Android 2.0, Eclair
Android 2.2, Froyo
Android 2.3, Gingerbread
Android 3.0, Honeycomb
Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
Android 4.1, Jelly Bean
Android 4.4, KitKat
Android 5.0, Lollipop A sweet new take on Android
Material Design
New ways to control when and how you receive messages - only get interrupted when you want to be
Battery
Power for the long haul
Security
Device Sharing
New Quick Settings
Connectivity
A better internet connection everywhere and more powerful Bluetooth low energy capabilities
Improved network handoffs resulting in limited interruption in connectivity. For example, continue your video chat or VoIP calls without interruption as you
leave the house and switch from your home Wi-Fi back to cellular
Improved network selection logic so that your device connects only if there is a verified internet connection on Wi-Fi
Power-efficient scanning for nearby Bluetooth low energy (“BLE”) devices like wearables or beacons
Runtime and Performance
A faster, smoother and more powerful computing experience
ART, an entirely new Android runtime, improves application performance and responsiveness
Up to 4x performance improvements
Smoother UI for complex, visually rich applications
Compacting backgrounded apps and services so you can do more at once
Support for 64 bit devices, like the Nexus 9, brings desktop class CPUs to Android
Support for 64-bit SoCs using ARM, x86, and MIPS-based cores
Shipping 64-bit native apps like Chrome, Gmail, Calendar, Google Play Music, and more
Pure Java language apps run as 64-bit apps automatically
Media
Bolder graphics and improved audio, video, and camera capabilities
Lower latency audio input ensuring that music and communication applications that have strict delay requirements provide an amazing realtime experience
Multi-channel audio stream mixing means professional audio applications can now mix up to eight channels including 5.1 and 7.1 channels
USB Audio support means you can plug USB microphones, speakers, and a myriad of other USB audio devices like amplifiers and mixers into your Android device
OpenGL ES 3.1 and Android extension pack brings Android to the forefront of mobile graphics putting it on par with desktop and console class performance
A range of new professional photography features for Android Lollipop that let you
Capture full resolution frames around 30 fps
Support raw formats like YUV and Bayer RAW
Control capture settings for the sensor, lens, and flash per individual frame
Capture metadata like noise models and optical information
State of the art video technology with support for HEVC to allow for UHD 4K video playback, tunneled video for high quality video playback on Android TV and
improved HLS support for streaming
OK Google
Android TV
Support for living room devices
Accessibility
15 new language additions: Basque, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese (Hong Kong), Galician, Icelandic, Kannada, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu
Device set up
Easier sharing with other devices.
