Google's Nexus line of smart devices are normally the first to get the latest version of the company's own Android operating system software, but after a string of launch bugs in Android 5.0 Lollipop, many users wonder when their Nexus device will get the latest update to patch everything up to normal.
Android's 5.0.1 patch was released only weeks after 5.0's launch in November, but that update introduced its own set of problems including wi-fi and cell connectivity issues, password problems, network lag, battery drain, and more. A new fix in the form of patch 5.0.2 was quick to fix problems with the Nexus 7, but not all Nexus devices received the update. So where do Nexus users stand on fixing these 5.0 Lollipop launch-day bugs?
Nexus 4
The 2012 smartphone is all set for the 5.0.1 patch through the use of downloadable factory images. You'll need to follow manual installation instructions over at the Google developer's page, but it is possible to get that 5.0.1 patch on the older Nexus 4.
Be warned that there are still several bugs with 5.0.1 on the Nexus 4, including a loss of audio during phone calls, so an update should be done at your own discretion.
Nexus 5
The 2013 Nexus 5 is upgradable to 5.0.1, but only through manual installation as with the Nexus 4.
Nexus 6
The Nexus 6 was the first device to launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop, but it's one of the only Nexus devices to not have an update available to 5.0.1 or 5.0.2. Some believe this is due to the fact that other devices that are having more severe problems (like the Nexus 7) took priority while the Nexus 6's 5.0 install is relatively stable.
Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 is a tablet, so it works a bit differently than the smartphones in the Nexus line. But the Nexus 7, particularly, has not had a good experience with the Lollipop patches. While 5.0.2 is available for the Nexus 7 2013, many users don't recommend making the upgrade because of issues with it making the device completely unusable. Reports state that a new Android 5.1 version of Lollipop is being released in February specifically to address the Nexus 7 issues with the last few attempts at upgrade fixes.
Nexus 9
Lollipop 5.0.1 is available for the Nexus 9 tablet that was released in November with 5.0 installed, but only as a manual upgrade through flashing. Many users are reporting that it's safer to stick with 5.0 at this point.
Nexus 10
The 10-inch tablet released in 2012 is the only other device besides the Nexus 7 that has 5.0.2 available to download through a manual installation.
But despite these incremental updates available as mostly manual downloads, there's already talk of Android 5.1 Lollipop coming at the end of February to fix all of the lingering bugs that have been introduced to Nexus devices with 5.0, 5.0.1, and 5.02. The belief is that most manufacturers are holding off any kind of committment to these 5.0 updates to see what 5.1 will bring. Watch for more news on patch 5.1 throughout February.
