ll continue to dig as we push away from the release date. For now, keep your eyes on Google’s Nexus Help Forums for information about potential issues and bugs.

Speed

The Nexus 5’s UI is still fast and fluid in this build. I haven’t noticed any lag or random slowdown during my time with the update.

Apps open quickly, animations and transitions are how they’re supposed to be, and the Nexus 5 still doesn’t feel like a phone that’s approaching its third birthday.

Should You Install It Right Now?

Google’s latest update comes with several key patches for potential security exploits. And while it doesn’t fix that Until Next Alarm issue, it doesn’t appear to bring any widespread problems along with it.

As of right now, I think most of you are going to be fine installing this new build. And if you do stumble into a problem, make sure you take a look at our list of resources. They should help.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Mariagberman

    02/11/2016 at 8:11 am

    0=133m­­­­­­­­­y b­­­­­­­­­e­­­­­­­­­s­­­­­­­­­t f­­­­­­­­­r­­­­­­­­­ie­­­­­­­­­nd’s si­­­­­­­­­st­­­­­­­­­er ma­­­­­­­­­ke­­­­­­­­­s $79 /ho­­­­­­­­­ur o­­­­­­­­­n t­­­­­­­­­he co­­­­­­­­­mp­­­­­­­­­ut­­­­­­­­­er . Sh­­­­­­­­­e h­­­­­­­­­as be­­­­­­­­­en wi­­­­­­­­­th­­­­­­­­­ou­­­­­­­­­t a jo­­­­­­­­­b f­­­­­­­­­or 9 mo­­­­­­­­­nt­­­­­­­­­hs b­­­­­­­­­ut la­­­­­­­­­st mo­­­­­­­­­nt­­­­­­­­­h he­­­­­­­­­r pa­­­­­­­­­y ch­­­­­­­­­ec­­­­­­­­­k w­­­­­­­­­as $21049 ju­­­­­­­­­st wo­­­­­­­­­rk­­­­­­­­­ing o­­­­­­­­­n t­­­­­­­­­he co­­­­­­­­­mp­­­­­­­­­ut­­­­­­­­­er f­­­­­­­­­or a f­­­­­­­­­ew ho­­­­­­­­­ur­­­­­­­­­s.
    fi­­­­­­­­­nd o­­­­­­­­­ut he­­­­­­­­­re… See More

  2. E

    02/12/2016 at 12:12 am

    Thanks for your article.
    What do you recommend if I keep getting an error after I try and install it?

  3. Jose Luis Arevalo Benitez

    02/15/2016 at 3:59 am

    Hi all:
    I’ve a Nexus and after install this security update for Android 6.0.1, I’ve seen a critical battery life reduction. In Battery History I’ve seen that Wife consumption is upper 50% when I’ve disabled this feature almost all time. I think there is a bug.
    Regards,
    JL

  4. E

    02/16/2016 at 6:22 am

    I regretted installing an update once, it slowed down my N5 like never before and was draining my battery all day long
    I really appreciate your feedback on Android updates. I read them every time before upgrading. Thanks.

  5. O

    02/16/2016 at 4:27 pm

    after update Battery is draining super fast. Even in idle mode, Battery drains fast..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.