Android 5.1 L Update Release Date for Moto G, Moto X (1st & 2nd Gen), And Moto E Coming Soon

Apr 08, 2015 02:38 PM EDT

The Android L update, also known as Android L or Lollipop, has been very slow to come out on newer Android devices, like ones from Motorola.  The good news is that the Google Play Edition of the Moto G has Android 5.1, and more Motorola Android devices will be receiving it as well. 

According to Gotta Be Mobile, the Google Play Edition of the Moto G is getting Android 5.1.  As already noted, this is only for the Google Play Edition of the Moto G, taking it from Android 5.0.1 to Android 5.1.  In a related story, Gotta Be Mobile quoted Motorola saying that several Motorola devices should all receive that Android 5.0 Lollipop update soon including

  • Moto X (1st & 2nd Gen)
  • Moto G (1st and 2nd Gen)
  • Moto G 4G LTE
  • DROID Turbo
  • Moto E
  • DROID Ultra
  • DROID Maxx
  • DROID Mini

So when will the other versions of the Moto G get their share of the Android L update?  Reality Today has reported that Damian Junior showed photos of an Android 5.1 test done by Motorola on the Moto G handsets.  Damian Junior apparently knows a friend who works at Motorola who sent him some pictures of the phone with that update.  Motorola has posted on Twitter that the "chipset requires more effort".  This could result in a greater delay for the Android 5.1 update on the Motorola Moto G, the non-Google Play Editions.

So, what does this mean for the Moto X?  The International Business Times states that Luciano Carvalho, a software engineer at Motorola says that a bug-free version of Android 5.1 Lollipop update will come to the Moto X.  Tech Times reports that for the first generation of the Moto X will have a "soak test" for their device, which means that it tests out the impending software updates prior to the official release or announcement.   This allows members of the Motorola Feedback Network to test it out before it hits carriers for the final release. 

As for the Motorola Moto E, PC Advisor reports that the update will be coming "very soon", which pretty much matches the same news that we have heard about the Moto G and Moto X. 

Now would be a good time to talk about other Motorola DROID models.  One thing that I have been hearing about from sources like GSM Arena is that the Motorola DROID Turbo will be getting an update to Android 5.1, completely bypassing version 5.0. 

According to PC Advisor, Android 5.1 is expected to be "a large update, returning the silent mode missing from Android 5.0, improving system stability, RAM management battery management, and fixing sudden app closures, Wi-Fi problems and sound problems". 

The 5.1 update will also include native support for more than on SIM-card, which works very well for phones with dual-SIM card slots.  The user can also join Wi-Fi networks and control paired Bluetooth devices directly from the Quick Settings section of the notification bar. 

Tech Times also reports that some smartphones set for an upgrade will not be receiving the Android 5.0 Lollipop, but as Motorola's software product manager David Schuster announced on his Google + Page, it will skip 5.0 and go directly to Android 5.1.  Specific devices listed were the first-generation Moto G 4G LTE, first generation Moto X, and then the Moto E. 

We should be expecting the Android 5.1 L update for the Motorola Moto G, Moto X, Moto E, and other DROID models quite soon, so keep searching your Settings for any updates if you are a user of these Motorola handsets.