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Dropbox declares end of support for Android 4.4 KitKat and 5 Lollipop
But the app will probably keep working for a long time
It's always admirable when a developer supports older operating systems; but there comes a time of diminishing returns when the effort to keep software working on old versions becomes disproportionately expensive compared to the ever-dwindling number of decrepit devices that still use an app. Such is the situation with Dropbox, which just declared the end of support for Android 5.x and older.
Most applications have long since dropped support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, since the version is now only used on 0.4% of all Android devices (as of February 2018). Skype dropped support for Android 4.0.3-5.1 in June 2017, with the app now requiring 6.0 Marshmallow or higher. Microsoft is now reversing that switch, by re-adding support for those versions.
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- 9to5Google have enabled a couple of potential upcoming features in the new Contacts update, just as they did with the latest version of the Phone app.
For anyone tied into Google's ecosystem, storing and managing contacts is best done with the official Contacts app. The Android version recently saw some minor cosmetic changes, improving its already eye-pleasing material look, and the web interface has also employed the same consistent design language since the start of the year. Until recently, the app was only available on Google branded phones, but now compatibility has been extended.
It's okay for updates to be late. We get it. These things take time. But when they do arrive, it's nice for them to bring the latest and greatest.
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to which carriers release updates for their Android updates first, and once you stray outside of the shallow waters of flagship smartphones, things start to get really inconsistent. For example, AT&T is updating its carrier-specific version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 to 5.1.1 today, at least according to this support page. But at the same time, Sprint's Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 is only just now getting upgraded from Android 4.4 to 5.0. Huh.
Lollipop has just arrived for Samsung Galaxy S4 on US Cellular. The upgraded software build is based on Android 5.0 with the new version number R970TYUGOE2. Per the norm for Galaxy devices the update is available as an OTA or through Samsung Kies on your computer.
Before the Galaxy S6 Edge came along with two curved sides, Samsung graced the world with the Galaxy Note Edge. This large handset has only one curved side, which it lines with icons and information meant to supplement what's on the flat part of the screen.
If you've been waiting for a more stable version of the CyanogenMod ROM to become available before upgrading to Android 5.0, now's your chance. Snapshot builds of CM 12 are now rolling off of the build server and onto the CyanogenMod download page, going in their usual alphabetical order by codename. These are the first snapshot versions of CyanogenMod 12, and according to members of the CM 12 team, they'll also be the last.
HTC seems to have forgotten about its sole entrant into the "phablet" market - they haven't released anything as large as the 5.9-inch One Max since its debut way back in 2013. But presumably the people who own it still like it, or at least use it, so the news that HTC is finally updating the device to Android 5.0 should be welcome. Numerous users have started receiving the Lollipop OTA as evidenced by posts to Twitter and XDA-Developers.
The bigger brother of Samsung's super-premium tablet offerings has already been blessed with Lollipop on AT&T, so now it's the smaller version's turn. Galaxy Tab S 8.4 owners on Ma Bell should be getting an Android 5.0 over-the-air update starting today, at least according to AT&T's support page. Technically it's Android 5.0.2, but who's counting?
Following in the footsteps of the Verizon LTE versions of the original 8.3-inch and 10.1-inch models, the LG G Pad 7.0 is getting its own update today, at least according to Verizon's typical support update. Owners of the tablet should start seeing the over-the-air update starting sometime in the next 12 hours or so, though of course it could take over a week to reach everyone, thanks to American carriers' habit of staggered software rollouts.
Following in the footsteps of the LG G Pad 8.3 LTE, the G Pad 10.1 LTE (LGGP10.1LTE for short, or is that actually longer?) on Verizon is now getting its update to Android 5.0. That means users get to experience LG-themed material design, which isn't without its quirks. The navigation buttons have changed to match other Lollipop devices, only there's a fourth button there because reasons.
Some of Sony's older hardware (well, relatively speaking, anyway) is getting updated to Lollipop today. If you own an Xperia Z (LTE model), Xperia ZR (LTE model), Xperia ZL, or Xperia Tablet Z, all released in 2013, check your status bar for an over-the-air update. According to Xperia Blog and the always-reliable XDA, all four of these devices are being upgraded as of now. As usual, it may take a few days or even a week or two for the rollout to reach you.
The 2nd gen Moto G got Lollipop back in January, but that just wasn't written in cards for the 1st gen model here in the US. Folks carrying around that older device have been stuck on KitKat, waiting to get their hands on all the slick animations and material design they've been drooling over since last summer. Now, with Google I/O 2015 a week away, here we are. Motorola has announced an over-the-air update bringing Android 5.0.2.
The HTC One E8 is a plastic version of the M8 that contains the same internals and a larger 13MP camera. Yet despite the similarities, its Lollipop over-the-air update has come significantly later than its flagship counterpart's. But alas, it's here.
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- Here's Verizon's official update document (PDF). It mentions a new download feature, but otherwise there's nothing on top of the usual Lollipop features.
We've seen the Wi-Fi model, the T-Mobile model, and the AT&T model updated with Android 5.0, now it's time for the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 to get its turn. The update info for the SM-T807V has appeared on Samsung's support site, which means that the update should (hopefully) start going out to customers before the end of the day. This is Android 5.0.2, for those who are interested.
Last month the LG G Pad 8.3 LTE on Verizon got an over-the-air update, but it wasn't the one you care about. That minor firmware bump provided LTE connectivity enhancements when moving between covered and non-covered areas. Exciting stuff.
If you've got a Find 7 or Find 7a phone from OPPO and you're itching for an official Lollipop ROM, head on over to the company's user forums. A beta version of Color OS 2.1, running on top of Android 5.0 code, has been posted for you to download. At the moment this edition of the software is not available via an over-the-air update, though that should be coming soon enough.
People carrying around a Galaxy Tab S 10.5 on T-Mobile's network should soon see an over-the-air update come to their devices, and it's bringing Android 5.0. This news comes shortly after AT&T's announcement of the same update for its version of the tablet last week. The Wi-Fi model received Lollipop back in March.
Miami-based BLU has made a name for itself by working with overseas partners to design and sell a line of Android devices with solid specs and low price points. We've featured a few of BLU's phones here, but there's always one caveat—KitKat. BLU's phones are still on the previous version of Android, but that starts changing today. Ten phones are now slated to get Lollipop by mid summer.