Android Lollipop OS update for T-Mobile LG G3 technically approved, rollout imminent

Users of LG's G3 smartphones, who have subscribed to T-Mobile's wireless network services in the US, now have lots to cheer about as the highly expected Android 5.0 (Lollipop) OS update is now confirmed to hit the high-end smartphones in the very near future.

Announcing this development via Twitter, T-Mobile's product manager Des Smith states that the Lollipop update has obtained the necessary approvals, in order to be released on T-Mobile-driven LG G3 handsets.

This means that Lollipop should hit T-Mobile's LG G3 users in the US very shortly.

Users are advised to check their smartphones regularly for the new over-the-air (OTA) notifications representing Android Lollipop, and also let us know about the OS update's rollout status.

Currently, T-Mobile-driven LG G3 smartphones run the outdated Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) operating system, and thus updating to the latest Android Lollipop OS update should do LG G3 smartphones a world of good in terms of new features/functionality.

Enhancements to look out for in Android Lollipop for T-Mobile-driven LG G3

• Material Design User Interface (UI): The new material design offers complex animations and 3-D views, 64-bit ABI support and improved runtime.

• Home Touch Buttons: Home Screen Navigation buttons are now changed/improved to offer more intuitiveness and ease of operation.

• Lockscreen and Notifications: Notifications can appear on the Lock Screen based on user settings, with the first two notifications being displayed if configured accordingly. Swiping away a notification while on the lockscreen will display the next Notification without the user having to unlock the device.

• Hiding Notifications: This feature can be configured via the Settings menu to 'Show all notifications', 'Hide sensitive only' or 'Hide all notifications' so that Notifications on the Lock Screen can be fully displayed, selectively displayed or not displayed at all.

• Smart Lock: Provides a simpler way to unlock the device by using face recognition.

• Floating Action Buttons: The floating action button is added in some of the main applications to promote key actions such as adding or composing a new item. Floating Action Buttons can be found in the Clock, Contacts, Email, Messaging, and Music applications.

• LG Health: T-Mobile LG G3 users can also check for the new LG Health and Fitness application with user goal indicated inside a custom UI in the main window, to motivate users to achieve their goals. The distance view functionality is also said to be newly added.

• Screen Pinning: The Screen Pinning feature can be found in the Recent app. Screen pinning locks the device to a single app, preventing the device from launching other apps until it is unpinned by the user.

How to manually search and download the Android 5.0 OS update:

Google's Lollipop OS update is generally available via automatic OTA notifications, but T-Mobile-driven LG G3 users can follow the steps mentioned below to manually search and download the Android Lollipop OS update:

• From the Home Screen, tap the Menu Key and navigate to Settings > About Phone > Software updates > Check for Updates and follow onscreen instructions.