9to5Google published a lengthy report on the issues which have dated back to December in some cases. They have become more widespread recently since the Lollipop 5.0.2 over-the-air update that devices often install automatically and are concentrated primarily on the Nexus 7 tablet, built by Asus.
Several users report that after updating their devices refuse to boot again, instead simply hanging on the Google logo for eternity. Others found that their device randomly shut down during normal usage and could not be turned back on again.
Once bricked, the tablet is completely unusable. It is impossible to access recovery mode to reset or reflash the device. One user who managed to get to recovery begun a reset but it hung for 6 hours on the “formatting data” screen.
The scale of the issue is very large. The hash-tag #nexus7bricked was trending on Twitter for a while recently as users installed the update.
It isn’t just the Nexus 7 though. The Nexus 5 smartphone, built by LG, is also experiencing issues. Several users have written reports of how the update installed, the phone rebooted and then completely died. Some users have prompted activity by plugging it into the wall. The phone then displays the Google logo before going black again just a few seconds later.
Once bricked, the phone fails to respond to presses of any of its hardware buttons. Like the Nexus 7, recovery mode is inaccessible. Some users have noted that their phone felt warmer than normal when using Lollipop before the device got bricked.
There doesn’t seem to be any pattern to the brickings. Some devices are surviving weeks after the update and then suddenly powering off and never coming back on. 9to5Google highlights the case of one Nexus 7 owner who was just listening to Spotify when the device restarted, never to return. In other cases, the update never completes and the Nexus just hangs on the Google logo after installation.
Asus are charging $200 to repair the Nexus 7. One owner who took it to a local repair shop was told that the logic board was completely fried and needed replacing. The shop had seen several tablets in the same condition. As the Nexus 7 was built in 2013, most devices are out of warranty and won’t be replaced free by Asus.
Google has yet to comment on the reports. Some are speculating over how long it intends to leave it before responding to such widespread issues. The fact that #nexus7bricked was trending should illustrate just how many devices have had this issue.
By all accounts, this does seem to be an issue with Google’s Android Lollipop 5.0.2 update. If you own a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 and for some reason haven’t got or haven’t installed the update yet, it is strongly suggested that you do not do so until the cause of these issues is found. If you do install it, you risk your device becoming unusable forever.
