Newsletter
Samsung’s first popular metal-chassis device, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, was something of an odd choice for consumers. Yes, it was beautifully made and yes, it used a cutting edge, 20nm Exynos screen. It was also very thin too but in other respects the device was somewhat limited, especially when it came to the battery capacity: one could say that if Samsung were to out-iPhone the iPhone, that would be the Galaxy Alpha. The Alpha was followed by three A-series devices, the Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and A7, named in ascending screen size order. For those customers using a Galaxy A device, especially those who have been patiently waiting for Samsung to release Android 5.0 Lollipop, there has finally been some signs that Samsung hasn’t forgotten its range of A-series metal handsets.
In April, some Russian Galaxy A3 devices started receiving the update to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop as a soak test. There had also been rumors that Samsung were preparing the update for the larger A5 and A7 devices to be out at some point in June. And now UK network Three have responded to a customer’s information request about Android Lollipop by replying that the software update to the Galaxy A3 should be out later this month. As it is already two thirds of the way through May, this gives Three and Samsung UK a little over a week to get the update prepared and out to customers. All credit to Three if the update is out this month but if not, it seems that the rumors of a June release for Lollipop were spot on the money.
Android 5.0 Lollipop brings with it a number of new features and benefits including revisions and enhancements to the lock screen and notification shade. Google have also improved performance by switching to a different way of handling applications, whereby they should be quicker to launch and switch between, which is good news for those who like to move from a number of applications on the device. To further help in this respect, there’s a revised application switched view. Google have also improved power and battery management with a new network scheduler, which with the right application can more efficiently manage an Internet connection so as to keep the device asleep for longer and so preserve battery life. The final improvement to Android 5.0 Lollipop is the adoption of 64-bit support, which is pertinent to the three A-series devices as these all use a 64-bit processor, either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 for the A3 and A5 or a Samsung Exynos processor for the Galaxy A7.
As mentioned already, whilst Three have reported that the update should be rolling by the end of the month, sometimes software updates take longer than originally envisaged and release schedules can slip. Nevertheless, it looks as though customers with the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 models will be receiving their tasty update to Android Lollipop in the next few weeks.