T-Mobile has started rolling out the Android 5.1 Lollipop over-the-air (OTA) update for the HTC One M9, finally following in the footsteps of AT&T and Sprint, which have both released the OTA update to their customers a few weeks ago.
The company is also rolling out a firmware update that will bump up the software version to 2.7.531.6, which is available for users who currently have versions 1.32.531.33 or 1.32.531.25. The update is expected to bring a few major changes, including support for Google Wallet, Google's own mobile payment system, and an anti-theft feature that prevents thieves from taking advantage of a stolen phone through factory reset by enabling a screen lock and activating at least one Google account on the phone.
Also included in the update are battery enhancements to prolong battery life and improvements to the One M9's camera software. These improvements, which were first rolled out to European users, targeted automatic exposure to keep photos taken in bright light from getting washed out while dialing back on noise and blur in photos taken in low-light conditions.
The update takes a pretty significant amount of space at 833 MB, so users must make sure they have enough memory to upgrade to Android 5.1 Lollipop. T-Mobile also recommends that users must charge their smartphone up to at least 50 percent and connect to a Wi-Fi network to download the update to prevent exorbitant charges on mobile data.
As is the case with OTA updates, it is likely that some users will receive the notification at a later date. T-Mobile says it will roll out the update to all users from July 27 until Aug. 20, so users must not fret if they still do not see the update coming to their smartphones.
To check if the update is already available, users have to tap the Apps icon on their One M9 and go to Settings, About and Software updates. They can then tap Check Now to see if the update has arrived and follow the onscreen prompts to install the update.
Android 5.1 Lollipop is also expected to arrive for Verizon's One M9 phones anytime soon. HTC Vice President of Product Management Mo Versi announced two weeks ago that the Verizon update was on track for July 20, though it seems something must have gone amiss, as we're still waiting for the update from Verizon. The AT&T version received the update two weeks ago.
@lancemann Hi Lance, we're on track for 7/20. Thanks.
— Mo Versi (@moversi) July 14, 2015
Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
