Tag: android 5.0

Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Now Rolling Out For Android One Devices

Google, today, has revealed that it has begun rolling out Lollipop update to a small number of Android One devices in India. This roll-out process will be gradual and on a weekly basis, hence only some randomly selected devices will get the update via OTA, with users on Wi-Fi having a better chance at getting these updates.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Ceaser Sengupta” author_title=”Google Product Management Director, in a Google+ post.”]

To those with Android One phones in India, here’s where we are with the over-the-air (OTA) update that will bring Android Lollipop to you soon. We’ve already started rolling out Lollipop to a small number of phones in India. This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds). We thank you again for your patience, and please stay tuned for further updates.

[/quote]

It can be recalled that Android version 5.0 was launched back in November 2014, and the Android One users were supposed to be among the first few to receive this update. Unfortunately, that never happened and Lollipop is way past its scheduled time of arrival on the Android One devices.

The Nexus line-up of devices have already received the update back in November and manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung have already started rolling out the update to few of their smartphones.

As of now, the exact version of the Lollipop for Android One phones has not been revealed yet, but it most likely will be Android 5.1. There are presently three Android One devices in India, Karbonn Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and the Spice Dream UNO. The owners of these low-cost devices will be pretty excited after this news.

February 24, 2015
Android 5.0 Lollipop is Powering Less Than 0.1 % of Android Devices

Android Lollipop is one of the most significant releases from Google yet. It gave a redesigned look to Android that was long overdue. It also brought a barrage of new features including extended battery life. But even with such arduous effort that Google put into its latest mobile OS, it hasn’t found a lot of takers in the market.

According to data released by Google, Lollipop is running on less than 0.1% Android devices. Android’s last major release, the Android 4.4.4. Kitkat is on a growth path though, the operating system now runs on 39.1% of the devices. The operating system was running on 33.9% devices in December, so it grew by 5.2% in just over a month. One of the major reasons can be the boost in the number of lower-priced devices running Android Kitkat.

With less than 0.1% market share, Lollipop doesn’t even appear on the graph yet.

The leader of the Android corps of devices is still Jellybean, which accounts for different versions across the Android ecosystem. The good news, perhaps for Google is that the share of versions before Jellybean are fast disappearing from the market. In comparison to June, last year, the combined hold of OS’s before Jellybean (Froyo, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich) has gone from 35.2% down to 14.9%.

One of the biggest headache for Google has been the massive segmentation of Android OS in the market, and it seems like Kitkat and Jellybean are fast bridging that gap. Google also launched the ‘Android One‘ line of low-cost devices, to have greater control over its OS in the lower segment of the market.

Lollipop’s launch was followed by reports of bugs and that initially deterred the users from switching to the new operating system. The slow rollout process can also be blamed for the low market share of new operating system. Android’s previous version such as KitKat have also faced a slow start but did manage to gain the ground later. So we might expect a growth spurt for Android Lollipop to arrive soon.

January 8, 2015
Android Lollipop Captured in a Leaked Screenshot on LG G2

Mere weeks have passed since the roll out of Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop, and all the smartphone manufacturers are doing everything to upgrade their devices with Google’s new OS. Countable number of devices have received the update so far and Nexus devices top the list for obvious reasons. The South Korean giant LG’s flagship, LG G2 has been recently caught with Lollipop on it.

An authentic Italian technology web portal unveiled a screenshot that shows Android 5.0.1 on the LG G2 with a build number LRX21Y. However, the leaked pictures of the update was of the LTE-Advanced version bound to South Africa only. It is believed that the global LG G2 users will soon witness the update on their devices. The leaked image itself is a pretty good sign that the company is working on it.

It is an impressive step by the firm to upgrade their 2013 released smartphone with Lollipop. Meanwhile, all G2 users can check out their devices for an OTA update.

The LG G2 features a 5.2-inch IPS display with 1080×1920 pixels along with Corning Glass 2 protection. Initially, the device ran on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS out of the box; but later it was upgraded to KitKat. Now it is said to support Lollipop as well. The phone is powered by quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and comes with 2 GB of RAM. It packs a 13MP primary camera and a 2.1MP secondary snapper that can take amazing selfies. The phone has 16 GB of internal storage capacity and comes with connectivity options like 4G LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB. The 3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery powers the device for a complete day usage.

With the incredible interface of Lollipop, the old G2 models will come to life. However, till the time LG makes an official announcement, global users will have to wait.

December 23, 2014
Facing Problems with Android Lollipop? Here is How You Can Fix Them
Android Lollipop arrived with a slew of exciting features; it has been said time and again that it is one of Google’s most significant updates. While you may be celebrating the entry of the Android Lollipop and its new features; this software update also comes with a few complaints.

We have compiled a list of the most common bugs and their fixes on the new Android Lollipop 5.0. Although the users have bee advised to wait for the software updates; however you can try some of these tricks in the meantime.

1. The Wi-Fi Connectivity

Some Android 5.0 users are reporting dropped internet connections, while others are unable connect at all. These bugs have generally been reported in the older devices.

The FIX :
- The old faithful factory reset has done the trick for some, but this is a bit of a pain to work through.
- Rebooting and troubleshooting is also a fix you may want to try.
- Changing the Wi-fi Channel in the “Advanced” option can also improve performance.
2. Low Battery Life

In theory Android 5.0 should give your device a better battery life. Although considered to be far better than KitKat, the Lollipop is still rumoured to have issues pertaining to battery life.

The FIX :
- Again the factory reset can help out some users.
- It may be possible that one of the older apps is clashing with the new software code causing the battery to drain unnecessarily; you may want to uninstall this app.
- It is also advisable to download any good battery saving app to kill running apps and software which drain battery life.
3. Lagging and Crashing

Several Android 5.0 Lollipop users have complained of a noticeable dip in performance since the update. Not just sluggishness, the affected devices also crash while running some very common apps.

The FIX :
- If one app seems to be at the root of the issue then the obvious next step is to uninstall it or check for an update
- We’ve seen reports that switching off some of the bells and whistles that come with Android — Google Now, OK Google support, live wallpapers, and so on — can improve the situation.
- If your device is completely unusable then going back to KitKat for a while is a potential option.
- At the risk of sounding repetitive, it’s worth mentioning the factory reset.
4. Video playback

One of the more specific problems to crop up on web forums is a video playback issue with the Wi-fi version of the 2013 Nexus 7. Users are reporting that Lollipop is unable to find the video player software when they want to watch a clip.

The FIX :
- Clearing the cache of one of the affected apps (such as YouTube) has helped a few users restore functionality.
- Other users have found success by enabling or disabling the NuPlayer from the Developer options page.
- Find ‘About phone’ from the Settings app and tap the ‘Build number’ seven times to activate the developer options screen. You can then try playing around with NuPlayer.
December 12, 2014
Come January End, Android One Devices Will Get Their Lollipop

The latest Android mobile OS Lollipop has already hit the devices such as Google’s Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 tablet. However, it was uncertain till now that when will Android One devices get the new update.

According to recent reports, the Lollipop update for the Android One phones is ready and consumers may start seeing it on their phones as early as the middle of December. This means that starting next month, you can expect your Android One to get an update via OTA.

Although Google has remained quiet about the update to Android One devices, Spice, the company which made Dream Uno phone for Android One programme, has stated that the Lollipop update to its users will be rolled out by the end of January. “We plan to provide Lollipop in our Android One devices around January 2015 and the update will be available for all Dream Uno users in India,” stated Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility.

The Android One initiative was taken by Google to boost the smartphone adoption rate in emerging markets. Google launched Android One handsets with great promises not just by the company, but also by the homegrown players that collaborated with the search giant and came out with inexpensive handsets. Though, the Android One smartphones, which are priced at Rs. 6,399 onwards, have been advertised more than any other handset launched by the three companies, they failed to get the desired response.

India is the first country where the California-based firm’s Android One devices have been launched. Roll out across other markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka will follow in coming months.

November 20, 2014
Nexus 7 Experiencing Performance Issues Post Lollipop Upgrade

Well, Android 5.0 Lollipop got all of us excited when we got hold of it. The new operating system (OS) update is described as a ‘quantum leap forward’ by Google and has got an overwhelming response from the critics, escalating the desire for the software exponentially.

However, it’s just one side of the story. Many early adopters of the Android’s latest upgrade are complaining about the new OS. One of the most talked-about issues is that the update causes Google’s own Nexus 7 tablet to run slowly and crash repeatedly.

The users have also complained on Adobe forums that installing Air apps would show a non-descriptive error message, “-505”. On this, Adobe said that it had not been aware of this ‘critical’ bug before Tuesday and had escalated it to Google. According to a post by Program Manager Chris Campbell, the issue has been ‘escalated to Google,’ seemingly pointing the finger at the search giant rather than in its own camp. Campbell said that the company had not been aware of what he described it as a ‘critical’ bug before November 18.

Although, the first wave of the update has already reached the users, many Android-based smartphone makers are withholding the OS till the device testing is complete. It is quite notable that most of the complaints appear to be related to Google’s own-branded smartphones and tablets.

Nvidia, LG and Motorola have also released Android Lollipop update for some of their handsets and tablets. Dozens of complaints have been posted to Google’s forums stating that owners of the 2012 version of the Nexus 7, in particular, are experiencing performance issues. If nothing else, Google is likely working quickly to ensure these problems are fixed as more devices are expected to receive the update soon.

It has been a weird year for both the mobile operating system giants. Even the new iOS launch was mired in complaints regarding decreased performance and Apple had to face some flak for that. The pressure of bring new product in the earliest possible time to leads to bugs like these. Updates are fast becoming the buzzword for judging an operating system so it is advisable to the companies to take time with their homework so that they can give a quality update. As the old saying goes slow and steady gives the best bug-free update, or something like that.

November 20, 2014
Moto X and Moto G First in Line to Get Android Lollipop Update

Surprisingly, according to the recent reports, some 2014 Moto X users have already received the Android 5.0 Lollipop update notification. It is said that the company posted and then pulled out documents for the Moto X and Moto G Lollipop update on its website.

“The very first Moto X variant getting the update is the ‘Pure Edition’ — an unlocked version of the phone, and for right now it’s going out to people who signed up for the ‘soak test’ — a limited rollout in preparation of a wider release,” Ars Technica reports. “Next up for Moto will be making sure none of the soak testers report major problems over the next day or two and getting carriers on board to approve the update.”

Earlier, Motorola announced that they will be rolling out Android 5.0 update for Moto X and Moto G devices soon, and the company may roll out the official update for these handsets soon after upgrades for Google’s own Nexus devices.

Meanwhile, Ar Technica pointed out that there hasn’t been any Lollipop update for Google’s Nexus devices, presumably because Google didn’t want to steal the Nexus 6’s thunder, which will be released on November 12.

November 11, 2014
Android 5.0 Lollipop Encounters Wi-Fi Bug, Roll Out Delays

A few days back, Google announced that it had started rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop, but as of now, it appears the update has been delayed as there is no news of any new devices receiving the same. The reason, according to reports, seems to be a Wi-Fi bug in the software build. According to a report from Android Police, Google has delayed the release of Android 5.0 after a Wi-Fi bug drained the battery in Nexus 5 devices.

Google’s Trevor Johns acknowledged this bug and said, “Android Engineering is aware of an issue affecting Nexus 5 users running Android 5.0 which causes significant ‘Miscellaneous’ battery usage while Wi-Fi is enabled. This appears to be caused by an abnormally high number of IRQ wakeup events. We are continuing to investigate this issue.”

Sources now expect that Google plans to release the Android 5.0 update for Nexus devices starting November 12. There were rumours earlier that Google has not been able to make a stable version of Android 5.0 update for models like Nexus 4 and 5 along with 3G/4G-enabled Nexus 7 and 10 tablets.

Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google’s most ambitious project yet, brings a slew of new features such as user customisation options, better battery performance, improved security and support for multiple user profiles on the same device.

The likes of Motorola, Sony and HTC have already confirmed the Lollipop update on their popular devices. Meanwhile, other manufacturers such as Samsung and LG have not yet announced their plans as to when their devices will get the updated version. For a complete list of devices scheduled to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, click here.

November 6, 2014
Nexus Owners Get Ready! Android 5.0 Lollipop Officially Rolls Out Today

The long wait is at last over! Five months after Google announced the all new ‘Android L’ and ‘Material Design’ at Google I/O 2014 and nearly a month after it officially confirmed the name ‘Android 5.0 Lollipop’, the new operating system has been released.

In an official blog, Google has put out a post saying that Android 5.0 Lollipop has started rolling out already. Google has confirmed that Android 5.0 Lollipop would be coming to all the Nexus devices – Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and tablets Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013 editions) and Nexus 10. The Nexus 9, which has launched internationally, comes pre-loaded with the new operating system, and so will the Google Nexus 6 when it comes out.

Android’s official blog reads: “If you’re like me, you jump between a number of different devices throughout the day—reading a magazine on your tablet, checking the time on your watch, chatting with your friends on the phone, even plotting your route in the car. More and more, our screens work together, each helping make your life a little bit easier. But if the design is the way they communicate with us, it often feels like each one is speaking a different language. That’s why we unveiled material design earlier this year: one consistent design language flexible enough to span devices across mobile, desktop, and beyond. Design is a major focus for Lollipop—the latest version of Android—which begins to roll out today.”

Last night, Google launched the new Gmail 5.0 app along with the Calendar app, both of which come with Material Design. The company is slowly updating all of its official apps in the ‘Material Design’ style. Google describes Material Design as a “bold, colourful, and responsive UI design for consistent, intuitive experiences across all your devices. Responsive, natural motion, realistic lighting and shadows, and familiar visual elements make it easier to navigate your device. Vivid new colours, typography, and edge-to-edge imagery help to focus your attention.”

Motorola has already confirmed the update for most of its phones available in the market, which includes the Moto X (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.), Moto G (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.), Moto E, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and Droid Mini. HTC confirmed that it will be releasing the Android L update within 90 days of receiving the final software from Google. Here’s a full list of devices confirmed to receive the update, to see if your device made it, click here.

Meanwhile, you can check out our hands on with the update:

November 4, 2014
Google Unveils a Slick New Calendar App, Plans to Release it on iOS Soon

Same as all the other official Google apps, the company has totally reworked on the Calendar app as well for the new Android 5.0 material design. According to the company, the upgrade of the Calendar app is smarter, more colourful, and all-around more helpful.

This new app has been reinvented in the ‘Material Design’ style that’s working its way across all Google apps. The major part of the new upgrade is all about making, adding and viewing events much easier.

With the new upgrade, Calendar will automatically pull events, such as booked reservations, flights, or concerts, out of your inbox and add them to your calendar. This new upgrade will also help you enter events by automatically filling in the information as you type, such as your contacts and nearby locations.

There is a new feature onboard with the new upgrade called ‘Schedule View,’ which just displays your upcoming appointments. They’re all given big, colourful backgrounds, often with images that are contextual to the events, which should make them easier to browse through. Third-party calendar apps that plug into Google have continued to add new and more intelligent features, and this release in many ways feels like Google has left no stones unturned.

Apart from this, another surprising news is that this new Google Calendar app will be available for iOS devices too. While there have been a good number of ways to access your Google Calendar on the iPhone and iPad, including through Apple’s Calendar app, this will be the first time Google has actually released a proper Calendar app for iOS.

The app is already available on the devices running on Android 5.0, however, the company will roll it out to the Play Store over the coming weeks for everyone running Android 4.1 and above.

November 4, 2014
Google Adds New Layer of Security Features with Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 Lollipop is Google’s most significant release of Android yet with a whole lot of features debuting with it. Everyone seems to be super excited about the newly upgraded features like support for 64-bit processors, Material Design, the improvements to power management and the switch from the Dalvik RunTime to the Android RunTime, ART, which are touted to make our devices smoother and faster.

But this time around, Google has added some great new security features as well. The first way is the built-in kill switch, also known as Factory Reset Protection. It essentially prevents anyone from wiping and resetting your device if it’s stolen. If thieves can’t factory reset your device, then they won’t be able to successfully resell it.The feature requires a Google ID and password before a phone can be reset, and only works when a phone passcode is enabled.

The second is linked to the first and uses a feature that has been present in Android since 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is device encryption. Until now, encryption has been an optional security feature that most people only activate if their corporate email account tells them to do so. From Android 5.0, encryption is going to be enabled by default. This gives users another PIN or password to remember but keeps the data on the device much safer from the notorious hackers’ eyes. Without device encryption, a thief could access the information on the device.

October 18, 2014
Sony Promises to Update Xperia Z line to Android 5.0 Lollipop Soon

The new upgrade for the Android mobile OS, Android 5.0 Lollipop is finally here. However, it could be a while before Google’s new software becomes available on some of our favorite devices. Sony has confirmed that its entire Xperia Z lineup will make the jump to Lollipop starting next year.

Android 5.0 updates won’t roll out until 2015 for your Xperia device, they only confirmed that Lollipop is coming eventually. Sony notes that the Z Ultra Google Play Edition is first in line followed by the Xperia Z3 and Z2 families, also Z1 and Z devices won’t be left out either.

According to the announcement, “entire premium Z series” means the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will all be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

October 17, 2014
Android 5.0 is Lollipop

After monte of initial release the Android 5.0 version has been made official and its called Lollipop (sorry not ladoo). The OS was mostly known as Android L since its announcement and now it has finally been named along with the launch of the three flagship products, the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9 and a $99 Nexus player.

Google has been kind to confirm that Android 5.0 Lollipop is coming to the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 along with Google Play edition devices, in the coming weeks.

Motorola gets dibs on first lineup, as Motorola’s most new launches will get Lollipop almost as soon as Nexus devices.these include both generations of the Moto X and Moto G (including the US LTE model), Moto E, and US based Droid Maxx, Droid Mini and Droid Ultra.

Expect to hear from other companies in a while, although HTC’s new launches including the HTC Desire 820, new Desire Eye will ship with Android L out of the box later this month, hence the delay in launch.

October 15, 2014
Samsung Galaxy S3 & Note 2 To Get Android 5.0, Galaxy S2 & Note To Settle With 4.2.2

The Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note will not receive Google’s next Android update, according to a report.

SamMobile clams to have heard from an inside source that the previous-generation products will not be updated past Android Jelly Bean.

Samsung didn’t confirm this news but, it seems that this will be actually true and we will get to see Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update released for Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note and for multiple other two-year old Samsung smartphones.

The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OTA update will be the last upgrade that old Samsung devices will receive. As you know, the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note were launched with Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and then they got the Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Also, these were recently updated to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

The Android 5.0 is yet to become official and is expected to be introduced at Google’s upcoming I/O conference. Google’s latest software version is believed to be a big update. The devices which will be getting the Android 5.0 update are the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, Note II, Note 8.0 and Note 10.1.

Also, some other Mid-range Android device that have been launched in 2012 and 2013 should get some Value Pack OTA Updates, so that all the owners of an Samsung device will be happy that some new features will be available for them.

Good going Samsung!

Below is the list of devices which is not confirmed by Samsung yet. But is confirmed by SamMobile’s insider.

* End at Android 4.2.2 update.
GT-I9080 – Galaxy Grand
GT-I9082 – Galaxy Grand DUOS
GT-I8160 – Galaxy Ace 2
GT-I8190 – Galaxy S III mini
GT-I8350 – Galaxy Beam
GT-I8730 – Galaxy Express
GT-I9070 – Galaxy S Advance
GT-I9100 – Galaxy S II
GT-I9105 – Galaxy S II Plus
GT-I9260 – Galaxy Premier
GT-N7000 – Galaxy Note
GT-S6310 – Galaxy Young
GT-S6312 – Galaxy Young DUOS
GT-S6810 – Galaxy Fame
GT-S7710 – Galaxy X Cover 2

To get Android 5.0.
GT-I9300 – Galaxy S III
GT-I9305 – Galaxy S III LTE
GT-I9500 – Galaxy S 4
GT-I9505 – Galaxy S 4 LTE
GT-N5100 – Galaxy Note 8.0
GT-N5105 – Galaxy Note 8.0 LTE
GT-N5110 – Galaxy Note 8.0 Wi-Fi
GT-N7100 – Galaxy Note II
GT-N7105 – Galaxy Note II LTE
GT-N8000 – Galaxy Note 10.1
GT-N8005 – Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE
GT-N8010 – Galaxy Note 10.1 Wi-Fi

[SamMobile]

March 20, 2013