Android 6.0 Marshmallow

We know that Android has an updates problem. In the most recent Android distribution report yesterday, we learned that Android Marshmallow has just barely edged past 10% adoption 8 months after it first started rolling out to devices.

But apparently, despite all the people-friendly marketing that Google does with its mobile OS software updates (and more recently, the Nexus phones), there’s this persistent complete ignorance about Android in general. How can Google motivate people to update to Android Marshmallow — much less care about what it offers — if they don’t even know what the OS is called?

Of course they could (or not) go the Apple route and create a situation with complete control over the entire ecosystem, but Google’s tactic of trying to make OS updates familiar and friendly is about as much as it can do for now. Apparently it’s not working, and this is perfectly illustrated in a recent round of Jeopardy! where two contestants both thought that Marshmallow is the name of iOS 6.0…

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Sony‘s moves in the mobile space continue to be somewhat confusing, as the company’s dedicated division continues to underperform, but that is not stopping the Japanese firm cranking out new and increasingly weird smartphones.

Today is the turn of the XA Ultra — which we had previously seen rumored as C6 Ultra — which packs fairly unique specs, namely its 16MP front facing camera and a monster 6-inch panel…

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Despite having unveiled its new Xperia X lineup at MWC earlier this year — replacing its Z series of flagships — Sony seems to have taken a confusing path. The X Performance, which is the highest-end model of the three, can’t claim to be a true successor to its older Z5 brother, because of both largely identical specs and scarce worldwide availability.

In the UK, for instance, the X Performance is the only unavailable model of the family. According to a Sony spokesperson, however, the device “may ultimately make it to the country” (via TechRadar), while fans of big phones may soon get their hands on the C6 Ultra model, a 6″ monster that @OnLeaks is now showing in all of its 3D-rendered glory…

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After Chinese company Huawei introduced the phone for the US in January of this year, I gave the Honor 5X a full review. But maybe you can’t even call it that. More than a review, it was mostly just some thoughts on the phone that I had pent up after an exhausting week at CES. Basically, the gist was this (although I recommend you read the whole thing): You get a lot for your money ($200) on the hardware side of things with the Honor 5X, but the software leaves a lot (and, really, I mean a lot) to be desired. After that, the phone sat in my drawer and I hadn’t touched it since.

Until yesterday…

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Yesterday, BlackBerry finally started pushing out the Android Marshmallow for the PRIV. And while it contains everything we already know about Marshmallow, BlackBerry added a few new useful and cool features of its own.

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Albeit having been released months ago, much like all of its predecessors, the latest Android version, Marshmallow, is still running only on a relatively small number of devices. Much of it can be attributed to carriers and third party manufacturers, which often take a lot of time to properly re-skin, release certifications, and eventually give the green light to updates.

Fortunately for Verizon customers, however, it looks like Google‘s latest software is beginning its rollout for the Droid Turbo 2. In a note released on Tuesday on Google Plus, Motorola‘s David Schuster confirmed that the upgrade is in “full deployment”…

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After a few weeks testing the software with a select group of beta participants, BlackBerry is finally rolling out the Android Marshmallow update for the PRIV from today. It comes with all the usual Marshmallow features, as well as some performance improvements and a handful of additional features for BlackBerry’s custom UI, keyboard and apps.

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After making a huge splash at this year’s Mobile World Congress expo in Barcelona, the LG G5 is now available for purchase. Thanks to the handset’s modular design, which nabbed it an award for 2016’s best innovation of MWC, it stands out from the rest of this year’s flagship releases. Is the modular design enough to make the LG G5 a better buy than competing 2016 flagship offerings?
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As an “Apple guy” the HTC 10 has been the one smartphone that I’ve immediately identified with in the Android ecosystem. That’s not to say that there haven’t been other Android devices that I’ve enjoyed or wanted to use, but I’ve always connected with HTC.

That probably has something to do with the fact that the HTC Wizard was the first “smart” phone I’ve ever owned. That phone ran the now defunct Windows Mobile and featured a resistive touch screen. Needless to say, I’ve long been a fan of the Taiwanese company, and its passion and desire to put out well-designed products continues to resonate with me in 2016.

So it’s with great empathy and concern that HTC has been struggling as of late. To be honest, the HTC 10 feels like the company’s make or break — the major fork in the road, if you will.

It’s very possible that the HTC 10 will be the release that paves a path to one of two destinations. Fortunately, I can report that this is a phone that’s good enough to pave that path in the right direction. It’s a phone that lives up to its billing, and in many ways exceeds expectations. It’s definitely not perfect, but it’s the best-looking and most complete HTC offering that we’ve seen thus far.
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When the first developer preview of Android N was released a few weeks ago, one of the features we noticed first was the ability to adjust screen DPI. In essence, this display scaling feature allows users to change the size of icons and text across the entire user interface.

While they don’t run Android N yet, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge also have a similar feature baked in to their software. Until recently, the only way to access the option was to install Nova Launcher and add a quick-action ‘DisplayScalingActivity’ widget. Thanks to the most recent software update though (as noted by SamMobile), it’s now part of the display settings options.

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Just over a week ago we brought you news that BlackBerry was starting up a beta program for PRIV owners who wanted early access to the Android Marshmallow update. The idea is simple: Get a wide base of users testing and sending diagnostics, in return, they get the latest software and BlackBerry gets to identify and iron out any bugs before the public rollout. Right on schedule, the first batch of beta testers will get access to the OS from today, before a wider beta rollout begins.

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We’ve had the HTC 10 all weekend, and wanted to share with you our first hands-on look. Of all of the flagship devices that we’ve seen in 2016, the HTC 10 is easily the prettiest.

The chamfered edges on the front of the HTC 10 lend a design reminiscent of jewelry, and the extra wide light-reflecting chamfer on the rear of the phone adds even more flair to the first impression. Have a look at our hands-on preview for a first-hand glimpse at HTC’s 2016 flagship.
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Nearly six months after release, Android 6.0 barely reached 2% usage in March. Helped by flagship devices and OEM updates from Samsung and LG, however, Marshmallow adoption has doubled in the past month.

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