Sprint has begun rolling out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update for the users of its Samsung Galaxy Note Edge phablet.
Although the U.S. network carrier did not provide a description regarding the major firmware update's features, owners of the mentioned device can expect to receive significant improvements and enhancements.
According to Sprint's support page, the update was officially released on July 13. However, the company reminded users that since the OS upgrade is being rolled out in stages, not everyone will receive it at the same time.
As for the lucky few who will get the update, they will be notified regarding its availability through a notification. They will then be provided with on-screen instructions regarding its download and installation processes.
For those who haven't received it yet, they can expect to get a notification within the next few days. Or, they can manually check for the update's availability through the device's Settings menu.
The update will upgrade the phablet's firmware build version from N915PVPU3BOF6 to N915PVPU4COFE. Like in previous roll outs, it is expected to come with the basic features of Google's Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Although versions 5.0 and 5.1 look similar, the latest version of the Android Lollipop comes with various improvements. For one, the icons in the Quick Settings menu have been redesigned with new animations in update 5.1, Android Central reported.
In addition, for security and safety reasons, the latest Lollipop update comes with a new screen pinning feature. This allows authorized device owners to pin certain apps in order to restrict other users from accessing them. This can be a helpful feature especially for people who let their kids or younger relatives use their devices.
Another security feature of the Android 5.1 Lollipop is the Device Protection. Similar to the reactivation lock features of Apple and Samsung, this mode helps protect devices and their owners from thieves or unauthorized users.
This feature prevents handset from being accessed even if their factory settings have been reset. Only authorized users will be able to access their devices using their Google account login details.
Aside from added features and improvements, the Android 5.1 Lollipop also comes with a few bug fixes. One of these is a patch for the Android 5.0 Lollipop's apparent memory leak issue.
However, since Sprint has not yet released the changelog for the latest software update for the Galaxy Note Edge, it is not yet confirmed if all of these features will be available through the OS upgrade.
