In a move that brings Android Lollipop to its mid-range devices, Samsung has kicked off Android Lollipop updates to the Galaxy Tab 4 10.1.
The Korean electronics manufacturer wants us to know that it is serious about getting all its devices upgraded with the latest software. Now that its flagship smartphones and tablets are running on some form of Android Lollipop, Samsung is turning its attention to its lesser known tablets.
SamMobile, which first reported the news, says Samsung is rolling out the update for the tablet's Wi-Fi version in Spain first while the LTE version will see the first updates in the Nordic countries.
Users in these areas receiving the upgrade will soon have their tablets made over in the new Material Design visual style and will have access to new features that other users who have upgraded to Android Lollipop are already enjoying, such as the lockscreen notifications, a battery saving mode, the new ART runtime for better performance and responsiveness, and more.
The update to Android Lollipop for both the Wi-Fi and LTE versions will have build number XXU1BOD8 and is based on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. Users can wait for the over-the-air updates to upgrade their devices automatically, or they can go to Samsung Kies on their desktops to get the update.
Those who are more technologically savvy can go to SamMobile's database to download the firmware for the Wi-Fi version and push the Android Lollipop update to their tablets manually. As of press time, SamMobile does not have the firmware for the LTE version yet.
It is unclear if Samsung has plans to upgrade the eight-inch and seven-inch variants of the Galaxy Tab 4, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that Samsung will soon show the smaller tablets as well as its mid-range and lower-end smartphones some sweet Lollipop love.
Although Google released Android Lollipop seven months ago, the latest iteration of its mobile platform has yet to take hold of a significant chunk of the Android market, as it is still largely limited to flagship devices. However, Google is apparently planning on taking the wraps off Android M, the next version of Android, at its I/O developer conference next month.
"Android M is bringing the power of Android to all kinds of workplaces," says Google in a now-deleted session for the developer conference, implying that the latest Android will be more about new features and improvements for the mobile worker.
