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That took quite a while. According to a tip sent from an Android Police reader, that very small sliver of Galaxy S4 owners which opted for the Google Play Edition of the phone (running stock AOSP software) is now receiving the Android 5.1 update. That's the one that first started coming out way back in February, at least to Nexus devices. Yeah, the Google Play Edition program isn't looking quite so hot these days, more's the pity.
After last month's release of Android 5.1 updates for HTC's Google Play Edition devices, it was only a matter of time before the kernel sources for those phones were posted. This is especially interesting for fans of the M7 and M8 because these are the first looks we have at the kernel for 5.1 on them.
If you've been following Google's Android 5.1 rollout, it's no secret that the release to GPE devices is well underway. So far we've seen the stock Android variants of the Moto G, LG G Pad 8.3, and HTC One M8 get the update, and now it's time for Sony's massive Z Ultra GPE to have its turn in the sun.
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- Here's the OTA link for the M8 GPE straight from Google's server if the one above doesn't work for you.
The Google Play Edition program seems to have been mostly forgotten by Google and its hardware partners, but at least those devices that were released are still getting steady updates. The latest one to be blessed with Android 5.1 is HTC's One M8 Google Play Edition from last year. Users are reporting that the over-the-air update is heading out now, so check your Settings menu if you happen to own one.
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Before you ask, yes, this article is basically just another excuse for me to use Android Police's favorite device abbreviation, LGGP83GPE. (That's the short-lived Google Play Edition of the LG G Pad 8.3, from way back in 2013.) According to at least one Twitter user and, hey, my own tablet, the LGGP83GPE is getting its Android 5.1 update right about now. If you're running stock software, head to the usual spot (Settings>About tablet>System updates) to check for yours.
If you're the owner of a Google Play Edition Moto G, your update to Android 5.1 has begun rolling out. Though these things go out in stages, you can always check manually for an update, or if you're too impatient, you can download and flash the OTA manually using the link to Google's server at the bottom of this post.
Google Play Edition phones and tablets started dropping like flies last year, and now we've reached the eventual conclusion. The HTC One M8 GPE is no longer for sale in the Play Store, and it was the last. If you want a new device with stock Android, it's going to be a Nexus.
Over the course of 2014, we watched as the majority of the Google Play Edition devices disappeared from the Play Store. Former options such as the HTC One M7, Xperia Z Ultra, the Moto G, and the LG G Pad 8.3 (forever known in our hearts as the LGGP83GPE) have all vanished. Now the Galaxy S4, after being out of stock for a long time, has gone away as well.
Another one bites the dust. The Moto G Google Play Edition is no longer available in the Play Store. You've been able to pick up the low-cost device with immediate shipping since its debut almost a year ago. Now it's "no longer available for sale."
If you're the owner of a Moto G GPE, your Lollipop update is here. Google and Motorola have begun rolling out the latest version of Android to the budget GPE device, but if you don't have it yet, we've got the direct download link for you at the bottom of this post.
On the heels of their release of the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OTA update to the HTC One M7 and M8 Google Play Editions, HTC has quickly made the kernel source for both devices available at the HTCdev website. Most users don't need to worry about this either way, but developers and fans of custom ROMs should be happy to see these available so soon.
Lollipop is slowly, slowly making its way to all of the Nexus and Google Play Edition devices available (yes, N7 LTE owners, we hear you). If you purchased the "pure," AOSP-packing version of either the HTC One M7 from 2013 or the flagship One M8 earlier this year, you should be getting an over-the-air update to Android 5.0 soon. We're seeing tips from owners of both Google Play Edition phones.
The one Nexus-style smartphone that's even bigger than the N6 is getting its Android 5.0 update today. At least a few owners of Sony's Z Ultra (nee Xperia) Google Play Edition are getting over-the-air updates to Lollipop, as evidenced by this XDA thread. Conveniently, one of those fine folks has found the link to OTA ZIP file, so you can download and flash it manually to your own phone if you don't want to wait for the rollout.
There were rumors earlier this year of a Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5, but nothing happened at Google I/O, and there's been hardly a peep since. SamMobile noticed something interesting in an image on the Android site, though. There's a Galaxy S5 running stock Android 5.0 in one of the images. How very suspicious.
Recently there's been a rumor that Sony is planning on releasing stock AOSP ROMs (clean, Nexus-style builds of Android) for some of its high-end phones and tablets. It's easy to understand why Sony in particular might attract that kind of attention: the company has better support for aftermarket development than most, promptly releasing binaries and source code on the company's own GitHub and even some developer-grade AOSP builds. But as for consumer-ready, finished and fully supported AOSP ROMs? Yeah, that's not happening.
It made its exit from the Play Store device section a few months ago, but there are still some Google Play Edition Sony Xperia Z Ultras floating around out there. Expansys has the device in stock for just $269.99, but it's not exactly new.
Google officially pulled the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, Xperia Z Ultra, and LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition devices from the Play Store not too long ago. Since then we've seen a couple of them pop up on sale across various distributors. When an eBay seller offered the Galaxy S4 for $499 ($150 off) last month, we considered that a deal. Before that, Expansys USA offered the Z Ultra for the low price of $349, $100 less than what Google last asked for it. As it turns out, that latter device isn't alone. Expansys USA is selling the other three departed GPE devices as well, and all are going for drastically reduced prices.
Google officially pulled the Xperia Z Ultra GPE from the Play Store a few days ago, but it looks like stock wasn't completely gone. The device has shown up on Expansys USA for just $349.99. That's $100 less than Google's last price for it. We don't know how long it's going to last, but Expansys says it has more then 100 in stock right now.
Android 4.4.4 is just a minor security update, but what's the point of buying these Nexus and Google Play Edition devices if you can't have the latest and greatest no matter how minor the update? The Google Play Edition Moto G is finally living up to expectations with an OTA to Android 4.4.4. Just like the LG G Pad Google Play Edition (that's the LGGPGPE for "short"), this device is making the jump straight from 4.4.2 to 4.4.4.
Have you been wondering if Google really ran out of the Galaxy S4 GPE? Well, maybe there were a few left over. That would explain the cache of devices that just popped up on eBay. Someone has acquired a number of the devices and is selling them at a steep discount. Just $499.99 for an unlocked Google Play Edition smartphone. That's $150 off what Google was selling it for a few weeks ago.