Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Update: 5 Things to Know Right Now

Google’s Android 5.1 Lollipop update is currently pushing out to several devices not including the aging Nexus 4

Android Reviews - With Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop questions swirling, we want to take a look at what we think Nexus 4 users need to know right now about the Android 5.1 Lollipop update that should roll out to the device sometime in the future.

A little over two weeks ago, Google finally confirmed the elephant in the room. The elephant? Android 5.1 Lollipop, an update that had been rumored for arrival at the end of last year and one that Google quietly confirmed for Android One devices several months back. Android 5.1 Lollipop is much bigger than your standard Android update because it delivers feature enhancements on top of crucial bug fixes for Android problems.

In typical Google fashion, the Nexus Android 5.1 Lollipop update is rolling out to select Nexus devices in an extremely slow manner. The update, which surfaced in the Android Open Source Project two weeks ago, is finally starting to reach some devices Over-the-Air though many Nexus users are still without their upgrade to Android 5.1 Lollipop. One of the device’s that isn’t receiving an Android 5.1 Lollipop update, at least not yet is.

Nexus 4 users, who received the Android 5.0 update and Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update, have been complaining about a number of Lollipop problems in recent months and many are excited about the prospects of Android 5.1 Lollipop. With an Android 5.1 Lollipop update missing in action, we’ve been getting a ton of questions about its whereabouts and about what to expect from Google’s Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop update.

Today, we want to take a look at what we know so far about the Nexus 4 Android 5.1 release and offer some guidance to Nexus 4 users who are currently on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop and below. If you haven’t been following Google’s Android 5.1 deployment, this will catch you up to speed.
Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Update All but Confirmed

Google didn’t confirm a Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop update outright when it announced its Android 5.1 Lollipop roll out earlier this month but all signs point to a release in the future.

Android Police, a site with a solid track record when it comes to Nexus Android releases, believes that Google will roll out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update to all Nexus devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop. We also have some solid evidence that points to a Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop release in the future.

Earlier this month, Myce spotted an Android 5.1 Lollipop build running on the Nexus 4. What this means is that Google has the Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop update in testing. If the update is in testing behind the scenes, there’s a very good chance that it will roll out to the public in the near future. So, at this point, there’s no reason to fret.

Sure, it might be a few days or even a few weeks before Google pushes this update out but it would be surprising to see Android 5.1 Lollipop skip the Nexus 4 altogether. It’s an old device but it should get the bump to Google’s latest and greatest firmware.
Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Release Date MIA

The Nexus 4 Android 5.1 release date remains missing in action and given what we’ve seen from the rest of Google’s Android 5.1 Lollipop updates, we probably won’t find out about the Nexus 4 Android 5.1 release date until just beforehand.

Google rarely announces specific release dates. When it does, the announcement typically comes in the form of a blog post. Google’s Android 5.1 blog post did not outline a specific date for any Nexus devices and we’ve seen Android 5.1 Lollipop updates and OTAs roll out pretty much at random over the past two weeks.

The only clue that Nexus 4 users will probably get is an arrival in the AOSP. Once an update is pushed into the AOSP, an OTA typically isn’t too far behind. In the case of Android 5.1, we’ve seen a gap of about a week between AOSP and OTA.

If you are getting anxious about the Nexus 4 Android 5.1 update, you’ll want to keep an eye on AOSP. Google probably won’t announce anything so you’ll need to check once or twice a day as we push deeper into March and into April. The start of the OTA will be impossible to predict so you’ll need to remain patient.

Nexus 4 Android 5.1 Features

Google’s Android 5.1 Lollipop updates are all very similar in that they come with a number of new features and enhancements for Nexus smartphones and tablets. There are a few differences (HD Voice for the Nexus 6 being one of them) but the Nexus 4 Android 5.1 update will probably closely mirror what we’ve seen already.