Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update: today's the day!

If you've been following our Android 5.0 Lollipop update coverage, you'd know that November 3rd came and went with a bit of a whimper. Then last week began and ended and still no Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the Nexus 5. Knowing that the delay was caused by a software bug which was wreaking havoc with battery life made us understanding, but no less impatient. But today is supposed to be the day: all leaks, rumors and expectations have been fixated on November 12th for the last little while, so start the countdown clock...

The Nexus 5 is still awaiting the Android 5.0 update, which has been delivered to Moto devices as a well as the LG G3 already. © Google

• Skip the wait and get the Android 5.0 ROM on your Nexus 5 right now

As you've probably already heard, the Moto X (2014) got the Lollipop soak test late last week. The rollout has officially started for the Moto X (2014) Android 5.0 update and even the Moto G (2014) is getting Lollipop, making the Nexus 5 miss out on the front-of-the-line VIP service once again. Even the LG G3 got the Android 5.0 update before the Nexus 5. So how serious was this battery bug, and how come the Moto and LG devs didn't seem to worry about it? Perhaps it's just another nifty Google-built, Nexus 5-specific issue.

Why does Google keep baking Nexus 5-specific bugs into stock Android updates? © AndroidPIT

All we can do is wait patiently, frantically hitting F5 on the Google Developer's Blog factory image page or ''Check Now'' in System Updates. The Android 5.0 factory image for the Nexus 7 (2012) was leaked already, and there's even details on Android Wear 5.0 Lollipop for wearables, so it seems like it'll only be a matter of hours until we get what we've all been waiting for. Keep an eye out for an install tutorial as soon as the binaries are uploaded to Google's Nexus firmware page.

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The recent history of the Nexus 5 Android update...

While both the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 come out of the box running Android 5.0, the rest of the Nexus range will have to wait a little bit longer. The Nexus 9 got the final build version of Android 5.0 just before it hit the Play Store: what Google called the ''retail version'' of the new Android firmware. And earlier in that same week, as various Nexus devices saw the Android 5.0 source code uploaded to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), we all got tittery with excitement and awaited imminent OTA rollouts or factory image deployment. But nothing happened. So what went wrong?

I've got my Nexus 5 ready to take all that Lollipop goodness the second its ready. © ANDROIDPIT

It seems that the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update was suspended thanks to a catastrophic battery drain problem caused by the upgraded firmware. Nexus 5 owners using the Android L preview build reported the problem on Google's issue tracker service, where a Google employee promptly responded stating that the issue was being worked on. The complication was reportedly provoked by a Wi-Fi bug which would continue to wake the device without cause. Since then the issue has been fixed, but we're still unlikely to see the Nexus 5 Lollipop update arrive until November 12th, as with the rest of the Nexus range.

Traditionally, the more significant Android updates have had a two-week window or so in between the AOSP code being uploaded and the factory images appearing. Smaller updates tend to see the AOSP code and images go live around the same time. The over the air updates, however, may start before the factory images appear, but because they take weeks to complete, the factory images usually appear before everyone has the OTA anyway.

This is a screen you'll be seeing more of in weeks to come: the factory image page. © ANDROIDPIT

The two methods deliver the same result, although the OTA won't wipe your device clean like flashing the binaries will. The OTA will simply appear for you one day (or you can feverishly go to Settings > About Phone > System Updates > Check Now like a madman). The second method simply requires you to download and flash the factory image from Google once it is posted - which could be as soon as today or sometime next week. Once they're available you can grab the factory image for your specific Nexus from the Google Developer's site.

Once the system image is available, you can flash it on your Nexus 5 straight away! © AndroidPIT

• How to get Android 5.0 Lollipop apps, UI and features on your phone without root


• Get the Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview on your Nexus 4, Nexus 5, or Nexus 7 now!

Considering the batching process for the OTA update, it could easily be mid-November before you finally see it on your phone. The factory images might not even appear this week (although we think they will). But never fear, as soon as the OTA starts rolling or the factory image becomes available, the internet will melt down – so there's no chance of not knowing all about it when it does start. Update screenshots await!

What date are you expecting Android 5.0 for the Nexus 5? Will Motorola beat Nexus this time?

 

Source fromhttp://www.androidpit.com