Unlocked Moto G 2014 starts receiving Android 5.0 Lollipop, here’s the full changelog

Don’t look now Nexus 5 owners, but another device is looking to receive Android 5.0 Lollipop as early as today. Folks are reporting that the unlocked version of the 2014 Moto G is now receiving the upgrade over-the-air. This follows reports of Lollipop soak tests going out to Moto G and Moto X users earlier this week. It may only be a matter of time before the rest of Motorola’s gang of fans are allowed in for the ride.

The upgrade integrates all of Android 5.0 Lollipop’s benefits as crafted by Google, as well as a few tasty bits from Motorola. The biggest change is in the new Downtime and Interruptions settings:

You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.

And they also integrate neatly with Motorola Assist:

Motorola Assist integrates the new Downtime settings to control when you don’t want to be disturbed. Motorola Assist also now uses the new Interruptions settings so that you can customize exceptions, such as letting only people on your starred contacts list get through.

The full changelog can be had at the tail-end of this post, but before you run off and upgrade be sure to charge your phone to 50% and hop on WiFi before attempting to pull it down. As for scorned Nexus owners? Well, we hear OTAs could be ramping up as early as today, so don’t feel too bummed out if you’re not feeling the Lollipop love.

Moto G (2nd Generation) – Android™ 5.0 Lollipop – Release Notes
INTRODUCTION

We are excited to announce a new software update for Moto G (2nd Generation) by Motorola. This update brings Android™ 5.0 Lollipop to your phone along with other improvements.
For more information on Motorola updates and repairs, visit us at www.motorola.com/mymotog.

NOTE: You cannot downgrade to a previous software version after installing this update.

ENHANCEMENTS

Android™ 5.0 Lollipop is one of the most significant in recent Android history. It improves your experience in many areas including visual style and how you interact with your device.

After installing the software update you may notice changes that include:

Material Design
You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.

Notifications UI & Priorities
In order to alert you to the most timely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
New Interruptions & Downtime Settings You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.

Recent Apps (Multi-tasking)
The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.

Ambient Display
While your phone’s display is off, Ambient Display can show notifications without turning on the full display. This will be triggered when a notification arrives. You will see notifications similar to that shown on the lock screen. You can turn this feature on in the Display menu in Settings, and note that it will increase the power consumption of your device.

Motorola Assist and Downtime
Motorola Assist integrates the new Downtime settings to control when you don’t want to be disturbed. Motorola Assist also now uses the new Interruptions settings so that you can customize exceptions, such as letting only people on your starred contacts list get through.

Flashlight
Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).

Share your Device
You can now set up multiple user accounts on your phone. Guest mode is enabled by default. You can give calling and text privileges to other users of your device, or restrict them as you like in the Users menu under Settings.

Note that the personalized Motorola experiences (Motorola Assist, Motorola Connect) are for the owner account only.

The Motorola Camera, Motorola Gallery, and Motorola FM Radio applications support multiple user accounts.

Pin a view/app
Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.

Battery
The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.

Smarter Internet Connections
With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.

Performance
Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.

Smart Lock
(Trusted Devices) Android Lollipop adds native support for allowing trusted devices to keep your phone unlocked (such as your Moto 360, a Bluetooth car kit or headset, etc.). Smart Lock replaces the prior trusted device capability in your Motorola phone. Note that you will need to add your trusted devices back after the transition to Lollipop in the Security settings menu under Smart Lock.

Security
Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key will only be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.

INSTRUCTIONS

For a successful installation, we recommend installing this update when the battery in your phone is at least 50% charged and you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
If you have received a notification message for this update:

Select “Yes, I’m in”.
After the software is downloaded, select “Install now”.
After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.
Your phone is now updated with <insert build number>
If you have not received a notification message for this update, follow the steps below to manually update your phone:

Select the Settings icon in the apps menu.
Select “About phone”.
Select “System updates”.
Select “Yes, I’m in”. After the software is downloaded, select “Install now”.
After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.
Your phone is now updated to <insert build number>

[XDA via Arstechnica]