This morning the newsfeeds are out of control with news about Android version Lollipop along with some new Nexus devices. Missing was any mention at all of the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 circa 2012, and the long forgotten Nexus 10. Many assumed that support for them was dropped just as it was for the Galaxy Nexus when KitKat was released. At the time Google stated that the Galaxy Nexus fell outside their 18 month support window. Turned out that it was dropped due to the lack of support from Texas Instruments (the manufacturer of the SOC inside the Galaxy Nexus). The Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 2012 have been luckier.
Google have commented to arsTechnica that all current Nexus devices will eventually receive Lollipop. This not only includes the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2013, all Google Play Edition devices, but also the older Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2012. Good news for all who are still happy with these devices as for many they are still extremely good devices. Lollipop brings some major enhancements under the hood of Android and should help these older devices function better.
No time frame has been given as to when these updates will arrive except for the very general phrase “in the coming weeks”. Keep your eyes peeled to Ausdroid for any updates to these devices.
Anyone out there interested in updating any of the older devices mentioned above? I know of at least one Nexus 10 in my household who will be looking forward to Lollipop goodness.
When these updates are available, I am going to backup the files on my Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013, do the upgrade, and then factory reset my phone and wipe everything, giving me a fresh Android Lollipop experience from scratch on both devices. Looking forward to the changes!
I currently use a G3, but my N5 and my N7 (2013) are in my bag right now waiting for Saturday to install the refreshed dev preview.
Still rocking a Nexus 4 here and it’s been great. Silky smooth on 4.4.4 with Nova Launcher so keen to give Lollipop a whirl.
I’ve run boot up tests, app opening/closing tests, web page loads etc.. next to a brand new iPhone 6 and the Nexus 4 matches it or beats it so the speed of the device is not a problem. Hopefully Lollipop wont slow it down, but the hardware should be more than enough to run it smoothly since Lollipop is optimised nicely to run on lower end hardware ie. Android One devices.
Cheers
i have to admit my wife still rocks my old Nexus 4 and running stock KitKat with Xposed modules it flies quite well. she is totally happy with it and won’t let me buy her a new one.
My Nexus 7 (2012) is abysmally slow with the current version of Kit Kat, so much so it’s almost unusable. Fingers cross it improves with Lollipop, although it can’t get any worse short of no longer turning on.
I have experienced the same with my 2012 N7 and even after following the Ausdroid article, “Beathe New Life Into Your Nexus 7” it’s still almost unusable. It is painful to use in its current state, so I too am hoping Lollipop will speed it up.
Unfortunately it’s also restricted by the poor/cheap memory, so I’m not sure if Lollipop will help anymore than what Kitkat did
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I just read a report stating that devices with at least 512MB RAM can run Android Lollipop, so the software upgrade should definitely give the Nexus 7 2012 (with 1GB RAM) a new lease of life. Might be an idea to wipe your Nexus 7 2012 after the upgrade though, to get a “from scratch” experience. I have had instances where Android upgrades have negatively affected my Nexus devices (decreased battery life, increased device temperature, more lag etc), but after factory resetting and wiping the device, these problems usually disappear (for me, anyway). Not sure why this is… Personally, I… Read more »