A version of the Android operating system | |
Android Lollipop home screen with some stock Google apps.
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Developer | |
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General availability |
November 12, 2014 |
Latest release | 5.1.1 (LMY49M) / July 19, 2016 |
License | Apache-2.0, GPL-2.0 |
Preceded by | Android 4.4.4 "KitKat" |
Succeeded by | Android 6.0 "Marshmallow" |
Official website | Official website |
Support status | |
Supported for security patches only for versions 5.0.2 and 5.1.1 by Google (that some vendors pass on) |
Android "Lollipop" is a codename for the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, spanning versions between 5.0 and 5.1.1, that is supported with security patches only. Unveiled on June 25, 2014 at the Google I/O 2014 conference, it became available through official over-the-air (OTA) updates on November 12, 2014, for select devices that run distributions of Android serviced by Google (such as Nexus and Google Play edition devices). Its source code was made available on November 3, 2014.
One of the most prominent changes in the Lollipop release is a redesigned user interface built around a design language known as Material Design, which was made to retain a paper-like feel to the interface. Other changes include improvements to the notifications, which can be accessed from the lockscreen and displayed within applications as top-of-the-screen banners. Google also made internal changes to the platform, with the Android Runtime (ART) officially replacing Dalvik for improved application performance, and with changes intended to improve and optimize battery usage.
As of November 2016[update], statistics issued by Google indicate that 34% of all Android devices accessing Google Play run Lollipop.
Lollipop is succeeded by Marshmallow, which was released in October 2015.
Android 5.0 was first unveiled under the codename "Android L" on June 25, 2014 during a keynote presentation at the Google I/O developers' conference. Alongside Lollipop, the presentation focused on a number of new Android-oriented platforms and technologies, including Android TV, in-car platform Android Auto, wearable computing platform Android Wear, and health tracking platform Google Fit.