HTC’s Lollipop-based Sense leaks in first screenshots

The first images of HTC’s implementation of Android 5.0 Lollipop made their way to the web, showing HTC’s take on the recent apps interface and notifications dropdown.

The screenshots below are courtesy of LlabTooFeR, a custom ROM developer that has frequently leaked HTC-related information in the past. According to the leaker, the screens show Lollipop with HTC’s proprietary Sense 6 overlay running on a One (M8). Version 6 of Sense debuted on the M8 back in spring, though it’s possible that HTCwill introduce an intermediary Sense 6.5 release to go with the Lollipop update. Sense 7 is only due next year with the One (M8)’s successor.

The screens show how HTC plans to skin the lockscreen, notification dropdown, quick settings, and recent apps overview screens – the general aesthetic is more restrained, with shades of gray replacing Google’s bold color choice. That aside, this is unmistakably Lollipop. Also worth noting is that HTCkept its own nav bar buttons, instead of adopting the new triangle/circle/square combo from stock Lollipop.

HTC promised it would release the Lollipop update for its top devices within three months of the availability of the Android 5.0 source code. The countdown clock is ticking. This year, many OEMs seem to be trying really hard to be among the first to put out Lollipop, and hopefully HTCwill beat its own deadline by a margin.

What do you think of these initial screenshots? Like what HTChas done with Lollipop?