It’s now apparent that different carriers will get different software builds for the Nexus 6
When Android 5.1 first started rolling out to everyone last week, the most hardcore Android enthusiasts immediately flashed the OTA update or the factory image to build LMY47D. But then, lo and behold, it was confirmed that those who ordered the Nexus 6 from Verizon were getting the device with build LMY47E. Google soon updated the Nexus factory images page to reflect both builds.
And then there were three.
Today, I’ve gotten a tip from a T-Mobile customer who was just prompted to upgrade to LMY47M. Upon further investigation (reddit and Twitter are great), here’s what I’ve been able to determine for sure:
- The actual ROMs seem to be identical between LMY47D, LMY47E, and LMY47M.
- LMY47E does include a slightly updated radio, but the radios on LMY47D and LMY47M appear to be the same.
- LMY47M still does not include WiFi calling, but T-Mobile customers who are interested in getting this feature should probably upgrade to LMY47M if they want this feature – it’s very possible that Google and T-Mobile will only roll it out to those on this particular build.
The current theory is that E builds are for Verizon, M is for T-Mobile, and D is for everyone else (AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular). And that’s about it. I’m currently running LMY47D on my Nexus 6, and have noticed much better performance and fewer bugs than Android 5.0 and 5.0.1. If you flash any of the E or M builds after running the D build, and you notice any differences, be sure to leave a comment below.
