Android 5.0.1 Lollipop now available, here's how you can install it
Just like any other first iteration of a major operating system release, Android 5.0 Lollipop is not without its fair share of problems. The main issues that users are reporting are related to battery life, responsiveness and Wi-Fi. Like other 2013 Nexus 7 users, I also have problems every so often with video playback on YouTube, something which did not crop up back in the Android 4.4 KitKat days.
Naturally, most issues will go away with the first or second update. Google is actively working on squashing the reported bugs, proof being that the company just pushed Android 5.0.1 Lollipop to AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and released the accompanying factory images for a number of its devices.
At the time of writing this article, only a couple Nexus devices have Android 5.0.1 Lollipop factory images. The list is, so far, limited to Wi-Fi versions of 2013 Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and Nexus 10. Here are the download links:
At the time of writing this article, Google has yet to roll out the over-the-air (OTA) updates, so your best bet of upgrading to Android 5.0.1 is by using the corresponding factory image. Personally, this is not something that I recommend as not even Google officially supports upgrading to a newer Android iteration using the factory images.
I have experienced mixed results using this method, hence my advice is to stay away from it. The worst that could happen is a botched upgrade, which will force you to do a clean install.
On the other hand, if you want to do a clean install, the factory image is what you need. It is easy to do, even if you have not done this before. I have prepared a how-to guide, which you can follow to get Android 5.0.1 Lollipop up and running on your Nexus device. (If you wish to take your chances with the upgrade, I have also provided instructions for this.)
Update: OTA update file links:
Please keep in mind that you must already be running Android 5.0 Lollipop to update to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop using the OTA method, on any of the aforementioned devices.