Android 5.0 new features to be known

Finally Google has announced the final release of new Android O.S Android 5.0 as Lollipop next to Android KitKat 4.4. As we know Google's Android is the leading mobile operating system in the world with advanced user interface and more features which are not supported in any other smartphone. Coming to the topic, this was the announcement which was awaited by millions of people. Google has previewed Android L in middle of June for this release and they finally made this announcement. Actually many romours raised that the next coming Android L will have name as Key Lime Pie. But it was not Key Lime Pie. It's LOLLIPOP.



New features in Android 5.0 Lollipop release 2014 :

[*]UPDATED QUICK SETTINGS : For android mobiles with version above 4.0, Google introduced quick settings option in notification bar. But this quick settings include limited settings like wifi, bluetooth, screen rotation, profile, battery and some other basic features. But in Android 5.0 Lollipop release, Google has increased the features in Quick Settings. It has added new features like flashlight, hotspot and some new options. Also you can adjust brightness from the notification bar.

[*]IMPROVED BATTERY FEATURE : Apart from another versions of Android, Google adds battery life support, which can extend battery life up to 2 hours. LOLLIPOP has a new feature of notifying the estimated battery life and also notifies about the approximate time to charge the battery and time when last battery charged. This feature is available in third party apps for existing versions of Android.

[*]STUNNING CAMERA FEATURE : Till now Android versions have a normal camera feature which varies with hardware of mobile. But in Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google added burst mode and tuning settings. User can capture images with 30 fps, which gives good quality image. It also supports 720p video recording and also UHD 4K resolution playback which makes the user to experience high quality video watching and recording.

[*]DEVICE COMPATIBILITY : Google announced that Android 5.0 lolliop is designed to meet the requirement of capable with smartwatches, cars and TV's. This will help the user to control their smart watches with this multiple device compatibility feature.

[*]MDI ( Material Design Interface ) : Google introduced MDI in the newly launching mobiles that are running on Android 5.0 lollipop. MDI makes the elements to dynamically expand and shrink, which gives stunning new 3D look on the screen. Also added fast transition for faster multitasking.

[*]ADVANCED SECURITY : Google mainly focused on security aspect for this O.S. It has added new feature of adding guest mode and ability to create multiple user accounts. this prevents the other user to access your private files. As a special feature, Lollipop has a new feature of smart lock with a trusted device which may be a car, wearable device.

[*]UPDATED NOTIFICATION BAR : Along with many features, for lollipop,Google has changed its notification bar. Along with old options, we have new priority mode, which means you can receive calls or messages from a specific contact only. Also added option to avoid calls while gaming, which causes no interuption.

[*]RUNTIME AND PERFORMANCE : Google decided to show the users, the power of Android. For this purpose, it added support for high and fast performance. Increased performance up to 4 times. Smoother UI and compacting background apps which makes multitasking easier and can run more background apps.

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[Dhruv Bindhani]

The article you provided gives a detailed overview of the features and significance of Android 5.0 Lollipop, which was indeed a landmark release for the Android operating system. It accurately captures the excitement and the key advancements that Google introduced with this version.

Let's break down the points and add context from a 2025 perspective:

The article correctly states that Android 5.0 was named Lollipop, succeeding KitKat (Android 4.4). It also correctly notes that the "Android L" preview was announced in mid-June (specifically, June 25, 2014, at Google I/O). Lollipop was officially released on November 3, 2014. The "Key Lime Pie" rumor was indeed associated with an earlier Android L speculation, but Google ultimately went with KitKat, and then Lollipop for 5.0.

Here's an analysis of the new features described, which were indeed significant at the time of Lollipop's release:

• UPDATED QUICK SETTINGS: This was a major enhancement. Lollipop greatly expanded the quick settings toggles accessible from the notification shade, adding things like flashlight, hotspot, and making brightness control more prominent. This improved user convenience significantly compared to previous Android versions.
• IMPROVED BATTERY FEATURE (Project Volta): The "battery life support, which can extend battery life up to 2 hours" was a key initiative called Project Volta. This focused on optimizing background processes and providing better battery statistics, including estimated time to full charge and estimated time remaining. While "third-party apps" did exist for battery monitoring, Lollipop integrated these functionalities natively and more deeply into the OS.
• STUNNING CAMERA FEATURE (Camera2 API): Lollipop introduced the Camera2 API, which was a huge deal for photographers and app developers. It allowed for much greater control over camera hardware, enabling features like burst mode (capturing images at 30 fps on capable hardware), manual controls (ISO, shutter speed, focus), and support for RAW image formats (YUV and Bayer RAW). The mention of 720p video recording and UHD 4K resolution playback refers to the capabilities enabled by the new API on compatible hardware, rather than features directly implemented across all devices, but it correctly highlights the potential for higher quality media.
• DEVICE COMPATIBILITY: This was a forward-looking aspect of Lollipop. Google designed the OS with a vision for it to be compatible not just with phones and tablets, but also with smartwatches (Android Wear, now Wear OS), cars (Android Auto), and TVs (Android TV). This laid the groundwork for a more cohesive Google ecosystem across various device types.
• MDI (Material Design Interface): This was perhaps the most visually impactful change in Android 5.0. Material Design was a completely new design language from Google, focusing on clean, minimalist aesthetics, responsive animations ("dynamically expand and shrink"), and a tangible, paper-like metaphor. It brought a much-needed visual overhaul and consistency across Android's UI and Google's app ecosystem. The "stunning new 3D look" referred to the use of shadows and z-axis effects to give elements depth, rather than traditional skeuomorphic 3D.
• ADVANCED SECURITY:Lollipop brought significant security enhancements:
  • Guest Mode and Multiple User Accounts: These features, previously mostly on tablets, were extended to phones, allowing users to safely share their devices without compromising personal data.
  • Smart Lock: This was a popular feature that allowed users to keep their devices unlocked when in trusted environments (e.g., connected to a specific Bluetooth device like a car or smartwatch, or in a trusted location).
  • Default Encryption: A crucial security upgrade was making full-disk encryption enabled by default on new Lollipop devices, significantly enhancing data protection in case of device loss or theft. (Though the article doesn't explicitly mention this, it was a key part of Lollipop's security focus).
• UPDATED NOTIFICATION BAR: The notification system underwent a major redesign. Notifications became more interactive, appearing as "cards" that could be expanded or dismissed directly from the lock screen. The Priority Mode allowed users to control which notifications would alert them, providing more granular control over interruptions, especially during specific times or activities like gaming.
• RUNTIME AND PERFORMANCE (ART): This was a huge under-the-hood change. Android Lollipop switched from the Dalvik runtime to ART (Android Runtime) as the default. ART uses Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, which pre-compiles app code at installation, leading to faster app launches, smoother performance ("increased performance up to 4 times" was Google's claim), and better battery life compared to Dalvik's Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation. This significantly improved the overall responsiveness and "feel" of Android.

In summary, the article accurately describes the groundbreaking features of Android 5.0 Lollipop at the time of its release in 2014. It was indeed a monumental update that set the stage for many of the design principles and technological advancements seen in subsequent Android versions. From a 2025 perspective, it serves as a valuable historical record of a pivotal moment in Android's evolution.