After previous reports that some of Samsung’s devices are going to be updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, we now have a more concrete schedule for the update rollout. The next devices in line to receive the major update are the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge. However, the OS won’t be deployed to all devices simultaneously, but will instead be released in waves starting in the second week of April.
Samsung are a bit behind the line with this update, but this is somewhat typical for the company. Their fans have gotten used to the idea of having to wait longer to get the next major Android version at this point, and on the other hand Samsung usually deliver their build of Android with various special tweaks that can make the wait very much worth it.
The release appears to target the Galaxy Note 5 with a priority, as the device will get its update during the second week of April; next up, in week 3, Samsung are going to roll out the new OS for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
The company will also release some updates for their more recent Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge devices at some point between the two batches, so it looks like most of their fans will have something new to enjoy very soon. According to some, it’s about time too, as people have been waiting to get a taste of Android 6.0 for some time now.
According to reports, Samsung have been addressing various user-reported issues with this update, particularly related to their TouchWiz UI. The interface has been somewhat controversial among users, as some claim that it feels overly bloated and unresponsive. Others have been complaining about the large number of preinstalled apps that a typical Samsung smartphone comes with, and the inability to remove them.
With this update, users will finally get the option to clear any unwanted apps from their devices, bringing them even closer to the core Android experience. Of course, we don’t expect that Samsung will also give an option to remove some of their core additions to the OS, but the current reports are already good enough for most of their fans.
There are additional reports claiming that Samsung are working on releasing other major Android versions to their devices, and even rumors that they might give their users some choice with regards to what version of Android they want to use soon. We’d be curious to see what kind of implementation the company can come up with.
Samsung have been mentioning various devices from their line-up in their reports for the availability of future Android versions, and according to some users, the company has improved their ability to deliver these updates in a timely fashion. They still have a somewhat negative reputation in this regard, as it’s not rare for Samsung devices to be behind the current trends on the Android market, so hopefully they really are working to address this.
In addition, Verizon have reportedly approved Android 6.0.1 for their own variants of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. It’s not clear if the carrier will actually pull ahead of the main build with their updates, something which would be a bit peculiar right now, but at least some owners of the gadgets are going to enjoy the important updates soon enough. It looks like the release schedule of Verizon coincides with that of Samsung to some extent.