It’s arrived early: we’ve already got a look at Android L before it’s widely available for consumers. Google wants to attract the developers, and that’s one way to do it.
Android L, also known as “Lollipop,” is here: the latest Nexus devices ship with this version of Android installed. According to sources at androidpolice.com, the update has been delayed for Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 devices due to some “outstanding” bugs, and users are likely to get the update sometime in November.
This new update is being marketed as the biggest Android update since its baby days. There are a lot of new features, big visual changes, and clever tweaks added to Google’s latest refresh.
Here are a few things in this update which we will see on our lovely phones soon enough.
New material design look
Android L will arrive in a pure vanilla form to all the Nexus and Google edition devices. Google calls the new changes to the Android UI its “material design” approach, one that takes the Google Now cards system and adds depth, shadows, and more to layouts across the system, with app elements able to slide into and on top of each other. New onscreen software button icons are in there, too, with a triangle replacing the back arrow, a circle for the home function, and a simple square for accessing the “recent apps” multitasking menu.
Project Volta
Google’s Android team has finally addressed the cries of every Android user who claims that the “Project Volta” modifications to the code may increase battery life. When running Android L, Google suggests a user might see up to 90 minutes of extra uptime on the Nexus 5, thanks to Volta and more battery/power management tools, which is significant given that particular phone’s rather dismal battery life.
Separate home and work profiles
This feature allows users to have multiple app instances on one device, separating work app data from home app data. As well, Samsung’s highly functional Knox workplace security tool is coming to Android L, with Samsung’s tools getting integrated into Google’s core code.
Besides these, there are several other exciting features coming in this new update, such as ART, 64-bit support, enhanced, card-like web search, and new transitions and animations.