The newest Android 5.0 Lollipop is really awesome, bringing a good host of innovative features, which make it the biggest visual update since Ice Cream Sandwich. But now the question that is on everybody’s minds is this – when will I get it on my smartphone and tablet, as well? Android OEMs are slowly getting better at updates. Not every company is communicative about or prompt with those updates, but our data mostly shows improvement across the board. Some OEMs are actually getting pretty good; HTC has promised updates to Android 5.0 for some flagship phones within 90 days of release. However, the best non-Nexus phones to buy if you want updates are still the Moto phones from Motorola.
Following the unveiling of Android 5.0 Lollipop today, Motorola has announced plans to bring Google’s new operating system version to many of its devices. The company is promising that the Moto X (first and second generation), Moto G (first and second generation), Moto G with 4G LTE, Moto E, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini will all get updates.
This means that Motorola’s phones will likely be the first non-Nexus devices to run Lollipop (the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will be out soon). This is possible because the company offers “pure Android” – no significant modifications to the operating system — on its latest phones.
This means that Motorola’s phones will likely be the first non-Nexus devices to run Lollipop (the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will be out soon). This is possible because the company offers “pure Android” – no significant modifications to the operating system — on its latest phones.
The new update brings a whole new design philosophy – Material Design – based on a colorful UI, more animations, and more realistic shadows, Lock Screen notifications, a redesigned Notifications Panel, a new Quick Settings area with new toggles, battery saver mode that promises 90 more minutes of battery life, dynamic status, document-centric multitasking, support for 64-bit processors, ART runtime instead of Dalvik, and more.
DroidLife also has recently observed that Android 5.0 Lollipop has started rolling out to some Moto X 2014 Pure Edition models, but it was a software testing procedure available to just some members. Also, the Pure Edition Moto X is the unlocked version, which is carrier bloatware-free.
This means that Motorola’s phones will likely be the first non-Nexus devices to run Lollipop (the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will be out soon). This is possible because the company offers “pure Android” – no significant modifications to the operating system — on its latest phones.
The new update brings a whole new design philosophy – Material Design – based on a colorful UI, more animations, and more realistic shadows, Lock Screen notifications, a redesigned Notifications Panel, a new Quick Settings area with new toggles, battery saver mode that promises 90 more minutes of battery life, dynamic status, document-centric multitasking, support for 64-bit processors, ART runtime instead of Dalvik, and more.
DroidLife also has recently observed that Android 5.0 Lollipop has started rolling out to some Moto X 2014 Pure Edition models, but it was a software testing procedure available to just some members. Also, the Pure Edition Moto X is the unlocked version, which is carrier bloatware-free.
While these reports only speak for a probably limited amount of Moto G and Moto X second-gen unlocked units, if it continues like this, it won’t be a surprise if Lenovo’s Motorola will make it official. And this will be a rather significant win that will put their products under the spotlight.
That the Moto X, G, and E are all getting Lollipop is probably a good sign—the three of them represent the highest and lowest-end processors that are shipping in most Android phones today, and it means that any decent Android phone you buy now should be capable of running Android 5.0 if your OEM chooses to update it. We'll be keeping an eye out for other Lollipop announcements, and we'll revisit some older hardware once the software is released to see how it runs.
As you may know, once your device becomes eligible to get updated to Android 5.0 L, you should be able to see a system update message in the notifications panel. You know the drill: tap on it, choose “Download now,” wait until the download is completed, and select “Install now.” Your smartphone should reboot and install the new firmware. In case the system update notification fails to show up, you would also want to check for software updates under Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now.
Are there any Moto X or Moto G owners readying this? What are your expectations for the Android 5.0 Lollipop update? Please let us know in the comments section below.