Small, but Handy Improvements in Android 5.1 Lollipop
Android has rocked the smartphone world with the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop last year. The new version of the operating system – much anticipated by the Android community – has brought changes to the way our smartphones look and work, has made them more secure and easier to use, and has added new features that can make our lives easier. Although not even 5.0 has been rolled out to the majority of phones and tablets (thanks to the multitude of customization manufacturers do beforehand), Google has already released the Android 5.1 update, with even more cool new features crammed into it.
Some of the improvements in the new Android version make the phone more user friendly. For example, it has introduced a new Quick Settings drawer that users can access by swiping down from the top of the screen even when the phone is locked and protected with a PIN code. This drawer can be used to turn WiFi and Bluetooth on and off, launch the flashlight or even adjust the phone’s brightness without the need to unlock the phone. The drawer’s icons can be customized, too – functions that you don’t use can be eliminated quickly from it with just a long press on them.
Another new feature introduced with Android 5.1 is its support for HD voice calls and native support for dual-SIM. The HD voice calls will only work on compatible devices (the only one Google has mentioned in its presentation is the Nexus 6 at this time) and carriers (T-Mobile and Verizon are mentioned in the post, but more of them are surely supported). If your phone, carrier and signal strength allow it, you can now hear the caller crystal clear. As for dual SIM, Google clearly recognizes the need for users in emerging markets and those traveling a lot to use two SIM cards at once. The dialer will now offer users the possibility to select which SIM card they wish to use, and will be color coded to let users know which card is currently in use. Useful for those traveling abroad with a local and a home SIM card in their phone.
Perhaps the smallest, but most handy new feature in Android 5.1 is the possibility to temporarily dismiss notifications. Since Android 5.0 fresh notifications appear on the top of the screen, giving users the chance to interact with them, dismiss them or simply wait until they disappear without being distracted from their work/reading/games at the royal vegas canadian online casino http://ca.royalvegascasino.com/. Now the same notifications can be made gone with a simple swipe up, so users can quickly put them away for dealing with them later.
