Android Lollipop is Google’s biggest Android release in the last two years. It has big user interface changes and it adds, according to Google, 5000 new application programming interfaces in Android. Now, we are not going to talk about all these thousands of new features. But here are five that may significantly change your Android smartphone experience.
64-bit support
The support for 64-bit applications, on face of it, is not a consumer-facing feature. But it is important because now Android devices can have more than 4GB of RAM, and apps will have access to higher registers. So, basically more compute power. In simple terms, this means developers will be able create advanced/complex applications that are more akin to the programs available on laptops and desktops. Already, the HTC-made Nexus 9 has a 64-bit CPU. Also, every Intel-powered Android device released in the last one year has support for 64-bit computing.
This will work in tandem with the ART runtime environment, which will make app performance faster and less power hungry.
Material design
Material Design is the new user interface for Android. Going forward, Google expects app developers to follow this design language. The Material Design adds cleaner user interface elements, drop shadows and layered interface elements. It all looks prettier and cleaner.
New task switcher
The new task switcher now adds web browser tabs alongside apps. Now, a user doesn’t have to revert to the web browser to change tabs. Also, on Android Lollipop you can think of web page or a tab as an app. This is fantastic in our opinion.
Protection from a factory reset
If an Android phone gets lost or stolen, the thief can easily reset the phone and go along on his/her merry way. But in Android Lollipop, a user can password-protect the factory reset. This means even if someone has stolen your phone, he or she won’t be able factory reset it before it can be used. This may deter thieves.
Google has also added a 'Kill switch' in Lollipop to abide by California law. It adds the ability to remotely wipe the data on the phone. Its presence will also act as a deterrent for thieves.
Project Volta
In the last few years, every new major Android release has had a project of its own. Jelly Bean had Project Butter, KitKat has Project Svelte and now there is Project Volta, which aims to improve the battery life of the phone. Google claims that on a Nexus 5 it adds up to 90 minutes of battery life. While, there are top-of-the-line phones in the market with built-in battery savers, now this is part of the core Android experience, which is available to everyone. So, even if you are using an entry-level phone and it runs Lollipop, it will have the basic Android battery saver baked in.
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