We had our first hands-on demo of Google's new version of its Android operating system, Lollipop, this week running on a pair of Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. This was a three-for-the-price-of-one demo, with lots to take in. But the bottom line is that this is a great upgrade to Android, and our first impression of the new Nexus devices was that both are really wonderful.
Our favorite thing about both (and Lollipop)? Notifications. They're simply the best. They have essentially become the centerpiece of the device experience. The way they stack, flow, and get prioritized on the lock screen is a really nice experience. They're going to save a lot of time.
And then there's the Nexus 6 display. We didn't get a chance to fully put it through its paces, but the 6-inch Quad HD AMOLED display packs in 493 ppi and is just stunning to look at. We also liked the way you can just double tap on it now to wake it up, and instantly get to your notifications. This was very... handy.
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Likewise, the ambient display, which lets the device show you notifications in a low power black and white mode, was both effective and useful. Want to make sure a notification rises to the top? We were able to set them up as a priority notification in just a couple of taps, right from the lock screen. It's great. (You can banish notifications just as easily.)
Another really nice trick is the way Lollipop unlocks based on your face. Android has had this capability for a long time, but now it's automated. It begins to look for your face as soon as you wake it up. This meant that often, even before you begin to enter your PIN or unlock pattern, the device unlocks and lets you in. It's super slick.
We're really excited for all these releases—Lollipop, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9. But really, at a demo you only get to see the best a device and platform has to offer. Stay tuned for a full review in the coming weeks.
