When will my phone or tablet get Android 5.0 Lollipop?
Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google's latest operating system update has already begun rolling out to its line of Nexus devices with the
Nexus 7 and the
Nexus 5 joining the new HTC-built Nexus 9 tablet and Motorola's
Nexus 6 in getting a first lick of Lollipop.
In
one of its biggest revamps, the new OTA (Over The Air) Android update
brings a sparkly new design language called Material to a wider range of
devices than ever – including, as we’ve already seen, to smartwatches
and set-top boxes.
But the lead form factor for Android remains the smartphone, which prompts the question: when will my phone get it?
The answer in many case seems to be ‘early 2015’. Here’s what we know so far along with the latest with Android tablets updates.
See Also: Android 5.0 Lollipop Tips and Tricks
Nexus 4 and 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update
Naturally,
the first devices to get Android 5.0 Lollipop will be those
Google-approved Nexus phones and it's already made the jump enabling
Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 owners to enjoy the redesigned notification setup
and improved battery life, something that did let down LG's otherwise
impressive handset. It's not been without its issues however. Early
adopters have experienced issues with malfunctioning camera and
flashlight apps.
Additionally, some users have reported issuers
with sending text messages, with Vodafone Netherlands and Mobistar
Begium customers complaining of the bug. Google is reportedly aware of
the problem so hopefully it should all be sorted in time for when the
Nexus 6 lands as well.
Watch Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop demo
Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy Note Android 5.0 Lollipop update
By
far the biggest Android manufacturer in the business, Samsung has
nonetheless been a little tardy when it’s come to bringing the latest
version of Android to its smartphones in the past – thanks largely to
working around its heavily customised TouchWiz UI.
Sure enough, there’s no word on when the likes of the
Samsung Galaxy S5, the
Samsung Galaxy Alpha, and the new
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
will be getting a tastes of Lollipop. For Note 3 users however it's a
slightly different story as last year's phablet was spotted running
Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The video, which you can see above
demonstrates a pre-release version giving us an idea of how TouchWiz and
Android 5.0 Lollipop will look like when merged. It looks like you will
get all the Lollipop goodies including the new Material design and
enhanced lock screen and it's even expected to get the improved
Multi-Window multitasking feature introduced on the Galaxy Note 4.
See Also: Nexus 6 vs Nexus 5
Alleged screenshot of Android 5.0 Lollipop running on HTC One M8
HTC One M7 and M8 Android 5.0 Lollipop update
If
Samsung is the people’s champion, then HTC is arguably the critic’s
choice – though Motorola and Sony are both working hard on changing that
– with its flagship Android handsets.
The Taiwanese company has confirmed that it'll roll out Android 5.0 updates to the
HTC One M8 and
HTC One M7
within 90 days of Google making the final Lollipop software available
to them. The rest of the One line and “select devices” will follow
shortly after.
Early reports suggested that HTC could supply the HTC One M8 with Android 5.0
before the end of the year.
and now screenshots reportedly showing Android 5.0 Lollipop running on
the One M8 have surfaced appear to confirm this. The images appear to
show how he Lock Screen, Recents View, Quick Settings and Notifications
will look.
It's better new for those of you with the HTC One M8 Google Play Edition as the Android 5.0 should begin rolling out now.
Sony Xperia Z3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update
Sony’s
been churning out some genuinely excellent Android smartphones in
recent times, and it’s showing the same admirable commitment to customer
satisfaction with its Android 5.0 update plans. The company has
revealed that it will be updating the entire Xperia Z line to the new
Android OS.
That incorporates a lot of handsets, including the original
Sony Xperia Z, its successor the
Xperia Z1, the
Xperia Z2 and the new
Xperia Z3, and all the Zs in between. If your Sony phone has a Z in its name, it’s getting Lollipop.
The time-frame for this appears to be the same 90-day spell as listed elsewhere, as
Sony
has claimed that it will start rolling out the updates from the
beginning of 2015. If you own the Z2 and the Z3 phones, then you will be
the first to get the Lollipop treatment when it lands.
See Also: Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus
LG G3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update
It's good news if you own a
LG G3,
because after LG confirmed to TrustedReviews a swift rollout of Android
5.0 Lollipop to the G3, the company has since confirmed that it was a
top priority to get the latest Android update onto its handsets.
It
seems LG's good relationship with Google having built the Nexus 4 and
Nexus 5 phones has helped and the update has begun rolling out in Poland
with other key markets set to receive Lollipop in the 'near future'. No
date has been nailed down for the UK, but it seems likely that it will
be somewhere around the end of November into early December. Fingers
crossed..
Motorola Moto X and Moto G Android 5.0 Lollipop update
It’s
been a remarkable turn-around from Motorola in recent years, going from
forgotten feature-phone champion to Google-owned producer of boldly
innovative smartphones, and on to its current status as the maker of two
of the best Android phones in the business – the
Moto X 2014 and the Nexus 6 itself.
Part
of Motorola’s current appeal is that it offers a near-stock Android
experience, which also means that it can get updates up and running
sooner than others. Sure enough, via its official blog, the
Moto G and the Moto X are the first phones to get Lollipop.
It has also confirmed the
Moto E,
Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini will all get Lollipop as well
but you might have to hold on a bit longer for those versions to arrive.
OnePlus Android 5.0 Lollipop update
There’s only one phone from the new OnePlus label at present, but the
OnePlus One has created quite an impact. It runs on a heavily modified version of Android 4.4, but
OnePlus has
confirmed
that it is aiming to get an Android 5.0 update out within that
aforementioned 90-day period from Google releasing the final build. The
company had previously stated that the update would be within three
months of its release so it could before the end of the year or early
2015.
What about Android tablets?
The
Nexus 7 unsurprisingly is one of the first Android tablets to receive
the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. It's being pushed to the 2012 and 2013
models although owners of the 3G and 4G LTE tablets will have to wait
until early December.
Unfortunately, much like the rollout to the
Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 phones, many users have reported bugs that have
some have said make the tablet unusable. Along with a sluggish
performance, there's also been complaints about apps being built with
Adobe Air being deleted. Our advice would be to hold off updating until
Google sorts these issues out.
If you've picked up the brilliant gaming-centric
Nvidia Shield tablet
then you will be happy to hear that it's the first non-Nexus tablet to
receive the new Android update. That means it's beaten Samsung, LG and
Sony in getting its tablet optimized with the very latest Google's
operating system has to offer.
