Motorola has begun rolling out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update for the Moto G Google Play Edition (GPE), and it is possible that other versions of the phone could receive the update anytime soon.
The update for the Moto G GPE is released over the air, so users don't need to find a factory image to flash on their smartphones. Simply go to the phone's Settings, open About phone, and check if the system update is already there. If it's not, gather up more patience and give Motorola time to roll out the update. The reason why Google and device manufacturers release staggered updates is to make sure the updates get delivered in full.
Motorola has also published a new support page that details which devices will eventually get Android Lollipop. These include both the second-generation and first-generation Moto X and Moto G, Moto G 4G LTE, DROID Turbo, DROID Maxx, DROID Mini, and low-cost, entry-level Moto E.
It is unclear, though, when these smartphones will receive their much awaited updates. The Moto X Pure Edition was the first Motorola device to get Android Lollipop in November, just days after Google launched the platform and released it to device manufacturers. Right now, Motorola is doing a soak test for Android 5.1 Lollipop but has delayed initiating a full rollout just yet.
Meanwhile, some of the smartphones set for an upgrade will not be receiving Android 5.0 Lollipop. Instead, Motorola's software product manager David Schuster announced on his Google+ page that certain devices, specifically the first-generation Moto G 4G LTE, first-generation Moto X, and Moto E, located "in several regions" will all skip Android 5.0 and head on over directly to Android 5.1.
"Given the improvements in Lollipop 5.1, we have decided to move all efforts to upgrade these devices directly from KitKat to Lollipop 5.1," Schuster said.
When Google released Android Lollipop last year, it was clear that Google failed to iron out several kinks that left several of the first devices that received the update unusable, or at least not as good as when they were running on Android 4.4 KitKat. Many owners of then flagship smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, and LG G3, and even Google's own Nexus devices, reported several bugs that were addressed in the succeeding 5.0.1 and 5.0.2 updates.
It's clear that Motorola wants its customers not to experience those bugs by scrapping its previous plans to get them on 5.0, 5.0.1, or 5.0.2 and proceeding straight to 5.1. However, with reports of an upcoming Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update in the future, it's unknown if Motorola will once again delay Lollipop updates to wait for 5.1.1.
