Last week we got a peek at what Samsung plans to do with its combination of Android 5.0 and TouchWiz, and now its our turn to see what happens when HTC mixes Lollipop with Sense.
Well-known HTC leaker LlabTooFeR has posted several screenshots that claim to show an HTC One (M8) running Android 5.0.1 and HTC’s Sense 6.0 overlay. The update largely looks like the Sense that we’ve come to know on the One (M8) and other recent HTC devices, but there are some notable tweaks that make it more Material. For example, HTC has implemented lock screen notifications like those found in vanilla Android 5.0. Additionally, HTC has made Sense’s Recent Apps, notification shade and quick settings features look similar to stock Lollipop, including eliminating the need to tap your screen again to jump from your notification panel to your quick settings.
There are some other smaller, but still noteworthy tweaks included in this update, like the ability to search in your Settings app for help finding that one toggle that you need. There’s also a new “Easy Mode” that presents users with large app buttons that should make finding specific apps easier to do.
Overall this looks like a nice update that combines HTC Sense, a custom user interface that already looks pretty good, with some of Google’s attractive Android 5.0 additions. There are some usability improvements in there too, though, like the search feature in Settings and faster access to quick settings.
HTC said that it’ll push Android 5.0 updates to the One (M7) and One (M8) within 90 days of Lollipop’s release to AOSP, which took place in early November. What do you think of HTC’s Lollipop update so far?
