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Last August, I published a list of the most and least popular smartphones and tablets used on Android Police. That post was surprisingly popular - and I've had repeated requests for a follow-up. Now that well over a year has passed, I think the time is right for a new installment, and one spanning a far greater time period than the month-long data set I used to compile the last version.
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Google formalized the update guarantee for Nexus devices last year in the wake of the Stage Fright vulnerability, but now it's gone a step further by listing the approximate end-of-life (EOL) dates on its support site. Google added this data at some point in the last few weeks, but it has only now been noticed.
Jide Technology wants to give as many users the option to try out its own flavor of Android. This involved rolling out the 2.0 Beta to PC devices about a month ago with plenty of features that were missing from the alpha when we tested it a couple of months prior. But you don't have to have a PC to test Remix now as the OS has been released in beta for the Nexus 9 and Nexus 10. (Jide had previously released Remix OS 1.5 to these tablets, so this isn't the first time its software becomes available for them.)
CyanogenMod has been breathing fresh and 'mallow-tasting air into the lungs and ROMs of abandoned devices. The Galaxy S III practically returned from the dead after receiving the kiss of the CM 13 nightly, the Nexus 4 that was left behind by Google strapped on its big boy shoes and sprinted to the new version, and now it's the Nexus 10's turn to receive some chest compressions and get resurrected.
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Yesterday T-Mobile announced new over-the-air updates for the Nexus 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9. They contained security and bug-related fixes that, for the most part, aren't all that exciting. The patches amounted to under 20MB for all but the Nexus 6, which was under 30. But Google didn't promise us fun when it promised monthly Nexus updates.
Google announced the Stagefright vulnerability fix would start rolling out as an OTA today, but it has also added new factory images to the Nexus developer pages. That means bootloader unlocked Nexus phones and tablets can flash the new build immediately, even if your device is running some wacky ROM.
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Android 5.0 was a big visual change for Android, but the upcoming M release will make its mark on Android as well. Google is likely going to announce hard cut-offs for Nexus device update support. There will be no more guessing about which devices will get updates and for how long, but that means several older devices are going to stay on Lollipop.
After an early tease with the Nexus Player, it looks like Android 5.1.1 is legitimately rolling out to the Nexus family. An OTA for the Nexus 10 was spotted just a few hours ago, and now factory images and binaries have been posted for that tablet and both generations of the Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi only, for now). There haven't been any OTA reports for the two smaller tablets, but they will probably start rolling out shortly.
The Nexus 10 appears to be receiving its Android 5.1.1 update over-the-air. This is mainly a bugfix release, but any update is welcome news, especially on a device that's considered by some to be past its prime.
Google has made Android 5.1 official and that means Nexus updates. Factory images are starting to pop up on the developer page, so you can easily get your device back to stock no matter what unspeakable things you've done to it. All the images we have so far are linked below.
Of our many jobs here at Android Police, one is to make our readers' lives easier when we can. With that in mind, here's a roundup of every known Nexus Lollipop OTA. As new ones become available, this post will be updated accordingly.
Time to break out that old Nexus 7 or Nexus 10—Google has just posted system images based on Android 5.0.2 for both of these devices (razor and mantaray). The most recent version on these tablets before today was 5.0.1, so it's not like they've been waiting on Lollipop this whole time like some devices (cough razorg cough).
It's not unusual to see slightly customized builds of Android rolling out to Nexus devices shortly after the release of a new version. It certainly happened a few times with KitKat, and it looks like Lollipop is on track to do the same. As the rush of factory images and OTAs roll out, AOSP is also receiving commits for the new device-specific builds; and Al Sutton was quick to put out changelogs for each version. These begin with the version currently residing on the Nexus Player, 5.0.0_r2 (LRX21M), and run through LRX21Q, which just appeared on the Nexus 9.
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- Google fixed the issue permanently in mid-2015. Make sure to update Android SDK Platform-tools in the SDK Manager to the latest version.
If you're trying to flash your Nexus 5, 7, or 10 to Android 5.0 now that the factory images are out, there's nothing more infuriating than running into an error in the process. The most common error we're seeing today as part of the flashing process is the dreaded "missing system.img" dialog, which aborts the update process on the target device.
It's the moment you've been waiting for. Google just announced the Nexus devices are getting OTA updates to 5.0, and now the full system images have been posted on the Google Developers site. With these files, you can flash your device back to stock even after you've done unspeakable things to it.
Can you feel it? It's in the air. Of course I'm referring to the impending arrival of Android 5.0 on Nexus devices. It's starting now with a full jump to Lollipop for devices that are currently on KitKat, and a small bug fix update for new devices like the Nexus 9.
A new era is upon us. After having taken the wraps off this year's set of Nexus devices, it's time to clear out the old and make way for the new. If you head over to the Play Store now looking to buy a Nexus 7 or a Nexus 10, you will find that Google has listed them as no longer available for sale.
We have a reliable source (two, in fact) telling us that the first over-the-air updates to Android Lollipop will come not to the Nexus 4 or 5, but to the Nexus 7 (2012), Nexus 7 (2013 Wi-Fi), and Nexus 10. Why? Because they're all Wi-Fi devices - supposedly hardware with cellular data will have to wait a bit longer to get the OTA, meaning the Nexus 4, 5, and 2013 Nexus 7 with LTE will be stuck a bit longer waiting for the L update. The updates for the Wi-Fi devices will arrive on November 3rd.
It looks like Google is serious about getting the "L" preview out to developers in all of its forms, even as code. That's right, some of the source code is already live on AOSP!