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Anybody using Android L? I've been using it on my primary phone for a month and I'm not impressed. It freezes too often needing a reboot, Hangouts Dialer often

by kolev 12y ago

Anybody using Android L? I've been using it on my primary phone for a month and I'm not impressed. It freezes too often needing a reboot, Hangouts Dialer often cannot complete or receive calls, the screen lock is buggy requiring a workaround how to get in without having to reboot, the bright theme is a step back when a dark one is not available. Many basic apps don't work or misbehave (Swarm, Square Cash, etc.). Worst of all, there are no frequent updates (if any), no autoupdate either.

sciurus 12y ago
It's a developer preview, which by definition is not something you should run on your primary phone.
- kolev 12y ago
  Yes, I'm a developer, and I need to test in the real-world, not in a lab to get a real feel of it.
  - rbanffy 12y ago
    That's why I have more than one phone. Besides, I want to know how what I build works on more than one device.
    - kolev 12y ago
      So, I need 2? One iPhone, which doesn't have issues with prerelease versions, and two Android ones?
      - rbanffy 12y ago
        Android is a very diverse ecosystem
        kolev 12y ago
        Apple iOS prereleases support more devices than Android, which only supports two: Nexus 5 and 7 (unsure if the first generation of Nexus 7 is supported).
        rbanffy 12y ago
        It's fairly common to test your Android apps against a multitude of devices. There were times I had more than 5 different smartphones on my desk.
        kolev 12y ago
        So, you're reaffirming what I said (i.e. Google didn't do a good job) as their preview works only on two devices - their own Nexus 5 and 7 (not even on Nexus 10 or Nexus 7 LTE; it's safe to assume that the first generation of Nexus 7 is not supported either).
yincrash 12y ago
Not sure what you're expecting from a preview released several months before release.
ChrisClark 12y ago
I haven't been using Android L. I've only been using the Dev Preview of Android L which I assume you are too. I haven't had a single problem with it, I've been using it for months and love it.
suyash 12y ago
Atleast you got it..non Nexus devices can't even play with L yet :(
Someone1234 12y ago
This line: > Worst of all, there are no frequent updates (if any), no autoupdate either. Is a little odd. Didn't you install the L developer preview by manually downloading the ROM from here: https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html and then flashing it yourself? Then you're strangely shocked there isn't a consumer-orientated auto-updater? I can absolutely see that criticism if the auto-updater didn't exist, wasn't working, or there were no updates upon the retail release of L. For a developer preview you personally installed knowing full well it was a developer preview that criticism is hard to take at all seriously.
- aaronbrethorst 12y ago
  Apple's been supporting this for the last couple years. This year, for instance, I upgraded to iOS 8 when Beta 3 shipped. I then received OTA updates for each subsequent Beta until the final release, which I installed manually. It's unfortunate that Google doesn't offer OTA beta updates, too.
- kolev 12y ago
  I got a gazillion updates from Yosemite and Xcode.
  - danieldk 12y ago
    Yes, but Google's goals was never to run a semi-public beta. The L developer images were provided so that developers can develop/test their apps on L.
    - kolev 12y ago
      Well, that's fine, but then Google failed. Delivering some dated and possibly insecure copy is not how everybody else does it in 2014. There are high standards for prelease software today - other Google projects follow them, so, Android shouldn't be an exception.
      - 12y ago
krishan711 12y ago
I've been using it on my main device since July and haven't had any of the problems you've metioned :S The only problem I have is the Settings app ocasionally crashes when I try to setup a new wifi connection. But I don't do that nearly often enough to be upset about it. That said, I haven't noticed any improvements. It seems the same (speed / performance) wise as 4.4 on my N5.
- kolev 12y ago
  Yes, even on 4.4.4, there was no noticeable difference between even ART and Dalvik. Again, that's why I wanted to use it daily as labs are one thing, but real world is often quite different.
  - danieldk 12y ago
    Yes, even on 4.4.4, there was no noticeable difference between even ART and Dalvik. On what hardware? I did not notice a difference on my Moto X. My Moto X is in repair now and in the meanwhile I have been using a Moto G. On that, I definitely notice a difference - app starting and multitasking is a whole lot faster with ART.
    - kolev 12y ago
      On Nexus 5 (Android L preview is only for Nexus 5 and 7).
infogulch 12y ago
Stability complaints while using a beta product that that is introducing big underlying changes to the platform. Classy.
- kolev 12y ago
  Really? Most of my software is prerelease. I'm writing this on Firefox Aurora, from time to time I'm using Google Chrome Canary, and I'm on Yosemite since day one together with Fedora Rawhide. So, please, don't tell me what to expect from prerelease software as I have a pretty good base for comparison. Let's stop setting the bar too low! Edit: typos and grammar.
  - ubertaco 12y ago
    Alternatively, we could stop the total semantic dilution of terms like "beta" and "prerelease" that is prevalent among users who expect "beta" to mean "actually it's done completely now, there's nothing left anymore to be built." Your approach sounds like a crappy manager who insists that because you sent something to QA, that means it's shippable RIGHT NOW LET'S GO ALREADY THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE DEMANDING IT
    - kolev 12y ago
      I'm sure you've used Gmail for years when it was beta like many other software. Dual standards!
SL61 12y ago
I've been using it as my daily driver on my Nexus 7. It's surprisingly stable for a dev preview. I only have one app that doesn't work with it, and the major freezing bugs only happen every couple weeks. It's probably not smart to use it as a daily driver on your primary phone though. If it causes problems on my Nexus 7 I'll only lose my play device for a little while.
CmonDev 12y ago
Did you at least like the design language they borrowed from Microsoft?
- vetinari 12y ago
  Microsoft has pseudo-3D with multiple planes and realtime-computed shadows now?
  - CmonDev 12y ago
    No, I think they dropped this since Vista. There is a pinch of old-school, you are right.
- kolev 12y ago
  It's another oversold thing that will only create extra work for app developers who just finished catching up with KitKat design guidelines, I'm sure. The switch to bright is making a huge leap backwards!
ZoFreX 12y ago
It's a developer preview, not a consumer preview. If you aren't running it on a second phone that contains nothing important, you are operating with a large amount of risk.

by kolev 12y ago

sciurus 12y ago

It's a developer preview, which by definition is not something you should run on your primary phone.

kolev 12y ago
Yes, I'm a developer, and I need to test in the real-world, not in a lab to get a real feel of it.
- rbanffy 12y ago
  That's why I have more than one phone. Besides, I want to know how what I build works on more than one device.
  - kolev 12y ago
    So, I need 2? One iPhone, which doesn't have issues with prerelease versions, and two Android ones?
    - rbanffy 12y ago
      Android is a very diverse ecosystem
      - kolev 12y ago
        Apple iOS prereleases support more devices than Android, which only supports two: Nexus 5 and 7 (unsure if the first generation of Nexus 7 is supported).
        rbanffy 12y ago
        It's fairly common to test your Android apps against a multitude of devices. There were times I had more than 5 different smartphones on my desk.
        kolev 12y ago
        So, you're reaffirming what I said (i.e. Google didn't do a good job) as their preview works only on two devices - their own Nexus 5 and 7 (not even on Nexus 10 or Nexus 7 LTE; it's safe to assume that the first generation of Nexus 7 is not supported either).

yincrash 12y ago

Not sure what you're expecting from a preview released several months before release.

ChrisClark 12y ago

I haven't been using Android L. I've only been using the Dev Preview of Android L which I assume you are too. I haven't had a single problem with it, I've been using it for months and love it.

suyash 12y ago

Atleast you got it..non Nexus devices can't even play with L yet :(

Someone1234 12y ago

This line: > Worst of all, there are no frequent updates (if any), no autoupdate either. Is a little odd. Didn't you install the L developer preview by manually downloading the ROM from here: https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html https://developer.android.com/preview/setup-sdk.html and then flashing it yourself? Then you're strangely shocked there isn't a consumer-orientated auto-updater? I can absolutely see that criticism if the auto-updater didn't exist, wasn't working, or there were no updates upon the retail release of L. For a developer preview you personally installed knowing full well it was a developer preview that criticism is hard to take at all seriously.

aaronbrethorst 12y ago
Apple's been supporting this for the last couple years. This year, for instance, I upgraded to iOS 8 when Beta 3 shipped. I then received OTA updates for each subsequent Beta until the final release, which I installed manually. It's unfortunate that Google doesn't offer OTA beta updates, too.
kolev 12y ago
I got a gazillion updates from Yosemite and Xcode.
- danieldk 12y ago
  Yes, but Google's goals was never to run a semi-public beta. The L developer images were provided so that developers can develop/test their apps on L.
  - kolev 12y ago
    Well, that's fine, but then Google failed. Delivering some dated and possibly insecure copy is not how everybody else does it in 2014. There are high standards for prelease software today - other Google projects follow them, so, Android shouldn't be an exception.
    - 12y ago

krishan711 12y ago

I've been using it on my main device since July and haven't had any of the problems you've metioned :S The only problem I have is the Settings app ocasionally crashes when I try to setup a new wifi connection. But I don't do that nearly often enough to be upset about it. That said, I haven't noticed any improvements. It seems the same (speed / performance) wise as 4.4 on my N5.

kolev 12y ago
Yes, even on 4.4.4, there was no noticeable difference between even ART and Dalvik. Again, that's why I wanted to use it daily as labs are one thing, but real world is often quite different.
- danieldk 12y ago
  Yes, even on 4.4.4, there was no noticeable difference between even ART and Dalvik. On what hardware? I did not notice a difference on my Moto X. My Moto X is in repair now and in the meanwhile I have been using a Moto G. On that, I definitely notice a difference - app starting and multitasking is a whole lot faster with ART.
  - kolev 12y ago
    On Nexus 5 (Android L preview is only for Nexus 5 and 7).

infogulch 12y ago

Stability complaints while using a beta product that that is introducing big underlying changes to the platform. Classy.

kolev 12y ago
Really? Most of my software is prerelease. I'm writing this on Firefox Aurora, from time to time I'm using Google Chrome Canary, and I'm on Yosemite since day one together with Fedora Rawhide. So, please, don't tell me what to expect from prerelease software as I have a pretty good base for comparison. Let's stop setting the bar too low! Edit: typos and grammar.
- ubertaco 12y ago
  Alternatively, we could stop the total semantic dilution of terms like "beta" and "prerelease" that is prevalent among users who expect "beta" to mean "actually it's done completely now, there's nothing left anymore to be built." Your approach sounds like a crappy manager who insists that because you sent something to QA, that means it's shippable RIGHT NOW LET'S GO ALREADY THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE DEMANDING IT
  - kolev 12y ago
    I'm sure you've used Gmail for years when it was beta like many other software. Dual standards!

SL61 12y ago

I've been using it as my daily driver on my Nexus 7. It's surprisingly stable for a dev preview. I only have one app that doesn't work with it, and the major freezing bugs only happen every couple weeks. It's probably not smart to use it as a daily driver on your primary phone though. If it causes problems on my Nexus 7 I'll only lose my play device for a little while.

CmonDev 12y ago

Did you at least like the design language they borrowed from Microsoft?

vetinari 12y ago
Microsoft has pseudo-3D with multiple planes and realtime-computed shadows now?
- CmonDev 12y ago
  No, I think they dropped this since Vista. There is a pinch of old-school, you are right.
kolev 12y ago
It's another oversold thing that will only create extra work for app developers who just finished catching up with KitKat design guidelines, I'm sure. The switch to bright is making a huge leap backwards!

ZoFreX 12y ago

It's a developer preview, not a consumer preview. If you aren't running it on a second phone that contains nothing important, you are operating with a large amount of risk.