Related Articles
Nicole Cozma/CNET
Owners of the Google Play Edition of the HTC One M7 and M8 should stay tuned for Android 5.1.
In a tweet late Tuesday, HTC vice president of product management Mo Versi said that “approval for both M8 & M7 GPE versions have been granted by Google for 5.1 OS. OTA out shortly!” That means an over-the-air update should reach both models soon if it hasn’t already. The Google Play Editions of such phones come with pure Android, which excludes any customizations typically made by the manufacturers.
A spokeswoman for Google confirmed the 5.1 rollout for the two phones to CNET.
In the meantime, HTC is already moving on to its next phone: the HTC One M9. The M9 will reach online and retail stores this Friday. In a follow up-tweet, Versi confirmed that the M9 will also get Android 5.1.
The latest version of Google’s mobile OS addresses several issues from 5.0 and adds a few new features, as detailed in a Google blog posted early last month.
Android 5.1 offers stronger security for lost or stolen devices. Even if a device is reset back to factory conditions, a user would still need to sign in with the original Google account. Another new feature lets you connect to a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device more easily via the Quick Settings menu. Also, phone calls should be clearer due to the new high-definition voice calling available between Android 5.1 devices.
