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back to article Google offers sweet new SDK to let Android devs join 'Lollipop' guild

Android 5.0 "Lollipop" won't ship to the public for a couple more weeks, but Google has tossed developers a bone by releasing the final SDK and system images for select Nexus devices ahead of launch. The new Lollipop SDK that posted on Friday replaces the earlier Android L Developer Preview that the Chocolate Factory offered …

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  1. frank ly

    Not sure about this

    I think I'll avoid this for my Nexus 4. My experience of previous updates, going back over four years and three Android phones is that Google change things because they can - from the point of view of 'look and feel'. Updates have also slowed my phones down and have removed functionality in the past. I've spent nearly two years getting used to my Nexus 4 as it is. It works fine and I don't want any changes to it.

    2 0 Reply
    1. cambsukguy
      Reply Icon

      Re: Not sure about this

      Do they support previous versions on devices that can accept a later version? By support, I mean, fixes for bugs rather than back-porting new features - which may be useful as well sometimes e.g. pay-by-bonk changes.

      0 0 Reply
      1. frank ly
        Reply Icon

        Re: Not sure about this

        I'm sure they don't offer 'bug fixes' or minor functionality updates for old running versions. They and other device makers push an OTA update and then nag you to accept it. The attitude seems to be "it's new and we made it so it's good and you must have it."

        The last 'minor update' to KitKat made it ask me if I really wanted to use the third-party phone dialler app that I have, every time I try to make a phone call. Even if I press the 'Always' option after selecting my third-party dialler app, it still asks me on the next phone call. I suspect that if I selected the built in Google phone app, then presses 'Always', I wouldn't have that annoyance.

        2 0 Reply
        1. Gene Cash Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Not sure about this

          "The last 'minor update' to KitKat made it ask me if I really wanted to use the third-party phone dialler app that I have, every time I try to make a phone call"

          Same for the sodding GPS if I don't want to submit to Google sucking down wi-fi locations. Every single time I turn the GPS on I get a dialog box. If you click "don't show again" it disables the "Disagree" button!

          I finally wrote a system app to turn GPS on.

          2 0 Reply
          1. Bill Michaelson
            Reply Icon

            Re: Not sure about this

            I was especially annoyed when they removed access to selective permissions control that had been discovered by some in about, say 4.1. That's what really drove me to CM.

            1 0 Reply
    2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Not sure about this

      Personally I'm looking forward to CM based on this. I think Android 5 has a lot going for it and I think Material Design is also very good. The move from Dalvik to ART should should improve battery life and performance by reducing the memory footprint. I've tried it a few times with CM and had not problems running any app but a couple, including the one from my mobile provider, had disappeared and seem to depend upon Dalvik.

      If I had a spare device that was compatible I'd certainly be giving this a spin.

      0 0 Reply
      1. Neoc
        Reply Icon

        Re: Not sure about this

        Tried CM on my Galaxy S4 and went back to the Samsung version of the OS. Don't get me wrong, I liked CM, but there was one thing that annoyed the bejesus out of me - the stock android keyboard. I prefer the 5-rows Samsung keyboard over the 4-rows Android keyboard. And once I installed CM, the only replacement keyboard apps I could find seemed to be re-badged variations on the stock keyboard.

        Small point, I know, but I like not having to swap between alpha and symbol every time I need to type numbers.

        So, keyboard app developers... where's a keyboard app that *isn't* the stock keyboard with a new colour scheme?

        0 0 Reply
        1. Bill Michaelson
          Reply Icon

          Re: Not sure about this

          https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pocketworkstation.pckeyboard&hl=en

          With ctl and esc and alt. Running on my CM11 Nexus 4. Good with ConnectBot. Does that help?

          1 0 Reply
          1. Neoc
            Reply Icon

            Re: Not sure about this

            Looking good. Will try it for a while and see how it goes.

            Thanks!

            0 0 Reply
  2. Chris Miller
    Happy

    Friends of Dorothy

    Which Munchkin came up with the Lollipop Guild headline?

    0 0 Reply
  3. kempsy
    Joke

    They're off to see the Wizard

    If Android developers are in the Lollipop guild, does that mean they're friends of Dorothy as well?

    0 0 Reply

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