Introduction

Google’s latest platform, Android 5.0 Lollipop is undoubtedly a step forward in the world of technology thanks to a brand new design extending to every corner of the OS, a host of attractive APIs and more importantly, some future-oriented features. What makes it more lucrative is that most of the core features have been retained without compromising aesthetics. But is the platform completely perfect? Let’s find out.

Also Read: 7 Reasons to choose an Android phone instead of Apple

The Good Things first

Material Design

The change in the outlook i.e. Google’s so-called Material Design is hands down the major attraction of this brand new operating system. Thus, you have a whole new version of Android in your hand. The modifications extend everywhere including the app drawer, the main menu as well as the manner in which notifications are displayed. The home, app and back buttons on the screen get a different look as well. However, the sad part is that if you are keen on exploring the real changes in the design, you have to get access to Nexus devices. This is because most of the third party mobile manufacturers generally use customized UIs to present Android in their own way.

Animations

The new OS is way more dynamic courtesy the animations which keep you engrossed while performing even the simplest of actions. For instance, there are expansions as soon as you open the app drawer and contractions when you close it. This clearly shows that Google has worked hard to change the way in which the platform should communicate. In fact, anyone unfamiliar with Android won’t find any difficulty in navigating.

Notifications

One of the major reasons for the major success of Android has been Notifications, and the Android Lollipop firmly establishes Google’s supremacy in this direction once again. Notifications, now are way more dynamic apart from being quick. You can easily expand or contract them to see the amount of information that you like. You can also stop them temporarily and prioritize them as per your wish. The notifications are now available on the lock screen as well.

Project Volta

Project Volta is one of the major highlights of Android 5.0 Lollipop phones as it aims to break the trend that Android devices can’t stand long enough on a single charge. By organizing app actions into groups, it makes sure that the phone doesn’t wake up to everything unnecessarily. The frequent change in networks when you are in some weak zone plays a major role in draining the battery; the Project Volta takes care of that as well.
The battery saving mode gets activated automatically on reaching 15% of the battery and accordingly turns the screen orange asking you to either switch it off or refuel it. In case you want to know which apps are draining the battery, all you need to do is open the Battery Historian.

Multitasking

Lollipop has also changed the way in which multitasking could be done on Android smartphones. Prior to its release, you could only switch between apps. But now, you can also switch between operations in the same app. This has completely changed the manner in which multitasking was done through Android.

Multiple profiles

There are many people who feel shy about sharing their smartphone with others. But can you ignore your best buddy willing to explore the benefits of the latest OS? Or your boss willing to check out your smartphone before buying one? And this is where this version stands out from others by bringing the facility of multiple profiles in a single smartphone. You can now switch on the Guest Mode which will prohibit the third party to access your data or apps by creating a blank profile. You can also choose any particular app and make it accessible through a specific profile.

Future Ready

Google also claims that the latest Android OS is ready to exhibit faster and quicker performance than its predecessors. The support for 64-bit SoCs makes it future-ready. It also changes from Dalvik to Android RunTime or ART to speed up operations. The Android Lollipop OS enhances picture quality by enabling third-party applications to access the actual files instead of the modified JPEGs. Lollipop also allows third-party apps to utilize the microSD card which in turn prevents lags.

Also Read: Android Rooting Guide: Risks and Procedure to Root an Android Device

The Bad things

Material Design’s errors

Material Design is the key aspect of the latest Android platform but is not free of errors. With the aim of simplifying things, Google has oversimplified it. For example, on opening Gmail, you can view only the compose and search buttons. You can definitely access the remaining buttons from the menu bar but it’s a clumsy process. Moreover, a lesser amount of information is available on one screen. You can now view only 6 emails in comparison to 7-8 which could be viewed before. The bright and vibrant colors in the design definitely grab attention but fail to hide these flaws.

Not much competitive

Another major drawback of the Lollipop is that it doesn’t have anything to rival Apple’s Continuity. This facility allows you to access calls, messages and even a document between devices featuring OS X or iOS. Remember that sharing in Google’s Cloud syncing feature is limited to hangouts, documents, and drives only.

Face Unlock

The Face Unlock feature allows you to unlock your phone by using your face. Although this feature was available in some previous versions, it was very slow. This is definitely a huge improvement over fingerprint sensors. But the worst part is that it may not work in all situations and is not powerful enough to secure transactions through Google Wallet. Google needs to work on this thing seriously if it wants its users not to rely on fingerprint sensors.

Improvements needed

The Lollipop OS offers some additional facilities like Google Wallet, Google Fit, Android Auto and USB Audio. While these may look really cool, they are either not completely ready or unable to grab the limelight due to various reasons. These are some areas which need serious improvisation.

Conclusion

Even with the above-mentioned flaws, Android 5.0 Lollipop is a big leap forward and is bound to make the market tougher for its competitors. It is undoubtedly the best version of Android to date. Even though there are various flaws in some most expected things, you can’t deny the fact that Lollipop is the best Android version till now which, with updates in the future, become even better.