Lollipop, which was first announced back at June's Google I/O conference as Android L, will also introduce 64-bit processor support and make battery life a priority as it goes up against Apple's iOS 8.
Google has been drip-feeding new features and announcements over the past few months, but now that an official release is almost upon us, we've rounded up all the facts to let you know what to expect – and when you'll be getting it on your smartphone.
Android 5.0 Lollipop release date
Google made Lollipop official on the 15th of October, confirming it would be available first on the Nexus 9. The 9in tablet can be pre-ordered now, with a launch date set for the 3rd of November. The Nexus 6 smartphone will follow a few weeks later, with pre-orders starting in 'late October' ready for a 'mid November' release. The Nexus Player will follow at some point too, although there aren't any concrete details on the Mysterious Android TV set-top box.Anyone with an older Nexus device such as the Nexus 5 smartphone, or Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, will get over-the-air (OTA) updates 'in the coming weeks'. Google Play Edition handsets are also expected to get swift updates, and we're pleased to see the older Nexus 10 still getting some love from Google – even if it has now finally been discontinued.
According to AndroidPolice, the first OTA update will be released on the 3rd of November, but only for the Wi-Fi versions of the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. The Nexus 5 and two-year-old Nexus 4 will have to wait, as Wi-Fi and cellular devices take a little longer to develop updates for. This is only a rumoured date, although the site is confident in its two (anonymous) sources.
Can't wait? Get the Lollipop developer preview now
Although there's now only a few weeks more to wait before the official OTA release of Lollipop, there's nothing stopping you getting it today - if you own a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7, and you're prepared to get your hands dirty. The Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview is available to download right now, for free. With a bit of fiddling you can even install it on handsets from third party manufacturers; there's already a custom ROM for the HTC One (m7) and others are appearing every day on the XDA Developer forums. However, if you aren't already confident with firmware flashing and custom ROMs we'd recommend waiting, to avoid bricking your handset.Android 5.0 Lollipop updates for other phones
Major Android releases are always eagerly anticipated, which makes being stuck on an outdated version because your phone manufacturer doesn't plan on releasing an update even more frustrating. We've listed every major manufacturer's official position on Lollipop below, and while it's good news for HTC, Motorola and Sony, it's grim reading for Samsung and LG.THE VOCAL
HTC has pledged to update both the current HTC One (m8) and last year's One (m7) within 90 days of receiving the Lollipop source code from Google. Considering that code was made available on the 17th of October, that means HTC customers should get an update by the 15th of January at the latest – assuming mobile phone networks don't slow down the process. The HTC One Mini and One Mini 2 will eventually get Lollipop too, but likely at a later date.Motorola's strong ties to Google means it will almost certainly be the first manufacturer to get Lollipop updates on to customers' phones. It has promised to upgrade the original and 2nd generation Moto X (2014), the original and second generation Moto G (2014), and the Moto E, as well as the older DROID Ultra, DROID Maxx and DROID Mini, although there's no exact date for release yet.
THE SILENT
There's been no official statement from Samsung regarding Lollipop, meaning the only confirmed phone due for an update the Google Play Edition version of last year's Galaxy S4. It should get it in the next few weeks. Despite the silence, it's safe to assume the current crop of available handsets, including the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 will get an update eventually: according to Sammobile, both will get Lollipop in November.Likewise, LG hasn't said anything about its plans for Lollipop. It too has a Google Play Edition device, the G Pad 8.3, which will get an update alongside Google's own Nexus range, but there's no news on when G3 owners can expect an upgrade.
Android 5.0 Lollipop Material Design
Android 5.0 Lollipop has over 5,000 new APIs ticking away behind the
scenes, but the most obvious changes will always be the visual ones. The
new 'Material Design' scheme is set to appear on every Google platform,
not just Android. Apparently Google drew inspiration from pens and
inks, with every icon and user interface element casting an accurate
shadow to give a sense of depth. Everything animates as you touch it,
with objects flying into view and tapped icons rippling like puddle.
The notifications system has been completely overhauled for Lollipop as well. Currently, Android users have to unlock their device to check, respond to or dismiss notifications, but with Android L they will be able to do this from the lock screen. They will appear as a stack of Google Now-like cards, which can be scrolled through rather than flooding the screen. Each one has an in-line preview, giving context.
Android 5.0 Lollipop features
Lollipop isn't all about looks; it will also include lots of clever new features. Personalised unlocking is one of our favourites. Essentially it makes your smartphone or tablet search for familiar Bluetooth gadgets, Wi-Fi networks, locations and even voice imprints to deactivate any lockscreen protections, letting you jump straight into your phone when it knows you're nearby. If the device can't detect any of these metrics, anyone trying to use it will be presented with the standard lockscreen.The recent apps page will become the recent content page, displaying all your content in one list of Google Now-styled cards. You'll be able to jump between apps and the web, with links in Google search results jumping straight from the browser into the relevant part of an app. Although not strictly built into Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google will also be giving its mobile webpages and search an overhaul in time for its release. The Material Design will be carried across, along with smooth animations and a slicker interface.
Android 5.0 Lollipop performance
The biggest back-end change is the move from the Dalvik runtime to ART. Part of the operating system at a basic level, the ART runtime supports ARM, x86 and MiPS instructions, and a mix of AOT, JIT and interpreted code. Essentially Android now speaks a lot more languages and will work on more CPUs than its predecessor. This alone could improve performance by as much as twofold over Dalvik, without developers making any code adjustments.DirectX 11-level graphics will finally make their way to Android using the Android extension pack. This set of APIs support advanced effects such as tessellation, geometry shaders, texture compression and compute shaders, and have the potential to put mobile devices on par with games consoles and PC games.
Android 5.0 Lollipop battery life
Google has concentrated on improving battery life in Lollipop with Project Volta. Similar to how Jelly Bean's Project Butter was an effort to make animations feel smoother and more responsive, Project Volta includes a new battery historian to better visualise battery discharge. This will help users work out what a device was doing at any given point in a battery cycle to find out which apps are draining the most power.A battery saver mode will be included in stock Android for the first time with Lollipop, after being a common tweak for third party manufacturers. It will activate automatically when your battery drops below a certain percentage, downclocking the CPU, disabling extra features like location reporting and dimming the display. Google says a Nexus 5 running Lollipop gets around 90 minutes of extra use over the course of a typical day, without actually changing how a customer uses their phone.
Source: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/phones-tablets/1401595/android-50-lollipop-release-date-features-update-plans