Google Inc has not uttered a word on its much-awaited software Android L ever since it was announced at its I/O Conference 2014, giving room for continuous speculations.
It is expected to be launched with Google's upcoming devices – Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 aka Nexus X – as they are supposed to run on the firmware but it is not confirmed yet.
Developer Paul O'Brien tweeted that the HTC Nexus 9 tablet will be released on 24 October, hinting that Android L could be released along with it. He had earlier written on his Twitter page that the device would be launched on 16 October before changing his stand a few days later.
If the software is not released with the HTC Nexus 9 tablet, smartphone users may wait for the release of the Nexus 6 aka Nexus X which is expected to be announced on 31 October. Both the upcoming devices from Google are very likely to come with the new software but it is still not confirmed if it will be released along with them.
Interestingly, Android Authority has also reported that the final version of Android L would not officially be available until 1 November, hinting that it could come after the launch of Google's upcoming devices. However, nothing is confirmed, as the search giant hasn't not announced officially despite rumours doing the rounds for quite a while now.
SamMobile reported that the website run an early Android L – LRW58J – test build on the Samsung Galaxy S5 for a couple of days to know how Samsung would implement TouchWiz into the new software but found that it's still not suitable for use due to presence of "a plethora of bugs and is slow as a turtle." But the report has thrown a strong hint that the new firmware might arrive soon, as it may not take much time to solve the bug issue.
The debate over what the letter "L" could stand continues with reports suggesting several names like Lion, Lollipop, Licorice and Lemon Meringue Pie. Tech Radar claimed citing Google's post of a cake topped with lollipops on its 16th birthday that the new software could be named Lollipop.
However, Myce reported that Google's Chromium issue tracker spotted Android L build LRW87D running on the Nexus 5 and that the first letter "L" in the build could stand for Lemon Meringue Pie.
The hype around Android L is huge as it is considered to be Google's biggest update to its mobile platform till date with a redesigned interface and fluid animations. It is expected to be compatible with 64-bit processors and have improved battery life.
The new software is expected to be made available for update to a series of smartphones like Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, HTC One, HTC One (M8), Moto G (2nd generation Moto X too likely to get), Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4 and the latest smartphones from LG.
It is reported that Google Nexus devices might get the firmware update as soon as it is launched but owners of other Android phones might wait a little longer, some up to 90 days, before it arrives.
