Here Are All The Phones Confirmed To Get Google's Massive Android Update
Business Insider
Back in June, Google unveiled what's being called the biggest Android update yet. With Android 5.0, or "Lollipop," Google is adding a bunch of changes that are both physical and internal.
One of the biggest alterations will be the introduction of Material Design -- a new design language that puts more of an emphasis on shadows and colours. There are a handful of under-the-hood improvements, too, such as Project Volta, which is a collection of backend enhancements meant to improve battery life.
But, unlike the iPhone, Android devices don't get major software updates all at the same time. It depends on which type of phone you have and which carrier you're on.
There are also tons of Android phones that are left out of major carrier updates too.
We still don't know exactly when Android 5.0 will be released for every phone, but here's a roundup of what we know so far.
Google
Google's
Nexus 6 will come with Android 5.0 already installed, and both the
Nexus 4 and
Nexus 5 will receive the update, too. Google hasn't announced when it will launch, but rumours suggest Sprint will roll out the update to Nexus 5 owners on its network on Nov. 12.
HTC
HTC's
One M8 and previous-generation
One M7 will both get Android 5.0 as well. Jeff Gordon, the company's global online communications manager, tweeted that both phones will get the upgrade within 90 days of the software's final release.
HTC provided another update via Twitter on Nov. 3, saying that it has received the final code and will get the update out within the next three months.
Motorola
Motorola announced last week that its first- and second-generation
Moto X and
Moto G will get Android 5.0, along with the
Moto G LTE,
Moto E, and
Droid Ultra,
Droid Maxx, and
Droid Mini phones. The company also just announced that the second-generation Moto X and both versions of the new Moto G will get the Lollipop update on Nov. 12.
Samsung
Samsung hasn't made any official announcements regarding updates for its line of smartphones, but rumours suggest the
Galaxy S5 will be able to upgrade come December. Samsung also teased an Android Lollipop update for its new
Galaxy Note 4 via Twitter. It's likely that Samsung's other popular phones, such as the
Galaxy S4 and
Galaxy Note 3, will also get the upgrade, but we haven't heard anything just yet.
Blog Sam Mobile claims to have gotten its hands on a Galaxy S4 and a Galaxy S5 running Lollipop, hinting that the update may be close to launch. In the video, you'll notice how some of the stock apps such as the messaging app look more colourful.
LG
LG has just announced that its
G3 smartphone will receive the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop this week. The rollout will start in Poland and then spread to other key markets. Rumours from tech blogs also suggest that the
G2 will receieve the upgrade in early 2015.
We'll update this story as more carriers and manufacturers make announcements.