Hello, Android Lollipop!

Lady Finger? Laffy Taffy? Oreo? Arguably, the most exciting part of an Android release is speculating on its name. Throughout the year, Lemon Meringue Pie and Licorice have been thrown around every tech blog and forum. We thought Google would be settling for a more professional release with Android L. Now, speculation is circling anew again with the release of a casting call video and a cryptic tweet from Google’s gardener. Without even leaving the grapevine space to breathe, Google nips all rumors in the bud today as it silently unveiled (in full, this time) its next major release – Android Lollipop.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEE3hXJe5o

So now that we know the name, what can we expect from Lollipop? In a nutshell, this is poised to become Google’s biggest release since Ice Cream Sandwich (and that was three letters ago). Right from the tin, you can tell that this isn’t any ordinary release. Android Lollipop has the new Material Design, Google’s most flaunted feature of this release. Google joins the ranks of Apple and Windows in incorporating flat design into its system. More than just being a pretty new face, Material Design is introducing dynamism into the minimalist elements of its design. Tangibility in the design is more intuitive. Every touch and gesture opens up an array of possibilities, rather than a simple touch-and-go. Elements such as font and vector shapes change and evolve with the system. Each increase in font size, for example, is a change in the screen element’s hierarchy.

What else can we expect? The update is more widespread. As with its predecessor KitKat, Android Lollipop is available for devices with at least 512 MB of RAM. Devices with Google Play will receive this update in the coming weeks, possibly starting when the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 are released. If that isn’t enough, Lollipop will bring 64-bit computing to 64-bit compatible devices for greater speed and power.

Similar to Windows 10, the system will provide a more streamlined approach to interact with your other Android-powered devices. Your Android Lollipop phone can interact seamlessly with your smartwatch, or even another Android Lollipop phone. Actions can be carried out simultaneously between devices. You can check your mail on your tablet, while your watch notifies you of new ones coming in. And if you forget your phone, you can log in from another Android user’s phone to call your friends.

Notifications are more personalized. You can curate whose notifications your phone will alert you of. Additionally, you can respond to these notifications from the lock screen directly. Previously, you had to use a third-party app to customize your lock screen in that way.

Battery life has also been optimized. Also previously, users had to download apps to save battery. Now, Google is including this feature in the new release. Your phone will be able to tell you how long it has until the battery dies and how long it will take for the battery to reach full charge. The battery optimization can extend battery life for up to 90 minutes.

One of the most lauded features of this release is the security. Google is including a kill switch for this release. Last year, the ability to lock your phone remotely was rolled out for Android phones. Now, an additional layer of protection will be installed for Lollipop devices – the Factory Reset Protection. Thieves will ultimately want to do a factory reset once they “acquire” a “previously-owned” phone. But in this release, a password will be added to secure that feature. If the user is unable to input the correct password, security will basically render the phone useless. As if that’s not enough, Android will be making data encryption a staple. Your personal files will be encrypted, unless the correct password is provided. No one can have access to your files without your permission, not even law enforcement.

It’s a good day for Android users. Recent developments from Apple and Windows have almost left Google trailing. With this release, Google catches up to the pack, possibly leading the group. Along with other features aside from the above, Android Lollipop will prove to be a groundbreaking evolution for its users. What is left now is to wait for the updates to roll out to our devices. Will it be the next big thing that Google promises? It’s poised to do so. And it just might.