Yes! It’s official, we have a name for the next Android adventure. Android M shall now be Marshmallow aka Android 6. Although truth be told, this is not among my favorite sweets by far but that shouldn’t stop us from fantasizing on what load of goodies this version shall provide.
The OS is set for release this winter. If you recall, the first preview was made in May, we even recall posting a tutorial on installing this on a Nexus device. Thereafter a 2nd technical preview came somewhere in July. Google today announced a Final preview for Nexus devices before the actual roll out later this year. As always, the announcement says “The preview images are near final but they are not intended for consumer use.”
Although there was a lot of speculation and excitement about the naming, Google did build up sufficient anticipation and went with the obvious choice.
If you don’t already know about the major offerings of Android 6 aka Marshmallow, this should help:
- A simpler approach to app permissions for users.
- Google’s Android Pay
- Mobile Wallet Platform
- USB Type-C support [Oneplus Two Yay!!]
- Fingerprint scanning
- Improvements and upgrades throughout the Android framework.
Now we all know what a new Google OS means. To demonstrate the best performance of the OS, Google launches Nexus devices. This year, reportedly, it has 2 devices in mind. Although these could very well be rumours but if reports are to be believed, one device shall be a sequel to Nexus 5 [from LG] and another shall be manufactured by Huawei. Yes, Huawei!
We believe this could be a game changer for Huawei & bring the brand to center-stage as far as Android is concerned. Both phones shall of course support finger-print scanning which was one of the main improvements in Android 5.2.
Share your thoughts on the latest Android and its name while we write up our tutorials and opinion on the 3rd & Final Technical Preview release.
My favorite a Android device to date, weighted for version “inflation” over the years, is the Huawei Ascend 2 running 2.3.6-7, which I’ve rooted and still use as a WiFi only mini-tab. It was solid, comfortable, capable, and high quality of build, sound, and performance (considering its small RAM & ROM). Another underdog device, the pumpkin-hued HTC 1 SV, was a close 2nd. I’m both proud and ashamed.