Thanks to some talented developers over at XDA and an app called MultiROM, there is a means of using the Developer Preview of Android L on the 2012 WiFi only Nexus 7, and I've had time to use it today to see what has changed, and I must say it has revived interest in both stock Android as well as my interest in the Nexus line.
It has a sort of half skeuomorphic UI to it, which given my disdain for Flat design is a welcome change. It also adds some features only seen in TouchWiz, such as the circular icons and lockscreen notifications.
ART is also here, finally, but don't expect a performance boost.There is a ton of lag, stutter, and the battery takes a major hit. I got 4 hours maximum. Recharge times are horrible. Auto brightness doesn't work and WiFi is unstable. So don't expect too much. The new UI and smaller changes such as estimated recharge time and estimated battery life, to the extent it tells you when it thinks the battery is dead is nice.
Amazon Kindle crashes and can't be used but the rest of my apps work. Google now crashes when using voice commands. Keyboard performance and accuracy are excellent, and scrolling in Firefox and the stock browser are iOS smooth, so ART at least eliminated the stutter scroll finally.
The lockscreen notifications work identically to their counterparts in TouchWiz. Love it or hate it, I actually like seeing the large gap between the many Samsung products bridged a bit with Nexus products. I hated occasionally using a Nexus and needing to relearn everything.
For those who like risks, it seems interesting. Given the 2012 being end of life, might be the best chance to see L in action.
It has a sort of half skeuomorphic UI to it, which given my disdain for Flat design is a welcome change. It also adds some features only seen in TouchWiz, such as the circular icons and lockscreen notifications.
ART is also here, finally, but don't expect a performance boost.There is a ton of lag, stutter, and the battery takes a major hit. I got 4 hours maximum. Recharge times are horrible. Auto brightness doesn't work and WiFi is unstable. So don't expect too much. The new UI and smaller changes such as estimated recharge time and estimated battery life, to the extent it tells you when it thinks the battery is dead is nice.
Amazon Kindle crashes and can't be used but the rest of my apps work. Google now crashes when using voice commands. Keyboard performance and accuracy are excellent, and scrolling in Firefox and the stock browser are iOS smooth, so ART at least eliminated the stutter scroll finally.
The lockscreen notifications work identically to their counterparts in TouchWiz. Love it or hate it, I actually like seeing the large gap between the many Samsung products bridged a bit with Nexus products. I hated occasionally using a Nexus and needing to relearn everything.
For those who like risks, it seems interesting. Given the 2012 being end of life, might be the best chance to see L in action.
