Keeping its word, Google released its Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK last week, giving developers roughly two weeks to test their apps for the platform.
The latest Nexus devices launched last week will run Android L and they will be available generally by early November. Google has also promised to make Android 5.0 Lollipop available for older devices in the Nexus range including Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.
The latest SDK includes updated images for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 released in 2013 and also the Android emulator. Developers can install Android 5.0 SDK by opening the Tools section of their Android SDK Manager and choosing Latest SDK Tools and then SDK Platform tools and SDK Build Tools. The packages can be installed by choosing all the items under the Android 5.0 section from the list.
Google has asked developers to uninstall Android L Preview SDK if it has been installed on the device. The preview version can be deleted by choosing Delete Packages in the SDK Manager before installing the latest SDK. Some cases would require the developer to update the app with the latest API.
Looking at the capabilities of Android L SDK, it lets developers build apps for the API Level 21 and also publish the apps to Google Play. The support library of the SDK is updated to help developers with Material Design and make use of the Leanback user interface for those developing apps for Android TV.
Google is expected to release more information on Android TV in November about how to distribute apps through Google Play Developer Console.
