Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
Android Lollipop
Fifth major version of the Android operating system

Android Lollipop, the fifth major version of the Android mobile operating system, was unveiled at Google I/O 2014 and officially released via over-the-air updates in November 2014 for devices like the Nexus and Google Play edition. Its first phone was the Nexus 6. Lollipop introduced a revamped user interface based on Material Design, emphasizing a paper-like feel, enhanced notifications accessible from the lockscreen, and replaced the Dalvik runtime with the more efficient Android Runtime (ART). The Roboto font was also redesigned. As of January 2025, Lollipop runs on less than 1% of devices, with Google Play Services support having ended in July 2024.

We don't have any images related to Android Lollipop yet.
We don't have any YouTube videos related to Android Lollipop yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to Android Lollipop yet.
We don't have any Books related to Android Lollipop yet.

Development

The release was internally codenamed "Lemon Meringue Pie".4 Android 5.0 was first unveiled under the codename "Android L" on June 25, 2014, during a keynote presentation at the Google I/O developers' conference. Alongside Lollipop, the presentation focused on a number of new Android-oriented platforms and technologies, including Android TV, in-car platform Android Auto, wearable computing platform Android Wear, and health tracking platform Google Fit.5

Part of the presentation was dedicated to a new cross-platform design language referred to as "Material Design". Expanding upon the "card" motifs first seen in Google Now, it is a design with increased use of grid-based layouts, responsive animations and transitions, padding, and depth effects such as lighting and shadows. Designer Matías Duarte explained that "unlike real paper, our digital material can expand and reform intelligently. Material has physical surfaces and edges. Seams and shadows provide meaning about what you can touch." The material design language would not only be used on Android, but across Google's suite of web software as well, providing a consistent experience across all platforms.678910

Features

See also: Android version history § Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 introduces a refreshed notification system. Individual notifications are now displayed on cards to adhere to the material design language, and batches of notifications can be grouped by the app that produced them. Notifications are now displayed on the lock screen as cards, and "heads up" notifications can also be displayed as large banners across the top of the screen, along with their respective action buttons.1112 A do-not-disturb feature is also added for notifications. The recent apps menu was redesigned to use a three-dimensional stack of cards to represent open apps. Individual apps can also display multiple cards in the recents menu, such as for a web browser's open tabs.131415 Upon the release of this version, for most Android devices, the navigation buttons were completely changed from a left arrow, a house, and two squares, to a left triangle, a circle and a square.

Lollipop also contains major new platform features for developers, with over 5,000 new APIs added for use by applications.1617 For example, there is the possibility to save photos in a raw image format.18 Additionally, the Dalvik virtual machine was officially replaced by Android Runtime (ART), which is a new runtime environment that was introduced as a technology preview in KitKat.19 ART is a cross-platform runtime which supports the x86, ARM, and MIPS architectures in both 32-bit and 64-bit environments. Unlike Dalvik, which uses just-in-time compilation (JIT), ART compiles apps upon installation, which are then run exclusively from the compiled version from then on. This technique removes the processing overhead associated with the JIT process, improving system performance.20

Lollipop also aimed to improve battery consumption through a series of optimizations known as "Project Volta". Among its changes are a new battery saver mode, job-scheduling APIs which can restrict certain tasks to only occur over Wi-Fi, and batching of tasks to reduce the overall amount of time that internal radios are active on. The new developer tool called "Battery Historian" can be used for tracking battery consumption by apps while in use.2122 The Android Extension Pack APIs also provide graphics functions such as new shaders, aiming to provide PC-level graphics for 3D games on Android devices.2324

A number of system-level, enterprise-oriented features were also introduced under the banner "Android for Work". The Samsung Knox security framework was initially planned to be used as a foundation for "Android for Work", but instead Google opted to use its own technology for segregating personal and work-oriented data on a device, along with the accompanying APIs for managing the environment.25 With the "Smart Lock" feature, devices can also be configured so users do not have to perform device unlocking with a PIN or pattern when being on a trusted location, or in proximity of a designated Bluetooth device or NFC tag.262728 Lollipop was, additionally, to have device encryption enabled by default on all capable devices; however, due to performance issues, this change was held over to its successor, Android Marshmallow.29

Release

A developer preview of Android L, build LPV79,30 was released for the Nexus 5 and 2013 Nexus 7 on June 26, 2014, in the form of flashable images. Source code for GPL-licensed components of the developer preview was released via Android Open Source Project (AOSP) in July 2014.3132 A second developer preview build, LPV81C, was released on August 7, 2014, alongside the beta version of the Google Fit platform and SDK. As with the previous build, the second developer preview build is available only for the Nexus 5 and 2013 Nexus 7.3334

On October 15, 2014, Google officially announced that Android L would be known as Android 5.0 "Lollipop". The company also unveiled launch devices for Android 5.0‍—‌including Motorola's Nexus 6 and HTC's Nexus 9‍—‌for release on November 3, 2014.35 Google stated that Nexus (including the Nexus 4, 5, 7, and 10) and Google Play edition devices would receive updates to Lollipop "in the coming weeks"; one more developer preview build for Nexus devices and the new SDK revision for application developers would be released on October 17, 2014. Update schedules for third-party Android devices may vary by manufacturer.3637

The full source code of Android 5.0 was pushed to AOSP on November 3, 2014, allowing developers and OEMs to begin producing their own builds of the operating system.38 On December 2, 2014, factory images for Nexus smartphones and tablets were updated to the 5.0.1 version, which introduces a few bug fixes,39 and a serious bug that affected Nexus 4 devices and prevented the audio from working during phone calls.40 A device-specific Lollipop 5.0.2 (LRX22G) version was released for the first-generation Nexus 7 on December 19, 2014.41

Android 5.1, an updated version of Lollipop, was unveiled in February 2015 as part of the Indonesian launch of Android One, and is preloaded on Android One devices sold in Indonesia and the Philippines. Google officially announced 5.1 by releasing updates for existing devices on March 9, 2015.4243

In 2015, Amazon.com forked Lollipop to produce Fire OS 5 "Bellini" for Amazon's Fire HD-series devices.444546

See also

References

  1. "Android 5.1.1 (LMY47V) hits AOSP [CHANGELOG]". phandroid.com. April 21, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015. http://phandroid.com/2015/04/21/android-5-1-1-lmy47v-aosp-changelog-nexus-player-factory-images/ ↩

  2. "Mobile & Tablet Android Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023. https://gs.statcounter.com/android-version-market-share/mobile-tablet/worldwide/2022 ↩

  3. Li, Abner (July 11, 2024). "Google Play services updates for Android Lollipop end". 9to5Google. Retrieved July 12, 2024. https://9to5google.com/2024/07/11/android-lollipop-google-play-services/ ↩

  4. ""LMP" – Lemon Meringue Pie – Looking More And More Likely As The Official Name For Android L". Android Police. August 23, 2014. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017. http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/08/23/lmp-lemon-meringue-pie-looking-more-and-more-likely-as-the-official-name-for-android-l/ ↩

  5. "From Android L to Google Fit: All the new products and features from Google I/O". PC World. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140626183451/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2367746/from-android-l-to-google-fit-all-the-announcements-from-google-i/from-android-l-to-google-fit-all-t.html ↩

  6. "Google's new 'Material Design' UI coming to Android, Chrome OS and the web". Engadget. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/25/googles-new-design-language-is-called-material-design/ ↩

  7. "Google Reveals Details About Android L at Google IO". Anandtech. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.anandtech.com/show/8207/google-reveals-details-about-android-l-at-google-io ↩

  8. "Google's New, Improved Android Will Deliver A Unified Design Language". Co.Design. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.fastcodesign.com/3032378/googles-new-improved-android-will-deliver-a-unified-design-language ↩

  9. "We just played with Android's L Developer Preview". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/26/android-developer-preview-hands-on/ ↩

  10. "Google's next big Android redesign is coming in the fall". The Verge. Vox Media. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.theverge.com/2014/6/25/5841302/google-announces-the-next-android ↩

  11. "Google Reveals Details About Android L at Google IO". Anandtech. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.anandtech.com/show/8207/google-reveals-details-about-android-l-at-google-io ↩

  12. Smith, Chris. "Android L's heads up notifications feature arrives early through third-party app". Tech Radar. Future plc. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014. http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-l-s-heads-up-notifications-feature-arrives-early-through-third-party-app-1256115 ↩

  13. "Google Reveals Details About Android L at Google IO". Anandtech. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.anandtech.com/show/8207/google-reveals-details-about-android-l-at-google-io ↩

  14. "We just played with Android's L Developer Preview". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/26/android-developer-preview-hands-on/ ↩

  15. Rothman, Wilson (June 25, 2014). "Google I/O: Android L Sneak Peek Reveals 'Material Design,' Personal Unlocking and More". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://blogs.wsj.com/personal-technology/2014/06/25/android-l-sneak-peek-reveals-material-design-personal-unlocking-and-more/ ↩

  16. Mayton, Joseph (July 8, 2014). "Android L, LG G Watch, update issue and what reviewers are saying". Tech Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/9881/20140708/android-wear-watch-l-and-what-reviewers-are-saying.htm ↩

  17. Haselton, Todd. "Android L Developer Preview Unveiled With Major Changes". Techno Buffalo. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140811010520/http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/06/25/android-l-developer-preview/ ↩

  18. Stephen Shankland (December 19, 2014). "How Android 5.0 lets you get raw for better photos". CNET. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2015. https://www.cnet.com/news/android-lollipop-opens-high-end-photography-options/ ↩

  19. "'ART' experiment in Android KitKat improves battery life and speeds up apps". Engadget. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.engadget.com/2013/11/06/new-android-runtime-could-improve-battery-life/ ↩

  20. Andrei Frumusanu (July 1, 2014). "A Closer Look at Android RunTime (ART) in Android L". AnandTech. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014. http://anandtech.com/show/8231/a-closer-look-at-android-runtime-art-in-android-l/ ↩

  21. "From Android L to Google Fit: All the new products and features from Google I/O". PC World. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140626183451/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2367746/from-android-l-to-google-fit-all-the-announcements-from-google-i/from-android-l-to-google-fit-all-t.html ↩

  22. "Google Reveals Details About Android L at Google IO". Anandtech. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.anandtech.com/show/8207/google-reveals-details-about-android-l-at-google-io ↩

  23. "Google's next big Android redesign is coming in the fall". The Verge. Vox Media. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://www.theverge.com/2014/6/25/5841302/google-announces-the-next-android ↩

  24. "Android's next release will include GPU-focused tech for PC quality graphics". Polygon. Vox Media. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/25/5842246/android-gpu-extension-pack-pc-graphics ↩

  25. Ina Fried (February 25, 2015). "Google Expands Its "Android for Work" Efforts in Bid to Get More Businesses Using Its Phones". recode.net. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015. http://recode.net/2015/02/25/google-expands-its-android-for-work-efforts-in-bid-to-get-more-businesses-using-its-phones/ ↩

  26. Rothman, Wilson (June 25, 2014). "Google I/O: Android L Sneak Peek Reveals 'Material Design,' Personal Unlocking and More". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. https://blogs.wsj.com/personal-technology/2014/06/25/android-l-sneak-peek-reveals-material-design-personal-unlocking-and-more/ ↩

  27. "How to set up Smart Lock on Android 5.0 Lollipop". CNET. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/smart-lock-android-5-0-lollipop/ ↩

  28. "With Android L, Google makes pitch for enterprise users". Computerworld. IDG. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on June 28, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249381/With_Android_L_Google_makes_pitch_for_enterprise_users_ ↩

  29. "Google makes full-disk encryption and secure boot mandatory for some Android 6.0 devices". IT World. IDG. October 20, 2015. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328081113/https://www.itworld.com/article/2995437/google-makes-full-disk-encryption-and-secure-boot-mandatory-for-some-android-60-devices.html ↩

  30. Cory Gunther (August 7, 2014). "New Android L Update Arrives for Nexus Users". gottabemobile.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014. http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/08/07/new-android-l-update-arrives-for-nexus-users/ ↩

  31. "Google releases Android L preview source for Nexus devices". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014. https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-releases-android-l-preview-source-for-nexus-devices/ ↩

  32. Yi, Bill (July 2, 2014). "GPL projects for the l-preview release". android-building (Mailing list). Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2014. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-building/R50i6JktFtI ↩

  33. Cory Gunther (August 7, 2014). "New Android L Update Arrives for Nexus Users". gottabemobile.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014. http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/08/07/new-android-l-update-arrives-for-nexus-users/ ↩

  34. "Google just released some hot new images of Android L – here's how you can get them". BGR.com. PMC. August 7, 2014. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014. http://bgr.com/2014/08/07/google-android-l-images/ ↩

  35. "Android: Be together. Not the same". Official Google Blog. October 15, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/android-be-together-not-same.html ↩

  36. "When and where to get Android 5.0 Lollipop". CNET. CBS Interactive. October 15, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/android-5-0-lollipop-update-list/ ↩

  37. "Updated Android Lollipop Developer Preview image coming to Nexus devices in a couple of days". PhoneArena. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014. https://www.phonearena.com/news/Updated-Android-Lollipop-Developer-Preview-image-coming-to-Nexus-devices-in-a-couple-of-days_id61780 ↩

  38. "Android Lollipop hits AOSP; HTC sets the upgrade pace". SlashGear. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014. http://www.slashgear.com/android-lollipop-hits-aosp-htc-sets-the-upgrade-pace-03353739/ ↩

  39. "Google quietly pushes out Android Lollipop 5.0.1 images". ZDNet. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014. https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-quietly-pushes-out-android-lollipop-5-0-1-images/ ↩

  40. "Nexus 4, lollipop 5.0.1: dialer calls audio does not work". code.google.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82949 ↩

  41. "Android 5.0.2 LRX22G Factory Image for Nexus 7 (WiFi) Randomly Shows Up". Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014. http://www.droid-life.com/2014/12/19/android-5-0-2-lrx22g-factory-image-for-nexus-7-wifi-randomly-shows-up/ ↩

  42. "Google officially announces Android 5.1". Ars Technica. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/03/google-officially-announces-android-5-1/ ↩

  43. "Official Android Blog: Android 5.1: Unwrapping a new Lollipop update". Official Android Blog. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015. http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/2015/03/android-51-unwrapping-new-lollipop.html ↩

  44. "What's new in Amazon Fire OS 5 Bellini?". Pocket-lint. September 17, 2015. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016. https://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135336-what-s-new-in-amazon-fire-os-5-bellini ↩

  45. "Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet a rare misfire for company". Fortune. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016. http://fortune.com/2015/09/29/amazon-10-tablet-review/ ↩

  46. "Feature-stuffed Fire OS update makes Amazon's tablets even more kid-friendly". PC World. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016. http://www.pcworld.com/article/3011171/tablets/feature-stuffed-fire-os-update-makes-amazons-tablets-even-more-kid-friendly.html ↩