Last week came and went with no hint of Android 5.1 for Nexus devices, despite what Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii said.
Now Russakovskii has updated his forecast to predict that the Lollipop update will arrive this week instead, saying it's "so close, [he] can almost smell it."
He cites multiple tenuous clues, including update pages on T-Mobile's and Google's websites, and speculates that Google might have adjusted the timing thanks to Apple's Watch event today.
What seems more likely is that there was some issue with Android 5.1 that required it to be delayed - or that it was never coming out last week to begin with.
Either way, Nexus users should keep an eye out as this week continues.
Original story below…
Android 5.1 is a much-anticipated update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, and according to one source it could arrive as soon as Friday.
The incremental Android update is expected to fix some of Lollipop's biggest problems, including bugs related to settings and UI, plus general performance improvements.
Last year we heard that 5.1 might arrive in February, but with the month come and gone and most Android phones still on 5.0 or below we're expecting to see it in March.
That's now backed up by Artem Russakovskii, the founder of Android news site Android Police, who posted on Google+ that a "solid" source says the update will arrive on Google Nexus phones this week.
Well, the week is almost over, so we'll know soon whether that source was correct.
A report earlier this year suggested Google is preparing to launch its own mobile phone service codenamed Project Nova.
Everything moved pretty fast from there and Google then confirmed the project at an MWC press conference earlier this week.
Now a report in The Wall Street Journal has suggested once the service launches it will only by available on the Nexus 6.
It seems a weird idea to restrict an entire phone network to one device, but it will be a soft launch for the company and it is going to need some tight control of both hardware and software.
Supernova network
Project Nova will use different mobile phone networks alongside Wi-Fi signals to offer the best service.
T-Mobile and Sprint's networks will be powering the network in the US and it'll need a good amount of Wi-Fi power as well to keep Google's "virtual network" running.
Keeping it restricted to the Nexus 6 will allow Google to keep a close eye on how the hardware and software are both interacting with the new service.
Not much else is known about the network but we do know it'll automatically redial if a call been cut mid conversation.
So far it has only been confirmed as a US service but it may come to other territories in the future.
Android 5.1 is a much-anticipated update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, and according to one source it could arrive as soon as Friday.
The incremental Android update is expected to fix some of Lollipop's biggest problems, including bugs related to settings and UI, plus general performance improvements.
Last year we heard that 5.1 might arrive in February, but with the month come and gone and most Android phones still on 5.0 or below we're expecting to see it in March.
That's now backed up by Artem Russakovskii, the founder of Android news site Android Police, who posted on Google+ that a "solid" source says the update will arrive on Google Nexus phones this week.
Well, the week is almost over, so we'll know soon whether that source was correct.
The Android 5.0 Lollipop update hasn't been entirely smooth sailing. While for some (myself included), it has been a buttery, svelte, velvetish fairy tale of lovely animations, smooth scrolling and Material Design Google apps, there are a few gremlins lurking beneath the bright colors. So if you've been experiencing some Android 5.0 issues, here's the solutions to the bugs we've heard about so far. We'll add more as more issues come up, so stay tuned as we tell you how to fix Android 5.0 problems.
Android 5.0 problems and solutions: Lollipop brings some sweetness along with a bitter after taste.
Apps restart in background
One of the newest problems discovered in Android 5.0 is a bug which which makes apps restart in the background. Though recent apps should remain running in the background for when you return to them later, even those apps with persistent notifications are being affected. This eventually hurts device performance the longer it is up and running. So far, the only known solution to this issue is, somewhat ironically, restarting your device. Google will likely patch this up soon, however.
Background apps are currently causing memory issues in Android 5.0.
Missing system.img error
The Lollipop issues can begin even before it is on your device. Some Nexus 5 owners flashing the factory image are experiencing problems even with the installation of Android 5.0 itself. During the procedure, they are informed of a missing system.img error. It's actually not such a big deal, so if this happens to you, simply flash the img files manually one by one instead of by using the flash-all.bat file. If you want a walkthrough, here's how to install Android 5.0 on the Nexus 5.
Wi-Fi issues seem to be a staple of Android updates.
Android 5.0 Wi-Fi connectivity
Nexus 5 owners running Android 5.0 are suffering from the Wi-Fi connectivity issue once again: the good old undead update bug that just keeps on coming back. There's the usual range of solutions: toggle airplane mode on and off, forget and reconnect to the network, reboot your phone, restart your router or switch between the Wi-Fi frequency bands. As you can probably tell, this is the ''clutching at straws'' list of solutions, so you may be waiting for a patch from Google for the permanent solution.
As always, every new installation of Android firmware results in some battery drain for some users. This is almost always because the update was applied over the top of existing firmware rather than installed ''clean.'' As you can imagine, there's a few things that could go wrong when everything is set up one way on your phone and then the world shifts beneath its feet. So now may be the time to bite the bullet, do a full backup and do a factory reset. You can do this via the Settings > Backup & Reset section or manually with the hardware buttons. Just search the site for your particular device and ''factory reset.''
YouTube and other video playback apps are broken following the Android 5.0 update.
Android 5.0 video playback bug
Nexus 7 (2013) owners are reporting some bugs with video playback following the update to Lollipop. The issue doesn't seem to be restricted to any particular app, but YouTube is, of course, at the center of the furore. Any app using the default Android video player suffers though. If YouTube is the issue for you, hit Settings > Apps and find the entry for YouTube. Clear the cache and try again or do a reboot for a temporary fix. You can always try uninstalling and re-installing the app if problems persist. Some users are reporting that this has solved the problem, while others continue to suffer. If you have a better fix let us know in the comments below. Worst case scenario: backup all your data and do a factory reset and clear the cache partition.
The quick fix update for the Nexus 9 brought its own issues.
Android 5.0 OTA update error message
Nexus 9 owners that got the update patch immediately following the public rollout of the Android 5.0 update have been experiencing some issues with installing the OTA update. Basically, everything hangs up and then reverts back to the previous version without installing the update. If you know what you're doing, it's a simple procedure to flash the latest factory image for the Nexus 9 yourself, otherwise you're going to just have to wait until Google issues another bug fix to fix the bug fix. Sound familiar?
Fancy that...a camera-related bug after an update on the Nexus 5.
Android 5.0 flashlight bug
If you leave the flashlight on for a while, like if you're struggling to find your keys in the dark and it automatically times out, then both the flashlight and camera will be busted until you do a reboot. Pretty weird stuff but something that occurred in the developer previews too. Funny Google didn't bother to iron this one out as it's a pretty well known issue on the Nexus 5 already.
No silent mode, status bar ticker or Power button menu
Sadly, these are ''improvements'' rather than problems. You can't simply volume down to silent mode (only to vibrate), there's no options other than Power Off when you long press the Power button, and the status bar ticker – that little scrolling preview of notifications – has been killed with fire in the latest version of Android. We expect the masses to rise up shortly and some changes to be made, or at least some workarounds figured out if you're willing to tweak your phone a little.
If you've rooted or otherwise modified your phone, OTA updates may not work.
Android 5.0 OTA broken on modified devices
This probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but Google doesn't necessarily want your rooting or otherwise modifying your device or firmware. So if you've modded your Android a bit you may not be able to install the OTA update. Fortunately the reasons for this and the solution are pretty straightforward: simply flash a stock image again and OTA will be hunky dory once again. Check our article on broken OTA updates for Android 5.0 Lollipop for more info.
After closing out of apps on Android Lollipop, the Package installer app will appear.
Android 5.0 Recent apps switcher
The recent apps card stack is a nifty new addition to multitasking in Lollipop. But not everyone is a fan. Some users are claiming the more apps they have stacked the slower their performance becomes, while others are noticing that even when a card has been removed from the stack it mysteriously returns. Even after a reboot your recent apps list will persist, so the only way to fix this one is to simply keep on swiping. Forever.
On the left we see various Chrome tabs mixed between other apps. Why couldn't we just have tabs like in the old version? (Right)
Chrome tabs
Chrome Browser on Lollipop is set by default to store new tabs in the recent apps list, but for many this represents one of the biggest Lollipop fails of all. Fortunately, all you need to do is head to your Chrome settings and disable ''merge tabs and apps'' to return to the more familiar ''number in a box in the URL bar'' that brings up your tab list as it always has.
What other Android 5.0 problems have you found? Got any solutions we missed?
