Android 5.1 and iOS 8.2 Both Coming Shortly

Late last year, both Android and iPhone users were able to enjoy pretty considerable mobile operating system upgrades in the form of Android 5 and iOS 8, respectively. Now, it seems that significant upgrades to both operating systems will be hitting handsets very shortly, if recent reports across the web are any indication.

According to a post on AndroidPolice, Android 5.1 is first appearing on new Android One handsets being released in India. Currently, the latest build of Android that’s on most up-to-date phones is Android 5.0.2 – meaning that Google is just going right to 5.1 next. As to what, exactly, Android 5.1 will bring, or when it’ll hit phones outside of India is anybody’s guess. However, the post does point out that it’s been receiving hits from Nexus devices running Android 5.1, which seems to indicate that Google is hard at work testing the newest OS.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch release approaches, meaning that Apple is busy upgrading its iPhone operating system to accommodate the new wearable device. According to a post on BGR, some insiders have let slip that iOS 8.2 will be released in March, about a month ahead of the Apple Watch’s launch. That would give the company a decent amount of time to work out whatever software kinks show up between the OS update and the Apple Watch release, helping to ensure a smoother rollout. Of course, Apple’s updates tend to really come in big waves – until the number changes to 9, don’t expect too many changes except for Apple Watch compatibility and various bug fixes.

Altogether, 2015 is gearing up to be an interesting one for the mobile industry. Mobile World Congress is set to kick off in Barcelona on March 1, where we’ll see the next Samsung flagship that may have a curved edge, giving it one of the most distinctive looks in smartphones. The Apple Watch is almost here, and it’s pretty likely that Google will be refreshing Android Wear before too long to stay competitive. Very exciting stuff, overall.

[Sources: AndroidPolice, BGR]