Android 5.0 Lollipop is officially here—well, technically it's been here since November of last year—and that means phone manufacturers have been clamoring to get the update onto their existing phones. It was eagerly sought after by many Android fans because it was supposed to be better than ever, a big leap from Android 4.4 (KitKat). Like any other operating system (OS), however, Android Lollipop has its positives and its negatives.
So what should Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users like me be expecting?
For one, the OS updates are coming in batch by batch. If you're really knowledgeable about these things, you could push it by force onto your phone or tablet, but if not, it's best wait for the official release for your particular device. So while some of you Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users (S4, Note 3) are waiting for the update, here are a few things you should be expecting to see:
Interface & Design
This is one of the best interfaces I have ever seen. It's not J.A.R.V.I.S., but it's a start. It's cleaner and simpler with some embellishments that are really useful and not just mere add-ons. This goes hand-in-hand with a newly refreshed notification system. Individual notifications are now displayed on cards that adhere to the material design language, and sets of notifications can be lumped together by the app that produced them (this is most important for mobile gamers). A do-not-disturb function has also been added under notifications. With regard to design, everything looks more polished (even if the same grid of icons is used) and is still as customizable as before, so you can arrange it just how you want it.
Project Volta
Because of the big changes in the material UI for Android Lollipop, Project Volta was created to improve battery usage through a series of optimizations. Among its changes is a new battery saver mode, job-scheduling APIs that can restrict certain tasks to only occur over Wi-Fi, and grouping of tasks to reduce the overall amount of time that internal radios are active.
Notifications Everywhere
This is where I'm on the fence. Although I like the new notifications update, which gives me the ability to view detailed notifications on my locked phone, this also seems like a security issue. If you're the type of person who leaves their phone unattended, anyone can have a glance at your notifications even though your device is locked. This issue may get more even aggravating if you use a security pattern, password, or PIN for your device, because you now have to swipe away the initial lock screen with the pesky notification before inputting your code. It's an unavoidable extra step that might annoy some Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users.
App Switcher & Merged Tab Notes
The recent updates with the app switcher makes closing it more of a hassle and a real job, since it shows all of your recent apps in one spot. The same goes with the merged tabs for Chrome. Although it looks nice to see all of your tabs in a stacked way, it can be bothersome to have some of the sites you've searched a couple of days ago still there. In a way, it cuts down on the clutter, but in another way, it contributes to it.
App Crashes
Not all applications have been moved to support the new OS, hence there are some applications I use that close down on me. However, this occurs for maybe 1 out of every 10 applications, so it's more of an annoyance. One that has had a few more glitches than normal is the WInput remote mouse control app, but this isn't a constant.
Are you happy with the changes made with this latest update? What kind of problems and errors have you experienced? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
So what should Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users like me be expecting?
For one, the OS updates are coming in batch by batch. If you're really knowledgeable about these things, you could push it by force onto your phone or tablet, but if not, it's best wait for the official release for your particular device. So while some of you Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users (S4, Note 3) are waiting for the update, here are a few things you should be expecting to see:
Interface & Design
This is one of the best interfaces I have ever seen. It's not J.A.R.V.I.S., but it's a start. It's cleaner and simpler with some embellishments that are really useful and not just mere add-ons. This goes hand-in-hand with a newly refreshed notification system. Individual notifications are now displayed on cards that adhere to the material design language, and sets of notifications can be lumped together by the app that produced them (this is most important for mobile gamers). A do-not-disturb function has also been added under notifications. With regard to design, everything looks more polished (even if the same grid of icons is used) and is still as customizable as before, so you can arrange it just how you want it.
Project Volta
Because of the big changes in the material UI for Android Lollipop, Project Volta was created to improve battery usage through a series of optimizations. Among its changes is a new battery saver mode, job-scheduling APIs that can restrict certain tasks to only occur over Wi-Fi, and grouping of tasks to reduce the overall amount of time that internal radios are active.
Notifications Everywhere
This is where I'm on the fence. Although I like the new notifications update, which gives me the ability to view detailed notifications on my locked phone, this also seems like a security issue. If you're the type of person who leaves their phone unattended, anyone can have a glance at your notifications even though your device is locked. This issue may get more even aggravating if you use a security pattern, password, or PIN for your device, because you now have to swipe away the initial lock screen with the pesky notification before inputting your code. It's an unavoidable extra step that might annoy some Android Samsung Galaxy Phone users.
App Switcher & Merged Tab Notes
The recent updates with the app switcher makes closing it more of a hassle and a real job, since it shows all of your recent apps in one spot. The same goes with the merged tabs for Chrome. Although it looks nice to see all of your tabs in a stacked way, it can be bothersome to have some of the sites you've searched a couple of days ago still there. In a way, it cuts down on the clutter, but in another way, it contributes to it.
App Crashes
Not all applications have been moved to support the new OS, hence there are some applications I use that close down on me. However, this occurs for maybe 1 out of every 10 applications, so it's more of an annoyance. One that has had a few more glitches than normal is the WInput remote mouse control app, but this isn't a constant.
Are you happy with the changes made with this latest update? What kind of problems and errors have you experienced? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
