Android Marshmallow - What's New?
In Google’s event today we saw many things. Among this large list was the new Android OS; Marshmallow. The Nexus 5X and 6P will both come with Marshmallow out of the box, but if you have an existing Nexus device (5, 6, 7 (2013), 9 and Android Player), you can expect the new OS as soon as October 5th! It is worth mentioning, however, that the OTA process will, of course, be slow, so you should be able to find the factory images or zip files for the update within a few days.
The sad news, however, is that we finally have to say goodbye to the Nexus 4, 7 (2012) and 10. They shall not be supported by Android M, so will stay on marshmallow forever.
Now into the features of Marshmallow:
“Now on Tap” - This feature is pretty much a remake of Google’s ‘Google now’ service. Instead of the cards we’ve all become used to, now, if you hold down the home button, you will be given information relevant to what you’re doing – Like info on the artist currently playing, if you were, for example, on Google play music.
Battery Life: Android M promises to finally do something about the battery life of your phone! When your phone isn’t being used, the OS now prevents background apps from draining your phone's battery. Also, if an app hasn’t been used in a while, network privileges will be revoked from the app! Google says that this should increase the battery life of the Nexus 5 and 6 by up to 30%!
Privacy: You now have the option to let apps only access what you want them to. This has been a feature in CyanogenMod for the longest time, but Google has finally smelt the coffee and added this feature to Marshmallow. Google also finally put fingerprint scanner support into the AOSP code, which makes sense, as the new Nexus phones both have fingerprint scanners. Google says that it should take less than 600ms to recognise your fingerprint and unlock your phone.
Android Pay: Android’s competitor to Apple Pay is also a feature of Android M, finally giving a practical, everyday use for the NFC chips in most peoples' Android phones. Voicemail: Android M is finally bringing ‘visual voicemail’ to the table: when someone leaves a voicemail on your phone, and you listen to the voicemail, you will have the option to call this person back, send them a message, pause and rewind the voicemail and delete the entire message with a press of a button. The only snag is that carriers will have to enable this (In the UK, only EE and O2 have confirmed they will be offering this service).
Intelligent Prediction: based on what apps you use, and what time you use them, Android will suggest four shortcuts to your most-used apps at the top of the status bar (Which is new, by the way – it scrolls downwards instead of sideways)
Better Auto-Backup and Restore: When you change your ROM or update your OS, you have to download all of your apps again, and usually start them from scratch (Unless you use something like titanium backup). This will backup apps no more than once a day, and only when the device is idle and connected to Wi-Fi. This way, even if you delete an app, then decide that you want it back, you can still keep your progress/details on it!
Rotation: You can now use most apps and the home screen in landscape mode!
These features should see Android's UI slowly but surely win over fans of other operating systems, as the features most wanted by the community are finally being considered and in some cases, added.
