Android 5.0 L: what you need to know [updated]

Android 5.0, aka Android Lollipop or Android L, is a huge step forward for Google's mobile OS. It doesn't just look better - it goes much faster and lasts much longer too. Here's why you'll love it, and how you can get it. Update: Android L will come with encryption turned on, meaning your personal data will be protected without you even having to think about it. Read more below.

Whether it's Lollipop or Lemonade, Android L is going to be a treat. / © AndroidPIT.com

The next version of Android is known by many names - Google currently calls it Android L, others Android 5.0 and some Android Lollipop, Licorice or Lemon Meringue Pie - but no matter what it’s finally called, it’s a huge step forward for Google’s mobile OS. It introduces a brand new look and lots of new features you’ll love.

Android 5.0 / Android L: release date

The Android L release date hasn’t been formally announced yet, but we’re expecting it to arrive this Fall. Our current best bet is the end of October or early November.

• Android L vs iOS 8: the battle that benefits everyone's devices

Android 5.0 / Android L: price

As with previous Android updates, the price of Android L will be zero.

Will Android 5.0 / Android L work on my phone or tablet?

Android L backwards compatibility means it should be released first for the Nexus 4 onwards as well as supported Motorola devices with a rapid rollout. HTC says it’ll bring Android 5.0 L to the One (M7) and One (M8) and Samsung, Sony and LG are expected to bring it to their recent devices too - although as ever with Android updates, we’ve no idea how quickly they’ll do that.

Android 5.0 / Android L design and interface

The most dramatic and obvious change in Android L is the new Android L user interface, which is based around what Google calls “Material Design”. It’s a flatter design than we’re used to, but it makes extensive use of shadows and 3D views to make on-screen elements distinct from one another. The Roboto system font has been tweaked too, and all new animations including touch feedback and transition animations between apps.
In addition to appearing in Android L, the new Material Design language will make its way to Google’s various apps on the web too. There are already a number of apps using Material Design.

Android 5.0 / Android L new features: notifications, multitasking and access

Android L features include a revamped notifications system, which puts notifications on the lock screen, prioritizes them according to how often you interact with them and also enables you to take action without leaving the app you’re using, so for example you can swipe notifications away if you’re in the middle of something else or respond from where you are and continue what you were doing.
Android L features some nifty access features too. If you’re using an (Android!) smartwatch you can use it to keep your phone unlocked, and if you aren’t you can set your phone to automatically unlock when it knows you’re at home or when it hears your voice.

Android 5.0 / Android L: system performance and battery life

Android 5.0 L promises to be faster than Road Runner. Meep meep! / © AndroidPIT.com

There are really big changes under the hood of Android L. The trusty Dalvik runtime, Android’s app engine, has been replaced by the ART runtime. That doesn’t sound like a big deal but it makes a big difference: ART supports the latest 64-bit processors, pre-compiles apps when you first install them for faster app launching, and according to Google it runs at twice the speed of Dalvik.
That’s not all. Google has put a lot of work into improving power usage, which should mean significantly improved battery life and the same extreme power saving options we’ve seen on 2014’s Android flagships becoming available to every compatible Android device. Google has also made huge improvements to the graphics engine, with particular emphasis on HD gaming.

Google's been working hard on improving Android's battery life / © AndroidPIT.com

Android 5.0 / Android L: Google Play Services and security

Android 5.0 L should keep you safe: Google Play Services’ six-weekly updates will deliver the latest malware definitions, system patches and the much-wanted “kill switch” to remotely disable or wipe a lost or stolen device. System updates will happen via Play Services rather than via firmware updates, which means an end to the frustration of waiting for manufacturers and/or networks to get round to releasing crucial fixes.
Android 5.0 L introduces another useful feature: a sandboxed personal mode, enabling you to use one device for both personal and work stuff just like Samsung’s Knox system. You’ll also be able to manage all of your app privacy settings in one place thanks to Universal Data Controls.
Update: Android L will have encryption turned on by default for any device that has been updated to this version of Android. Encrypting your personal data will protect it from leaks, hackers and outsider invadors, which means that your videos, pictures, and other personal matters will be kept private.

“As part of our next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on.”
-Google spokesperson Niki Christoff

Android 5.0 / Android L: Android Wear, Google Fit, Android Auto and Android TV

Android 5.0 L is part of an ecosystem that includes wearables, car tech and home automation. / © AndroidPIT.com

As you’d expect, Android 5.0 L, Android Wear and Google Fit have been designed to be one big happy family. Android Wear and Google Fit essentially do the opposite of each other: Android Wear takes stuff from your smartphone and displays it on your wearable device, while Google Fit takes data from your wearable device and sends it to your smartphone. The result should be a whole range of notifications on your smartwatch and a whole stack of movement and health data for apps to analyze.
Wear and Fit aren’t the only ways in which Android 5.0 L interacts with the wider world. It’s designed to work with Google’s Android Auto system for in-car entertainment and Android TV, which is Google’s replacement for Google TV.
What else do you want to know about Android 5.0 L? What features do you really want to see added to Android?