Google’s latest mobile operating system, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, is scheduled to roll out to Samsung mobile devices from the first quarter up to the second quarter of 2016.
Previous reports have it that the latest handsets and tablets from Samsung will get the update on the first quarter of next year and the not-so-latest devices will get it the following quarter.
However, leaked screenshots of a Samsung Galaxy S6 running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow have already been making the rounds on the internet as of late, which is more than a month ahead of its official rollout date
Apart from running on the latest firmware update, the Samsung Galaxy S6 on the leaked screenshots also comes with the new TouchWiz UI design on a gray background with blue-colored icons in the Quick Toggles panel under the Notifications tray, details NDTV Gadgets
One of the leaked images also shows the Samsung Galaxy S6 camera sporting a shutter speed control in the camera’s Pro mode. There is also an option for the user to make adjustments on the ISO, exposure, white balance, and other manual settings.
The cat is out of the bag
Now that the cat is practically out of the bag, reports have it that the Android 6.0 Marshmallow shall actually come to the Samsung Galaxy S6 among other flagship devices of the Korean tech giant in January 2016, cites the Android Community.
While some say that the leaked screenshots of the Samsung Galaxy S6 running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow are not real, but there is just too many already out in the internet wild that it is almost impossible to say that it is untrue.
In fact, most critics believe that it is real and the Korean tech giant allowed it to make the rounds on the internet because it is already thinking about its next flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S7, which it will be launching towards the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter next year.
It is also expected that when the Samsung Galaxy S7 comes out, it will already be running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Accordingly, Google is already working with Samsung to hasten the update and the actual release of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow on its devices.
New features
Reports have it that the new features of the core Android 6.0 Marshmallow update include revamped app permissions; Google Now on Tap feature; new Chrome feature that will change the Web links; and Android Pay mobile payment system.
It also sports a new fingerprint API for developers to add into their apps; new Silent feature for sound and vibrate mode as well as a ‘Do Not Disturb’ to block all sounds, and battery saver features called Doze that will make Android devices smart about managing power.
The Android 6.0 Marshmallow started rolling out beginning October 5 and thus far, it has been generating positive reviews from first-time users.
The new mobile OS is described as a more refined version of the Lollipop which also indicates that Google has also grown with the times. It is like a bold rebranding similar to a young kid transforming into an adolescent.
It is quite evident with the new and very colorful Google logo. The Marshmallow got rid of the childish lettering in front of a more restrained font while still maintaining the aura of playfulness. Critics call it a sign that Google is indeed growing up as it becomes more refined now, capable of putting on a suit and tie if it need be. Having the Apple iOS 9 for a competition, Google is forced to raise the head-to-head match up a notch higher.
One of the most important and premiere features of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the Now on Tap, which is one way of showing that Google is listening to user’s voice and standing ready to turn contents of any app’s screen into a search or an action.
Now on Tap on Android is actually similar to Siri on the iOS but the former is more comprehensive as it gives the user instant access to Google’s vast knowledge of the web. The feature has actually turned Android into very much like Google itself.