AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop Impressions and Performance

After what seems like an eternity, the AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop update is here to give the AT&T Galaxy S5 a new look. This update comes long after Verizon and other carriers, but it’s worth the wait for many users. After using AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop for a few days, I don’t see many Galaxy S5 Lollipop issues affecting Verizon model.

When you install the AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop, you will again see a familiar Samsung look on top of Android, but there are several changes to the look of apps, menus and other areas that give it a fresher look.

Here is how the AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop update performed after a few days with common apps and tasks. If you are not familiar with the update, you can take a look at what’s new in Android 5.0.

Due to Verizon Galaxy S5 issues and some AT&T Galaxy Note 4 issues, I’ve spent a lot of time testing the Galaxy S5’s specs to make sure this is a worthwhile update.

The AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop update brings one of my favorite features to the Galaxy S5 – Smart Lock. When the Galaxy S5 is connected to a trusted Bluetooth device or trusted location, you don’t need to enter a lock screen pattern or password. This is a small but useful update.

The Galaxy S5 is still a step behind the Android 5.1 update, but so far this is a good update for my device and one that Galaxy S5 owners at AT&T have been waiting for.

This is my first AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop review. It’s not a comprehensive look at the update, but it does offer an early look at performance, features, and other key details.

AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop Setup

Once the AT&T Galaxy S5 found the update, the overall installation process went smoothly, but getting started was a bit of a hassle. It took a day for the device to discover the Lollipop update and the update started downloading over WiFi in the background with no option to see the progress bar until I restarted the phone.

After the 1.5GB update was downloaded, the Galaxy S5 reported that I did not have enough free storage to perform the update. After clearing the cache and deleting some downloads I made enough room on the AT&T Galaxy S5 to install Lollipop.

After about 30 minutes, the long process of upgrading apps for Android is complete.

AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop Performance

I’ve spent the last three days with my Galaxy S5 testing overall Lollipop performance on this device and across various apps. There is some lag but overall no major issues with my AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop setup and usage. This can vary from one device to another, and it’s possible that the apps you use and other factors can change your experience.

I use the Galaxy S5 mostly for productivity and entertainment. I don’t play heavy games on it, but I watch videos, check Facebook and email, and use other time-wasting games, as well as surfing the web and checking in on Reddit.

Galaxy S5 Apps

I use many of the same Galaxy S5 apps as on my Galaxy Note 4, but I don’t currently use Android Wear with the Galaxy S5. Common apps are Facebook, Android Wear, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps, and I also use Spotify, Netflix and HBO Go even though I don’t watch a lot of full movies on the device.

So far all apps run on Android 5.0 Lollipop on Galaxy S5. I had to update Google Play Services twice to be able to use some of these apps, but I was able to return to using my apps shortly after I completed this process.

After the update, all Galaxy S5 apps remained installed on the home screen. Sometimes the Android update process can remove shortcuts or icons, but this time it was okay.

Galaxy S5 Lollipop Battery Life

The only issue I’ve encountered so far is lag when launching apps.

We have seen many Galaxy S5 Lollipop battery life issues after the Verizon update arrived. So far, Galaxy S5 battery life has been solid with remaining usage and standby time compatible with Android Kitkat.

If you are experiencing Galaxy S5 battery life issues, you can use our guide to fix bad Galaxy S5 Lollipop battery life. This will help you identify and fix many problems.

Wi-Fi, LTE and Bluetooth

Major updates may break the connection, but so far I’ve been able to use the AT&T LTE connection with the same speed and signal strength as KitKat. Bluetooth works, but I still need to test it in a car and with a keyboard. WiFi is strong in my home and other places I need to connect.

Bugs and Issues

The only Galaxy S5 issue I’ve experienced has to do with speed, which I’ll cover in more detail below. There are some users who are into Problems with Galaxy S5 Lollipop update In general, you may want check these issues more before upgrading. We provide a list of fixes for Galaxy S5 Lollipop issues that you may want to try if you encounter any of these issues.

Speed

There is some lag on AT&T Galaxy S5 after installing Lollipop. Not enough to make me want to throw my phone against the wall but it’s there. When opening an app, sometimes it may take a while for the app to open and this can be delayed even from the touch on the screen.

If this does not improve in the next few days, a factory reset can be done. This fixed a similar speed issue on the Galaxy S4 when upgrading to KitKat last year.

Should You Install the AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop Update?

Should you tap install on AT&T Galaxy S5 lollipop update?

If you need to fix Galaxy S5 issues in KitKat and want new features and new looks in apps and other areas, the AT&T Galaxy S5 Lollipop update is one you can install today without major show-stopping issues. Latency is a worrying issue, but if you want to risk it, you can install this update knowing that there may be a factory reset in the future.

If you don’t need this update urgently, it might be worth waiting a week for our full review and to see if there are any undiscovered issues. Another Galaxy S5 Android update will probably take some time to arrive, so you’ll be waiting for the issues this update brings.