Android 15 vs Android 5 Lollipop: 10 Years Later! 

I still remember the day I installed the Lollipop update on my phone. It was like my phone was suddenly an entirely new device 😅

A single android update felt like a new phone back then

Damn... Lolipop is 10 years ago?? I remember waiting for my phone to get this back then, when Sammy was painfully late to updates...

Its so ironic that now that we have the most colorful screens ever we get the most monotone UIs. Sad.

HTC M7/M8 still looks good 10 years later. They should make a modern version.

Back then when Android 5 came out, almost no OEM bothered to provide update to the existing smartphones, even budget phones came out with Android 4 up to two years after Android 5. That's where the other side called android fragmented. Now the situation is better.

Oh fuck off is Lollipop 10 years old. It still feels new.

Android in 2014 was peak Android. We had so many choices when it comes to Android phones.

Google Now is by far the feature I miss the most. SO useful.

This was such a nostalgic trip down memory lane, especially cuz of all that material design footage from back in the day. Thank you XDA team.

First phone in our home had Android lolipop back in 2016 or 2017 i think. With 512 mb of ram and 4 GB of storage. Brings back loy of memories

I still remember flocking up to the parking lot after classes, to see my friend's Moto G that just received the update. Good times back then

The reality is that Smartphone Market has reached a plateau. I haven't seen anything significant with Android after Android 10, now the only sellers for Smartphone market will be cameras and A.I. Don't expect much.

Lollipop design was peak, the interface still looks modern

Material Design 1.0 >>> Material You I'll take Lolipop notification shade & unique colors for each apps over the humongous pills, monocolor UI, and nonsensical shapes any day.

Man! I remember digging into the xda forum for new android roms and root tweaks back at that time. Those were the days!

I miss miss MISS the way notifications showed up in early android. Ticker notifications I think it was called. If I got a text, the contents of that text would scroll through the status bar without me having to swipe down.

As a long-time user of Android on it, I do love the Whimsy of videos like this. I myself never got a phone that came with lollipop. I had to root my device to get Android lollipop on it. It was quite refreshing coming up from Ice Cream Sandwich and Kit Kats and to lollipop. I'm also glad that the material U designs stuck around.

Damn we're getting old Nostalgia is simultaneously the best and the worst feeling in the world 😭❤️

Credit should be given to nova launcher modern android after lolipop are hugely inspired by this launcher

If I remember correctly, Lollipop had a terrible memory leak issue on release. I recall only being able to have like one app open at a time and anything in the background would close instantly. Fun Times when trying to listen to music!

I loved the colorful Material Design which they turned into a Back and white mess first and now a colour tint which makes the screen look as if it has underwent a screen burn-in. I still have a few old Droids and I’d anyway prefer using their UI over what we have today. The bright red RU-vid UI with navigation bar at the top looked so appealing! The last app which stayed with that design i.e., WhatsApp has also adopted the new Material You design and that particular app looks absolutely horrible.

Man back in the days, I searched for all options like OTP Updates to custom ROMS just to get lolipop update on my device and for some reason I liked the onscreen navigation button so much that I rooted the device just to edit system build.prop file and enable it natively. Ig I was weird 😆

FACTS: • Android 5's settings is much more convenient and easier to navigate the Android 12's. • The design is more original; distinct and easily recognizeable as Android. • Quick Setting Shortcut is better designed in terms of useability. They could've stuck with the Android 5's animation theme throughout Android. In gestures: • Going home would push the current application app across the screen towards the status bar. • Switching between apps would only show an animation akin to a slideshow. • Swiping down from the Quick Settings Shortcut would open the settings; with the same animation as openning the Quick Settings Shortcut panel. • Openning chats in messages, areas in settings, etc... expanded the rectangular icon you're pressing. App openning and Closing animation: • Should resemble like Android 5's, but in this case, it's as if water is filling the screen from where the app is placed, quickly expanding to engulf the entire display. • And bring back the TV-style sleep animation, with a seamless transition to the AOD, especially when turned off from the lockscreen; with just the Clock remaining. And design wise: • Settings should revert back to Android 5, but with a much more modern look. • Remove the pill button layout of modern Android in place of smaller buttons placed lower for convenience. • No more explicit sliders on the Quick Settings Shortcut. Instead, a brightness and Volume icon would appear which, when pressed, can be dragged up or down, which is accompanied by its icon appearing. • The ability to swipe left and right in Messages to switch between chats. • Desktop-level File Manager. Features: • Drag and drop. • Dex mode (Google doesn't know how easy it would be if Android had it. Samsung, being a SK company, of course has sucky software optimization). • Ability to copy text, even from images and other sources you normally wouldn't be able to. • IOS calculator (much more useful than all the mostly useless AI features Google has been releasing for years).

0:33 That was me back in the days... Now days OS updates is not that exciting because most of features we already have them on custom roms

the original Material Design was so beautiful in my opinion

In one post Lollipop version (or was a mod or something) we could access the app drawer by swiping up the Recents/Overview screen. I think it was called QuickSwitch then.

I remember back in the day when doing app updates in the play store, it would download more than 1 app at a time. Now it downloads one, then installs it. Other app stores like samsung and Apple can do it.

I prefer elements of the Android 5 UI. Mainly because screens have gotten bigger, yet we see less elements on display at once, like with the app switcher and the quick settings. Seems like more wasted white space. Also, I think Lollipop was one of the first to introduce pop up notifications which would get in the way of the UI, I 100% prefer the older notification style (Android Jellybean?) where the text would read across the top without blocking any of the UI. It makes more sense now with displays getting bigger.

2:24 those song titles bring a tear to my eye, what a truly special time 2014 was for music

One thing with Android 10-11 years ago was that the difference in experience was real, htc had its own look and feel, samsung with its TouchWiz. You could look at the UI and tell which was which. Now its all the same, be it design or software. I know keeping it as close to stock helps in rolling out updates quicker but you gotta miss those times.

I still remember when my Xperia Z2 got the Android 5 upgrade & 6 eventually! Man, those days Sony devices & their UI were simply outstanding & lovely! Most of the Flagship designs today remind me of then Sony's Z series. Those days receiving those "new update available for your device" notifications were so joyous. The excitement for your device to boot up with the new firmware! 😍 Alongside, I had resurrection remix based on Android 5 flashed on my Xperia L. Makes me so emotional! ❤

The video I didn't know I wanted to see

Honestly, I wish if companys like don't rush the updates and let us have fun with android releases for longer like...why update every year??? Like you can take much longer to cook something cooler and better and also give more relaxing times for developers for supporting older phones like not everyone able to upgrade and they are stuck in what we call it today dead systems...

I remember my samsung tab 3 v tablet using kitkat 4.4.4 and I'm trying to find a way to make it looks like lollipop. But samsung touchwiz is just something else

Material design was so beautiful back in the day. The animations were just not that fluent, and it wasnt fully realized by google. There was no unity to the design. I owned a nexus 5 way before and it was seriously ahead of its time and was sooo cheap.

The Lollipop app switcher is far superior than what we have today

I miss my HTC One and also loved Sense UI and Blinkfeed which was just awesome.

the material design they envisioned but never executed would still be better then what we have today.. i hope some day sth like that will come to us

I still have an old Galaxy Tab Note 2014 with Exynos 5420 which also came out with Android 3 or 4. I remember we had to change the bootloader in order to install Android 5 because of ART. Of course, no support from Samsung. It's still running on a custom ROM, ResurrectionRemix 5.8, should be Android 7.1.2 nougat. I mainly use it to control a bunch of Sonoff-switches at home because its wifi only. Battery health is still 83%, btw. ...

I miss the old material design. Lollipop is still so beautiful and I wish I could have it just for the way it makes me feel when I use my phone.

as someone who used android from the original mostly missed second and third version but been on the journey consistently through 4 to 14 now and someone who used ios since iPod tough 4, I gotta say after android 5 nothing changed literally, maybe android 12 was a little bit of upgrade, but ios is taking more drastic changes which is nice, and android more afraid of risk than ever

Android 5.0 lollipop 🍭 was one of my dreams as a Galaxy S3 user, and even in 2024 it's still gorgeous ❤️❤️

system interactions buttons getting worst after andriod 9 and 10. That was the limit of maturity. For example quick toggles and wanting to remove buttons at the bottom just to introduce swips gestures. Adding only security patches is more than enough now a days. Each new android version is adding more complexity than ease for the user.

One thing I'm not a fan of in modern Android is the rounded corners. They're everywhere, and in a way it's a change that has made the UI experience more like a toy and less like something used for work or entertainment.

Hot take, but I think Android 9's gesture navigation was better than on the newer versions. I detest the swipe in for back gesture, but at the same time I don't want a soft key for multitasking

I can still remember this when it was released. I was amazed with the UI big change

I remember installing the dev preview on my Nexus 5. The lollipop was a huge visual overhaul over the KitKat. In the beginning, I missed the blacks of the KitKat over the all white lollipop. But I eventually got used to the new look. The first two iterations were slow in response and I felt that it was a downgrade in both look and speed. Then they released the last dev preview and then the first public build after 2-3 days of the last preview. The phone was so, so fast! I had never seen it this fast and it felt like such a huge upgrade! Then, the layers theme engine came in and later evolved into the substratum. It was such an amazing time! I miss all those themes! However, nothing to date has been as immersive as the CyanogenMod themes. I later developed two widget apps and launched them on the Play Store. Now, my days of theming are over.

10 years.. oh wow. Android Lollipop was definitely a well-designed and a favorite version of mine. It makes me so nostalgic to look back and remember the innovation Android had back then. Ever since I was young, I've always loved Android ever since Eclair when my dad worked for Verizon and would switch out work phones with top-of-the-line Android specs. I got to really see the innovation of Android through his work phones and I always found each phone he moved onto to be awesome and innovative. Will always be an Android fan til the end ✌️

Who in here also love the design of android 5 I gave old lenovo tablet so basically aosp android I love the design really modern at the time I wish you can still keep the icons for apps to stay Android 5 than using the new it ruin the old classic look Also I wish I can still use the old version of apps like the green tint of google play store I really like that Also the hamberger menu of google play store than the google account profile I miss that to, also the classic banner of your google account in google apps I miss that And the last is I wish most app still works on Android 5, Android 4 already dieying to support google now android 5 is next My lenovo tablet is the lenovo pb1 750m I wish I have the higher unit because It cant run anymore when I update playstore because of 1gb ram

Lot of moments remembering

Man I wish HTC would make a modern version of their One M8. If Sony could pull it off then HTC would've too. Too bad they can't keep things consistent.

I still remember updating our Nexus 7 tab from KitKat to Lollipop ❤

I only got update for Lollipop on my Galaxy Grand Prime in the mid 2016. Even though I was almost 2 versions left behind, but I kinda love the update, especially with the color of status bar finally match the app that you’re using (for example dark blue on Twitter, dark green on Whatsapp, etc), just like on iOS.

Lollipop was the reason I stopped using custom roms. I was just happy with it. I then switched to iphone a year later and just recently switched back from the 14 Pro Max to the Pixel 8 Pro. I am no fanboy for either side and love both of them but Lollipop will always have a special place in my ❤

Android 5 was so simple, easy, and fast to use, it was nice not having to change a million settings to use the phone, like battery management and notifications, permissions, etc

I think that Android 4.4.4 with touchwiz on the galaxy S5 was the best! This however may just be bias from my side😂.

I remember installing it on my Nexus 4 and getting so excited because it really made the phone feel brand new 😂

I still have my note S2 and Note S4 running android 4 and android 6 and I still boot them every so often because I love how old android works simpler but more workable, like widgets were cool same with side loading from an SD card and then making that SD card emulate internal storage, I'm aware you can still do that but to have done that, that far back was wild, or getting Bluetooth Le to work with the 3.4/4.0 protocol was cool. Android 6 also had a thing where you could send the devices audio to two different output sources at the same time and it didn't lag what so ever, android 5 also brought with it split screen apps and OTG docking which I thought was pretty cool.

I still have my Sony Xperia Z Ultra running Lollipop, still works fine, exception of certain apps which grown heavy over time and a shorter battery life, still makes for a good book reader it is light, thin (almost same as iPad Pro 13”)

The update to lollipop made me feel like i have a brand new phone

I miss the HTC M7, it was the best phone ever. Perfect for me in every way, the loud dual speakers, good camera, long battery life and excellent predictive text on the keyboard. It guessed right so often. Both the iPhone and Samsung ones suck even now. The headphone jack pumped out some serious power and the sound quality made me cry the first time I heard it

Big love Alex. Kindest regards, Richard U.K

10 years already 😢🎉

Damn... The HTC One M8. Such a beautiful device.

Best updates were android 4.1 jellybean Then android 5 Then android 8 Then android 10 (last os to have access to /android/data folder) And then android 12 with major design overhaul.

With the white background looked like facelift windows mobile.

I still remember android 6 marshmallow, you wanna know how? Cuz i fricking used it yesterday, i have a tablet, which runs android 6, couldn't find any custom roms, or I would've updated it

Lollipop/Marshmallow was goated. iOS has always had the higher quality software compared to everything else tho. Lollipop and marshmallow was last time I used android on Nexus 5 and HTC one M8. Now I got a pixel 7 pro at the moment

I liked stock Camera app in 4.4.4, because very clean UI and control with one finger. This is reason, why I like my Nexus 4, because Android 5.1.1(non-root) with launcher from 4.4.4, great nostalgia with unique design for smartphone.

Android 5 used to be my favorite Android OS for a very long time... Now, I don't have any favorite.

I use OneUI. That is my experience of android from a decade ago...

I remember when Lollipop was first announced. I liked the new design language. It felt more cohesive and professional compared to Holo.

the 2014 android was Android Kitkat. the current dominent android of today is Android 14

I hated the gesture buttons integrated into the screen when there was that massive chin

Lollipop slapped back in the day. Still remains my favorite visual overhaul of android and I especially miss the stacked recents menu from android L. Samsung gives us the option to use a vertical stack with Goodlock now but that horizontal stack was elite!

Aaaaaw the HTC one m8 was my very first Android phone. Coming from an iPhone 5 I was so impressed with the differences 😊

Android lollipop really was a turning point for the OS. And then a few years ago A12 was another turning point.

I remender when i was 11/12 and had a LG Optimus L3 e400, someone ported android lollipop to it. Waited no time to install

Phones looked better back then! 🤩

Honestly... I feel old.. Hehe... I remember I was super excited to get a new phone when I saw the android 5 lollipop video.. God! I saved up and couldn't wait.. But android as come a long way honestly and android 15 truly feels futuristic and neat...

Interesting timeline we live in. Google keeps removing features from Android that were present a decade ago for the sake of "simplicity" And Apple is keeps adding more features

I thought lollipop was ugly 4.4.4 kitkat always my favorite

Remember when lollipop released it was so big overhaul that it looked like new os

Team XDA, please do a series about nostalgic & most popular devices that were also heavily supported by custom ROM developers. Sony xperia series Samsung S series ETC.,. I had Xperia L. And I had the most joyous experience of my life with that smartphone playing around with custom ROMs, Custom recoveries etc.. Gone are those days! Smartphones nowadays have become more capable, dependable & productive, but a big 0 for fun, uniqueness, quirks & features. I guess Motorola is the only one now, with those moto gestures, that adds some flavour /uniqueness!

Android 5 felt like the beginning of the future

I still remember the day rooting wouldn't void my warranty and prevent me from using dozens of useful apps.

Android KitKat till Android Pie looked quite professional. It started loosing that feel during and after Pie. Android 15 and recent versions look cartoonish, way too colourful and childish.

I miss the old silent mode switch with timers 😢

Time flies, At that time my Android couldn't update to Android 5, so I bought a new phone and felt how cool material design was

Android 5 is the best version for me because of recents drawer and flashlight button in quick settings

Android 4.4.4 the best 😎

First material ui android vs latest android

What my Google feed has spent the last like 10 or so years gathering all of my information. My Google discover page is filled with XDA 9:00 to 5:00 Android Android authority. Mine gives me exactly the information that I'm looking for and frequently informs me of the new stuff that's coming out. I cannot set up a phone and not have the discover page

Android 10 and below is the performance king, Android 11 and above is the toughest, performance suffers a lot.

I hope symbian was still around

This too much nostalgia 🥲

Seems insane that we have all of this powerful AI and this is what we get. Maybe these devs can start using it to come up with something exciting instead of a bunch of boring updates that take a year to release. Maybe Fucia will show its face soon and give us something to get excited about instead of giant Brain that lives on a server that will be able to be accessed by all phones, not just pixels. Thanks for a Real take on this. Seven years of updates dont sound so exciting when these current crop of "features" are ao uninspired.

Android KitKat was the GOAT (v4.4.4 being the best) Never had a more stable and reliable OS EVER! 😂🎉

Scrolling and stuttering is still BROKEN on Pixel android 15 beta 4....even a base galaxy s22 doesn't have these issues. When are they gonna fix their os? I don't even care about their terrible and blatantly ignorant lack of customization with a stuck on search bar and at a glance widget. 3rd party launchers are a gamble and always break gestures fluidity....ALWAYS!