As promised, this morning Google officially released Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The latest software update for Android smartphones and tablets is currently available and will replace and purify Android 5.0 Lollipop update last year.
Last week, Google took a few moments to officially announce the two new smartphones. Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, both running the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow software update. On stage, the company confirmed that the official debut will be early next week, and rumors suggested today that October 5th would be that day.
There is always a big update for Android with the release of new Nexus devices, and in 2014 Android 5.0 Lollipop came along with the Nexus 6 on October 15th. Within a few days it started rolling out to existing phones and now the same is happening for devices available today and the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Read on for a few details.
A few minutes ago, Google officially approved Android 6.0 Marshmallow and factory images for many Nexus smartphones and tablets. It was first announced as Android M earlier this year, had a short beta program, and then was officially confirmed last month. The true over-the-air software update has yet to begin rolling out to users, but it will be available to most Nexus owners over the next week.
Alongside the factory images, Google confirmed that over-the-air updates are also rolling out this morning. Stay tuned!
Get ready to taste sweet. #AndroidMarshmallow. The update starts rolling out today. https://t.co/OGFhh3kkd0 pic.twitter.com/RSUpkI1MDt
— Android (@Android) October 5, 2015
From today Android 6.0 Marshmallow is available for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9 and Nexus Player media device. Of course, these are all Google’s own Nexus phones, but more are coming soon. Factory images are what developers and enthusiasts can use to manually wipe all data from their devices and install the latest software now if they want, but regular owners should wait for the true wireless regular software update to arrive.
New features
Since Android M reappeared at Google I/O, the company has made many changes to the operating system. That said, most of the big new changes have already been announced. Below is a link comparing Android 5.0 to Android 6.0 (an early look) and as soon as the update hits our devices, we’ll do another comparison and start researching everything new.
The guide above will help owners know what to expect, but below is a short list detailing many of the major improvements this year. With Android 6.0, Google wanted to improve and improve Android 5.0 Lollipop, not overhaul. All in all, we have a flashy experience, better performance and battery life, tons of security patches and a few minor tweaks here and there, and some nifty new features.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow has improved the lock screen, home screen, app tray, notification pop-up bar, new permission controls, fingerprint support, automatic app and data backups and everything mentioned above. Doze promises about a 30% increase in standby battery life, Google Now on Tap is our favorite new feature, and easy-to-use voice controls are a welcomed release.
Starting this week, those with Nexus devices can pick it up right away or wait for actual updates to arrive in the next few days, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more details, download links, OTA files to manually sideload, and more.
As for other manufacturers, Motorola has announced a list of 11 devices that they will update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, HTC has confirmed that several devices will see it before the end of the year, and we expect to hear more from Samsung, LG and many other manufacturers. others are about upgrading to Android 6.0 Marshmallow by the end of the week.
It’s officially Android 6.0 Marshmallow time. Stay tuned for more details.
