Tag: android lollipop

iOS 9 Soon to Beat Android Lollipop’s Adoption Rate

It’s just been a couple of days since its release and iOS 9 adoption rates are already threatening to take over Android Lollipop. We all know that the number of iOS devices doesn’t match up to Android’s dominance. As per the last official count, Android had reached 1 billion active users, while there are 800 million iOS devices. Android is the most widely used platform for smartphone and tablets today, on the other hand iOS is exclusively used by Apple and is obviously lesser used.

New stats tell us that the iOS 9 adoption rates have reached over 18% in 3 days only and the numbers are expected to be on the rise.

Now Android Lollipop on the other hand, has reportedly only reached a 20% threshold with users still being stuck with the Android KitKat, which was made available some 2 years ago. Obviously, Android still have software update issues which Apple is conveniently taking advantage of.

Well, so far so good. We all knew that Android needs to step it up sooner or later. So, let’s hope Marshmallow is the answer to their problems.

September 18, 2015

Motorola Announces Android Lollipop Update for Moto X (Gen 1)

Motorola has started rolling out Android 5.1 Lollipop for Moto X (1st gen) users in India, according to an announcement by David Schuster, VP of Product Sales and Operations. He also announced that the update would be received by users in 14 other countries including Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

https://plus.google.com/+DavidSchuster/posts/CVeStkHUbak

The latest update brings many improvements in Moto X (Gen 1) such as improved natural touchscreen interactions, automatically connecting your phone to home WiFi network. As BGR points out, the update has also fixed the heads up notification bug, which removed the notifications from the drop down notification menu when users swiped it from the lock screen.

Since the update is being rolled out over-the-air, it will take some time before your phone receives the update.

Moto X (Gen 2) already received Android Lollipop update in December last year. Motorola is speculated to launch the Moto X (Gen 3) in November this year. The new generation will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset and will house a 16MP rear camera with Clear Pixel Technology. The battery powering the new Moto X will be at 3280 mAh. The device will come in two storage variants – 32GB and 64GB.

If you don’t want to wait for Moto X (Gen 3) till November, here are the specifications for Moto X (Gen 2):

Specs
Display	5.2-inch 1080P Display – 401 pixels per inch
Processor	2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 Quad-core processor
RAM	2GB
Storage	16GB and 32GB
Main Camera	13 MP with 4k video,
Front Camera	2MP
Battery	2,300mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4.4 KitKat

Source: [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.bgr.in/manufacturers/motorola/motorola-moto-x-1st-gen-now-receiving-android-5-1-lollipop-update-in-india/”]BGR[/tw-button] [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://plus.google.com/+DavidSchuster/posts/CVeStkHUbak”]David Schuster[/tw-button]

July 2, 2015

Android Lollipop Market Share Growth is Slow, Yet Steady

Officially introduced in early-March 2014, Lollipop is the newest Android software release available now. Steadily, it seems that Android has started to grasp the ways of the competitive market. However, after being made available, Lollipop was being used by only 0.7% of the market. Now, Lollipop’s market almost doubled within this month, whose surge can be attributed to the launch of Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Both the handsets came pre-loaded with the operating system.

Meanwhile, its predecessor, KitKat, slipped from 41.4% to 39.8%, which could very well hint towards the rate of the upgrade of the OS. In the similar fashion, all the previous versions of Android saw a decline. Surprisingly, Froyo, the first Android OS, still hangs at the tip with 0.3% market share.

As you can see in the above figure, the number of active Android handset space has increased eventually. Lollipop now operates in 9.7% of the Android smartphones around the world. Google released a report on the steady growth of Android 5.0 Lollipop’s market share, rising from 0.1% in December 2014 to 1.6% in January and over 5% in March. If the jump crosses above 10% in April, it may be one of the biggest wins for Android.

First introduced in the summers of 2014 at Google’s I/O, a 10% growth in a year may not seem too much for most of the other companies. Reasons for the slow increase? Patchwork arrangements between Google and various other manufacturers, the large collection of Android devices of the companies, many more variants required by each carrier – all contribute towards the fact that it is not easy for Android to roll out its updates for handsets in the same way as Apple does for iOS.

May 6, 2015
Asus ZenFone Devices in Line to Receive Android Lollipop This Month

Google’s latest operating system Android Lollipop with Material Design components is making its way to more smartphones this month. The handsets to mark themselves in the list of updated Lollipop devices are the ZenFone series phones from Asus like ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, ZenFone 6, ZenFone 5 LTE and PadFone S. The update will roll out in different weeks of May for the devices.

Asus stated on its consumer forum –

We’ve sent the new version for the final verification and we expect to release the upgrade soon. We would request the kind consideration and understanding of our customers with regards to any inconvenience caused by this schedule changing.

The latest OS is expected to hit ZenFone 5 LTE in May first week, whereas the ZenFone 4, the ZenFone 5 and the ZenFone 6 may receive it by mid-May. The PadFone S is speculated to be last to find the Lollipop update on the handset.

The Taiwanese equipment manufacturer was supposed to roll it out in April, but some technical glitch kept the company away from making it public for the listed handsets.

Considering the changes that will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop, users will experience improved natural touch screen interactions. Besides that, the new Android update lets users have a look at the notifications on the lock screen itself and facilitates dismissing them without unlocking it. All in all, it offers users a pure, bloatware-free and seamless Android experience.

May 4, 2015
Cyanogen Announces Official Cyanogen OS 12 Update for Yureka Devices

Cyanogen has started pushing its exclusive Cyanogen OS 12 update based on Android Lollipop to Yureka devices. The India-based smartphone firm revealed that the L update is a major design overhaul. Along with better touch and design of the UI, enhanced animation is said to add more depth to the interface. The update lets users personalize application notifications, which are now better integrated with the lock screen.

Cyanogen took to Twitter to announce the same –

Our Lollipop (‘L’) update is rolling out to YUREKA owners today. Treat yourself to OS 12. @YuPlayGod #CyanogenOS http://t.co/vVnnSo0ppW

— Cyanogen (@cyngn) April 16, 2015

The YU Founder Rahul Sharma commented on the update –

The Cyanogen OS 12 update is a product of our passion and dedication towards reinventing and redefining the consumer experience and I am extremely excited to share it with our community.

Many new tools and design options are incorporated in the L update along with two key features, App Themer and Cyanogen email. The App Themer offers extra theming features, down to the granular ability to theme individual apps. The novel Cyanogen email, powered by Boxer, adds Exchange support, multiple account integration, and canned responses for quick replies to the OS. The statement released by YU remarks, “Boxer has also included great customization bells and whistles that lets the consumers select a different LED color for email notifications, and choose what happens when they swipe left or right on a message.” Boxer’s premium version is free to all Cyanogen OS users.

Other features of the L update include improved privacy on the smartphone; users can create guest profiles to effectively control the usage of their device and can also freeze app screens for restricted user actions. The update supports Indian languages like Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu.

April 17, 2015
Lollipop-Based Cyanogen 12 Starts Rolling Out to OnePlus One Devices

Cyanogen 12 is officially out and is currently rolling out to OnePlus One devices first. The update for the rest of the devices will soon follow in the coming weeks. Cyanogen 12 brings Android 5.0 with Material Design language in all its glory on the modified OS.

It also brings a new App Themer feature that allows users to change the styling of the interface, including third party apps. Once updated, users can avail a vast variety of themes, both paid and unpaid.

Along with this, debuting for the first time is the new Cyanogen email, powered by Boxer. This version will be available for free to all Cyanogen OS users. The new Cyanogen mail brings features like Exchange Support, Multiple Account integration and canned responses for quicker replies. Boxer also added customization LED lights for email notifications. More news on the update will follow soon.

It is highly probable that the Yu Yureka devices may receive the Cyanogen 12 update next. Yu announced last month it would soon be releasing the update and have already started working on the beta version.

Till then, OnePlus One users, keep hitting that refresh button.

April 14, 2015
Here is the New HTC One M9

While the world puts its eyes onto MWC 2015, HTC has basically stepped on board with an excellent start. HTC has launched and announced a bunch of new products, also showcasing their connected concepts which include Connected Home, Connected Life, Connected Entertainment and Connected Self.

The new HTC One M9 falls right into their connected formula and is not a whole lot different from the HTC One M8; it follows in HTC’s design lineage and adds a whole lot of new elements. HTC claims that the new design is inspired by luxury and mostly luxury watches.

The new HTC One M9 has a newer notched design and a two tone finish, the gold bezels on silver is their hero product and will be available globally, a new graphite and an all gold will be available in select markets. The HTC One M9 still has a IR blaster and the native TV app has been replaced by the Peel remote app. The phone supports TDD and FDD LTE across the globe so is essentially a 4G world phone, and should work worldwide if you buy it unlocked.

The Golden Edge Looks Better

Spec wise you don’t see a major bump up either. However a more powerful 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It sports a 5-inch screen with a 1920×1080 display. You do get micro-SD support upto 64 GB as well. Optics is where you see a major increase the new 20 MP shooter at the rear along with a 4 ultrapixel front camera make for a fashionable lot. The HTC One M9 also shoots 4k video natively and can parse it onto a class 10 card.

The battery on the inside is a 2840 mAh, bundled with Android 5.0.2 out of the box and the all new HTC Sense 7. HTC is touting excellent battery life on this iteration of the One.

HTC has also improved upon the camera app, allowing for better edits, filters and fun effects on the phone, along with a prismatic mode that indulges a trippy audience.

New Dot Case

Along with the HTC One M9, the company also introduced a flurry of cases, including a number of dot view cases. The new design has a transparent back and allows for more customization of what is visible from the dot matrix. You also have a fun game called dot-breaker included as a freebie.

New HTC M9 Cases

HTC has also made a rugged case with iP67 certification and 2 Meter drop resistance, giving you the rugged you have missed on the HTC One series in the past.

Rugged Case

Rugged Case back

Rugged Case

HTC One M9 Specs

March 1, 2015
With ‘Android for Work’, Google Wants to Make Android Devices Office-Friendly

Google’s Android OS is the only operating system that has touched almost every part of the globe. It has topped over all the other major softwares such as BlackBerry OS, Windows, and iOS. The search giant now intends to strengthen its stand in the enterprise environment by introducing a initiative called “Android for Work”.

Today, Google introduced “Android for Work” that focuses on making Android devices more office-friendly. Through this, users can manage their content and can keep their professional data separate in silos, without merging it up with personal content.

Android OS lags in the business segment. However, smartphones and tablets running on Android sell like hot cakes, but they are underutilized in the workplace. Google’s mobile ecosystem was missing out on apps and features that users can bank upon for the security of their business content. The company might be able to bridge that gap with the introduction of new business centric features.

‘Android for Work’, works on four primary components. The gadgets running on Android Lollipop will be able to make the most of this service. IT team of a company can create profiles of the individual and can install apps to isolate their work data from the personal content. Next in the list is the Android for Work app which is built for devices running on Android 4.0 and above. The app delivers secure mail, calendar, contacts, documents, browsing and access to deployed work apps.

The third component, Google Play for Work, allows IT professionals to install and manage recommended apps on the handsets of the users running Android for Work. The company has created a suite of business apps for email, contacts and calendar, which offers both Exchange and Notes and provides document editing capabilities.

The internet search giant has partnered with well-known names like Box Citrix, VMware, HTC, LG and Sony, who are helping them in bringing out a more secure, manageable and innovative Android platform. BlackBerry has extended support through providing a cross-platform EMM (Enterprise Mobility Management) solution to manage devices.

Google has an extensive user base, which can be used to reach out to more audience through their software. The company announced the project eight months back and has launched it now after testing it thoroughly. Google is trying to make Android devices simple and essential for people to use at work and there will definitely be more updates coming to this initiative as enterprises are a profitable market for any tech company.

February 26, 2015
Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Now Rolling Out For Android One Devices

Google, today, has revealed that it has begun rolling out Lollipop update to a small number of Android One devices in India. This roll-out process will be gradual and on a weekly basis, hence only some randomly selected devices will get the update via OTA, with users on Wi-Fi having a better chance at getting these updates.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Ceaser Sengupta” author_title=”Google Product Management Director, in a Google+ post.”]

To those with Android One phones in India, here’s where we are with the over-the-air (OTA) update that will bring Android Lollipop to you soon. We’ve already started rolling out Lollipop to a small number of phones in India. This is a gradual process and so each week we’ll push the OTA update to more phones selected at random (pro-tip: connecting over WiFi will increase your odds). We thank you again for your patience, and please stay tuned for further updates.

[/quote]

It can be recalled that Android version 5.0 was launched back in November 2014, and the Android One users were supposed to be among the first few to receive this update. Unfortunately, that never happened and Lollipop is way past its scheduled time of arrival on the Android One devices.

The Nexus line-up of devices have already received the update back in November and manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung have already started rolling out the update to few of their smartphones.

As of now, the exact version of the Lollipop for Android One phones has not been revealed yet, but it most likely will be Android 5.1. There are presently three Android One devices in India, Karbonn Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and the Spice Dream UNO. The owners of these low-cost devices will be pretty excited after this news.

February 24, 2015
Android One Smartphones Next in Line to Get the Lollipop Update

Google has posted a tweet that might lure customers into buying the low-cost Android One devices. Google India tweeted from its official Twitter handle stating that the company will roll out the Android Lollipop update for Indians in the coming weeks.

Android One users in India — you’ll be getting the Lollipop update in the next few weeks. @androidone

— Google India (@googleindia) February 4, 2015

At a time, when only 2% of the Android devices are powered by Lollipop after three months of release, it’s quite a move by the company. This announcement will please Android One users who have been desperately waiting for the update.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Android 5.1 Lollipop was spotted on Android One devices in Indonesia.

With Lollipop coming to Android One handsets, users will experience improved natural touch screen interactions. The Material Design gets more clear and bolder colours to the screen. Along with that, notifications pop up on the lock screen itself and facilitates dismissing them without unlocking it. Overall, it offers a bloatware-free and seamless Android experience.

February 4, 2015
Lollipop Out for Moto G (1st and 2nd Gen) Users in India

Earlier today, Motorola announced that it has started rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop for Moto G and Moto G (Gen 2) devices in India. The update is also out for the Moto G (2^nd Gen) users in the US.

The company stated that the OTA update is releasing in phases and users can look for it on their devices. Meanwhile, some of you may not find it instantly, and it may take a day or two.

With added fluidity through UI of the new Lollipop, users will now experience improved natural touch screen interactions. Besides that, the new Android update lets you have a look at the notifications on the lock screen itself and facilitates dismissing them without unlocking it. In all, it offers users a pure, bloatware-free and seamless Android experience.

To check for an update on your device, go to Settings > About Phone > System Updates. Download the same, and once it’s done, you’ll feel like you’re holding a completely different device in your hand.

Motorola is one of the best companies out there in terms of timely updates. The devices launched by the company get proactive support from the enterprise. So, if you are a Motorola owner, the wait for your Lollipop will shortly come to an end.

January 23, 2015
All 2013 and 2014 Motorola Devices to Get Lollipop Update Soon

There is finally some good news on the horizon for Motorola users. After a considerably long delay, Motorola has announced that it will be bringing out Android Lollipop updates for all its handsets released in 2013 and 2014.

In a post on Google Plus, Motorola Engineer Luciano Carvalho has said that the company is currently working hard to bring the update to its consumers. He has not specified the exact date and has just said that the updates will arrive “real soon”.

It is also mentioned in the post that the company has released an Android 5.0.3 update as a limited soak test. The reason cited for the delay is the bug ridden launch of the Android Lollipop. The post says that the team at Motorola are constantly finding bugs and fixing them, and they will reveal the update once it’s completely bug free.

Motorola is one of the best companies out there in terms of timely updates. The devices launched by the company are really popular and get proactive support from the company. So if you are a Motorola user, the wait for your Lollipop will soon come to an end.

January 13, 2015
Android 5.0 Lollipop is Powering Less Than 0.1 % of Android Devices

Android Lollipop is one of the most significant releases from Google yet. It gave a redesigned look to Android that was long overdue. It also brought a barrage of new features including extended battery life. But even with such arduous effort that Google put into its latest mobile OS, it hasn’t found a lot of takers in the market.

According to data released by Google, Lollipop is running on less than 0.1% Android devices. Android’s last major release, the Android 4.4.4. Kitkat is on a growth path though, the operating system now runs on 39.1% of the devices. The operating system was running on 33.9% devices in December, so it grew by 5.2% in just over a month. One of the major reasons can be the boost in the number of lower-priced devices running Android Kitkat.

With less than 0.1% market share, Lollipop doesn’t even appear on the graph yet.

The leader of the Android corps of devices is still Jellybean, which accounts for different versions across the Android ecosystem. The good news, perhaps for Google is that the share of versions before Jellybean are fast disappearing from the market. In comparison to June, last year, the combined hold of OS’s before Jellybean (Froyo, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich) has gone from 35.2% down to 14.9%.

One of the biggest headache for Google has been the massive segmentation of Android OS in the market, and it seems like Kitkat and Jellybean are fast bridging that gap. Google also launched the ‘Android One‘ line of low-cost devices, to have greater control over its OS in the lower segment of the market.

Lollipop’s launch was followed by reports of bugs and that initially deterred the users from switching to the new operating system. The slow rollout process can also be blamed for the low market share of new operating system. Android’s previous version such as KitKat have also faced a slow start but did manage to gain the ground later. So we might expect a growth spurt for Android Lollipop to arrive soon.

January 8, 2015
Sony Xperia Z4 Teased With an Abstract New Video

January is the month when CES, one of the biggest consumer electronics trade show comes to town. CES 2015 is just a few weeks away, but the buzz around it is already heating up in this excruciating winter. Sony has put its foot forward and posted a new video which might be a teaser for the upcoming Sony Xperia Z4.

Sony hasn’t had a good time with the market in the past couple of years, and they have seen their profits shrink year by year. The company is in a major re-invention period, and it is currently focusing on bringing itself back to profitability even if that means losing 25-30% of their market share in the smartphone business.

The video posted by the company is titled ” Welcome to the New World”. It shows a girl licking a lollipop that seems to signify that the device will run on Android Lollipop. There have also been rumours that the new flagship device from Sony will feature a Snapdragon 810 processor which would make it one of the first devices to feature this latest chipset. The company had previously launched the Xperia Z3 at IFA Berlin last September and keeping with its six months update schedule; the new flagship is ready for the world. The Xperia Z3 was appreciated for its design and features but was berated for being too pricey.

Have a look at the video right here:

December 23, 2014
OnePlus One : Essential FAQs : 16 GB Variant, Swap Covers and Sale Units

OnePlus got a slight jolt when it received the news that CyanogenMod’s exclusive tie-up with Micromax prevented the custom ROM makers from offering support for the One in India. CyanogenMod was one of the biggest strength for the OnePlus One and its customizability features and regular updates set it apart from the rest. OnePlus sure has a challenge on their hands and seems like they are ready to take it head on.

OnePlus today launched the 64 GB variant of its epic One smartphone in India. Answering to the query that many had, the company has also said that it will be bringing out the 16 GB variant soon.

To quench the thirst of the enormous demand for its smartphone in India, the company will be bringing devices in a phased manner. Presently the company has a stock of 20,000 devices in India that will be up for sale today. Following this, the company will be offering 20,000 more devices, within a week and is ready with another 20k depending on demand. Altogether 60000 Indians are going have the satisfaction of owning the flagship killer in December alone.

To battle the CynogenMod’s lack of support for its devices in India, the company said it’s developing a new OS that will be based on Android Lollipop. This OS will be announced this friday, the company is very excited and says that it will be very close to stock Android but will have key features to make it a winner.

OnePlus customers also have been excited about the Bamboo swap cases, the company began selling these covers but had to stop as the customers found them difficult to change with the stock cases. As the company is going to establish service centers in India, it is planning selling the swap covers and offering an installation at the service centre free of charge for consumers.

It sure has been a long wait for the device, and it’s encouraging to see a company take proactive efforts towards making the customers of its devices comfortable. India can be an important market for the company. It is also planning to establish an R&D center in India. This is a good time to be a mobile consumer in India.

Have you checked out our video of the device that provides the “power of twice at half the price?”

And one more, don’t miss out on the latest video explaining all you need to know about OnePlus’ arrival in India:

December 2, 2014