You might remember last month when the official Android 5.1.1 lollipop build was made available by Google for the Nexus Player. Once there’s one release the others usually follow in quick succession, but not always as we’ve found out this time. There can be several reasons for the hold-up but usually it’s making some small tweaks and adjustments so the firmware comes with extra stability. Today there’s some great news for owners of the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the two different Nexus 7 tablets from 2012 and 2013 you can check after the drop.
The official Android 5.1.1 factory images are now available for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 2012/2013 models. All you have to do to equip your Nexus smartphone or tablet with the 5.1.1 factory image is click through to the Google developer website from this page. The Nexus 5 comes with the build number LMY48B, while the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2013 LTE, and Nexus 7 2012 3G have the LMY47V build number.
Factory Images offer a way each Google Nexus owner can download the latest software update directly and apply it on their devices. Now that we have the factory image, however, you can be sure that the official over the air software update will roll out very soon. The OTA will come with the same features and bug fixes.
As you can probably guess, many users elect to not bother with the factory image knowing the official OTA is coming. The main reason people use the factory image is if you are wanting to restore the Nexus device back to the stock Android coming down from a custom ROM because applying OTA updates by accepting the notification is risky with root access. Therefore, if you are with root access and a custom ROM at the moment, you will enjoy using the factory image from the link above and running stock Android before applying the next rooting guide on the next software update and firmware build number.