Android 5.0.2 Lollipop now available for 2013 Nexus 7, 10 -- here's how you can install and update

 

Android 5.0 Lollipop is far from perfect, arriving with nasty bugs that have affected battery life, performance, Wi-Fi and more. The first update that Google launched, version 5.0.1, managed to fix some of the problems users have reported, but some major ones persist even to this day. Personally, I am seeing my 2013 Wi-Fi Nexus 7 running excruciatingly slow at times, even with the first update in tow.
 
Fortunately, Google also launched a second update not long after the first, which fixes even more bugs, however it only launched it for the first-generation Nexus 7. Now, the search giant is making Android 5.0.2 Lollipop available for the 2013 Wi-Fi Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 as well, in the form of new factory images.
 
The latest factory images for the second-generation Wi-Fi Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 seem to be based off the same Android 5.0.2 build as the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Nexus 7 factory image, which has the LRX22G build number.
 
But, one of the first things you likely want to know is what changed in Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. While Google does not provide an official changelog -- which it should have, since users want to know -- some important changes have been discovered by analyzing the commits to the source-code.
 
First off, TRIM should work as expected now. The built-in cleaner will do its thing no matter if the device is charging during the night or during the day or whether it is turned on or not. Before, this feature was only triggered during night charges. Hopefully, this will result in a noticeable boost in responsiveness.
 
There are also changes pertaining to how alarms work (not the alarms you are thinking of, but CPU-related functionality) when waking the CPU and compete for system resources. This should improve stability and responsiveness. There are other changes as well, but less noteworthy in comparison.
 
You can grab the factory images from Google Developers, but, to save some time, here are the direct links:

• 2013 Wi-Fi Nexus 7
• 2012 Nexus 10

So what can you do with those factory images? Well, you have two options, both of which I covered in this detailed how-to guide. One, you can perform a clean install of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, which is the best way you can get the latest version up and running. However, this may entail losing some personal data in the process.
 
And, two, you can update to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. However, this option is not guaranteed to work as you may expect it to, and it may force you to perform a clean install after all. Google does not stand behind this option as far as I know, so results are sure to vary.
 
That said, I just used the factory image, without any problems, to update to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on my 2013 Wi-Fi Nexus 7, so there is a (good) chance it'll work the same for you as well. If you wish to go down this route, share the results with us in the comments section below (or hit me up on social networks).
 
~ Mihaita Bamburic

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