Motorola Seems to be Gearing Up for a Wave of Android 5.1 Updates, Here are the Release Notes

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Motorola seems to be gearing up to unleash a wave of Android 5.1 updates onto its entire line-up of devices. We first saw Android 5.1 release notes show up for the Moto X (1st gen) in Brazil a couple of weeks back, but we are now seeing sets for the AT&T Moto X (2nd gen), “T-Mobile” Moto X (2nd gen), and Moto X (1st gen) in the US. We have yet to find info for the DROID Turbo, though I can’t imagine it won’t also arrive very soon. 

Below, we have the list of changes for Android 5.1 on the Moto X (2nd gen) through AT&T, which will land as software version 23.11.21. The entire set of release notes matches up identically to the “T-Mobile” variant, which we are assuming is the “Pure Edition,” since there isn’t a T-Mobile Moto X (2nd gen). That update will arrive as software version 23.11.14 on that phone.

Motorola created both of the pages with these notes yesterday, meaning these updates should be here any minute.

Notifications & Interruptions Usability improvements include:

  • Block interruptions until your next alarm. This choice will show only when you have an alarm set within the next 12 hours. It will prevent you from missing an alarm when you choose ‘No interruptions’.
  • You can choose to enter a scheduled downtime early. For example, if you are going to bed early and change your notification settings, you can choose “Until your downtime ends”. This option will be visible when within 4 hours of the scheduled start of your downtime.
  • Adds icons to the volume settings panel that match those that will show in the status bar (None, Priority).
  • You can now alter notification volume controls while media is playing. With the volume controls showing, a tap on the bell icon will bring up notification volume controls.
Heads-up
Notifications
In addition to dismissing a heads-up notification, you can now swipe it up to remove it from your screen. It will remain in your notifications tray and you can dismiss it later.
Quick Settings You can quickly select different Wi-Fi access points or different paired Bluetooth devices with a new pull-down menu on each tile. Conditional settings tiles that only show if you use the feature – like “Invert Colors” or “Hotspot” – can now be hidden via a long-press on the tile.
Camera Reduces noise in low-light shots and improves responsiveness of the viewfinder with the front-facing camera (selfie).
Device Protection Lost or stolen devices will remain locked until you sign in with your Google account, even if reset to factory settings. Note that you must have a Google account on the device to automatically enable this feature and set a PIN, password or pattern screen lock.
Performance Improvements in the Android Runtime (ART) lead to faster application launch times.
Lockscreen If you have enabled Ambient Display, the minimum swipe distance has increased to reduce accidental interactions.
Bug Fixes Issues fixed in this release include:

  • Clock in the status bar isn’t updating and alarms are not going off
  • Can’t delete SMS messages when the SIM card is full
  • No ringer audio while making an outgoing call
  • Calculator floating point calculations
  • Chrome crashes on launch
  • Frequent restarts while watching Netflix
  • Wi-Fi will not automatically reconnect to your home Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi not connecting after being idle all night
  • Wi-Fi connection issues with multiple routers in one location
  • Bluetooth discovery is not triggered when you refresh settings
  • CPU wakelocks that contribute to heavier battery drain
  • Connection and synchronization issues with MS Exchange servers
  • Incorrect default APN
  • Can’t unlock the SIM with a PIN/PUK code
  • Can’t play ‘pinned’ content
  • General stability improvements

As for the Moto X (1st gen) in the US, we are looking at a software version of 222.21.2.

Let us know if you see an update on your phone!

Update:  The release notes for the 5.1 update on the Moto E (2nd gen) are available as well.

Via:  Motorola [2] [3]
Cheers Andy!

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