Better Battery Life

Google's Project Volta adds a slew of features that aim to improve the overall battery performance of Android devices. So far, some users have reported a 30 percent increase in battery life and even faster loading times for apps.

Material Design

The biggest and most obvious improvement that Lollipop has over its predecessors is a completely new approach to User Interface (UI) and the overall look of Android across all screens and devices.

The update, called Material Design, affects everything from the Home Screen look to the flatter widget icons that make them look like they're floating on paper, according to some reviewers, and a seamless look across all your connected Android gadgets.

Google Fit

iOS packaged its Apple Health Kit with iOS 8 upgrades. Google's response is its own Health app, which can track steps and other biometrics, plus link up to other Health gadgets and Android Wear watches.

Security

Among the biggest and most important updates that Lollipop brings are the improved security and encryption features. All new Android devices now come with software that will better protect against malware and undesirable apps. Phone Encryption is also now a default setting.

Also, Android's face recognition has been improved and better integrated so that your phone will now immediately recognize your face when you're reading your screen notifications, without the need for a separate login step.

Speaking of screen notifications...

Priority Notifications

If you're one of the many users tired of the constant barrage of notifications for home emails, work emails, friends' messages, family messages, app notifications, and the like, you can now set priorities and better customization features for the notifications that beep and are listed on your screen. For example, you can set work-related notifications to be muted during after office hours, and prioritize only contacts in your personal list or only from family members to come through.