Android Lollipop: When Google's latest OS will arrive on your phone

A guide to which handsets will and won't get a Lollipop upgrade

Android updates are always a slow affair where the question on most smartphone and tablets owners' minds is if, not when, their device will receive an upgrade.

As a result it's no surprise that, despite Google having unveiled the developer preview of its 2015 Android version, many handset owners still haven't received an update to the current 5.1 Lollipop version.

Here to help we've created a comprehensive list of all the smartphones and tablets confirmed to get an Android Lollipop update.

Samsung
Samsung's first Android Lollipop smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, arrived in the UK in April with prices starting at £600.

The firm is yet to confirm when and if many of its older, or more affordabe handsets will be updated to Lollipop.

However, reports on Twitter have since broken suggesting most will not be upgraded, after Samsung UK revealed the Galaxy Ace 4 will remain Lollipop free.

Motorola
Motorola Mobility vice president of product sales and operations David Schuster shed some light on the firm's Android Lollipop plans on Google+ on Thursday.

Specifically he revealed the firm has begun updating its Moto X 1st and 2nd Gen handsets to Lollipop 5.1 in select regions ahead of a global roll out "next week".

Motorola was also among the first to release an affordable smartphone with Lollipop pre-installed, having unveiled the second-generation Moto E handset on 25 February.

Sony
Japanese tech giant Sony confirmed that its entire range of Xperia Z series smartphones and tablets will receive an upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop at an unspecified point in the future almost immediately after the OS launch.

It has since begun rolling the update out to its flagship Xperia Z3 series of devices.

The Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact are also confirmed to be getting an upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Nexus
Google's Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 were the first devices to come with Android 5.0 Lollipop pre-installed when they were released at the end of 2014.

Google began rolling out an Android 5.0 update to older Nexus devices, including the Nexus 7 and Nexus 5, at the start of November 2014.

Since then Google has unveiled its first major Lollipop update, Android 5.1, on 25 February.

The update aims to improve Lollipop's stability and performance, and includes a new Device Protection security service that adds a layer of protection to data stored on lost or stolen devices.

Android 5.1 Lollipop also adds support for multiple SIM cards and high-definition voice on compatible phones.

It is unclear when other devices will be upgraded to Android 5.1, however a number of manufacturers have begun rolling out Android 5.0 updates.

Acer
An Acer spokeswoman confirmed to V3 that some of the firm's devices, including the Iconia Tab 10, will eventually be upgraded to Lollipop, but declined to give an exact date.

HTC
The One M9 is the first smartphone from HTC to run Android Lollipop, but is yet to recieve and update to the newest 5.1 version. The One M8 and M7 are also confirmed to be getting updates.

Asus
Taiwanese firm Asus unveiled its first Android 5.0 Lollipop smartphone, the ZenFone 2, at the CES 2015 tradeshow.

The ZenFone 2 also features some impressive hardware, including a 13MP with Optical Image Stabilisation front camera and 3X optical zoom rear camera and 64-bit Intel Atom processor.

Asus has yet to reveal any firm Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade plans for older devices, although a spokesman told V3: "We're committed to getting software updates to customers as soon as possible."

LG
LG launched its first Android Lollipop smartphone, the G4 in May. The firm confirmed it will be issuing the update to its older G3, though at the time of publishing our review unit had not recieved the upgrade.

Huawei
The Ascend P8 is the first smartphone from Huawei to come running Android Lollipop.

The handset is yet to recieve an upgrade to Android 5.1 and there is no word when it will.

However considering the heavy Emotion skin Huawei's added to the Ascend P8, the update could be a while coming.

ZTE
Details of ZTE's Android 5.0 Lollipop plans are currently unknown and the firm had not responded to V3's request for comment at the time of publishing.

Alcatel
While not the biggest player in the UK market, Alcatel has been releasing a steady stream of handsets with better specs than their price tags might imply.

However, when contacted by V3 an Alcatel spokesperson confirmed that the company has no solid Android Lollipop plans to announce "yet".

We'll be updating this page as and when new Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrades are announced, so make sure to check back with V3 regularly.

Why you need to upgrade
Outside of Android 5.0 Lollipop's new features, there are more serious reasons users should upgrade their device the moment they can, one of the biggest of which is security.

Google has ended WebView extension security support on Android versions Jelly Bean and below. This means only Android, Lollipop, or 5.0 and 4.4 Kitkat, or 4.4 will receive regular security updates.

This is a big deal as it means 60 percent of Android device - which according to the latest Google developer stats is currently roughly 930 million smartphones and tablets - will not be secured against newly discovered cyber threats.

Considering the sea of malware and cyber attacks targeting Android, the lack of support means the need to upgrade is more pressing than ever.