Samsung Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop update is a major update for our less-than-one-year-old phone. Some new features and improvements may be not so obvious.

Also, there are also some confusions among Galaxy S5 owners on how and when to get the Android Lollipop update for Galaxy S5.

This guide will try to make your Android Lollipop journey smoother.

When can I get Samsung Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop Update?

Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop update was first rolled out in Poland last December. Now, the update is available to about half of the Galaxy S5 owners.

In other words, you may be the other 50% owners.  By the end of March (just 3 weeks away), the availability of the update will increase to about 70-90% of Galaxy S5 owners.

The availability of such a major update is not fully controlled by Samsung. The carrier need time to test the firmware. Samsung is allowed to release the update for specific models only after approval from carriers is received.

So, if you haven’t received the update, it could be delayed due to the testing by the carrier or distributor. Samsung is not the only one to blame.

You can check the availability of the update in  Settings—About phone—Software updates. It is not necessary to check it everyday manually. You can let Galaxy S5 check the updates automatically.

Please try not to flash the ROM for other regions. It may void your warranty and may render your phone useless.

How to update my Galaxy S5 to Android Lollipop?

There are two official ways to apply the Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop Update.

The simple way is through OTA (over-the-air) if you have a WiFi connection. Just go to  Settings—About phone—Software updates–Update now. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

This method may not work in a few regions. Also a few carrier specific models may require an active SIM card inside the phone.

The second way to update Galaxy S5 to Android Lollipop is through Samsung Kies 3 on the PC. Please note, Galaxy S5 requires Kies 3, not Kies 2.  You need download and install the correct version of Kies.

Once Galaxy S5 is connected to PC, you can start the Kies 3 software on PC.  Kies 3 will then automatically check the new firmware.  You can then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the update.

What are the requirements for Samsung Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop Update?

Before downloading Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop Update, you need make sure:

• If your Galaxy S5 is encrypted, you need decrypt the storage first.
• Your Galaxy S5 has at least 3 GB available internal storage (not SD card) for the updating process.
• You need download the firmware, whose size is about 1 GB. Try to use WiFi if possible.
• After Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop update, the available  storage will shrink about 1 GB.
• Galaxy S5 have at least 50% battery left. It is better

Battery life is important for all smartphones. This guide shows you how to maintain your Galaxy S5 battery so that you can maximize the Galaxy S5 battery life and keep galaxy S5 battery in perfect condition.

Galaxy S5 battery life actually is amazingly good.

Most tests and benchmarks indicated Galaxy S5 battery life actually is really in the top tier among the flagship smartphones. For example, PhoneArena reported a far better battery life of Galaxy S5 than other flagship smartphones: HTC One (M8), LG G2, Nexus 5.

In our daily normal usage, most Galaxy S5 owners can get 4+ hour screen time.  So, the Galaxy S5 battery life is sufficient for all-day usage for most S5 owners.

Samsung in recent years apparently invested a lot on technologies of saving battery on Android phones.  In addition to normal battery saving options, you may also turn on ultra power saving mode when you are not able to connect to a charger for a prolonged period.

Why I have Galaxy S5 battery life problems?

However, some Galaxy S5 owners reported battery drain problems on Galaxy S5.

There are many possible reasons of Galaxy S5 battery life problems. Here are some of the commonly-encountered ones:

• Some poorly written apps are running in the background and refuse to sleep. You can go to Settings–Battery to find out such apps easily.
• Some system processes are in weird state. Normally, the system processes can manage themselves properly. But in certain situations, a few may fail to do so. If you find most of the battery is consumed by Android System, it means it is time to reboot the phone.
• Mobile network signal is poor.
• WiFi is always on. You may check Settings–WiFi–Menu key (3 vertical dots, or hardware menu button)–Advanced -Keep WiFi on during sleep. You probably should set it to never (and turn off mobile data as well) or only when plugged in.
• Frequent use of hotspot (sharing mobile data connection with other devices) or WiFi Direct. These two are battery killers.
• Your Galaxy S5 is running some third-party task manager or battery juice defender or similar apps. Most of these apps will only do the opposite: they will cause Galaxy S5 battery  life problem, instead of solving the battery life problem.
• Your Galaxy S5 is running some anti-virus apps. Such apps are not necessary if you get apps only from reliable sources, e.g. Google Play store or Amazon appstore for Android.
• You didn’t maintain and charge your Galaxy S5 battery properly.

How to save Galaxy S5 battery?

You can  save Galaxy S5 battery juice so that it gives longer screen time. Here are some tips:

• Turn on power saving mode (Settings – Power saving mode).  It is a sad fact that Galaxy S5 is overpowered for 99% Galaxy S5 owners. You don’t need the shear raw processing powers Galaxy S5 provides. Samsung has a very good battery saving mode, which avoids wastage of your battery juice without affecting