Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Install Test Build of the Firmware on the Device [TUTORIAL]

Samsung Electronics is yet to announce Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA update for its Galaxy S5 but the test build of the new software for Sprint variant of the smartphone with model number SM-G900P has been leaked.

Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA update has been rolled out to several devices, including Google Nexus series, HTC One and others, but it is yet to come to Samsung devices - Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 4. However, it looks like Samsung is working hard to bring the firmware to its devices, as it has been spotted running on some devices.

Now, the test build of Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Sprint bound Samsung Galaxy S5 has been leaked to XDA developers community by one named Garwynn, who claimed that he had "tested calls, SMS and other functions" but not all of the sensors.

The post comes with a disclaimer that claims the test build of the software is only for Sprint Galaxy S5 and should be run at one's own risk. It added that issues could arrive when the firmware is installed as it is not the official OTA.

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OnePlus accelerates its own tweaked Android OS after Cyanogen inks exclusivity deal with rival in India

OnePlus has announced today that it will be advancing the development of its own tweaked build of Android Lollipop following Cyanogen’s decision to give Micromax exclusive rights to use the OS on its handsets in India.

In a blog post, the company said that the first build of its new OS would be available for Indian users of One handsets to try from sometime next month. As the devices are due to arrive from December 2 though, they will actually arrive running the current Cyanogen Mod OS initially.

“It is truly unfortunate that a commitment we both made to our Indian users will now not be upheld. The One will continue to be supported globally and receive frequent OTAs,” it said. “We can’t explain Cyanogen’s decision because we don’t fully understand it ourselves.”

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Five Android 5.0 Lollipop annoyances Google should fix immediately

The 5.0 release of Android, dubbed Lollipop, is the biggest thing to happen to Android in years—possibly ever. The design and features have been revamped, and attention to detail is evident throughout. However, even our beloved Google is not perfect, and that means there are some bugs and just plain odd decisions in Android 5.0. Let's check out five of the most annoying little quirks in Lollipop and see how they might be fixed.

The Power Menu

In Android 4.4 and earlier, the menu you got when holding the power menu had a few options including toggling airplane mode, ringer modes, and of course, turning the device off. Some manufacturers even added reboot commands and additional settings. In Android 5.0 Google has gone backward and this menu now only includes "Power Off."

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Android Circuit: Samsung Switches To Tizen, Nokia's Android Tablet, Lollipop Update Problems

Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including the return of Nokia to the consumer market with an Android tablet and launcher, Google aims Play at China, running Lollipop on a Nexus 7, the good and bad points of the Nexus 6, and how the iPhone will boost Samsung’s income.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven day (and you can read the weekly Apple news digest here).

Nokia Returns To The Consumer Market With An Android Tablet

Probably the biggest news in the mobile world this belonged to Nokia. Following the sale of its devices and services section to Microsoft, the Finnish company was left with three major departments (Mapping, Networking, and R&D). Which made the reveal of an Android powered tablet at this week’s Slush Conference all the more surprising.

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Complex Android malware believed to have infected up to 4.5M smartphones in the U.S.

As many as 4.5 million American Android smartphone users may have been fooled into somehow downloading a complex malicious program on their devices since January 2013, The New Yok Times reports, citing security company Lookout.

Called “NotCompatible,” the malware has reached its third version, which is even more sophisticated than predecessors — Lookout said about it that it “has set a new bar for mobile malware sophistication and operational complexity.”

In order to ultimately infect smartphones, hackers have used various techniques, such as infecting legitimate sites with malicious code that’s automatically downloaded when a user visits that site from an Android phone, or by sending spam messages that offer fake security patches or weight loss solutions.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop SMS Bug Affecting Some Nexus Phone Users

Another day and another Android 5.0 Lollipop bug. This time multiple users running the latest Android build on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 handsets are reporting a bug that is preventing them from sending SMS messages.

Notably, Google has now confirmed to a Dutch site (via Myce) that the SMS bug is also affecting the new Nexus 6 while a user has claimed that the new Moto X is also having problems with sending texts. The bug however is only reported to be affecting users on select carriers - Vodafone Netherlands, Vodafone India, and Mobistar (Belgium).

Reporting the bug on the Android Issue Tracker titled "Cannot send SMS Vodafone NL", Android 5.0 Lollipop users are claiming that the messages sent from an affected device never reach the recipient; though devices that are said to be affected by the bug can still receive messages.

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Android Auto is great, but automakers are holding it back

At the LA Auto Show this week, I spent time with a recent pre-release build of Android Auto using a Nexus 5 connected to a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. It's mostly the same as the version we were shown at Google I/O in June, apart from some minor refinements. For instance, the green, circular "a" logo that appears on the phone when it's jacked into the car now reads "Android Auto," and voice-based searches no longer cause a full-screen "listening" window to pop up — you just get a little pulsing "g" in the corner. The underlying concept, though, is unchanged: it's Material Design-infused Android for your dashboard, boiled down to the basics with copious use of speech output and voice recognition so that driver distraction is kept to a bare minimum. You're also locked out of using your actual phone when Android Auto is in use, another stab at limiting distraction by keeping eyes off screens and on the road.

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Galaxy S2 I9100 and Note N7000 Finally Taste Android 5.0 Lollipop via XDA Developers Custom ROMs

Galaxy S2 I9100 and Note N7000 users are in for a big surprise, as the industrious Android custom ROM developers have stepped up to the occasion with the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop ROMs for these devices.

Galaxy S2 I9100

The LollipopS2 team has unleashed the CodeRom Lollipop update, which is currently in its beta stage as developers are working hard to create a fully functional Lollipop custom ROM for the ageing Galaxy S2 I9100.

The CodeRom is currently capable of running the boot animation for Android 5.0 Lolliop, but no further than that.

CodeRom has been reportedly ported via AT&T AOSP ROM, which is also in beta development stage, and hence the LollipopS2 team has invited the Android community to help them in compiling the ROM and getting it to the final working state with all apps and UI in place.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Rolling Out to Google Nexus 5, Moto X (Gen 2), Moto G (Gen 2), and Others

Google on Wednesday, as expected, announced the Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA update for older Nexus devices (namely, the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013), andNexus 10). Following Google closely, Motorola also officially announced the OTA rollout of the latest Android update for its second-generation Moto G and Moto Xsmartphones.

The search engine giant in a tweet confirmed the rollout; though the company has still has not revealed an exact time frame for the availability and says, "Will soon be available on most Nexus devices."

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16 Essential Tips And Tricks for Android 5.0 Lollipop

If you’re preparing yourself for your Android Lollipop update, or you’re just getting to grips with the OS on your new tablet or smartphone, there might be a few things you’re still unsure about. The new Google OS has a host of new features that add to, and improve, previous versions – but they might not be immediately obvious So to help you along, I’ve rounded up the best tips and tricks for Android 5.0 Lollipop. Here are my top 16 tips and tricks.

Turn off lock-screen notifications

Android Lollipop helpfully now gives you notifications on your lock screen – you can even action them without unlocking the device. But notifications flashing up on the home screen does present a privacy issue, because not everyone wants their personal texts and emails visible to whoever wakes the device. To turn this off, go to Settings > Sound & Notification > When Device is Locked and select “don’t show notifications at all”.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA Update Starts Rolling Out to Moto G (Gen 2): Report

Motorola has reportedly started rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the unlocked version of the Moto G (Gen 2).

Ars Technica reports the update has started rolling out to some unlocked devices in the US, and is 386.7MB in size. 

With the reported rollout, the smartphone becomes the first device to receive the update, and in fact, is ahead of Google's own Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013), andNexus 10 devices.

The Lenovo-owned company has also posted the changelog for the update. Motorolasays users will either receive a notification for the OTA update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, and that users can also check manually for the update by visiting Settings>About phone>System updates. With either method, users will have to then select 'Yes, I'm in', to authorise the download of the update, and then click 'Install now'.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop: When can I download it for my device?

Google launched its latest mobile operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop, alongside the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 this month.

The code for the software has already been distributed to the likes of Samsung, Sony and HTC, so it could soon be winging its way to a smart device near you.

With this in mind, we have brought you everything we know so far about Android 5.0's rollout schedule.

Older Nexus devices

Google's own-brand Nexus devices are always among the first to receive the latest software updates, and the web giant has confirmed that the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 will be given a lick of Lollipop "within weeks".

However, the rollout to the Nexus 5 is believed to be behind schedule due to a bug that is causing rapid battery drain on the previous-generation handset.

Google discovered the bug in a developer preview build of Android 5.0, but is yet to officially confirm that it is behind the apparent delays or offer a more specific launch date for the upgrade.

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Android Circuit: Galaxy S6 Details, Lollipop's Slow Rollout, Nokia's Android Ambitions

Taking a look back at the week in news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including the Samsung Galaxy S6 leak, reviews of the Nexus 9, will Nokia return with an Android handset, Android Lollipop is available (and needs a bug fix for the power used), the Droid Turbo examined, Xiaomi’s profits, and looking like an iPhone.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android over the last seven day (and you can read the weekly Apple news digest here).

Details On The Samsung Galaxy S6 Escape

As sure as night follows day, Samsung is working on the next numerical Galaxy S model. The Galaxy S6 is expected to be announced during Q1 of 2015 (potentially around the time of the 2015 Mobile World Congress) with availability very early in Q2 2015. Gordon Kelly looks at the details starting to come out on Samsung’s potential new flagship:

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Android 5.0 Lollipop Rollout Delayed - This Bug Might Be the Reason

Multiple Nexus 5 owners running the latest Developer Preview version of Android 5.0 Lollipop have reported a battery draining bug while on Wi-Fi, and this is thought to be the reason for the delayed roll-out of the Lollipop factory images and OTA updates for older Nexus devices.

Reporting the bug on the Android-Developer Preview site, Nexus 5 users say the battery level drops steadily when Wi-Fi is switched on.

Notably, the Android 5.0 Lollipop global roll-out was delayed till November 12 due to some 'outstanding bugs', a report suggested on Wednesday. The Nexus 5's battery drain Wi-Fi bug could be the reported 'outstanding bug' that caused the roll-out of the latest version to be delayed.

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Top Android news of the week: Motorola is Lenovo, hot Nexus 6, Android in McDonald's

Lenovo closes the deal to buy Motorola from Google

Lenovo has absorbed Motorola with the closing of its $2.91bn purchase from Google of the Android phone maker. In a statement from the president of Motorola, the company will continue operations from its HQ in Chicago, and operate as a subsidiary of Lenovo.

Google retains ownership of Motorola's vast portfolio of patents, which are licensed to Lenovo as part of the deal.

Nexus 6 sells out in minutes

The latest flagship phone from Google went on sale this week and sold out of existing inventory in just a few minutes. While no details were given on how many phones that involved, it's still impressive that the Nexus 6 sold out so quickly.

It's important to note that the sell-out was of the $649 unlocked version sold by Google, and not carrier-subsidized versions of the phone.

The Nexus 6 is made for Google by Motorola, making it the first Lenovo Nexus phone due to the acquisition of Motorola by Lenovo.

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