The L is for Lollipop, Android 5.0: Top New Features
Ever since Google
announced Android L became a few months ago, we have speculated about what the
L stood for: licorice, lemon drop or even lemon meringue pie. This week, Google
answered that question when it unveiled Android 5.0 Lollipop, along with the first three Nexus devices to use it.
With Android 5.0, Google
is promising a sweet new take on its mobile OS. Lollipop will be available
first on the new Nexus 6 and 9 in early November, followed by older Nexus and
Google Play Edition devices later that month. Android 5.0 looks to be a bigger
leap forward than the jump from Jellybean (Android 4.3) to Kit Kat (Android
4.4), featuring improvements to the overall design, battery life, and more.
Material Design
One of the most
recognizable changes with Android 5.0 is a complete overhaul of Google’s design
philosophy. Android 5.0 features what Google is calling Material design that
will shift away from skeuomorphism, to a flat look for its UI and icons. Menus
will also respond more intuitively, including context sensitive behavior so you
can do more with fewer motions.
Better Notifications
Lollipop will improve
the way you receive new information. You can choose what messages are most
important, hide sensitive content, and even select people that receive
special priority. Calls will no longer interrupt movies or games, and you will
even be able to see all your notifications in the same place by simply tapping
the top of the screen.
Increased Battery Life
Even on the same device,
Google claims that by upgrading to Android 5.0, battery life can be extended by
up to 90 minutes. While this seems like a lot, Ars Technica did some preliminary
testingusing a preview version of Android L and saw a more than 30
percent increase in battery life on a test phone. More battery life is always a
good thing, and if a free upgrade to Android 5.0 can make it happen, it’s a win
for the millions of Android users across the globe.
New Quick Settings
Google is hoping to cut
down on the number of swipes needed to access important functions with new
on/off toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location. It is also including built-in
tools for flashlight, hotspot and screen cast controls, so you can do away with
many of the third party apps that you had to rely on before.
Performance Boost
Aside from the aesthetic
and UI improvements, Android 5.0 is also enables extra horsepower hidden under
the hood. ART is a new Android runtime environment that promises up to four
times the performance, better support for 64-bit devices, and “desktop level”
graphics performance. This looks to be featured heavily on the new Nexus Player
streaming device available with an optional $39 dollar game controller.
Souped-up Search
Finding things will be
even easier with improved search indexing. Search results will be saved across
different apps and devices, so if you look up a song in Chrome, you can open it
up in Google Music without needing to copy and paste.
Improved Security
Android 5.0 makes it
easier to unlock your phone without the need to enter a PIN or trace a pattern.
You can now use an Android watch to unlock your phone through proximity.
Lollipop also comes with the option to have your data automatically encrypted,
and SELinux enforcement means better protection against viruses and malware.
There will even be a new guest user mode allowing you to create multiple
accounts on one device.
