Showing posts with label android 5.1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label android 5.1. Show all posts

Saturday 21 March 2015

Android 5.1 factory image for the Nexus Player

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Android 5.1 factory image for the Nexus Player



We talk a lot about Android 5.1 for phones and tablets, but what about Google’s first Android TV product? Looks like the Nexus Player is finally set to get it as the company has posted the factory image over at their website.

We aren’t sure if there are any big changes specific to TV, but we’ll certainly be looking to load this up onto our unit and check. In the meantime you can grab the factory image and flash the file through fastboot if you aren’t interested in waiting for a network OTA process.

You’ll be on version LMY47D and it figures to cost you little more than 442MB of bandwidth. Grab it from Google’s site right here to load it up and give it a go.

Android 5.1 factory image for the Nexus Player

Omg, HTC confirms the One M7 will not be upgraded to Android 5.1

The One M7 probably won't get another big Android update. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
The One M7 probably won’t get another big Android update. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

 

HTC confirms the One M7 will not be upgraded to Android 5.1

 
Just like last year’s One M8, the One M7 got an Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade earlier this year — but it seems that’s the last big update it will get. HTC has confirmed that while the Google Play Edition One M7 will get Android 5.1, the regular model will not.

“Only the GPE version of M7 will receive 5.1,” tweeted HTC Product Manager Mo Versi when asked when the One M7 would get Google’s latest Android 5.1 software. “Our target is early April.”

Unlike the regular One, the Google Play Edition handset runs pure Android — without the Sense user interface and other HTC tweaks. Making the latest Android releases available to it takes very little work, then.

But the regular One M7 does have Sense and all of the additional features that come with it, and HTC has seemingly decided that after two years, it will no longer be making the latest Android updates compatible with this device.

The two-year cutoff for Android updates is pretty typical of major manufacturers these days, so it’s not too surprising. But it will still be somewhat disappointing to those still clinging onto the original One smartphone.

At least HTC did update the device to Lollipop before closing the door on it, and of course, it should still see plenty of support from the community for years to come. You’ll be able to get an Android 5.1 update if you don’t mind flashing third-party ROMs, then. 

 

HTC confirms the One M7 will not be upgraded to Android 5.1


Sunday 15 March 2015

Android 5.1 update on your Nexus device, how Google manages updates

Android 5.1 update on your Nexus device, how Google manages updates


Waiting for the Android 5.1 update on your Nexus device? You’re not alone, here’s how Google manages updates
If you keep hitting “check for updates” on your Nexus device, you are just wasting your time, and stressing your fingers. We know, we don’t like to wait for the OTA update either.

Having your device constantly check for updates is about as effective as repeatedly hitting a floor button on an elevator – it’s not. As it happens, clearing Google Service Framework data doesn’t help either, in fact, it will actually hurt your chances of getting an update in a timely manner.

We dug through the interwebs to find some information about how Google manages Android updates, et voila, we found an explanation by Google’s own Dan Morrill, an Android Engineer, on Reddit. He shared these pearls of wisdom a little over a year ago when Android 4.4 KitKat started rolling out, but let’s rehash these things as they touch on both tactics for trying to get Android updates, and explain perfectly why they don’t work.

Taking the latter issue first, if you clear the Google Service Framework data, Google’s servers see this as factory reset, changing the primary ID for your device. Doesn’t sound like a big deal right? The problem is that it invalidates all the app tokens which, in turn, wreaks havoc over notifications. In short, you won’t brick your device, but you are not getting it to the front of the line trying to grab the newest OS update.


As for continuously “checking for updates,” it is not unlike knocking at the door when no one is home. The updates are pushed out in phases. The first phase lasts 24-48 hours, and will reach about 1% of devices initially. The engineers then examine error reports and how the devices are checking in.

If all is going well, then the second phase will push out to about 25% of the install base. Assuming there are no further problems (if any), then the following phase will reach 50%, and so-on over the next couple of weeks.

How does that translate to you the user? Well, if you hit “check for updates” during the first phase, basically you have a 1% chance of getting the update. If your device is not randomly selected to receive the “offer,” then you are on the sidelines until the next phase starts. In Morrill’s own words, “Once your device checks in and gets turned down, that’s it until the next batch. Mashing on the ‘check for updates’ button just causes yourdevice to check in again, and get automatically turned down again. Think about how that makes your device feel! WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE PHONES?”

As you may expect, the next phase gives your device another shot at hitting pay dirt for the update, but again, once the device checks in, that is it for a given 24-hour period usually.

If it’s any consolation, the “offers” are random, updates are not handled on a first-come, first-served basis. While that means there is no “race” to get the update first, we kind of wish it was sometimes.
 

Android 5.1 update on your Nexus device, how Google manages updates


source: Dan Morill (1, 2) via Reddit