Google has finally rolled out its Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for the Nexus 7 2013 version, which means owners of the aging tablet can now bask in all the Material Design glory of Google's latest iteration of the mobile platform.
Google posted factory images of the Nexus 7 tablet over the weekend, suggesting that an Android 5.0.2 Lollipop rollout was just around the corner. Sure enough, users of the 3G and LTE versions of the slate have reported that the update has finally arrived.
Unlike the 5.0.2 update on the older Nexus 7 released in 2012, this one seems to deliver a more-than-okay performance for the Nexus 7 2013.
For starters, the latest update to the newer Nexus 7 doesn't seem to affect the device's speed negatively. Gotta Be Mobile's Josh Smith, who spent a week playing with the update on the tablet, says the speed on the newer Nexus 7 is much better than on the slate's older version, which proved to be laggy and not as smooth as when it was upgraded from Android KitKat.
However, for those who have the 5.0.2 update on their older Nexus 7, one solution suggested by other users is to restart the device. This should give the older Nexus 7 a dramatic boost in speed for many users, although Google still has to directly address the speed issues in the device.
Apps also show no problems for both Nexus 7s. On the newer device, the most popular apps such as Facebook, Netflix and Google Play Music are doing well, although users with various devices have reported major issues with their Kindle app on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.
So far, no issues have also been reported for the battery life. Android 5.0 Lollipop and its 5.0.1 and 5.0.2 updates are known to have caused rapid battery drain for many users of the Nexus line, but there aren't as many reports of the same thing happening to the new Nexus 7.
Keep in mind, though, that the 5.0.2 update for the Nexus 7 is quite new so it's fair to wait a week to give people time to take out the update for a test drive. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also working fine so far.
As for the bugs and issues that affect users who have downloaded 5.0.2, there aren't any complaints just yet. Still, it's worth remembering that people will be running different apps on their tablets and will be using different networking services and hardware. This means the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update will perform differently on each device. It also means that, for some people, the bugs and other problems will still be there.
For instance, one issue that has kept coming up for owners of the older Nexus 7 is that the display doesn't switch to landscape mode, which is a major inconvenience for people who want to view photos or videos in that mode. Another common display issue is ghosting, where the screen shows imprints of the previous display superimposed on the current screen.
These are minor issues for some people, but other users have also reported that the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update has basically rendered their devices into a fancy, unusable brick.
@Android_Beat Lollipop 5.0.2 kills the Nexus 7 and makes it unusable. I wouldn't suggest to your followers that they install if I were you!
— Andy Wilson (@mrandywilson) January 29, 2015
"Upgrading" my Nexus 7 to Android 5.0.2 has led to near-unusable performance. May as well root this thing. — Kyle Maxwell ☕ (@kylemaxwell) January 21, 2015
.@Android Lollipop 5.0.2 has frigging killed my beloved Nexus 7...rendered it virtually unuseable. All fixes have been merely temporary — Sanda Blue (@SandaBlue) January 29, 2015
That said, for people who find problems with the update, they can always downgrade to the version previously running on their devices, provided Android 5.0.2 Lollipop doesn't kill their tablets altogether.
