It's a huge week for Android fans: Lollipop, the latest and greatest version of Android, has finally launched - and for once, it really does live up to the hype. It looks better, it runs better and if you install it, it'll probably make your life better too. But that's not all: we've got a fresh look for GTA 5, the skinny on HTC's top-secret tablet, a whole bunch of wearables and the most expensive Apple product you can currently buy. All this and more in this week's Week In Tech.
Lollipop is the sweetest Android yet
Android Lollipop is here, or at least it is if you're in the first bunch of people to get over the air updates: Lollipop, AKA Android 5.0, is shipping. But is it any good? Gareth Beavis says it is indeed: it's "a great OS that is close to perfect for those that like naked Android", although it "doesn't have the impressive feature set of iOS" as Google doesn't control the hardware. And the camera app is still underpowered.
Google reinvents email, again
Ever since Gmail became big Google's been trying to kill it off, because by Google's standards plain old email is pretty dumb. The latest Gmail killer is Google Inbox, the invite-only app that turns your inbox into something that's a cross between Gmail and Google Now. This week Google opened its invitation envelope to everyone for an hour, and we'd expect similar stunts in the very near future to keep the hype machine running.
HTC: the T stands for Tablet
Fresh from the success of the Google-branded Nexus 9, HTC is preparing to launch its own tablet - but you won't see it this side of Christmas. The good news is that it should be worth waiting for: HTC says that the low-end tablet market is a world of crap and hurt (we're paraphrasing, a bit) and that there is "more room for growth and product differentiation in the high-end and mid-tier tablet segments." Whatever HTC makes, it'll be the first HTC tablet since the 2011 HTC Flyer, a tablet so unsuccessful everybody involved in making it has been shot. Probably.
5 on the 4 is something to adore
GTA 5. PS4. Put them together and what do you get? If Rockstar Games' latest video is any indication, you get the most amazing version of GTA you've ever seen. The PS4 remaster gets a significant layer of new detail, the highly anticipated first-person mode, and both it and the Xbox One version will run at 1080p and 30fps. The PC gets 1080p too, but it'll also support 4K if your hardware's up to the job. Consoles get it this month and PCs in early 2015.
The only way is UP
Jawbone has two brand new wearables, the UP3 and the UP Move. The UP3 is a multi-sensor band with new bioimpedence and temperature sensors for even better health insights, while the brightly coloured Move comes as a little clip-on or with optional wristbands. It'll be cheap, too: expect to pay US$49 (about £37), while the UP3 will be US$179.99 (about £125).
Tick tick tick BOOM
We knew the Apple Watch was pricey, but we didn't expect it to cost four grand. That's what the gold one is going to cost in US dollars, according to one retailer, and even the stainless steel one is likely to come in at around $500 (roughly £310, AU$570). That's an awful lot of money for something Apple says you'll have to charge every single day, but it's not the priciest thing Apple's ever made. Remember the 20th Anniversary Mac? That was $7,499.
Nurse! The screens!
If you're thinking about getting a new TV, click this link before you go shopping: it's TechRadar's terrific guide to TV tech, and reading it will make sure you get the best display for the least amount of cash. Whether you need a tiny telly for the spare room or 4K for the front room, we've got the best buys, the specs to check and the top telly tips.
None more black
If you're planning to get a new TV - or anything else - it might be a good idea to wait until Black Friday. The North American retail orgy is becoming a big deal in other parts of the world too, and it could save you an absolute fortune on your next tech purchase. As James Rivington explains, we'll be finding all the bargains as well as reporting the inevitable fisticuffs between bargain-crazed shopper.
