Google announces Android Lollipop, coming to Nexus devices soon

Back at Google I/O, the name of the next version of Android was left up in the air when Google dubbed it version L. The most plausible guess was Lollipop and that is exactly what Google has named it.

Visually speaking, Android 5.0 or Lollipop, is Google's biggest Android release in the last 3 years. It brings the biggest UI overhaul to Android since the 'Holo' design of Android 3.0 Honeycomb and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, both of which were released in 2011.

It offers a flatter design with Google's Material Design language, which we are starting to see all across its software and services.

The OS is being launched with the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and the Nexus Player. In the coming weeks it will be available on the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10.  The update will also come to the Google Play edition devices, but currently there is no word on when the update will hit the new Android One smartphones, though Google has promised updates on these phones for two years.

There are more than 5,000 new APIs and has been designed to work across multiple types of devices.

Some of the major features are as follows:

1.    ART runtime environment  
2.    64-bit support  
3.    Notifications Limiter  
4.    New app switcher with integrated web browser tabs  
5.    Project Volta - Battery Saver offering up to 90 minutes of extra battery life.  
6.    Multiple user accounts  
7.    Guest user mode 
8.    Smart Unlocking using Bluetooth proximity for companion devices.  
9.    Protection against a factory reset  
10.    Enhanced voice support

A lot of the features offered here are already part of Android phones in the market as manufacturers add them after modifying the OS for their devices. However, for the first time these features will be available as core part of the OS available to all. A great example is the battery saver mode, as already  OEMs like HTC, Samsung and Sony offer built-in battery savers in their high-end phones.