It's mid-May 2015, half a year since Android 5.0 Lollipop first appeared on the Nexus 6: Verizon has finally begun updating one of the biggest flagship smartphones of 2013, the HTC One M7, to Lollipop.

For perspective: This roll out comes as most of Samsung's flagships -- not to mention most major Android smartphones released in the last two years, including from HTC -- have already received OTA updates across various carriers to Google's current OS version, Android 5.0 Lollipop (and beyond). It comes after the famously slow rollout of a major update to an infamously fractured global mobile OS has even managed to reach nearly 10 percent of handsets. It comes as Google is already rumored to preview, this summer, the next iteration of its mobile OS, Android M.

Verizon's OTA rollout is happening now but, of course, it comes in stages. So if you're an HTC One M7 owner who didn't opt for the Google Play Edition (which is getting Lollipop 5.1 now) two years ago, you may have to wait even a little longer.

To check for an update, go to Settings > About phone > Software updates and click "check now," but you should receive a notification before too long.

Because Verizon HTC One M7 owners are new to what's been routine for most everyone else with practically any other Android smartphone-carrier combination than this poor lot, here's a reminder about upgrading: Make sure your phone is charged at least above half way and is on a speedy (unmetered) WiFi network, because the update is about 1GB. Back up your user data and apps, as always.

By now, most already know what Android 5.0 Lollipop brings -- custom notification settings, screen pinning, Material Design, redesigned quick settings, and much more -- but check out Verizon's official support sheet and Latin Post's hands-on review of the new OS for more details.