Final version is expected to drop in early November

Oct 20, 2014 12:09 GMT  ·  By

Google announced the upcoming availability of the Nexus 6 flagship smartphone, which will be the first device to ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system out of the box.

After revealing the market name of the previously known Android L platform, Google has confirmed that those who own Nexus devices will receive the newest version of Android as an update beginning early November.

Obviously, not all Nexus devices will receive the update, but Google stated that Nexus 4 and 5 smartphone, along with Nexus 7 and 10 tablets, would be getting the upgrade next month.

Until then, though, Google has decided to release yet another developer preview version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, the final one, which is meant to help developers create and update their apps and games in order to fit the new Material Design UI.

This new version of Lollipop includes all 5,000 APIs that Google promised it would include in Android 5.0, so there should be no problems for devs to be ready for the new release of the platform.

With the developer preview image already released and available for download, all Nexus 5 owners can install Android 5.0 Lollipop on their devices to offer a glimpse of what’s to come.

Although Google may still add new features in the final version, we believe the most important ones are already included and the search giant only needs to do some bug fixing and tweaking.

We’ve been able to flash the Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview image on the Nexus 5 and took some screenshots for fans who are anxiously waiting for the new OS to arrive on their smartphones.

Android 5.0 Lollipop does feel smoother and more stylish than any previous version

The new Material Design UI is now the leitmotiv of Android, as seen in the screenshots, which is why Google is so persistent into convincing developers they need to update their apps to fit the new design theme.

The Notification bar has been slightly redesigned and the lock screen now allows users to interact with the notifications received without having to enter the phone’s menu.

The task manager now shows all the apps running in the background in the form of cards, which can be scrolled down/up like a carousel.

The Dialpad has been completely redesigned as well and now looks cleaner and more stylish. The same goes for Calculator and Clock apps.

If you install this developer preview on your Nexus 5, remember that there’s a hidden Easter Egg in the form of a Flappy Bird clone, which can be accessed via double-tap on the Android version in the “About phone” menu.

Don't forget to check out our comprehensive guide on what's new and improved in Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Android 5.0 Lollipop developer preview screenshots (23 Images)

Android 5.0 Lollipop logo
Android 5.0 Lollipop homescreenAndroid 5.0 Lollipop main menu
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