It looks like Samsung is stepping its game up when it comes to Android updates for its Android devices. Android 5.0 Lollipop has finally landed Stateside for the popular Galaxy S5 handset.

Verizon became the first U.S. carrier to release Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Galaxy S5 when it began pushing the new firmware out over the airwaves earlier this week. As usual, the upgrade is rolling out in batches, meaning some Verizon Galaxy S5 owners will receive it before others. Still, it shouldn't be too long before everybody gets the anticipated download notification.

Android 5.0 Lollipop brings a number of changes. Those who download the Verizon update (software version LRX21T.G900VVRU1BNLC) will notice a whole new aesthetic, Material Design, aimed at bringing "fluid animations, vivid colored-themes, and 3-D views for a more pleasurable experience." There's also plenty of new notification options including interruptions, which allows the user to set priorities and even downtimes during the day. Multitasking is also improved in Android 5.0, thanks to multi-window icons.

There's still no word on when other major U.S. carriers will roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop. In the past, Verizon has typically been the last of the major four (AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile being the other three), making this release somewhat surprising. Big Red has lagged by months, so it's refreshing to see the carrier take more initiative in customer updates.

This isn't the only Galaxy S5 model to receive a fresh taste of Lollipop. Samsung also began pushing out Android 5.0 Lollipop to the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S5 (SM-G900H). The update has reared its head in Kazakhstan and it shouldn't be long before other regions around the world see it land on their shores. The Android 5.0 Lollipop has also been rolling out to the SM-G900F model for some time now.

Google, however, has already released Android 5.0.2 for a handful of devices, and signs point to a February rollout of Android 5.1. So why the delay? Why are some phones just getting Android 5.0 while Google is plowing ahead with new code? It all has to do with the fragmentation in the Android development process. Companies like Samsung need to tailor the original Android source code to their in-house interfaces, TouchWiz in this case, before releasing. More time is then needed if the device is tied into a carrier, Verizon in this case, for further optimization.

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