Samsung have already released the Galaxy S5 update to Android 5.0 Lollipop in a number of countries across the globe, subject to your carrier. And I’m bringing you news that the S5 update has been released in the UK. Samsung have released the first upgrade to Android 5.0, which is firmware version LRX21T – there’s a newer version of Lollipop available based on 5.0.2 and with firmware code LRX22G, which is likely to follow shortly. I’m in two minds about this; on the one hand it’s great that Samsung are getting the update out but on the other, how stable and reliable has the original version been? We’ve already seen reports of Lollipop having a memory leak. However, Samsung tested the 5.0 release and presumably decided that it was good enough to be launched in the United Kingdom.
Samsung’s TouchWiz interface running over Android Lollipop gains a number of new features and interface changes. Samsung were forced to redesign a number of their proprietary applications from scratch, so if you’re using the S5 you’ll notice that you’ll gain a new dialer, messaging application, clock and calculator). Along with the update to Android Lollipop, you’ll also receive lockscreen notifications, MirrorLink support and an improved fingerprint sensor thanks to a new driver. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4’s lockscreen has also been ported across to the Galaxy S5, so your device has a more modern look and feel when you go to use it. Under the skin, the S5 benefits from ART (Android RunTime, a way to improve application start up times) as standard so it should feel slightly quicker in use.
If your device is eligible for the update, you have two ways to perform this. You can either use Samsung KIES on your computer and tether your device via the USB lead. If this is too old school, you can also use Samsung’s over-the-air upgrade process (found in Settings, System, About Device, Software Update and then Update). And I would recommend that you do, because the Lollipop upgrade makes your device feel like new again! If you have already updated your device, or have received the notification in the last couple of days, please let us know how you get on in the comments below.