CREDIT: COURTESY OF GOOGLE
Google continues to release newer and better things. How does its new Lollipop OS fare?

Android has just recently announced their new operating system with a few new concepts up its sleeve to rival Apple’s iOS 8. Let’s take a quick look at what is new.

Design

The best way to describe the design of past Android operating systems would be neon clutter and hoarder’s worst nightmare. Lollipop is going to change that, utilizing a flat, more organized look with vibrant colours and subtle 3D shadow effects that give it a nice urban style. You can still get your fix of crazy layout customization, third-party themes and multiple screens to wreak havoc on, but Android seems to be shifting its focus to a more business-friendly experience, similar to Apple or Blackberry.

Features

Android has spent a lot of time prettying up their notification menu. Lollipop’s new Priority Mode gives you complete control of what pops up onto your screen. You can manipulate when notifications can appear based on the time of day, priorities notifications based on importance, block notifications from people and apps and hide notifications with sensitive information. You can also respond to any notification via your lock screen and reply or delete any notification without having to leave the application you are in.

Lollipop will also be incorporating a choice to have multiple accounts into your device. This will allow a guest mode or another user to appear password-protected on your lock screen, if you are sharing a tablet with someone else. You will also be able to access and sync all of your data through any other device by simply logging in.

Google Fit for Android is still the same and reliable fitness platform, boosting its speed and reliability while taking advantage of the sensors on your device to track your health and fitness progress. Unlike with Apple’s HealthKit, which stores all data in one place, Google fit will require a bit of running around to do in order to access all of your information.

Improved Security

Another great new feature is the “Factory Reset Protection,” which when activated via your password protected Google account will completely wipe your phones data. This goes a step beyond locking your phone and should only be done as a last resort.

Availability

Availability and Android have never really gone well together, and unfortunately, Lollipop continues this trend. Unless you have a brand new flagship phone or affiliated with the Nexus series, the update may take you quite a long time. Apple has taken on the opposite approach, releasing iOS 8 to all apple devices dating back to 2011, which is deemed ancient in the tech world. Of course there is a cost to that, which bares the question, would you pay for an immediate update or wait in line?

Android 5.0 Lollipop is only currently available for Nexus 5 and 7 and will be available for selected devices in the future.