4 Android L Update Additional Features: Bluetooth 4.1, Battery Saver, Improved Restore Function and Lock Screen Notifications

Pinchai Speaks During His Keynote Address at the Google I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco — Sundar Pinchai, Google's senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps, speaks during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco, June 25, 2014 REUTERS

The Android L update is expected to bring in new features that have been improved from the current Android 4.4 Kitkat. Some of these new features are either expected ones for practical use or helpful new features that serve as improvements to those already in current Android devices.

Bluetooth 4.1 with More Features

Perhaps to compensate for its slow pick-up rate for the Bluetooth 4.0, the Android L will already be featuring the Bluetooth 4.1 once it gets released, even when Bluetooth 4.1 support has just come out late in 2013.

Wired reports this will be one of the hidden new features for the Android L, which will be handy for dealing with LTE radio interference for when smart devices start syncing with each other.

Bluetooth 4.1 also gives better bulk transfer, an example given by the report being that which can be used for data transfer between the fitness band and a smartphone.

Project Volta for Better Battery

Battery conservation and saving has always been part of users' wish lists when updating for a better OS. And it seems like Google is also bent on ensuring it will deliver on better battery systems with the Android L.

In the list by Ars Technica, another much-awaited feature for the Android L is the extension of battery life with the new Project Volta. According to the report, the new feature has already been tested with the Nexus 5 with good results even this early a stage in the Android L development. It helps that Project Volta involves a few more features that would help in battery conservation.

For example, there is a feature that monitors the time users have until the battery gets drained as well as the time it will take for their battery charge to become full. There's also the API for Scheduling Jobs, so users can put off any background tasks until they establish a Wi-Fi connection. Battery Saver will also be available as a feature, which will mimic battery-saving techniques by OEMs.

Restore Function with Device May Come Later

Rising from the slew of rumours is the new information wherein Google play be planning on a possible cross-device restoration into the Android app.

Android Police reports other details related to the rumour include the restore function for data and apps onto another new device. This may replace the current backup and restore function for Android, where the approach is more of a rocky one, where failure to backup and restore is still a big possibility.

The current task also does not allow the user to specify the apps that they want to include in the restoration, so this may be part of the possible rumoured new feature. But as far as the assurance that this will be coming with Android L, Google still has to confirm this.

Android L-Style Lock Screens Shown Off via Facebook Testing

Facebook has started testing its own Android L-style lock screen. And it's already started to get into testers' hands even before the Android L has rolled out to the public.

According to TechCrunch, it does not matter whether the user has the Android L installed for the new update on Facebook to work and reflect the new changes. How the new Android L-style lock screen works is that the notifications will be visible and can be swiped to dismiss while keeping the phone locked. Those with multiple notifications will see them stacked on top of one another.

The report suggests this feature may be rolled out until the Android L update finally gets released so the update will no longer be required. This further suggests that once the Android L is already rolled out for Android devices, Facebook may implement the new lock system as a standard.