Update: An exact time for Redmond's big reveal on January 21, 2015, has been announced. Get ready for more Windows 10 news at 9 a.m. PST
tomorrow. Plus, more details have leaked regarding Windows 10,
including leaks of Microsoft's 'Spartan' browser and how much the new OS
might cost. Most recently, reports are coming in of a fresh hardware
debut from Microsoft is in the works to properly ring in Windows 10 –
read more below!
With Windows 8 and now Windows 8.1,
Microsoft tried – not entirely successfully – to make tablets part of a
continuum that goes from number-crunching workstations and high-end
gaming rigs through all-in-one touchscreen media systems and thin-and
light notebooks down to slender touch tablets.
The general
consensus is that it still has a long way to go to produce a unified OS.
Recently, Microsoft publicly made the first steps to doing just that,
with Windows 10. Skipping the Windows 9 name entirely, the Redmond,
Wash. firm aims to step into the next generation of computing with the
right foot forward.
You will soon be able to download Microsoft's Windows 10 Technical Preview by venturing over to its Windows Insider Program
website. You'll need a Microsoft account to get it, and it's worth
bearing in mind that it's not the finished article so may be a bit rough
around the edges.
While
there is little information regarding the Windows 10 Road Map currently
available following the event and the Technical Preview, this is what
we know so far regarding the stymied release of Windows 10:
The event
on September 30 announced the release of the Technical Preview of
Windows 10 for laptops and desktops, often referred to as WTP, DP
(Developer Preview) or CTP (community technology previews). This is just
over three years after Microsoft unveiled the first public beta build
of Windows 8, known as Windows Developer Preview).
Microsoft
released its Windows Insider Program on October 1st, designed to keep
early adopters up to date with the latest preview builds of Windows 10.
Starting with Technical Preview for laptops and desktops, the preview build will extend to servers short after.
As of October 7, the preview build is available to Windows 7 users as well.
Consumer preview builds will not be available until early next year, according to Microsoft's Terry Myerson.
The Technical Preview will end sharply on April 15 of next year, which conveniently leaves right off at...
Microsoft's
Build 2015 conference next April, at which the company will talk more
about Universal Apps and likely issue a Windows 10 release date.
Finally, the company promises that Windows 10 will ship to consumers and enterprise "later in the year" in 2015, Myerson said.
We'll learn more about that on January 21, at 9 a.m. PST sharp, when Satya Nadella and crew will pull the curtain on their latest operating system back even further.
Cut to the chase What is it? A complete update of Windows When is it out? It will launch "later in the year" in 2015 What will it cost? We really have no idea. Microsoft will not comment on pricing yet.
One thing Microsoft has been absolutely mum about regarding it's new baby is how much Windows 10 will cost.
While the firm has yet to say anything concrete, we now know a bit more
about how Microsoft is thinking – or rather, rethinking – how it will
generate dollars from this go 'round.
"We've got to monetize it
differently," Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner said at the
Credit Suisse Technology Conference in early December, according to
Wind8apps.com.
"And there are services involved," he continued.
"There are additional opportunities for us to bring additional services
to the product and do it in a creative way. And through the course of
the summer and spring we'll be announcing what that business model looks
like."
The most recent report strikes us as potentially
controversial if it comes to bear, but the word is that Windows 8.1
users will have access to the big Windows 10 upgrade at no charge.
Softpedia reports that, meanwhile, owners of Windows 7 and older will
have to pay up to get the new OS. (Also, Microsoft confirmed that the
two most recent Windows versions will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 directly.)
The
likely idea here is for customers to upgrade to a whole new system in
preparation for Windows 10. But of course, whether that's likely to
happen is yet to be seen.
This one's gonna' be big
Three
separate reports lead us to believe that January 21 is going to a bigger
day for Windows than any of us could have imagined. First, the recent
appearance of a "Phone Insider"
app on the Windows Phone store sparked speculation (and claims by The
Verge sources) that January 21 will be when Microsoft pulls the curtain
back on Windows Phone 10, or whatever it ends up being called.
According
to The Verge, the Phone Insider app only allows access to the preview
build for employees, but that's expected to change after this event.
Windows fans will soon have plenty of places to preview the upcoming OS,
it seems.
Now, The Information
reports that Microsoft could also introduce a new piece of hardware at
the event – this time a laptop-phone hybrid product, similar to the Asus Padfone X.
The idea would be to display the seamless nature of Windows 10 across
platforms from its single codebase to a potentially-unified app store.
This ... is ... Spartan (browser)!
Rumors
and reports of Microsoft's overhaul of Internet Explorer (or an
entirely new product), allegedly codenamed "Spartan", have been stirring
for weeks now. But just recently have images of the browser leaked through Chinese website cnBeta, detailing the fabled Cortana integration and darker theme. Credit: cnBetaOf
course, there are likely to be several theme options for the new IE ...
or whatever this product is. What's more important is how Microsoft
seems to be positioning this browser directly against Firefox and
Chrome. (Eventual Office 365 integration a la Google Apps seems like a
no brainer, but take that as wild speculation from this editor.)
Windows and gaming – imagine that
The
upcoming January 21 event at Microsoft's Redmond campus looks awfully
focused on consumers, especially considering the recent news that Microsoft's Xbox lead Phil Spencer will appear to talk about gaming initiatives. "I'll be focusing more on what we are doing on Win10 in January," Spencer said in a tweet on December 11. "It's time for us to talk about gaming on Windows."
A recent Windows 10 leak
from prominent blogger Paul Thurrott's Winsupersite details a new OS
build – #9901, to be exact – that includes an Xbox app on the task bar.
We're itching to find out how Microsoft will redeem itself from Games
for Windows on January 21.
The latest report comes from ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley,
whose sources claim that the company is working on a PC game streaming
service for Windows 10. It's codenamed "Arcadia", and it will serve up
PC and Xbox One games to users, along with certain apps. January 21 just
gets curiouser and curiouser.
[Editor's Note: When contacted for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson simply said, "We have nothing to share."]
Cortana warping over to Windows 10?
That's
right, Windows 10 will see the spread of Cortana, Microsoft's Siri and
Google Now competitor, into all versions of the new OS, including
desktops, laptops and tablets. WinBeta recently posted an overview of a
leaked version of Cortana on Windows 10, voice and all.
The same aforementioned Windows 10 leak
from Thurrott details a new OS build – #9901, to be exact – that debuts
Cortana with a search box on the task bar. This more than likely allows
users to search their PC or the web (through Bing) via typing or their
voice.
Oh, and how could we forget that Windows 10 is slated to hit every current Lumia device? Imagine if Cortana were able to store your usage data across every Windows 10 device you own? Talk about continuity.
But when will this arrive in the public Technical Preview? We'll just have to wait until January to find that out, now won't we.
Microsoft playing to the pirates
It was found in Build #9860 that Microsoft introduced support for the MKV video container to Windows 10.
This also just so happens to be one of the most popular ways to
distribute pirated media online. (Of course, we're sure this wasn't the
point.) While often referred to as a codec, MKV is actually merely a
format that contains content rendered using other codecs, often H.264.
So,
what does this mean for plucky new OS? MKV is just one of several file
formats that will be supported by Windows 10 from day one. Others
include FLAC and HEVC, so expect Windows 10 to be fully prepared for our
4K video and lossless audio future.
Phoning in features
In
issuing the latest Technical Preview build, Microsoft released a fresh
feature to Windows 10, but on that's not new to Windows Phone: notifications. Known as the Action Center on Windows Phone 8.1, Notifications on Windows 10 operate in much the same way.
Featured
as a button on the task bar, Notifications collects alert data from
plenty of sources. "You'll see notifications from the system and apps -
from new emails and invites to IMs, Facebook posts and more - all in one
place, so you don't miss a thing," Microsoft Director of Windows
Program Management Gabe Aul wrote in a blog post. As of December 15, a leaked image of the new Windows 10 Store
on Phone Arena seems to confirm that Microsoft looks to unify the
Windows Phone and desktop app marketplaces into a single online store.
This would be an interesting way to compete with the more prevalent
Apple App Store and Google Play.
Speaking of new features, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore teased new trackpad gestures
that will soon come to Windows 10 during his TechEd Europe keynote in
October 2014. Much similar to the gestures that Mac users are used to,
the new OS will soon respond to three-finger swipes in three directions.
Swiping
downward with three fingers will return you to the desktop from within
any app, while an upward gesture will summon the new task view. Swiping
with three fingers either to the left or right will switch between open
apps. Users will also be able to resize snapped windows with a unique
three-finger gesture.
Shooting for security
Running the
world's most ubiquitous OS, Microsoft has always taken security quite
seriously, often releasing patches daily to its various versions of
Windows. Now, the company looks to take its security measures for
Windows 10, with two-factor authentication (2FA) coming standard on enterprise versions of the OS.
Microsoft
also intends to protect user identities by storing user access tokens
in a secure container that runs on top of Hyper-V technology, isolated
from the rest of the OS. Windows 10 will also offer a data loss
prevention solution that will allow users to separate their corporate
personae from their non-work ones.
... and for your data?
Less than a month out, and already Windows 10 has been pegged for collecting user data.
While this is a beta preview, and as such should be collecting feedback
data, claims from a number of news outlets point to more even more
sensitive information.
The Technical Preview reportedly has the
capability to track and log keystrokes, capture voice data and more.
This may be cause for caution, but keep in mind that almost all, if not
all, modern operating systems track and log some level of usage data.
Though, it's almost always anonymized. One operating system designed with every device in mind
It's still all about unity
Windows
10 will be "one application platform" for all the devices that run
Windows, according to Microsoft Windows head Terry Myerson, with one
store to rule them all. (So to speak.)
While on stage at the
event, Microsoft showed images of the new operating system running on
everything from desktop PCs to smartphones. In fact, Myerson confirmed
that Windows 10 will be the driving OS behind its smartphone platform as
well.
Myerson was mum on the naming conventions (e.g. whether Windows 10 on phones would be known as Windows Phone
10, et. al). But what matters is this: Windows 10 will be behind every
device that Microsoft has a hand in, save most likely for the Xbox One.
Yes, even the Internet of Things
Based on CEO Satya Nadella's recent comments during Gartner's Symposium ITxpo, Windows 10 is almost certainly being developed with the Internet of Things in mind. You'll still be able to get things done with Windows 10"Windows
10 is a very important step for us." Nadella said on stage. "It's the
first step in a new generation of Windows as opposed to just another
release after Windows 8. General purpose computing is going to run on
200 plus billion sensors. We've architected Windows where it can run on
everything."
Microsoft still cares about enterprise
In
fact, the crux of the September 30th event was to speak to enterprise
users and get it in front of them first. "Windows 10 is a very novel
approach of separating corporate and personal data across all devices,"
Myerson said on stage. "Windows 10 is going to be our greatest
enterprise platform, ever."
Microsoft didn't exactly please its
enterprise audience with Windows 8.1 – adoption has been awfully slow.
(And now will likely halt with this new version on the horizon.)
To
that end, Microsoft's Windows Phone guru Joe Belfiore even noted that
the company is "looking to find the balance, so that all the Windows 7
users get a familiar experience on the devices they already have."
The Start menu: bigger, better, stronger
The
return of the Start menu that Microsoft teased during its Build 2014
conference earlier this year was shown off in full force at its Sept.
30th event. Replete with a merging of the traditional Windows 7-style
interface and Windows 8 Live Tiles, the new Start menu is designed to
please both camps: touch and mouse users. "They
don't have to learn any new way to drive," Belfiore said, referring to
Windows 7 business users. That said, customization will also be featured
throughout, first with the ability to resizing the Start menu itself
along with the Live Tiles within.
The Start menu features
empowered search capabilities as well, able to crawl your entire
machine, not to mention web results. (Through Bing and not Google, we'd
imagine.)
Snap to it, will ya?
The traditional Windows 7
Snap View works in Windows 10's desktop mode with classic and universal
apps, enhanced by a new "Snap Assist" interface. Snap Assist works in
tandem with Task View, a new feature that allows users to create
multiple desktop environments within a single instance of Windows 10. Snap windows (and desktops) in all sorts of new waysYou
can now grab apps from different desktops and group them together using
the Snap Assist UI, all of which is mouse or touch controlled. These
features seem more designed for face-level multi-taskers, or people that
rely more on visual computing. Of course, this comes in addition to
enhanced keyboard shortcuts for power users.
Keeping in touch
Microsoft
is keen on maintaining the ground it achieved in touch-based computing
through Windows 8 while reintroducing the intuitive desktop interface of
Windows 7. To that end, many of the new multitasking features will be
optimized for touch devices as well, like Task View. But it doesn't stop
there.
The Redmond firm teased a hybrid interface mode for 2-in-1 laptops
and other hybrid devices. Containing elements of both the current
Windows 8.1 Start screen and the desktop improvements, this new
touch-focused start screen will switch based on the input used.
Think
of a home screen that allows for both touch input, with large icons and
response to gestures or swipes, and more traditional mouse or touchpad
interaction, with smaller buttons and list-like interfaces. Belfiore
called the approach "continuum" on stage, and the philosophy makes sense
at least on paper.
Click on through for a detailed look at the
rumors and leaks leading up to the recent Windows 10 announcement. On
the third page, we projected what Windows 9 – err – Windows 10 would be
like, or at least what we had hoped. Read on to see how much we got
right.
The way Samsung launches phones is easy to work out: the flagship 'S'
model appears, and then a few months later the improved Note pops up.
So now the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has arrived the path is clear for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
In fact, with the Sony Xperia Z4 failing to show up at CES, the Galaxy S6 is the next biggest phone launch, despite being a few months away. Latest updates: A
beefy 4GB of RAM, a display with two curved edges, a metal and glass
build and a new and improved fingerprint scanner are among the latest
Galaxy S6 rumours.
We're already seeing numerous rumors about this next model, and with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha
trying to fix some of the design failings of the Galaxy S5 - plus the
Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 options recently announced - there's definitely
been a quick change at the South Korean brand to try and make its phones
look much better.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next flagship smartphone from Samsung
When is it out? Early 2015, probably March or April but maybe even earlier
What will it cost? A lot, at least as much as the pricey Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S6 release date and price
There's
no official word on when the Samsung Galaxy S6 might launch, but
Samsung has a yearly product cycle which it rarely deviates far from.
In fact from the Samsung Galaxy S2
onwards the company has always announced its phones at or close to MWC,
and we're almost certain the same will hold true for the Galaxy S6.
2015's
MWC is set to take place between March 2 and March 5, so it's likely
that we'll see the Samsung Galaxy S6 sometime around then. Possibly not
at the show itself but perhaps at a press conference a day or two before
it starts, much like Samsung did for the Galaxy Note 4 launch before IFA 2014 and indeed there are reports that the Galaxy S6 will arrive at MWC, in two flavours.
A group of analysts in South Korean reckoned Samsung would somewhat jump the gun with a Galaxy S6 launch at CES 2015. But CES has been and gone and the Galaxy S6 didn't make an appearance.
Having said that, it may have been there in secret, as it's rumored that Samsung was showing the phone off behind closed doors to "selected partners", but even if that was happening don't expect any of them to blab.
However, whenever it's announced that's not likely to be when it will actually go on sale. The Samsung Galaxy S4
and S5 both launched in April, of 2013 and 2014 respectively, so it's
probable you'll be able to buy the Samsung Galaxy S6 from April 2015.
There
are rumors suggesting Samsung may be a little quicker to market with
the Galaxy S6 though, with South Korean news outlet Daum claiming it'll ship the Galaxy S6 in the same month as it's announced - March 2015.
That's supported by reports from South Korea that the phone will enter mass production in February and may even launch in South Korea in February.
On
the other hand there's a chance it could be delayed, as there have been
numerous reports that there are issues with the Snapdragon 810
processor, which is likely to be powering it. Qualcomm claims the chip
is on track, but that hasn't stopped reports of overheating issues from flooding in.
There's no real information on what the Samsung Galaxy S6 might cost either, but this is a flagship phone we're talking about.
This means it's not likely to be any cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S5, which at launch sold for £579 (around $972 / AU$1048) SIM free.
Given
that the specs will presumably be better and that it will likely have a
more premium build it's possible that it could be even more expensive,
but we'd be surprised if Samsung went much higher than £600 / $1000 /
AU$1100.
Samsung Galaxy S6 design
Samsung needs to sort
out the design of the Galaxy S6, and there are (happily) reasons to
believe it's doing just that. There's every chance that Samsung will
mould it on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which launched with a metal frame but still kept hold of the polycarbonate rear from the Galaxy S5.
At
just 6.7mm the Galaxy Alpha is considerably thinner than the Galaxy S5,
and we hope this is a positive sign for the Galaxy S6. In fact even
more recently Samsung has shown off the 6.3mm thick Galaxy A7.
Sources
in Samsung's supply chain have been talking fast and loose about the
Galaxy S6, claiming the Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 will test the waters for
Samsung's metal design ahead of an all-metal flagship in the form of the S6.
But what if Samsung's feeling that's not enough? Project Zero is coming,
apparently, and not only do we love that name it also heralds Samsung
starting again and completely retooling the S6 to be something that even
iPhone and HTC lovers can't keep their paws off.
Given one of the
design chiefs at the South Korean firm was shuffled sideways in the
aftermath of less-than-expected Galaxy S5 sales, we can really believe
this is happening.
Don't expect a fancy new name to go with it though, as according to SamMobile the new phone will simply be called the Samsung Galaxy S6.
The best look we've had so far at the possible design of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is from Dutch website Top Tien Mobiel, which has posted photos supposedly showing a Galaxy S6 prototype, which were sent in by an anonymous source.
The
alleged image of the S6 shows a design with extremely thin edges along
the left and right sides of the screen, with the front-facing camera now
at the centre of the handset. Source: Top Tien MobielBefore
that leak we had to make do with this interesting concept from Josip
Jakubiv - it's the same mottled back, but with a much larger screen and a
refined design - perhaps even a spot of metal there? Credit: Josip Jakubiv, Part CommunitySpeaking of metal, we've also seen images of what might be the phones shell, courtesy of Nowhereelse.fr.
It's not clear how it obtained these images so take them with a pinch
of salt, but we're expecting a metal frame so they could well be
legitimate. Since then we've got a closer look at what might be the frame, again courtesy of Nowhereelse.fr. It's still hard to tell from these how the final handset will look, but it's clear that metal could be a large component. Don't
get too excited by all this metal though, because another rumour, this
time from the mouth of a "Samsung Electronics official" speaking to DDaily,
states that the Galaxy S6 won't have a full metal jacket after all, but
will instead have a metal frame but a glass front and back, possibly a
bit like the Sony Xperia Z3.
Supposedly
this is to help it stand out from the new Galaxy A series, but standing
out by looking less premium would hardly be ideal.
Samsung Galaxy S6 screen
There's no sign that Samsung is ditching Super AMOLED in its screens, so we expect that to make a return in the Galaxy S6.
The
resolution will likely get a boost though, as Samsung has already
launched the 2560 x 1440 Galaxy Note 4 and even among smaller screen
sizes there's the equally QHD Galaxy S5 LTE-A in South Korea, so we expect the Galaxy S6 to have a resolution at least that high. In fact Samsung has previously said that it hopes to have smartphones with 4K 3840 x 2160 displays on the market
by 2015. It's possible then that the S6 will leapfrog 2K and go
straight to 4K, but with an early 2015 launch expected we'd be
surprised.
More likely Samsung will save that for the Galaxy Note
5... plus, surely, that's getting to the point of just too many pixels
in a phone screen?
In any case, SamMobile claims it's likely to launch with a QHD screen. A second report from Chinese site cnmo.com featured a supposed AnTuTu benchmarking result from the Galaxy S6 that confirmed the display was a 2,560 x 1,440 QHD affair.
We've also got wind of a user agent profile from Dutch site TechTastic, which reveals a QHD 1440 x 2560 display for a handset believed to be the Galaxy S6, so it's looking very likely.
Whether
it's QHD or not the Samsung Galaxy S6 may have a slightly bigger screen
than the Galaxy S5. The company has slowly been increasing the size of
the screens on its flagships and we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy
S6 were to push things up by another 0.1 or 0.2 inches to 5.2 or 5.3
inches. Samsung may decide to go all the way up to 5.5-inches, given the
Google Nexus 6 has launched with a 6-inch screen.
If
Samsung can shrink the bezel then it could probably even achieve that
without increasing the phone's footprint. On the other hand the Note 4
is no bigger than the Galaxy Note 3
and Samsung's going to want to keep its two premium brands
differentiated, so maybe it will decide that 5.1 inches is the sweet
spot. There's
also a chance that the Galaxy S6 might have a flexible display. Samsung
has been looking at this sort of technology for a while and has even
recently launched the Galaxy Note Edge: a version of the Note 4 where the screen curves down one side, so it's possible.
Others have been keen to push this idea, with the rumours that the Note Edge was supposed to feature the dual-bend design, but it was shelved and pushed the to Galaxy S6. It would certainly boost the brand's presence on the shop shelves.
The curved screen idea has also been pushed by South Korean news outlet Daum, which goes on to predict a 2560 x 1440 resolution (the same as the Galaxy Note 4) and a Snapdragon 810 processor.
But
we doubt Samsung would equip its flagship with such an untested
technology, so we'd expect the S range to stick with a flat screen for
at least one more year.
On the other hand we might see both a flat and curved version, much like with the Note 4. Rumors from SamMobile and Business Insider
suggest that's exactly what will happen, with the Galaxy S6 sporting a
flat display and a separate Galaxy S6 Edge being launched alongside it,
though SamMobile's source has since backtracked on that particular theory. GforGames also claims
we'll see two versions of the handset, with the Galaxy S6 Edge being a
limited edition, with an apparent sales forecast of 'just' 10 million
units during 2015.
We can believe it would happen if it was just
one variant and it would be cool if the S6 had a bendy screen -
something different from the continuously-similar rectangular designs,
right?
Recently we've heard
from Samsung HD Blog that both edges of the Galaxy S6's display might
be curved, though apparently not in the same way as the Galaxy Note
Edge, which may mean more subtle curves. SamMobile is now echoing that,
claiming that the phone will be able to make use of the same apps for
the edge screen as the Galaxy Note Edge, including a pedometer, news and
sports updates and more. By having two curved screens it should also
apparently be comfortable to use regardless of whether you're left or
right handed.
Though there are now reports
that while Samsung is apparently prototyping versions of the S6 with
both one curved edge and even two curved edges the company hasn't
decided which if either of them it will launch.
Android Lollipop
is now out in the open and it includes a smorgasbord of new features, a
visual overhaul and numerous under-the-hood improvements to make if
faster, more efficient and lighter on your battery.
While it's now
been launched by Google it's down to individual manufacturers to port
it to their devices, so chances are you're still waiting to get it on
your phone and tablet (unless you've gone full Nexus already) and some
companies haven't yet been all that forthcoming with details of when
they'll bring it to their phones and tablets.
But we do know some
things and we can take educated guesses at others, so read on for all
the information and theories on when you might see Android Lollipop on
your device
Latest update:We've
got more news on when HTC One M8 owners can expect the update, along
with a video showing us what to expect. The update is also rolling out
to Samsung Galaxy S5 devices, Motorola is promising the update soon and
OnePlus has released its own bloat-free version.
Google
During the launch of the Nexus 6, Android Lollipop was officially confirmed as the name for Android 5.0.
The Nexus 6 and Nexus 9
are Google's first devices to come with Android Lollipop, but these
aren't the only Nexus products which will get the latest sweet treat. A recent announcement by the official Android Twitter account revealed that the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade is now being rolled out to the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 Wi-Fi (both the 2012 and 2013 versions) and the Nexus 10.
The
rolling out of the update will be done in waves, which will take around
three weeks to reach every customer, so by this point everyone should
have it.
Asus has announced that Android 5.0 Lollipop will be available right now for both generations of its Nexus 7 tablets, though just the Wi-Fi only models for now.
The
Nexus 4 has also now been updated, but the roll out has not yet begun
for the cellular versions of the Nexus 7 2012 and 2013. Those tablets
should see an update later on, though Google has not indicated when this
will be.
Any Nexus devices older than the ones we've already mentioned are all but guaranteed not to get it, meaning that Nexus S owners are plum out of luck. Google has also confirmed that the Galaxy Nexus will not receive the update.
HTC
HTC
has been more forthcoming with its update plans than most manufacturers
and it's no surprise given how quickly it plans to bring the update to
users. In a statement the company originally said:
"HTC is excited
about the new features in Android Lollipop and we can't wait to share
them with our customers. We are committed to updating our flagship HTC
One family as fast as possible. "We will begin rolling out updates to the HTC One (M8) and HTC One (M7)
in regions worldwide within 90 days of receiving final software from
Google, followed shortly thereafter by other One family members and
select devices."
Sure enough, on November 4 HTC's Twitter account
announced that it has now got the Android 5.0 Lollipop code and that it
will make good on its promise to update the HTC One M8 and HTC One M7
within 90 days. Doing
the mathematics that means the company's most recent two flagships
should get Android Lollipop at least before February of next year.
On January 13 HTC product management vice-president Mo Versi tweeted that international and unlocked versions of the HTC One M8 will now be receiving the Android 5.0 Lollipop update over the air. Along with the Lollipop update a new version of HTC's custom interface, HTC Sense 6, will also be included. A video of an HTC One M8 running Android 5.0 Lollipop was also leaked on to the internet so if you can't wait to see what it looks like check out the video below.
But
they won't be the first HTC devices to get Lollipop, as the Google Play
Edition of the HTC One M7 has already received the update.
If you
don't have an unlocked HTC One M8, and instead got the handset from
your network carrier, then you'll have to wait a little longer for the
update.
We're going to go ahead and assume that most other HTC
handsets released in the last year or so will also get the update at
some point.
As a general rule the more recent and high profile a device is the more likely it is to get an update, so the HTC Desire Eye will almost certainly be near the front of the line. Indeed according to LlabTooFeR the HTC Desire Eye and HTC One E8 will both get updated sometime in January-March.
The HTC One Mini 2, and perhaps the HTC One Mini and HTC One Max
and some of the other recent Desire handsets are likely to get the
update too, though probably not until sometime after the One M7 and the
One M8. According to one leak,
the One Mini 2 and Desire 816 will get Lollipop sometime in March or
April, while the One Max, One Mini and Butterfly S have an expected
Android 5.0 rollout of March-May.
If you're keen to see what
Android 5.0 Lollipop will look like running on the HTC One M8 with HTC's
own Sense 6.0 interface, then a recent batch of screenshots leaked by the LlabTooFeR Twitter account could satisfy your needs. Source: @LlabTooFeRAs
well as a fresh coat of paint, complete with new animations and a new
multitasking and notifications screen, the update to Android 5.0
Lollipop brings new features to HTC's devices according to LlabTooFeR, including an 'Easy Mode', which simplifies the interface.
It
does this by putting core functions front and centre as well as upping
the font and icon size, which could be handy for those new to
smartphones or anyone with poor eyesight or dexterity.
It looks
like the update is also adding new accessibility options, such as colour
inversion, colour correction and high contrast text.
Samsung
Samsung
has been slow to officially shed any light on when it will be bringing
Android Lollipop to its phones, but there are sources saying it will be
sooner rather than later. Sam Mobile claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S5
could be in for an Android Lollipop release in December 2014. That date
came and went, so it looked like we'd have to wait until January 2015.
Sure enough, on 13 January, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S5 were informed that the update is heading towards their devices, with Samsung promising that the update will be rolled out as quickly as possible.
The
roll out will be done gradually, so it might take a few days for the
update to arrive. However most Samsung Galaxy S5 owners should be able
to download the update by the time you read this.
This coincides with the news that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Note 4, and Galaxy S4 will be getting the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop at some point in early 2015.
To
further stoke the flames of the rumours that the Android 5.0 Lollipop
update is coming imminently to the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung recently
updated the user manual for the handset to include the various changes
and new features that the upgrade will bring.
To whet your appetite before it lands it looks like photos of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 running Android 5.0 Lollipop have leaked on to the internet. The Galaxy Alpha
is also likely to get the update very shortly after it launches,
probably within the same sort of several month timeframe as HTC is
operating under. In fact Danny Dorresteijn, the co-founder of SamMobile,
tweeted that the Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 would all get Lollipop in the first quarter of 2015.
He got even more specific about the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, claiming that Android 5.0 will land on it in February. None of this is official of course but as unofficial sources go he's fairly reliable.
In fact both the Galaxy Note Edge and the Galaxy Note 4 might skip Android 5.0 and jump straight to Android 5.0.1, as SamMobile has spotted the devices running the newer OS version. Sources close to SamMobile
also suggest that Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S4 will be
getting an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, with the Exynos variant
(GT-I9500), which runs Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa SoC, getting the
update first.
Other Samsung handsets may have to wait a little
longer, however we'd expect that most high profile devices released in
the last 18 months to 2 years will get the update, including the Galaxy S4 Mini and the Galaxy S5 Mini.
SamMobile
has also released a video showing how Android 5.0 will look running on a
Samsung Galaxy S4, effectively confirming that the latest version of
Android will come to Samsung's older flagship handset.
We doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S3
or anything older will get Android Lollipop. It's a device that's
already over two years old and some versions of it didn't even get
Android 4.4.
Samsung doesn't seem great at updating its tablets either. There's a good chance recent slates like its Note Pro and Tab S ranges and even the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 will get Android Lollipop but anything older or low end is iffy.
Sony
Sony has openly declared that it will be "bringing Android 5.0 Lollipop to the entire Xperia Z Series."
It's even published a full list of handsets which are in line for Android Lollipop, so here we go... Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. The
Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition has already received the
update. As to when Sony will start rolling out the update to its main
line of devices, the manufacturer has said "we're looking forward to
bringing Android 5.0; Lollipop to the entire Xperia Z Series starting
from the early part of 2015… so stay tuned for the latest!"
Since then it's followed that up with a tweet
saying "We'll start the upgrade at beginning of 2015 for the core
Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z2 series", which presumably means the Xperia Z2,
Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet
Compact.
At the CES 2015
convention in January, COO of Sony Electronics Michael Fasulo announced
that it will be rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update to its
Xperia Z3 range starting in February.
No further details were
given about the time frame Xperia Z3 owners can expect to see the
update, but it is roughly in line with Sony's earlier promises to update
Xperia Z devices to Android 5.0 Lollipop at the beginning of 2015.
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