Lollipop thread (Android 5.0)

[WelshBloke]

Well they also mention tap to wake, isn't that also a hardware thing?

Not sure, I've seen implementations of it on quite a few phones though.

 

[vailr]

The Chordettes - Lollipop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-DuC0tE7V4

 

[RossMAN]

What are the chances the LG G2 will receive Android L update?

 

[LtMikePowelll]

What are the chances the LG G2 will receive Android L update?

I think it will get it, but longer than Nexus devices.

 

[mikeymikec]

I liked the alt-tab style feature I saw when browsing the official nexus 6 page.

 

[kpkp]

Not sure, I've seen implementations of it on quite a few phones though.

It is a feature requiring additional hardware, they even say it on the official 5.0 features page:

Where supported by the hardware, your device will wake up as soon as you pick it up or tap the screen twice

 

[Megatomic]

On the Moto X you can activate it even when the screen is off, plugged in or not. That is a big difference.

The Nexus is also getting Active Display, another fantastic feature from the Moto X.

All stock Android needs now is multiwindow. Waiting for 5.1

Thanks for answering for me. These features on a OPO sound great, I'm now back to shopping for one.

 

[gorcorps]

Question: Has anybody ever actually seen increased battery life on older devices that get these updates? It seems like every major release claims more battery life, yet when I upgrade last year's device it usually gets even less than it did before.

 

[dawheat]

What are the chances the LG G2 will receive Android L update?

If LG is serious about growing their US marketshare they have to. I believe the G2 is on 4.4.2? Hopefully they skip 4.4.4 and just go straight to 5.0, though even in the best case scenario I woudln't expect it until Q1 of 2015. The G3 will certainly get the update first.

 

[sm625]

So where is the Nexus 5 2014 refresh? If they think the millions of people who found value in the Nexus 5's price range are all going to bend over and suddenly start paying $650, they are sorely mistaken.

 

[JimKiler]

Has anyone seen the technical description of this:

"Pick up where you left off
The songs, photos, apps, and even recent searches from one of your Android devices can be immediately enjoyed across all of your Android devices."

I am really hoping it is independent of the developer implementing it. A post on Android Police about 1 month ago leads me to believe Google may brute force this through Google Drive storage.

For example, the implementation of Immersive Mode is an abomination. Why did Google require developers to implement this infividually. This should be toggle-able by default in every app through the OS. Also...Google themselves has neglected this feature. Trying to browse the web in landscape mode has a large part of the screen taken up with needless soft keys.

This is a step in the right direction and if they include podcasts that can also be streamed on a PC it would be perfect. iTunes crashed my work PC even after i got a new laptop so I would like a better alternative that works on multiple devices.

 

[ThisIsChrisKim]

Question: Has anybody ever actually seen increased battery life on older devices that get these updates? It seems like every major release claims more battery life, yet when I upgrade last year's device it usually gets even less than it did before.

Remember that as our devices get older, the battery has more wear and less life in it. If the battery life improves in software, it is offset by the additional wear due to age in our hardware.

 

[WelshBloke]

It is a feature requiring additional hardware, they even say it on the official 5.0 features page:

But what hardware does it need?

If it's just stuff that's baked into most phones anyway then it's slightly different to the always listening stuff that most phones lack.

 

[kpkp]

But what hardware does it need?

If it's just stuff that's baked into most phones anyway then it's slightly different to the always listening stuff that most phones lack.

As far as I know it needs a special core/dsp that listens for the touch, now I do not know if those are part of SoC (and which SoC have it) or are implemented separately.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Well they also mention tap to wake, isn't that also a hardware thing?

It is. It says where the hardware is supported. To be specific though, probably every device can do it, but it requires certain hardware wiring so the display doesn't need to stay awake--thereby preserving battery. The Nexus 5 is a clear example where the display needs to stay awake because there isn't hardware capable of detecting capacitive input only while sleeping the rest of the touchscreen. Basically they need some sort of interrupt mode which is how the LG G2 does it.

So you can accomplish this on the N4 or N5 but with massive battery drain typically.

 

[Red Storm]

So where is the Nexus 5 2014 refresh? If they think the millions of people who found value in the Nexus 5's price range are all going to bend over and suddenly start paying $650, they are sorely mistaken.

The Nexus 5 is still a good phone, with some faults of course but then again it was only ~$350-$400 brand new. That's still a good price for a Snapdragon 800 level phone.

If those same millions of people think the Nexus line is all about getting a good phone for cheap then they are sorely mistaken. Even so, the Nexus 5 and soon to be Nexus 6 are both priced well, especially considering each model's competition.

It is. It says where the hardware is supported. To be specific though, probably every device can do it, but it requires certain hardware wiring so the display doesn't need to stay awake--thereby preserving battery. The Nexus 5 is a clear example where the display needs to stay awake because there isn't hardware capable of detecting capacitive input only while sleeping the rest of the touchscreen. Basically they need some sort of interrupt mode which is how the LG G2 does it.

So you can accomplish this on the N4 or N5 but with massive battery drain typically.

My point was that while certain features require the necessary hardware, it's good to see them being incorporated into Android officially, rather than remaining a customization from an OEM.

 

[desura]

I like the UI changes. I like the idea of "materials". I liked the old iOS materials also.

So I'm wondering if android 5.0 will be more responsive than 4.4. That's the biggest promise. So far I've heard that it improves boot up speed, but otherwise is the same speed.

To this day, reading text on my old A5 iPod touch is more responsive and immersive than reading text on my Moto X, due to operating system differences.

 

[trmiv]

Looks nice. Too bad Samsung will make it look like Gingerbread when they slap Touchwiz on top of it. Oh well I'll still love my Note 4 I'm sure.

 

[ControlD]

Looks nice. Too bad Samsung will make it look like Gingerbread when they slap Touchwiz on top of it. Oh well I'll still love my Note 4 I'm sure.

Yeah, which will probably be six months from now while everyone else is on 5.1.

 

[Red Storm]

Yeah, which will probably be six months from now while everyone else is on 5.1.

I may not like Touchwiz either, but as far as I can recall Samsung is pretty good about updating their devices.

 

[trmiv]

Yea with their new devices Samsung usually updates pretty quickly. My S4 shipped with 4.2.2 and has been updated to 4.3, and 4.4.2 in the 16 months that I've had it. There were also some smaller builds that didn't change android versions that were released during that time.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

My point was that while certain features require the necessary hardware, it's good to see them being incorporated into Android officially, rather than remaining a customization from an OEM.

I agree. I have been saying for years now that while Android is good in that you can customize the hell out of it, we need some additional stock functionality. Building more of these features in makes sense so you don't need a dozen 3rd party apps running in the background.

 

[ControlD]

I may not like Touchwiz either, but as far as I can recall Samsung is pretty good about updating their devices.

Maybe they are. It's probably because my phone is old now. I believe my Note 2 just got updated from 4.3 to 4.4.2. I have been running 4.4.4 for some time now (custom obviously) so it seems they are running well behind.

 

[Red Storm]

I agree. I have been saying for years now that while Android is good in that you can customize the hell out of it, we need some additional stock functionality. Building more of these features in makes sense so you don't need a dozen 3rd party apps running in the background.

Yep, now if they would just hurry up with that multiwindow (which would have been killer if it debuted with the Nexus 6).

 

[WelshBloke]

I agree. I have been saying for years now that while Android is good in that you can customize the hell out of it, we need some additional stock functionality. Building more of these features in makes sense so you don't need a dozen 3rd party apps running in the background.

If they bundle it with vanilla Android wont you just have a bunch of 1st party apps/services running in the background whether the hardware supports it or not?

At least if its put in by the OEM its only on stuff that can actually use it rather than having it running on everything.