Google Announces Android 5 Also Known As Lollipop

Google has started to roll out Lollipop (Android 5.0) to some Android devices this week. The newest version of Android features a material design that focuses on tactile surfaces, bold graphics, and fluid motion to ensure a smoother user experience. The new look and feel of Android Lollipop also extends to apps in hopes of delivering a more unified mobile experience.

Lollipop also offers new and enhanced security features such as Smart Lock, which allows users to unlock phones using Bluetooth, NFC, or just their beautiful smile; encryption by default; and Security Enhanced Linux is now mandatory for all applications on all devices running Lollipop.

If you’re an Android device user, you’re probably wondering when you’ll get the Lollipop update on your device, or wondering if your device can even be upgraded to Android Lollipop. To set your minds at ease, here’s a list of the devices getting the update.

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Lollipop Launch devices

Google Nexus 6

A Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc.-made smartphone that features a 5.96” 2560×1440 QHD AMOLED display , Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core 2.7GHz processor, Adreno 420 GPU, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, 3220 mAh battery, available in 32GB, 64GB

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Google Nexus 9

An HTC Corp. tablet that features a 8.9″ IPS LCD, 6700 mAh battery, 8MP rear camera, 1.6MP front camera, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor 2.3 GHz, 192-core Kepler GPU, available in 16GB and 32GB.

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Confirmed devices getting the update

Motorola

As early as mid-October, Motorola announced which of its devices will be getting Android Lollipop. The phone maker revealed that Moto X (both the 2013 and 2014 models), Moto G (both the 2013 and 2014 models, and the LTE version), the company’s budget-friendly phone Moto E, and Verizon Communications Inc.’s Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini will all be getting Android Lollipop.

No news as to when exactly will the devices get the update, but it is expected to roll out immediately.

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LG

LG Electronics Inc. has announced that its flagship LG G3 smartphone will be getting the Lollipop update before the end of 2014. No news yet whether its previous flagship smartphones will also be getting the update.

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Sony

Sony Corp. officially announced in October that its entire line of Xperia Z devices will be getting the Lollipop update. The list starts off with the Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition, which will be the first to get the update.

Included in the list are Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. Other Xperia devices are expected to get the update by 2015.

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HTC

Via its Twitter page, HTC Corp. announced that “We have the Android Lollipop code. We’ll be updating the HTC One (M8) & (M7) within 90 days from today.” No news yet as to whether its other smartphones will be getting the update as well.

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ASUS

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. released a timeline as to when and which of its devices will be getting Lollipop.  The ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, ZenFone 5 LTE, Zenfone 6, and PadFone S (PF500KL) will get the update in April 2015 while the PadFone Infinity A86 will be updated in June 2015.

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Devices likely to get the update

Older Nexus

Google is expected to roll out Lollipop for its older flagship devices such as the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2012 & 2013 models), Nexus 4, and Nexus 10. Though the devices are a year or two older, its processor is expected to still be compatible with the new version of Android.

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Samsung

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has yet to announce which of its devices will officially get the Lollipop update and when the roll out will happen, but there are reports that the Galaxy S5 will be getting the update by December, while the Galaxy S4 will get the Lollipop update in 2015.

photo credit: Juliana Coutinho via photopin cc