All New Android Lollipop 5.0 Features
Android 5.0 Lollipop is Google�s latest operating system update for smartphones, tablets and even Android Wear-running smart watches. It has arrived for the newly announced Motorola Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9 tablet and they will be the first devices to run on it.
It�s also set to be available for smartphones and tablets OEM
before the end of February 2015 with new HTC and
Sony smartphones set to be among the first devices to get the new Android treatment. The Nexus 4, Nexus 5 as well as Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets will also get to benefit from the new Android features.So what can Android users expect? Well, there�s actually quite a lot.....
New look, Material Design:
The first thing youll notice about Android 5.0 is that it looks quite different to the current Android 4.4 Android. Google has come up with a new interface look, called Material. Its a lot more vibrant that current Android, and it makes much more use of interface layers. This is quite the opposite of recent trends in UI design, which have all been about making interfaces as flat and simple as possible.
As part of the new Material interface, Google is also introducing two new widgets. The first is a more power-efficient Recycler View widget, which can be used for features like scrolling through Contacts. The second is a new Card View widget, which has a very Google Now-inspired feel and should ensure widgets run smoother. Android 5.0 introduces real-time generated shadows for interface elements.
This should really help to spruce-up the look of Android, giving it some of the visual tactility of iOS 7. We have seen attempts at this kind look in some third-party custom interfaces before, but they generally dont get it right.
Redesigned nav soft keys:
The look of the nav buttons that are a key part of Android have been changed as well. Their functions seem to be the same as ever � back, home and recent apps � but the look seems to have been taken from a PlayStation controller
. A triangle, circle and square, extra simplicity of this is no doubt all a part of the Material look.
Material heads up notifications:
Another element of Android 5.0 that weve seen in some third-party Android interfaces is heads-up notifications. These pop-up on top of whatever youre doing, meaning you dont have to go to an app or drag down the notifications bar to find out whats going on when your phone beeps.
Redesigned Gmail :
Its not just the Android interface that has been given a refresh. The Google apps have too. Much more colour has been injected into Gmail, and the look of the app is both a lot cleaner and more modern.The square avatar pics of current Gmail have also been traded-in for circular ones.
It seems highly likely that youll have control over what apps can send you these pop-up notifications. As otherwise theyll become very, very annoying.
Expanded notifications :
Google introduced in recent Android updates and now users will be able to view notifications in more detail in three different ways. Theres text, inbox and image all of which can provide you with additional context for the notification.
New lock screen notifications :
Notifications also have a real spot on the lock screen. And, again, this is something that has been common for some time in many custom Android interfaces. Each notification shows up as a little bar across the screen in high-contrast, making them super-clear.
3D multitasking :
A major visual tweak of Android 5.0 L is the new multitasking menu. It still shows your recent apps, but rather than being displayed as a 2D scroll of apps, its now a 3D cascade of app tiles.
It looks quite similar to the tabs screen of the Chrome browser for Android � no surprise there. The look of the Android take is better, though � sharper, simpler and with good use of those new realtime shadows.
Direct links to apps from Google searches:
Developers will now be able to have links to their apps take the place of websites in web searches. What this means is that youll be able to head directly to a specific part of an app right from the Chrome browser on your phone.
64-bit CPU support :
One new feature we knew was coming � support for 64-bit CPUs. As 64-bit CPUs clearly designed to work with Android devices have already been officially announced, this one was obvious.
Improved GPU support :
Google has improved the coding of Androids execution of graphics, allowing for much more advanced visuals. It has been dubbed an extension pack, and will finally make top-end processors start to make a bit more sense.
ART Runtime :
Android 5.0 L switches over to the ART runtime. At present Androids use the Dalvik runtime as standard. ART is quicker, but uses a bit more storage space for apps.
Battery efficiency:
Android 5.0 L gets some new battery features, including a reworked Battery Saver mode. Android 4.4 falls well behind the competition.The lock screen will also tell you how long your phone will take to charge when plugged in � a clever little tweak that seems so obvious now its in place.
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