The rollout of Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone is delayed, and it seems that the Gear VR, the virtual reality headset that is the product of the collboration between Samsung and Oculus, is the one to blame.
Companies have been working to push Android 5.0 Lollipop out onto their Android-based devices ever since Google released the operating system's latest version. While manufacturers have promised to roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop quickly, several companies, including Samsung, have not been able to do so. The upgrade from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop is a significant one, and so manufacturers have needed more time to port their devices to the new operating system.
On Feb. 1, HTC was the first smartphone manufacturer to announce that they will be missing the 90-day deadline to release Android 5.0 Lollipop to users of their devices. While several regional versions and variants of their flagship One M8 smartphone are now running on the new Android, not all HTC devices will be doing so as the company previously said. Over the next few days, more manufacturers will surely be saying the same things.
Samsung, being the biggest manufacturer in the world of Android devices, is in the spotlight for when the company will employ Android 5.0 Lollipop for its long line of devices, especially for its current flagship device Galaxy Note 4.
It has barely been a couple of months since the device's release, but Samsung has not yet rolled out Android 5.0 Lollipop for its latest device. According to a tweet by Faryaab Sheikh from Sammobile, the reason for the delay should be blamed on Samsung's Gear VR headset.
The reason why the Note 4 has not yet received the Lollipop update is that the folks over at Oculus are busy tweaking the kernel for G VR.
— Faryaab Sheikh (@Faryaab) January 29, 2015
The Gear VR headset needs to be paired up with the Galaxy Note 4, which acts as the headset's display. The virtual reality headset utilizes the built-in sensors of the smartphone.
Tweaking needs to be made on the kernel of the Galaxy Note 4 to make sure that it will run smoothly with the Gear VR headset after the device's upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop. As Oculus continues to make the adjustments, Samsung has no choice but to wait until the tweaks are finished.
Owners of the Galaxy Note 4, however, will understandably be disgruntled upon learning of the delay, especially since Android 5.0 Lollipop has already been rolled out to the older Galaxy Note 3.
No details have been released regarding when Android 5.0 Lollipop will be rolled out for the Galaxy Note 4. However, speculations suggest that the launch should be within February or in March.
