Over the next few months, Android 5.0 Lollipop will begin rolling out to all of the latest flagship devices, including the LG G3, HTC One (M8), Xperia Z3 and all of the most recent Galaxy phones and phablets.
Unless you own a Nexus device or a Moto X, you probably haven’t had a chance to try Lollipop yourself, so how have Android users been responding to the most substantial visual overhaul in the history of the mobile operating system?
READ MORE: How and when you’ll be able to get Lollipop for your current Android device
NPR published a comprehensive review of Android 5.0 over the weekend, praising Google’s willingness to go beyond the typical incremental improvements that have defined most of the recent dessert-themed updates.
“Unlike its recent predecessors Jelly Bean and KitKat, Lollipop represents a major shift in Google’s priorities,” writes NPR’s Charles Pulliam-Moore. “Android, for the first time, feels like something that anyone (nerds and non-nerds alike) would want to use.”
It’s an issue that has often been leveled against Google, that although its open source philosophy is admirable, it has resulted in a utilitarian design that fails to draw attention to itself. Material Design makes the digital platform feel like a physical object, something that Apple has all but retired in its latest renditions of iOS.
“Lollipop is immersive, but it isn’t meant to suck you into your device’s screen,” Pulliam-Moore continues. “While its playful colors and fluid motion may be a delight to the eye, the system’s top priority is getting you in and out of your device as quickly as possible and giving you the information you were looking for.”
Be sure to click the link in the source below for more of NPR’s thoughts on Lollipop.
