This is really going to anger a lot of Nexus fans – Motorola has already started its soak test for the new Moto X smartphone where it rolled out an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Now while these evaluations take place with a small group of users, many others also started receiving a notification of the new firmware being available to download.
A soak test release is more or less the final version sent out to actual owners to see if everything runs as expected. You basically have to sign up for this limited rollout and it doesn’t take more than a few days for the company to start seeding the update to everyone. However, it doesn’t look like Motorola will start delivering the new firmware any time soon, at least not unit Google’s Nexus devices get it first.
On the upside, at least you know that the company has an almost finished version of Lollipop ready for the Moto X flagship. And here’s the sweetest part, an XDA user has managed to get hold of the OTA update and has made it available for download along with instructions to flash the handset.
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Be warned, the firmware is for the Pure Edition (unlocked) handset and the procedure is a bit tricky, unless you’re accustomed to tinkering with Android phones. Also, you’ll need a device that’s running a clean firmware which has never been rooted before, or else the update will fail. ArsTechnica notes that the company briefly published release notes for the update on the flagship and the new Moto G as well.
The Android 5.0 Lollipop update was supposed to reach Nexus devices on November 3, but has been delayed to the 12 due to a Wi-Fi bug which has been fixed. The Motorola Moto X should receive the firmware soon after the Google phones do.