Android 5.0 Lollipop Review: Google Makes Sweet Changes To Operating System

Google has finally settled some questions that have been lingering since the search giant held its I/O developers' conference last June.

One of the questions was: Will the company's latest Android creation be named "Android Liquorice" or "Android Lemon Meringue Pie"? The answer turned out to be neither as Google execs decided to call their new operating system as "Android Lollipop."

Here's a review of the Lollipop and its new features.

Cute names have always been a staple for Android, so Android Lollipop doesn't come as a surprise. However, the cute name belies the power behind this Android, as it always had in its previous lives.

For one thing, there's the "Android Beam" that can be found in the "Sharing" menu of Google's latest smartphones. Android Beam is an NFC sharing protocol that allows two devices very near each other to transmit data as quick and as efficient as possible.

There's also the very interestingly named feature, "Project Volta." Apparently named after the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta who invented the battery in 1800s, Project Volta shows which apps are draining the battery fast, as well as predicts how long the phone is going to enjoy being powered on.

Google also made changes on the soft keys. At the left side of a Google smartphone is a stylized arrow pointing to the left (much like what the old "reverse" or "rewind" arrows used to look like in the old video players). The center soft key, or "home" is now a circle. To the right, you'll see a new soft key—a square—which is for multi-tasking.

Finally, with Android Lollipop, Notifications have been changed to look like the card-based (stacked) system of "Google Now." You'll be able to immediately see the notifications, and tapping on them will lead you to the issue you're being notified about. All you have to do is to unlock the phone if the security lock is on.

Best of all, if you don't need to see what the notification is all about, you can just swipe it off your screen.