An Android Smartphone Displays Google Website
An Android smartphone displays the Google website in this picture illustration in Seoul September 7, 2011. Reuters/Truth Leem

A slew of killer smartphones were released in 2014. However, some of the handsets stood out even though they were considered as underdogs. One such handset is the OnePlus One smartphone from China. This handset is one of the best flagship phones that catapulted the tech world by striking a good balance between high-end specifications and nominal price tag. While the never-heard-before company OnePlus is gearing up to release its successor OnePlus Two, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update (custom ROM) for the currently-available OnePlus One has been confirmed.

It is worth noting that the OnePlus One is the "first non-Nexus Android handset" sold at a substantially low price tag. Also it is a known fact that the initial launch of the OnePlus One was not very easy for the company. With invitation-only policy taking toll on the patience of the buyers, the company tried everything that can to set the purchase model right. But now, the OnePlus One owners can rejoice as Google's latest Android 5.0 Lollipop will be rolled out to their handsets soon, notes BGR.

Notably, the original version of the OnePlus One runs on Android v4.4.2 with CyanogenMod 11S complementing the device by providing ultimate customisations to the user. Needless to say, the Android v4.4.2 KitKat is upgradable to Android v4.4.4. However, according to latest reports, the OnePlus might opt for a different Android OS in the near future due to an undisclosed rift with the Cyanogen team.

Going by Android Police's report, the company OnePlus has reportedly built a team of software engineers. Apparently, this team helped deploy an alpha build of Android 5.0 Lollipop, which looks like a replica of the stock Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

In the company's own words, "As we look towards the official ROM release in the near future, we will keep to our promise and deliver an experience that is customizable, yet bloat-free with stock-Android-like simplicity by default; we wouldn't ask you to settle for anything less."

In case the OnePlus One users would like to check out the version of Android 5.0 Lollipop in alpha phase, head straight to OnePlus' official forum. This blog has all the necessary information required for downloading and installing the official version.

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