Verizon is pushing out the Android 5.1 update over the airwaves and onto Motorola Droid Turbo handsets, upgrading the smartphone from Android 4.4 KitKat and skipping over 5.0 Lollipop in doing so.
There's a bit of prep work required, but the update's ingredients appear fresh and compelling enough to get beyond that.
For those already familiar with Android Lollipop and are ready to install the update, skip to the bottom for the installation instruction. For those who think Android 4.4 KitKat is just fine, check out a quick rundown of some of the new features included in Lollipop:
–Smarter Internet Connection: the phone only connects to a Wi-Fi access point when there's a verified Internet connection.
–Battery: the battery settings panel estimates discharging and charging times and a new battery saver mode has been introduced.
–Share Your Device: multi-user support and control over user privileges have been added.
–App Pinning: screen pinning brings picture-in-picture style multitasking.
–Smart Lock: trusted devices, such as a Moto 360, can keep a paired phone unlocked.
–Performance: the Android runtime has been optimized. Optimization requires more space after updating to version 5.1.
–Flashlight: Quick Settings now includes a flashlight.
–Moto Assist & Downtime: Moto Assist allows users to whitelist Downtime interruptions.
–Moto Display & Ambient Display: the Droid Turbo will deliver relevant notifications when the display is off.
–Recent Apps: improved to include parallax scrolling and multi-window icons. It also supports Chrome tabs now.
–Material Design: Android Lollipop uses Google's flat design scheme and language to modernize the OS's appearance.
Installing the Update
Note: The update requires at least a 40 percent charge on battery and 20 percent when connected to a charger.
–Tap on the Apps icon on the Home screen, select its "Settings" option then tap "System updates."
–From there, tap on the option labeled "Check for system updates" then tap "OK" to look for the update.
–Tap on the "Update," select the "Download" option then confirm your decision by tapping "OK."
