In a surprising detour from their normal MO, Google announced that it will be making an unfinished version of Android “L”, their latest OS, available to developers today. The Licorice or Lollipop or likewise dessert-themed release follows their most recent version, the KitKat, which only made its way onto roughly 15 percent of smartphones; Google’s ambition with the “L” release is to make the software “look better, work better, attract more developers and attract more users”. Boasting hundreds of enhancements and new features, it makes sense that Google would choose now to shift their marketing strategy; the test version of the system will allow programmers to adjust to changes faster so that their apps are ready for the new look and features as soon as possible. Here is an in-depth look at what Google is calling the “biggest release in the history of Android”.

The Android “L” is all about bringing together a broad range of products. Google wants to see the Android operating system spread to more than just smartphones and tablets; they are now hoping to see it in cars, smartwatches, TV sets, and electronic eyewear. The plan is to have the full product line be brought together with a “material design” interface, which was inspired by the idea of a screen that had tactile features – the kind of changing texture real-world objects have. As a whole the design has a flatter look, with rounder elements and softer edges that will extend beyond tablets and smartphones to Chrome OS and Google’s various web services. Shapes have been simplified and transition animations are smooth across the UI; not just within apps, but between them as well. A technique called “elevation” adds the illusion of depth when moving between apps, while pressing buttons creates a ripple effect on the screen.

The Notifications bar has gotten a pretty snazzy overhaul as well. Abandoning the darker look of former versions, Google opted for a simple black-on-white theme for the new notifications, which will now appear more like cards on your home screen. Also, you’ll be able to access everything and interact with it, right from the lock screen. Double tap a notification to launch an app, swipe it to dismiss or swipe away altogether to access your device. As an added convenience, notifications are now sorted by relevance and importance rather than chronologically. For the privacy-minded, we’ve got you covered in the Security department as well.

The coolest security feature we’ve seen so far on the Android “L” is the addition of “Trusted Environments”, a feature which allows you to access a phone without a password or PIN while still enjoying all of the security that comes along with them. For example, your smartphone can be set to connect with your smartwatch, which would allow password-free access to the phone when within a foot of the wearable device but require a password when out of range. You can also set places like your home to be a trusted location; a GPS-recognized environment that you dub “safe” would eliminate the need to repeatedly enter a password when the phones sense that its user is secure at home.

All these new features obviously create the need to upgrade one major department – battery life. Google is tackling that problem head-on with “Project Volta”, which makes battery life more efficient by providing stats about what is draining the power and why. The “Battery Historian” keeps track of which apps use the most energy, while Battery Saver mode can earn you up to 90 extra minutes out of each charge by doing things like lowering the screen refresh rate, cutting off your WiFi or lowering display power – like a really brilliant airplane mode on Speed.

A few other new and notable features include things like ART runtime (what actually runs the Android apps) which will make apps run twice as fast on the “L” preview without any changes to the software whatsoever. Also, ART is built to support the 64-bit mobile chips starting to hit the market now. The “L” will see better Bluetooth with a peripheral mode, while better camera controls should mean better image quality for photo enthusiasts. As for the system itself, smarter network handling means that the “L” will be able to detect some network problems before they get out of hand so that apps can adjust accordingly.

While we won’t see this new system in action until later this year (fall, if everything goes according to plan), now that developers have been able to get their hands on the Beta version I would guess that we can expect to see some very cool things coming out of Google’s Android camp in the very near future.