Lollipop on Samsung Alpha, S5 Mini, S4, Note 3 & Note 4

[Chris_K]

As I've been asked in different threads around the status of Lollipop for these devices I tought it'd be best to keep everything in the one spot for all members to find easily and to get the latest status on these.

Note 3 & 4
We're currently in posession of the latest Lollipop update for the Note 3 & Note 4 and are extensively testing these to ensure our customers have the best possible experience with it.

S5
We're in receipt of a small maintenance update for the S5 that returns the mute button that many have been asking for. This has now been fully tested and approved by us and returned to Samsung to be scheduled for release. At present we hope for an early-to-mid April push.

S4 (info below added 3rd April)
We've now approved Lollipop for the S4 i9505 model. We are also in receipt of the update for the S4 i9515 model which we'll be looking to begin testing next week, so we're hoping both these S4 updates will come out around the same sort of time, over the next few weeks...

S5 Mini & Alpha
At present we are not aware of Samsungs current plans to bring Lollipop to these devices. That's of course not to say it won't happen - it will, but we've not been given any ETA's for UK versions. We'll be sure to keep everyone updated as and when that info changes - i'll be updating this thread and adding new replies as and when, so please subscribe to this thread if you want updates on this.

18th March Update

Hi all. Our apologies for the lack of updates but we wanted to update you on the current state of play.

What’s with the ‘delay’?
We want to emphasise that both we and Samsung strive for all updates to have the best possible user experience. If you remember back to the recent S5 Lollipop update, unfortunately a small number of customers had a negative experience and that’s not something either of us want for our customers. That being said, our tests for these new updates are extensive and thorough – if Samsung aren’t happy with results, they may delay the update and look to send us a new one. If we’re not happy with it, we will update Samsung on our results and may look for a fix.

O2 'Extras'
This isn’t just about O2 splash screens or O2 apps – implementing those changes takes very little time or effort and certainly doesn’t delay updates. The majority of time these updates are with us are on user experience testing and to monitor for any issues the software may have with our network – eg, switching 4G on/off, network interface issues etc.

What now?
We currently have the latest Lollipop updates from Samsung for the Note 3 and Note 4. We’re also testing a maintenance release for the S5 that will return the mute button many of you have been asking for (the mute button will also be there for the Note 3 & 4). We would love to say these updates will be available in ‘x’ days/weeks but the reality is, we can never be certain. Unforeseen issues can happen and that may impact a release date – whether it’s Samsung who spot an issue or us. All we can promise is that we’re doing all we can to ensure you have a positive experience with the update.

27th March Update
Good news, today we've officially approved the S5 maintenance release and have sent the approved update to Samsung. Providing they don't encounter any unforseen issues with this update, we estimate and hope this should start pushing out to customers within the next week or two - so early/mid April.

If we become aware of any issues or delays with this M/R, i'll keep you updated

30th March Update
Indeed - some fresh news this morning to share with our Note 3 and Note 4 users - the latest Lollipop update has now been approved on our end and returned to Samsung to schedule for release. Providing no unforeseen issues are encountered, we're hoping you should see this update start pushing out over the next week or two, though it could be a bit sooner... If we get a date or closer estimate (or any delays), we'll keep you posted.

S5 users - the maintenance release is currently scheduled to push out tomorrow but I must stress that release dates for software are not like release dates for movies... They can shift, change, skew, delay (more often at least anyway)... Things are looking good though so eyes peeled!

3rd April Update

We've now approved Lollipop for the S4 i9505 model. We are also in receipt of the update for the S4 i9515 model which we'll be looking to begin testing next week, so we're hoping both these S4 updates will come out around the same sort of time, over the next few weeks... April's looking like a hot month for Samsung updates!

7th April Update
Some good news - and hopefully the news the majority of you have been looking forward to... The Lollipop is now out for Note 3 & S4 (i9505) users. If you're not seeing the update available, try checking for updates manually and failing that, try updating via USB cable / KIES.

Note 4? We're hoping for this to go live towards the end of this week.

8th May Update
Hey folks, new information straight from my inbox... Hopefully the news some of you were after.

S4 i9195 - The new update should be going live from today, if not already. Remember if you don't see this available right away as an OTA update, to consider trying via KIES or to wait a few days for it to saturate.

A3, A5 & Alpha - It's coming... We expect to receive this soon and will be testing this over the next couple of weeks with the hope if the update being available towards the end of the month providing there are no complications or delays... I'll keep you updated.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I feel I need to point this out, as somebody that has had Lollipop 5.0.1 on my o2 Note 4 for a week.

It's not that different at all, touchwiz although less invasive these days still dominates the look, you can barely tell Lollipop is on at all.

Importantly you lose the ability to make your phone go to loud, vibrate or silent by holding the power button down for a second.

Battery life is down, the handset can get hot, games don't perform as well if you've been using the device for a while.  To improve things you can enter recovery mode to delete cache, but it doesn't fix things.  Ideally you need to do a master reset, as it's a significant enough update that upgrading and keeping all your files, messages etc on it can carry across legacy issues.  A master reset would be ideal and I suspect many people will have to end up doing that (if they are aware that it's even an option and I suspect most won't).

Be careful what you wish for...

Still, it's nice having a warm pocket in this cold climate!

Steve

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No different?

I don't think you know what is actually changing / changed with L!

If you did, I don't think you would be commenting 'no different at all'. This change is a major difference under the hood with reference to it's runtime.

- ART is now replacing dalvik completely with L (to my knowledge), which is a massive step forward for Android performance. It's just the beginning. If you don't know about it, go and research it.

- Aesthetically, Note 3 is not currently rocking the 'S5' style touchwiz, which it will get with this update (Yes, Please Samsung!). Note 4 was not subject to the old style UI, thus you would not have noticed such a difference compared to a change in the UI for the Note 3.

- Battery life is not down, phone does not get hot - if you are having issues - backup and reset your device. Just one of the things which users should do with updates anyway.

'Importantly you lose the ability' to shortcut to silence with a button..

Not really important is it.. there's soft keys for this. - And many would argue the Dalvik replacment is of much higher importance. And is what makes this update of such interest.

'Be careful what you wish for?' I'm wondering what you wished for - as there's nothing wrong with this update unless you don't know what is in it.

ART is a major step forward. Update UI is very much desired. Android 5 with Knox.. Ta Very Much!

[Anonymous]

I'm fully aware of the changelog and how art is different to touchwiz, i'm talking about actual end user experience using lollipop, not hypotheticals.  Currently the xposed framework doesn't work with samsung lollipop too, which is another reason to hold off, rovo is aware of the bootloop it causes though and is working on it, it will just take time.   Android runtime is pretty much the main reason for upgrading due it's advertised perfomance increase, but a regular joe upgrading will in all likelihood not see this performance increase and will not know to reset their device to sort.  Note users have a greater chance of knowing but still the percentage would be low.  Look on xda-developers to see the swathes of people downgrading.

The principle complaint for people on lollipop is losing the ability to easily and conveniently enable silent, i didn't think it would bother me either until I upgraded, the 5.1 changelog addresses this but that is months off.

On the note 4 once upgraded the heart monitor on the back lights up all the time when put on a surface or when a finger is on it, you have to uninstall google fit to stop that.  It's a bright red light that luminates your pocket and decreases battery life.  People have found the talkback service has to be stopped too to help with battery, again it's not an obvious thing to do so most people wouldn't even if they did play around with services on their device.

Lots of people are going back due to battery issues too, i'm definitely sure a reset will help, which I have to do, I shouldn't have to and that's a shame.  90% of the population will end up living with it, just hoping 5.0.2 or 5.1 resolve it, when that's not really the right solution.

Bottom line is that if you want a good lollipop experience, you have to work for it.

[Anonymous]

"I'm fully aware of the changelog and how art is different to touchwiz"

- I would wonder - To help clarify. TouchWiz is not a runtime. ART and dalvik are the different runtimes here. Not ART and touchwiz

" i'm talking about actual end user experience using lollipop, not hypotheticals"

- As am I. I guess you missed that in my post there were no 'hypotheticals'

"Currently the xposed framework doesn't work with samsung lollipop too, which is another reason to hold off, rovo is aware of the bootloop it causes though and is working on it, it will just take time."

- There is freqeunt reference back to general end-users (we will classify this as those who do not root, install custom recoverys or ROMs and use that which comes with the phone). So will refer from this stand point.

- Xposed framework may not work, not good news for Xposed fans, but very off topic. Remember, we are discussing O2 being slow at getting their Note 3 update out.

Are you suggesting O2 should be using this as a reason to NOT roll out their L update?

"but a regular joe upgrading will in all likelihood not see this performance increase and will not know to reset their device to sort." - With ART there is no choice but to have improved performance.

Should users have an issue with performance after an upgrade, it is up to the end-user (as it would be with any issue their device irrespective of this upgrade) to contact support themselves - as just what we are now doing (bugging O2 to establish what is going on)

"Lots of people are going back due to battery issues too, i'm definitely sure a reset will help, which I have to do, I shouldn't have to and that's a shame.  90% of the population will end up living with it, just hoping 5.0.2 or 5.1 resolve it, when that's not really the right solution."

Again, should users have an issue with performance, they can contact support.

When chaning the from dalvik to ART, there is going to be issues. General users with lower IT competency than others will 'probably' not be interested in this change under the hood at all (I would guess) and glaze over when trying to explain what ART is...

...But we cannot escape this change is happening as part of development of Android. If users choose to skip the update now, there is no garantee the same issues will not be there if it is linked to ART -> Dalvik transition even if users hold off to 5.0.X or 5.X or even 6 (whenver that is) (without a reset of a device or other).

One would question whether getting the word out about ART and how it will affect users of the less 'IT Savvy' nature is a job bigger that even google or samsug could get right. 

'Bottom Line' -  It is O2's job to roll out the updates (it's the end users choice how they wish to proceed). The update isn't manadatory (as far as I am ware). And there are a lot of users calling for it's roll out from O2 as they are being slack again...

... so, unfortunately, I think you've missed this point - and the point of the posts entirely. Being that:

- O2 stated they would keep users informed via this medium. O2 haven't. Other carriers haven't been slow to respond to updates. O2 have.

- Users, again, frustrated at O2's slow response times updating to existing devices with no other updates.

-- Speculation here: possibly due to poor relationship management with companies such as Samsung

These 2 points are the issues here, not what and how the end user will get on with it. The roll out is the issue (or lack of). Individual uses are not.

[Anonymous]

oops, i obviously meant dalvik

no my post was about calming people down from being so eager for a release that isn't actually that impressive, and will introduce problems/work to resolve, old phone touchwiz aside which I agree would help the note 3 and s4.

Yes on a clean fresh lollipop image of course art will be better, but an ota update the phone for many if not most is slower and hotter. I'm sure the issue here isn't due to art, but from simply upgrading like most people will and other factors.  It's a shame that to resolve this means essentially wiping the phone, and a large percentage will not complain/seek support etc so will live with a now slow phone, rightly or wrongly.

My guess, and only a guess is when a phone pops up announcing an update offering fixes and improvements that most people will press the yes button.  I think holding off for 5.1 would be best but can't forsee that happening when it comes down to it.

Yes it's embarassing for o2, I think we've both mentioned that here on this thread.  My only intention is to point out that android 5.0.1 is not the messiah.  It can be great, but there's a bit of inconvenience there that some won't even know has to be done.

It would be nice to see what t-mobile usa announced 3 days ago to happen at o2 too.  A central dedicated software updates page, to keep everyone informed of the status.  I think it would be quite popular.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everyone about O2 being poor to answer user queries. Other networks are giving out rough deadlines, and even if the end of March is the goal, then that's not good enough for a product that went out to soak test at the start of the month.

However, if o2 are about to be sold then they've probably got more pressing matters than releasing a software update for a phone with no major issues. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if they hold on to the release and only let it out of the bag when the details of the sale are finalised. After all what's the point of releasing if they rebrand later. But that's just a conspiracy theory and I don't actually know any thing.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for clarifying, cloud1. Reading through users posts, I do not think anyone is claiming L update to be a 'messiah' - very much anticipated though, yes.

What we are mentioning is that they feel the customer service is poor given the competitors pro-activeness and are wanting answers from O2. Which is completely reasonable. As you state - it is embarassign for O2 - which is a shame. I've been with them almost 10 years, but finding it harder to justify reasons stay aside from 'Refresh' contracts.

Yes, some people may not contact support - but again, that's up to them to do this or not. 

Whether an update is 'impressive' or not, is subjective. You clearly are not impressed and that's fine. This Note 3 user, however (and I would speculate others) is looking forward to the new UI and is currently impressed with in the S5 new Touchwiz UI (Note 3 Touchwiz is still older version - the older stylisation than was released on the Note 4).

Artindoril, that's a very fair point - it would be a shame if they held back due to the potential takeover. 

Another week has gone by, without anymore info from O2. Quite sad really, maybe it is time to change carrier.

[Anonymous]

Agree with Cam27 above on all points. I've had an account with 02 even before the rebranding from BT Cellnet!

To add to Cam27, T-Mobile have a software update page @ https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/software-updates https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/software-updates

That would help if O2 had a similar section setup, or is there one already I dont know about that someone could share the link to?

[Anonymous]

Have been with them a similar time, since 95 with genie and bt cellnet, I remember the dixons salesman stealing my nokia 8810 when upgrading to an 8850.  

They don't have anything similar other than forum threads posted due to the same questions occurring frequently.

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Agree with Cam27 above on all points. I've had an account with 02 even before the rebranding from BT Cellnet!

@Anonymous add to Cam27, T-Mobile have a software update page @ https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/software-updates https://support.t-mobile.com/community/phones-tablets-devices/software-updates

That would help if O2 had a similar section setup, or is there one already I dont know about that someone could share the link to?

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Not sure if we have a software update page I have never seen one. I will ask our senior members @MI5 or @jonsie if they have any more info. I will also ask if they think we maybe should have a similar set up here?

Edit: Having said that...I would say this thread IS dedicated to a software update?

[MI5]

There's nothing I know of from O2 but all the Manufacturers have their own software pages by device.