14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Google has finally kicked off the rollout of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for both Nexus 5 and 4 smartphones. The Lollipop factory image for the Nexus 5 got published last week, along with the promise that an OTA update is rolling out as well.
Over the weekend, Google released the factory image for the Nexus 4 as well, and many owners have reported the OTA update is now being deployed, which means there are two ways one can upgrade to Lollipop.
If you would like to flash the factory image, you will have to download it from Google’s developer website. In addition, you should back up all your data stored on the phone, as flashing an image will delete all personal information.
On the other hand, you could wait for the OTA update to arrive, so you won’t need to back up anything. Just make sure you have at least 500MB of free storage before attempting to download and install the Lollipop upgrade.
We’ve been busy flashing the Lollipop factory image on the Nexus 4 and for those who prefer to wait until the OTA update arrived on their smartphones, here are some screenshots that will give you a glimpse of what you will get.
First of all, you will notice the new Material Design UI, Google’s new take on Android’s user interface, which must be included in each application from now on.
Make sure to back up all your data if you decide to flash the factory image
There are a lot of new features and improvements included in the update as well, such as the new battery saver that’s supposed to extend the phone’s battery by up to 90 minutes.
You can now use multiple accounts on any smartphone powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop, thanks to the multi-user accounts feature.
The Notifications area has been improved as well with new options that you can take advantage of, such as fewer disruptions with the Priority mode, more intelligent ranking notifications based on various filters, as well as the possibility to view and reply to messages directly from the lock screen.
Google also added new Quick Settings, which can be accessed with two swipes down from the top of the screen. Flashlight, hotspot, screen rotation and cast screen controls have been included here for easier and quicker access.
The multitasking manager now shows all apps in the background as cards, which you can scroll through. There are a lot more changes included in Android 5.0 Lollipop, which makes it one of the most important update for Google’s mobile platform since its initial launch.
Hopefully, more devices will receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade sooner rather than later. What do you think about Google’s new approach on Android? Do you think it’s more eye-candy and provides a smoother user experience than previous versions?
