Exclusive: Samsung’s progress with Android Lollipop update for the Galaxy S5
A month ago, SamMobile gave you folks an exclusive preview at an alpha build of Android Lollipop running on a Galaxy S5, but as Samsung was still working on making TouchWiz compatible with Google’s new design guidelines, a lot of inconsistencies could be seen throughout the user interface. Nevertheless, thanks to our elite friends, we have scored a new internal Android Lollipop firmware for the Galaxy S5, which is leaps and bounds better than the build we previewed before, so let’s see what’s new.
First and foremost, Samsung has upgraded its Android Lollipop base from LRW58J to LRX02E. Now, even though the Korean giant is using an updated source code, the build is still missing the Lollipop branding, which indicates that it’s not using the most recent code from Google. However, the new LRX02E build does change the Android version from ‘L’ to ‘5.0’ and also brings in the new Android Bird game as an easter egg, but instead of using lollipops as blockades, the current build uses black and yellow striped rectangles — this was probably a security measure taken by Google to prevent the Lollipop branding from getting leaked before the official announcement.
Samsung’s latest Lollipop build brings in a plethora of changes, mostly to the user interface, and at the same time adds a few new features as well.
List of changes in the new Lollipop build compared to the old one:
- • New Note 4 fingerprint lock screen
- • New system-wide font — similar to the original one, but a tad thinner.
- • New animations, much smoother than before — there’s a screen off animation present as well.
- • Google Search bar in recents menu
- • Brightness slider in notification centre has a new yellow colour — while changing the brightness, the notification centre disappears and allows the user to view the content beneath it.
- • Removed “Interruptions” from Sound settings
- • Gallery: Media can be sorted using new filters including Pets, Events, Scenery, Documents, Food, Vehicles and Flowers.
- • Music: Improved UI
- • Clock: Navigation bar icons are now accompanied by text
- • Calculator: Removed square grids which surrounded the numbers and symbols
- • Contacts: New search box
- • Stock Material Design inspired applications receive colored status bar
- • Android Lollipop theme’s core green elements replaced with Samsung’s blue colour
- • Settings: Improved UI, new icon colours
- • New UI for setting wallpaper from home screen
- • Better spacing between options in power off dialog
If we compare the latest Lollipop build with the one we previewed earlier, it’s a night and day difference. We are really amazed by the amount of progress Samsung’s software engineers have made in such a short time. Now, we know that all the Samsung fans out there want this build badly, but we can’t leak it just yet simply because it’s still in an early stage, and is nowhere near a daily driver. We can’t put our readers’ devices at risk.
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waiting for this eagerly..
I have always seen that whenever they say that its going to release this month its delays by one month.
Will the G900h (octa-core) get the Lollipop
well if you notice there alot of GS5 versions out there, if you look good. the Lollipop , for GS5 the F & K and russian. are BETA, means NOT FINAL Version , they doing a test. guess the final one would be out to all GS5 models. i don’t see reason that wouldnt update it. if they wouldnt they would be in problem , over 79% of GS5 sales of 3G octacore model… SM-G900H , then they would shoot in there own legs. and i would root my device and install custom rom if they wouldnt. so u gotta… Read more »
Well, the guys over at Motorola already have access to a leaked OTA, so I hope Samsung will soon leak another Android 5.0 beta that we can actaully flash. Sony did their AOSP preview already, so it’s time for the next step… 😉
samsung should make it quick and readily available for samsung s4 and its variant phones because we are not gonna wait untill december.
Leaked link please for S5 users.
Let’s just hope Samsung reads all these comments. It’s pointless to comment if they are neglected. There are lots of ways Samsung could improve their phones like solving our problems for example or have Sammobile post an article like the lag issues he point out few days ago.
What I want to know is what is happening with the Android L update for the galaxy s4 or is samsung going to do another bs and say the s4 just can’t handle it. This is the problem with samsung, when they have a new flagship they forget about there previous flagship. The s4 and note 3 should get Android L this year but my guess is if they do get L it will be when the s6 is announced and it won’t even get a ui change and will be Android L in name. I mean look at the… Read more »
Am a Galaxy Fan but Flagship devices Touchwiz nd Gallery still lag, please Improve or optimize in feature Android L, in 2014, Smartphones should be extremely fast, fluid and lag-free, but it seems Samsung just doesn’t seem to care about how fast its software is, as long as it can cram a lot of features and functionality and parade them as bullet points for their marketing campaigns, That problem lot of people staying away from Galaxy devices.. HTC devices overcome this problem (Sense 6 is the fastest manufacturer UI out there)
You’re right and optimisation is the must.
nice one, I am waiting till December, Thanx samsung
Clock app: there is a big space only for menu icon 🙁 It should be in bottom next to right corner of yellow add icon.
i got Galaxy S5 3G [international] and list you posted was fake. PHOTOSHOP EDITED. so next time be a human’s and check with samsung before. cuz u need to be stupid as hell to post if and not thinking “something went wrong” i got Galaxy S5 3G aka International./ and it was in the list. it couldn’t be!! it’s 2014 model and is’ the Globle one that should get the Update even before the LTE model. so plz check ure facts next time.
which list?
First of all, learn proper English. Second, this update preview was meant for the international Galaxy S5 (SM-G900F) LTE even though I have never feel what its like to have a 4G LTE connection due to the very few coverage of 4G network in my country. I usually have H+ connection and managed to obtain up to 23Mbps connection speed. Third, check whether you bought the right phone or the fake one. Yeah, the cloned phone from China. I saw one fake Galaxy S5 last month with an unbelievably cheap price. The first thing came out in my head was… Read more »
Do sch-I545 will get the new Android lollipop
RIP battery live ….. poor AMOLED screens are going to be as bad as LCD now 😛
life* ^^
Will this update finally allow third party app notifications on the lock screen without having to root the device?
People common, it will be released in december, thats a long road man, and i bet the same user experiance wouldnt be released for the S4, S4 was one of the greatest phones in 2013 but nope, still no update, No News, nothing, im realy pissed off with this, when you install a custom OS you will get latest android, and upcomming updates, okay samsung is good with their touchwiz, but in my opinion,its realy a waste of time, it lags, i couldt even play AC pirates with non Lag, i have even turned off the bloatware applications, but nope… Read more »
when galaxy s5 goto android 5.0 ??
Sorting in gallery like Pets etc. is available now, on 4.4.2.
Still the pure android l has much much nicer and better and smoother lookings
hope Sammy will adapt this for TouchWiz
Samsung is never able to do that. Normal customers won’t like that only smartphone freaks like devs and sammobile users will like it which is maybe 1% of all Samsung owners.