More Nexus 6 smartphones on AT&T are receiving the long-awaited update to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop in the U.S.
The Motorola-made Nexus 6 is a high-end powerhouse with top-notch specs and features, launching as the very first phablet in Google's Nexus lineup. The device served as a launch vehicle for Android 5.0 Lollipop back in October 2014, but Google has released newer versions of the software, in the meantime.
Nexus devices are theoretically the first in line to receive updates whenever a new version of Android comes out, but that's not always the case. Carrier versions, for instance, can take awhile to receive the update, as some operators take longer than others to roll out the firmware.
AT&T is a perfect example to illustrate this practice, as the carrier is upgrading its Nexus 6 to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop only now, although other carriers such as Sprint and U.S. Cellular rolled out the update awhile ago.
The Nexus 6 on AT&T has been stuck on Android 5.1.0 until now, but the newer Android 5.1.1 is finally rolling out. AT&T started pushing the firmware last week, and more devices are now getting the treat as the rollout spreads.
With the latest software package, the AT&T Nexus 6 reaches firmware version LMY47Z and gets various stability improvements. AT&T also notes that the update will disable the Smart Lock feature when EAS password is enforced. The update weighs in at roughly 81 MB and won't bring any major changes, but it should nonetheless improve the overall performance of the handset.
"Google will use a 'slow roll' FOTA campaign that starts with one percent of the ELIGIBLE users on day one and ramps up availability to 100 percent by the end of the first week+/-," AT&T announced on June 11.
This means that the update rollout should complete this week, reaching all Nexus 6 units on AT&T. If the update is still not ready yet, however, users will see a message that their software is up to date when checking for the update via the device Settings menu. In other words, users will not be able to update via Settings until their Nexus 6 is included in the FOTA campaign.
Once the device becomes eligible for the FOTA and has Wi-Fi coverage, the update will download automatically and the user will receive a prompt to install the new software.
As always, users are advised to ensure their device has plenty of battery life and is connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network before proceeding with the update install.
