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While many of us eagerly await the first update to the Android M developer preview, first released after Google I/O earlier this summer, and all of us look forward to seeing what Google has in store for this year’s M flavoured Android update, many Android smartphone owners are awaiting an update to the latest version of Android Lollipop, 5.1. Android 5.1 brought a lot for Nexus users when it launched a while back, mostly fixing the memory leak bug that plagued many. But, for non-Nexus owners, the update meant that their handset’s manufacturer fell further behind with updating their device(s). But, according to an alleged update schedule about the French carrier SFR, some big name devices could be getting the big 5.1 update in the near future.
The phones that the document reference include the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, as well as the Galaxy S5 from last year. A slew of Sony’s Xperia line are also expecting the 5.1 update by year’s end. The Galaxy S5 doesn’t have an estimated date, since the update is ‘to be confirmed’, while the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge should be ready to download the update in the month of August this year. No, it’s not soon, but yes it’s before the full final release of Android M at least, right?
The list of Xperia devices range in age from the Xperia Z and Z Tablet, up to the Z3 and Z3 Compact. The Z Ultra is among the ranks awaiting the update through SFR, and the M2 is as well. The rough estimate, according to SFR, is for Xperia Z and Z Tablet owners to sit tight until September of this year, while the Z3 and Compact, Z2, Z1 and Compact, and Z Ultra will supposedly be looking forward to August for their update to the sweetest version of Android yet. And, as with the Galaxy S5, the Xperia M2 has the ‘to be confirmed’ label for a release date, even though it and the Galaxy S5 aren’t more than 18 months old.
Android 5.1 many users the updates to RAM management and device security that we were waiting for, while it just has others of us another version outdated thanks to the manufacturer and their update processes. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the Android 5.1 rollout goes through the carrier system rounding out the summer this year, as well as how late some users might catch 5.1 in regards to Android M.
