Android users who are unhappy with their own version of Android Lollipop could only have less than a month to wait before Google rolls out the first major update for the latest iteration of its Android mobile platform.
Rumors of Android 5.1 Lollipop first cropped up last month when Android Pit announced that two individual sources have claimed that Google is getting ready to release the system update by the end of February. Now, with the calendar officially rolling into February, Android 5.1 could be just a few weeks away. That is, if the rumors are true.
If they are, we can expect fixes for all the major bugs and problems that have plagued many an Android user when Google released Android 5.0 Lollipop in November. Issues such as apps crashing suddenly, rapid battery drain, problematic Wi-Fi connections, and excessive consumption of network devices are expected to be cleared with Android 5.1, according to Android Pit's sources.
Other major improvements will also reportedly involve the addition of silent mode after it went missing on Android 5.0, better memory management, and general improvements in system stability. The update will also fix problems with the "Okay Google" voice command, notifications problems, and sound issues in certain devices. Google's new Material Design will also receive an update in the form of changes in the color palette, although it is believed the design changes could be for newer versions.
Android 5.1 Lollipop is not to be mistaken for Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, which was rolled out in December following a host of user complaints, many related to the issues mentioned above. While Android 5.0.1 is the first patch released by Google to fix the early problems, Android 5.1 is the first system update, signifying a major change from Android 5.0. It's not very different from the system updates for Android 2.0 éclair (2.1) and Android Jelly Bean 4.0 (4.1, 4.2, and 4.3).
For some, the relatively quick updates indicate Google's tacit admission that Android Lollipop, touted as the greatest version of Android so far, has seen a problematic release. Others, however, prefer to look at the situation with a glass-half-full perspective, saying that the updates signify Google's fast response to the Lollipop issues cropping up.
Still, it's always best to take everything with a grain of salt. Until the system update actually starts being pushed to people's devices, there really is no way to make sure if it ever comes out as Android 5.1 Lollipop at all.
