Android Lollipop
Android 5.0 Lollipop will roll out to handsets over the coming months Google

Finally revealed in full this month, Android 5.0 Lollipop is Google's latest mobile operating system for smartphones and tablets, boasting a visual overhaul and a range of new features to give your handset a breath of fresh air.

However, unlike updates from the likes of Apple, Android Lollipop will not be released to everyone at once. Instead it's down to the manufacturers to each upgrade their customers' products with over-the-air software updates. Here's our guide to help explain when Android 5 will be available, and which phones will get it.

Google

This is the easy one. Google's Nexus devices will be the first to get the Android 5.0 update. Although the company hasn't given a specific release date for the new Android 5-running Nexus 6, it has said the phone, produced by Motorola, will be available for pre-order from 29 October, before arriving in November.

As for the new Nexus 9 tablet, also running Android 5.0 and manufactured by HTC, it is already available for pre-order from Google's online Play Store and will arrive on 3 November.

Older Google handsets will also get some Lollipop love, with the update coming to the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones, as well as the Nexus 7 and 10 tablets. Google hasn't given a specific date for the Android 5 rollout, but we expect to see it arrive on these older devices in November.

Sony

In a company blog post Sony has published a clear and comprehensive list of every Xperia handset and tablet that will get the Android Lollipop update, and this includes the entire flagship Z range.

Here's the full list:

  • Xperia Z
  • Xperia ZL
  • Xperia ZR
  • Xperia Tablet Z
  • Xperia Z1
  • Xperia Z1S
  • Xperia Z Ultra
  • Xperia Z1 Compact
  • Xperia Z2
  • Xperia Z2 Tablet
  • Xperia Z3
  • Xperia Z3v
  • Xperia Z3 Compact
  • Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

Sony says its Z Ultra Google Play Edition will be the first out of the blocks, followed by the Z2 and new Z3 ranges in "early 2015".

HTC

Eager to get the update out to users as quickly as possible, HTC has said Android 5.0 will come to the One (M8) and One (M7) "within 90 days" of it receiving the final version of Lollipop from Google. This points towards a January or February timeframe, and HTC says other members of the One family (like the One mini, mini 2 and One Max) will follow suit.

Given that the recently-announced Desire Eye is due in November, we expect this to be one of the first HTC handsets to get Android 5.0.

  • UPDATE (3 November) - HTC has now received Lollipop code from Google and will begin work on updating its software for the One (M7) and (M8). The updates will be available within 90 days, so expect it to arrive on your phone in late January or early February.

Motorola

In a blog post Motorola has outlined its plans for rolling out the Android 5 update to most of its recent handsets, which include:

  • Moto X (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.)
  • Moto G (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.)
  • Moto G with 4G LTE
  • Moto E
  • Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini

Motorola hasn't said when it expects the update process to begin, but given the Moto range run a version of Android very similar to Google's Nexus phones, there shouldn't be too much work to do; we expect Lollipop to arrive on these handsets in the next couple of months.

Keep an eye on Motorola's software updates page for more information.

  • UPDATE (12 November) - Some 2014 Moto G users have reported the update to Lollipop has appeared on their handsets already. This follows the news that some users of this year's Moto X have also received the update. It looks like Motorola is currently performing a 'soak test' where only a small number of users will get the update, but this is a sure fire sign that a wider roll-out is imminent.

Samsung

Samsung hasn't said when its devices will see the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, but an educated guess would suggest the Galaxy Note 4 and Galax Alpha, which launched just before Google took the covers off Android 5, will get the update very soon.

It is also likely that the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 will see the same treatment, while mid-range handsets like the Galaxy S5 Mini, S4 and S4 Mini should get Android 5.0, but owners of these might have to wait a while longer than the newer models.

As for Samsung's huge and confusing tablet range, we'd say the Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 are likely candidates for the update, as is the Note Pro range and the most recent generation of Galaxy Tabs.

LG

  • UPDATE (12 November) - LG has confirmed that the G3 will be updated to Lollipop, starting the week beginning 17 November in Poland, before spreading to other key markets in "the near future," while an update schedule for other handsets will be announced at a later date.

OnePlus

Although OnePlus's only smartphone, the One, is still hard to get hold of due to its unique invitation-to-buy system, the company has confirmed that it will be getting the Android 5 treatment ‒ and it should arrive within the next three months.

In a forum post, the company said: "We're keen to announce that the OnePlus One will indeed be getting the L treatment. When, you ask? That depends on Google. We promise to have it done within three months of their releasing a final build."

Huawei

Not known for its speedy software updates, Huawei is yet to announce its plans regarding Android 5. We suspect the flagship Ascend P7, which launched with Android 4.4 earlier this year, will see the jump to Lollipop, but nonetheless we've asked the Chinese company for clarification.

As you can see, there are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to the manufacturers getting Android 5 onto their handsets; we'll be updating this post when we hear more.

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