14 DAY TRIAL // According to Google’s 18-month upgrade rule, devices older than that will not receive another major OS upgrade, or at least they are not guaranteed to get one.
All devices that are newer than 18 months are guaranteed to receive major OS upgrades assuming they meet the hardware requirements. Obviously, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to handset makers and carriers, but Google is doing a good job keeping the Nexus lineup up to date as quickly as possible.
The same goes for all the Google Play Edition devices, which are also among the first to receive software updates courtesy to the search giant.
Before Google announced the new Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system yesterday, Nexus 4 owners were scared that their smartphones won’t get the new update.
Considering the Nexus 4 was launched almost two years ago, there were slim chances that Google will bother to offer a Lollipop upgrade for this old device.
Well, it looks like the impossible has just happened, as Google confirmed that Nexus 4 still qualified for a major OS upgrade, which means it will get Android 5.0 Lollipop as soon as the new OS gets released on the market.
Along with the Nexus 4, Google also announced that the Nexus 5 would also receive the update, and so would the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets.
The last preview build of Android 5.0 for Nexus 5 will be released on October 17
Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system right out of the box, but they will only be available on the market in a few weeks.
According to Google, Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order via Google Play store beginning October 29 and the first shipments should start heading to customers in early November.
That being said, Android 5.0 Lollipop may arrive on Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 after the newest member of the family gets released on the market, so we’re probably looking at a few days window between the moment Nexus 6 becomes available for purchase and the Lollipop update for the previous model.
It’s also worth mentioning that all Google Play Edition smartphones have been confirmed for an Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade, though Google only stated that the update would be available “in the coming weeks.”
In the same piece of news, Google unveiled that the final preview build of Android 5.0 Lollipop for Nexus 5 would be launched on October 17. The factory image will be available for download via Android Developer website.