Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3: Roll out status





The South Korean phone maker is now seeding the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3 in select countries, so we thought it’s about time to take a look back and see which regions have already gotten the highly-anticipated software update. In this post you will be able to find details about the new firmware, along with information on the update’s status.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3 roll out begun early December, with the S5 being the first device to get it. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop update was issued for the Polish owners on December 5th, followed shortly after by the one for the Korean variant. About a month after the initial roll out, the Galaxy S5 Android 5.0 update has spread out inCentral and Western Europe, Russia and Malaysia. The new firmware was released for the UK-based owners mid-January, then, early February, it was made available for download in Australia. For the time being, Verizon and Sprint are the only US carriers to push the update to their Galaxy S5 owners. Samsung hasn’t forgotten about the Exynos model either and, as of February 3rd, they released the Lollipop update for it, beginning with Kazakhstan.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 received the Android 5.0 Lollipop late Januaryand the Russian owners were the first to enjoy the new software. TheLTE-friendly Galaxy Note 3 (N9505) is also getting its share of the Lollipop pie as we speak.

Earlier this month, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3 roll out continued with the Galaxy Note 4. The first Note 4 model to receive the update was the Exynos-powered one, which got updated to Lollipop in Poland on February 11th. The South Korean Note 4 received the new software the next day, and we recently told you that Lollipop is being pushed to the Snapdragon Galaxy Note 4 in Germany.

The Exynos-powered Samsung Galaxy S4 (I9500) was the first S4 variant to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. The roll out begun with Russia on February 2nd, then we heard it spread out to India, as well. The LTE-A variant also got updated to Lollipop early February, with Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany being the first countries to receive the update.

We have good news for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners, too. The South Korean company has recently confirmed that the Galaxy Note 2 will also get updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The announcement was made by Samsung Poland, but, unfortunately, they failed to reveal the ETA for the update.

I remind you that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3 is being rolled out in phases, which means that not all owners will get it in the same time. When the update is ready to hit your terminal you should get a system update notification. Tap on it, choose ‘Download now’, then hit ‘Install now’ after the download is completed. You can also check for the update manually under Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check for software updates. Alternatively, grab the USB cable, connect your device to the PC, and check for the update via KIES. It’s also worth adding that your device must run stock firmware in order to be eligible to receive the OTA update. We are talking about a major software update, so expect the firmware file to have a size of over 800 MB. It’s recommended to download it using a WiFi network and to have the battery charged above 50%.

As you may already know, Lollipop is the biggest update Google released for their mobile operating system so far. The first thing you’ll probably notice is the new Material Design interface which relies on realistic 3D effects and shadows to make the whole experience more intuitive, also bringing more vivid colors and fluid transitions. In Android 5.0, the obsolete Dalvik was replaced by Android Runtime (ART) which promises impressive performance boosts.

The Overview menu, formerly known as Recents, brings a card-based UI and “document-centric multitasking”. Certain apps can display more than one card in the Overview menu, making it easier for the user to choose for the object they were looking for.

You should also notice the redesigned Notifications bar and Quick Settings. In stock Android Lollipop the Quick Settings area looks and behaves differently, but the TouchWiz-customized Lollipop doesn’t bring that many changes in this section. What you will definitely like are the lock screen notifications. You will be able to choose which app is allowed to show lock screen notifications and to select the level of privacy and priority for each app.

You can add multiple users in Android 5.0 Lollipop, which is quite useful if you need to share your smartphone. Or you can use Screen Pinning to lock the screen to a particular app. On the other hand, the Smart Lock feature can be used to automatically remove the lock screen security when you are in a Trusted Place or your smartphone is connected to a Trusted Device.

The new software update also introduces better battery stats. You can now see how much time it’s left until the battery is fully charged or how much time it’s left until you need to recharge your phone.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3 also brings changes to Sammy’s proprietary TouchWiz UI. Many design elements have been changed to follow the Material Design guidelines, many Samsung apps have been updated with a new look, and the Settings menu has been revamped. Of course, the update also arrives with bug fixes and improved overall system performance.

What are your expectations for the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note 3? Please let us know in the comments section below.