Due to a serious bug of Android 5.0 "Lollipop", Google delayed the official release of this new Android system and its Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus Player that run Lollipop to November 12, which was supposed to happen on November 3. Many of you might be too impatient to wait fo the official launch. Here we listed the latest news and features of Android Lollipop, Nexus Player and Nexus 9 that you would probably be interested to know.
Android 5.0 Lollipop - One of the biggest upgrades to Android yet
Android 5.0 Lollipop, also known as Android L, is claimed to be the "most ambitious release" of Google yet. Unveiled firstly on Google I/O, Android Lollipop is the latest version of Google's Android mobile operating system. The biggest change in Lollipop is the way it looks, officially called the new "Material Design" language that brings consistency to the platform across multiple hardware devices. Besides, Android 5.0 introduced a refreshed notification system which will make the notifications flow over the screen at the top. Other highlights of Android Lollipop include multiple user accounts, improved smarter lock screen, battery saver mode and so on.
Back to June 26, developers with a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 have already had access to early builds of Android Lollipop. For the rest of Google Nexus users, it will be made available as official over-the-air updates on November 12, 2014.
Nexus Player - A great introductory showcase for Android TV
Announced on October 15, the ASUS-made Nexus Player is Google's fourth attempt to get into the living room after the taste of success with Chromecast, a simple yet inexpensive video-streaming dongle released by Google in 2013. Different from the primary Chromecast, this newly released Nexus Player features more advanced functions. Powered by Google's Android TV operating system running Android 5.0 Lollipop, it offers a dedicated interface and remote control to stream movies, music and videos to HDMI connected display or TV. However, the Nexus Player is more than just a streaming box. It also acts as an Android gaming console thanks to its Bluetooth gamepad. With all those attractive features covered, the Nexus Player is set to be priced at $99 for pre-ordering started from October 17th.
Nexus 9 - A sweet taste of Android Lollipop
Along with the announcement of Nexus Player, the HTC-built Nexus 9 was also unveiled by Google. Featuring a 8.9-inch IPS LCD display, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, Kepler DX1 GPU, 16GB or 32GB storage options, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.6-megapixel front camera and a massive 6700 mAh battery, Nexus 9 is the fourth tablet in Google Nexus series yet the first one to run Android Lollipop in the world. All of those points come together to make this 8.9-inch tablet a high-end Android tablet. It's said to be launched on November 11, being available in both 16 GB and 32 GB for $399 and $479 respectively.
Rick Lee has written about business and consumer technology for nearly 25 years. He is the author of more than a dozen books.
