Android 5.0 Lollipop Update: LG G3 Confirmed For First Official Rollout

LG Electronics Inc. says it will begin updating G3 handsets with the new Android 5.0 Lollipop mobile operating system in Poland this week. Users in other markets should anticipate the Android 5.0 update in coming days, weeks and months, with the smartphone manufacturer saying it will soon announce a release schedule for other mobile devices.

“LG is absolutely committed to giving our customers the best mobile experiences available, and bringing Android Lollipop to G3 owners as soon as possible is a top priority,” LG Electronics Mobile Communications Co. CEO and President Jong-seok Park said in a statement. “The new features and improvements in Android 5.0 will bring a whole new user experience to the G3 and make it even better than it already is.”

Google Inc. gave Android 5.0 Lollipop its debut (as Android L) at the Google I/O conference in June. Its features encompass a new user interface, which Google describes as responsive, with natural motion, realistic lighting and shadows. It also has a completely updated notifications function: Users can interact with notifications from their lock screen, set priority notifications, and control notifications of incoming calls and those triggered by applications. The OS also includes major updates designed to enhance battery life, device sharing and security.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is already running on the Nexus 9 tablet, and it will ship with the Nexus 6 smartphone, which is expected to be released Wednesday.

Google has already released the Android 5.0 code to developers, as noted by XDA Developers. And several manufacturers have announced plans to update their mobile devices with the new OS. The Motorola Mobility LLC unit of Lenovo Group Ltd. has sent a so-called soak test beta version of the OS to a select number of Moto X 2014 users, while the Sony Corp. has sent an unofficial AOSP (Android Open Source Project) version of Android 5.0 to users of its Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 handsets.

Meanwhile, developers have showcased unofficial versions of Android 5.0 on Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. devices such as the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Nexus, as noted by SamMobile and Android Authority.

Still, most devices likely won’t see the official Android 5.0 update until 2015. Among the companies that have confirmed their updates are the HTC Corp. and Nvidia Corp. Alhough Samsung has not yet comfirmed its Android 5.0 update plans, it is also expected to update several devices in its Galaxy line.