Moto X Android 5.1 Update: What You Need to Know

Late last month we finally heard about the Android 5.1 Lollipop update for a number of Motorola devices, including the original Moto X from 2013. Lollipop in the US in the next few weeks.

Since the first release of Android 5.0 Lollipop in October, users from all manufacturers have been waiting for its arrival. Motorola was one of the first to deliver it for the 2nd Gen Moto X from 2014, and those who got the original had to wait for months. However, we finally have good news.

All the talk lately has been about the Motorola DROID Turbo or the new 3rd coming out later this summer by the end of the month if all goes well.

Motorola employee David Schuster, who has been very vocal about software updates for Motorola smartphones on Google+, said yesterday, answered some important questions About the original Moto X Android 5.1 Lollipop update.

Moto X Android 5.1 Version

With Google releasing Android 5.0, then Android 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 5.1 and now Android 5.1.1, the update has had its fair share of delays as Motorola tried to keep up. However, they have managed to stabilize the original Moto X on Android 5.1 Lollipop and this is currently in the final stages of testing and will start rolling out to all US carriers in the next few weeks. At least according to Schuster.

When asked (again) about the original Moto X getting Android 5.1 Lollipop, this is what he had to say on the subject:

We’ve addressed an issue we found in an earlier soak test, and this week we’ll begin full soak testing for retail in the US and Brazil. If all goes well, full deployment could happen next week.

But as we all know, operators in the United States play an important role in software updates. Carriers like AT&T and Verizon like to test updates extensively before sending them to their owners, and often delay the release even further. We also have good news in this regard, as Android 5.1 for the Moto X is already in most carrier test labs and as said above, it could be available within the next two weeks if all goes well.

We are currently in several operator labs, so we expect no problems deploying upgrades.

This is great news for those still enjoying the original Moto X as they patiently wait for this software update to arrive. It’s good to see the Moto X jumping straight to Android 5.1 Lollipop, bypassing Android 5.0.2, which currently has many minor bugs and issues plaguing other smartphone owners.

Moto X Android 5.1 Software

Moto X will switch from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.1 Lollipop. Along with it will be a brand new look and feel, nifty new animations and effects, improved notification popup controls, a better lock screen, and more. The link above details many of the changes made from Android 4.4 to Android 5.1 Lollipop. See our Moto X 2014 Android 5.0 Review for more details.

We don’t have the exact details on each carrier, but we can expect more information to surface over the next few weeks. It’s worth noting that this Motorola employee confirmed that France and Germany devices are also in the final testing phase. It looks like the original Moto X will start seeing Android 5.1 Lollipop this month in the United States and around the world. Stay tuned and be patient, it will be here soon.

Moto X Android M

Last week, Google announced the next version of Android to replace Lollipop, for now called Android M. It’s currently only available as a developer preview for a select few Nexus devices, and this software won’t be released until later this year, most likely around October or November.

The original Moto X may see an update for Android M when it arrives, but it’s also possible that in over two years, Android 5.1 Lollipop is the last major software update for the aging smartphone. This means that the update we mentioned above, which should arrive in the next 2-3 weeks, could be the last major update for Moto X 1st Gen owners. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for more information on the Moto X and Android M, and we’ll update once we know more.