Which Android devices are getting Marshmallow and when?
Google has started rolling out Android 6.0, aka Marshmallow, to a handful of Nexus devices. But, as great as that is, there are still millions of people who have to wait for third-party manufacturers or carriers to get the update. Thankfully, companies like HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony and T-Mobile are already outlining their plans to distribute the latest, tastiest version of Android. Not everyone will be happy, of course, but the list of smartphones set to receive Marshmallow isn’t bad — and chances are more will be added over the next few weeks. “So, am I getting it,” you ask? If so, when? Let’s find out.
- Nexus 5
- Nexus 6
- Nexus 7 (2013)
- Nexus 9
- Nexus Player
- Android One smartphones
The over-the-air update should be rolling out now, according to Google.
HTC
- HTC One M9
- HTC One M8
- HTC One M9+
- HTC One E9
- HTC One E9+
- HTC One ME
- HTC One E8
- HTC One M8 EYE
- HTC Butterfly 3
- HTC Desire 826
- HTC Desire 820
- HTC Desire 816
HTC says Marshmallow should be available on these handsets by the end of the year.
Motorola
- 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (third-generation)
- 2015 Moto X Style (third-generation)
- 2015 Moto X Play
- 2015 Moto G (third-generation)
- 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (second-generation)
- 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia (second-generation)
- 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE (second-generation)
- 2014 Moto MAXX
- 2014 Moto Turbo
- Droid Turbo
- Nexus 6
The good news? Motorola’s taking care of a lot of devices. The bad news? There are no availability details.”We have high standards, so we’ll work fast but we won’t push the upgrades out until we know they’re ready,” the company said in a blog post.
Sony
- Xperia Z5
- Xperia Z5 Compact
- Xperia Z5 Premium
- Xperia Z4 Tablet
- Xperia Z3+
- Xperia Z3
- Xperia Z3 Compact
- Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
- Xperia Z2
- Xperia Z2 Tablet
- Xperia M5
- Xperia M4 Aqua
- Xperia C5 Ultra
- Xperia C4
Timing-wise, Sony says it’s working hard to deliver Marshmallow to you as quickly as it can, but it didn’t share any details beyond that.
T-Mobile
- HTC One M8
- HTC One M9
- LG G3
- LG G4
- LG G Stylo
- Nexus 5
- Nexus 6
- Nexus 7 (2013)
- Nexus 9
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S5
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Unlike its rivals in the US, T-Mobile was thoughtful enough to put together a list of devices that will get Android 6.0. There’s also a tool on the carrier’s site that lets you see what stage of the update process each device in, which is going to be greatly appreciated by users.
As we said earlier, though, more details from other networks and manufacturers are due to pop up throughout the coming weeks — so stay tuned to this article, as we’ll be updating it with any further details.
[Image credits: yamagiwa2000/Flickr]
The Surface Pro 4 vs. the competition: Tablets for productivity
It’s been an up-and-down ride for Microsoft’s line of Surface tablets — but the company finally hit on a formula that worked with the Surface Pro 3. It’s a device that has inspired a number of competitors, most recently from Microsoft’s long-standing rivals Apple and Google. The newly-announced iPad Pro and Pixel C both take clear and obvious cues from the Surface lineup, but fortunately for Microsoft it now has a brand-new Surface Pro 4 to compete with these newcomers. While much of your interest in these devices will likely come from which operating system you prefer, we’ve lined up the specs below so you can get an idea as to how these tablets will all stack up when they hit stores later this year.
| Surface Pro 4 | iPad Pro | Pixel C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | starts at $899 | $799, $949, $1,079 | $499, $599 |
| Thickness | 8.45mm (0.33 inches) | 6.9mm (0.27 inches) | 7.1mm (0.28 inches) |
| Weight | 766 or 786g (1.69 or 1.73 pounds) | 713 or 723g (1.57 or 1.59 pounds) | estimated 454g (1 pound) |
| OS | Windows 10 | iOS 9 | Android 6.0 |
| Display | 12.3-inch PixelSense display | 12.9-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 10.2-inch LCD |
| Resolution | 2,763 x 1,824 (267 ppi) | 2,732 x 2,048 (265 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,800 (308 ppi) |
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Processor | Intel m3 / i5 / i7 | Apple A9X | Nvidia Tegra X1 |
| Memory | 4 / 8 / 16GB | NA | 3GB |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512GB | 32 / 128GB | 32 / 64GB |
| Ports | microSD, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port, Surface Connect | Lightning | USB Type-C |
| Front camera | 5MP | 1.2MP FaceTime, f2.2 | 2MP |
| Rear camera | 8MP, 1080p | 8MP iSight, f/2.4, 1080p video at 30fps | 8MP |
| Cellular radio | None | Optional GSM/EDGE CDMA UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE |
None |
| WiFi | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.2 | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 9 hours | 10 hours | TBA |
| Accessories | Surface Pen, Surface Pro Type Cover | Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil | Keyboard Cover |
Get all the news from today’s Microsoft event right here.
Surface Book vs. the competition: Battle of the flagship laptops
And then there were three: with the introduction of the Surface Book, Microsoft has joined Apple and Google in offering a premium laptop that runs its own platform. But how does it stack up next to its rivals, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Chromebook Pixel? We’ve put the specs of each side by side to help you sort things out. As you’ll soon see, the three only share a few things in common. They reflect the unique philosophies of their creators, whether it’s Microsoft’s fondness for tablets, Apple’s preference for powerful (if conventional) laptops or Google’s desire for lean-and-mean web machines.
| Surface Book | MacBook Pro (13-inch) | Chromebook Pixel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499 to $2,699 | $1,299 to $1,799 | $999 to $1,299 |
| Thickness | 22.8mm (0.9 inches) | 18mm (0.71 inches) | 15.3mm (0.6 inches) |
| Weight | 728g (1.6 pounds) tablet only / 1.51kg (3.34 pounds) with keyboard | 1.58kg (3.48 pounds) | 1.5kg (3.3 pounds) |
| OS | Windows 10 | OS X El Capitan | Chrome OS |
| Display | 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display | 13.3-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 12.85-inch touchscreen LCD |
| Resolution | 3,000 x 2,000 (267 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,600 (227 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,700 (239 ppi) |
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 16:10 | 3:2 |
| Processor | Intel 6th-generation Core i5 or i7 | Intel 5th-generation Core i5 or i7 | Intel 5th-generation Core i5 or i7 |
| Memory | 8GB to 16GB of RAM | 8GB to 16GB of RAM | 8GB to 16GB of RAM |
| Graphics | Intel HD or NVIDIA GeForce | Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | Intel HD Graphics 5500 |
| Storage | 128GB to 512GB SSD | 128GB to 512GB SSD | 32GB or 64GB flash storage |
| Ports | 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, Mini DisplayPort | 2 Thunderbolt 2, 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, HDMI | 2 USB 3.0 Type-C, 2 USB 3.0 Type-A, SD card reader |
| Front camera | 5MP | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p |
| Rear camera | 8MP | NA | NA |
| WiFi | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.0 | v4.0 |
| Tablet mode | Yes | No | No |
| Battery | 12 hours | 10 hours | 12 hours |
| Accessories | Surface Pen | NA | NA |
Lumia 950 XL vs. the competition: The big flagship phones are here
It’s become commonplace for phone manufacturers to offer two sizes of their flagship phones: big and bigger. Microsoft is following suite with the new Lumia 950 and 950 XL, the latter of which is poised to compete directly with devices like the brand-new iPhone 6S Plus and the Nexus 6P. If you’re looking for a flagship phone running your platform of choice, now’s a great time to be in the market. The most notable difference about these devices is what operating system they run, but if you want to see how they stack up on a spec-by-spec basis, check out the table below.
| Lumia 950XL | iPhone 6s Plus | Nexus 6P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $649 | $749, $849, $949 | $499, $549, $649 |
| Known Dimensions | 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1mm (5.98 x 3.09 x 0.32 inches) | 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm (6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches) | 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm (6.27 x 3.06 x 0.29 inches) |
| Weight | 165g (5.82 ounces) | 192g (6.77 ounces) | 178g (6.28 ounces) |
| Screen size | 5.7 inches (144.78mm) | 5.5 inches (139.7mm) | 5.7 inches (144.78mm) |
| Screen resolution | 2,560 x 1,440 (518 ppi) | 1,920 x 1,080 (401 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,440 (520 ppi) |
| Screen type | AMOLED Quad HD, Gorilla Glass 4 | IPS LCD, Retina HD | WQHD AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Battery | Removable 3,340mAh | 2,750mAh | 3,450mAh |
| Internal storage | 32GB | 16 / 64 / 128GB | 32 / 64 / 128GB |
| External storage | microSD (up to 200GB) | None | None |
| Rear camera | 20MP Pureview, OIS, triple LED flash | 12MP iSight, f/2.2, 1.22µm pixel size | 12.3MP, f/2.0, 1.55µm pixel size |
| Front-facing cam | 5MP | 5MP FaceTime HD, f/2.2 | 8MP, f/2.4, 1.4µm pixel size |
| Video capture | 4K at 30fps | 4K at 30fps | 4K |
| NFC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.1 | v4.2 | v4.2 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 | Apple A9 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 |
| CPU | 64-bit octa-core | 1.8GHz dual-core | 2GHz octa-core |
| GPU | NA | NA | Adreno 430 |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB | 3GB |
| WiFi | Dual-band, MIMO, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual-band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Operating system | Windows 10 | iOS 9 | Android 6.0 |
| Standout features | 20MP Pureview camera with Carl Zeiss optics, removeable battery, wireless charging, USB-C fast charging | 3D Touch, 2nd-gen Touch ID, Retina flash | Nexus Imprint, USB Type-C |
Get all the news from today’s Microsoft event right here.
Wall Street communications platform Symphony gets investment from Google
Symphony Communication Services is a messaging company that provides news, information, and enables chat messages, mostly for Wall Street traders. The service is an alternative to longtime stalwart Bloomberg LP and has the backing of major Wall Street banks and investment houses like Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley and BlackRock Inc. New reports indicate Google has decided to participate in a new round of funding for Symphony, which places the value of the company at around $650 million. Google’s participation will represent the first company from outside of Wall Street to get involved.
At one time Symphony was hoping to raise $1 billion. However, the company attracted the attention of regulators who were concerned with record-keeping issues. Eventually Symphony worked out a deal with New York regulators that outlines how the company will keep records in a manner than helps “ensure the banks’ responsible use” of the Symphony platform. Unfortunately for Symphony, it appears the attention they received may have hurt their market value.
In addition to the basic chat function, Symphony will provide news content from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. They also have a partnership in place with S&P Capital IQ and Selerity. The Symphony service officially launched on September 15th. Symphony costs $15 per user per month for firms with 50 or more users and is free for individual use.
source: The Wall Street Journal
Come comment on this article: Wall Street communications platform Symphony gets investment from Google
EU rules that US companies can’t freely pull data out of Europe
A legal framework used to justify the movement of user data across the Atlantic has just been ruled invalid by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The Safe Harbor agreement, as it’s known, let companies like Facebook and Twitter freely move your information between its centers in Europe and the US. However, following today’s judgement, they may now need to store those details locally or prove that European privacy standards designed to protect your rights are being upheld.
The case began when Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems called out Facebook’s desire to move data stored in its Irish data center over to the US following Edward Snowden’s NSA surveillance leaks. The Irish courts dismissed the action citing the Safe Habor agreement, leaving him to lodge an appeal with the European Court of Justice. While he waited for a decision, Schrems received backing from Yves Bot, Advocate General of the ECJ, who agreed that Safe Harbor was dangerous and not binding.
With all past data-sharing agreements now deemed invalid, individual regulators now have the power to decide what happens with data stored in their countries. Ireland, for example, must now “examine, with complete independence, whether the transfer of a person’s data to a third country complies with the requirements laid down by the directive.”
“Legislation permitting the public authorities to have access on a generalised basis to the content of electronic communications must be regarded as compromising the essence of the fundamental right to respect for private life,” the court adds.
What must companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter do now? It’s not yet known how this will affect the flow of data between countries, but we do know that authorities can question the need for such a process and possibly request that all user data is stored locally, rather than in the US. More than 4,000 European and American companies are affected, so it’s not a small judgement. However, the European Union and the US are in negotiations over a new agreement, one that could give Europe far more control over what companies, but also security agencies, have access to.
[Image credit: mpd01605, Flickr]
Source: Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner (PDF)
YouTube gives its iOS app a new look and in-app editing tools
YouTube has given its iOS app a full facelift, making it look a bit more like its Android counterpart. Now, the main page has three tabs on top: Home, which houses the usual recommended videos/channels, Subscriptions, which lists all the new uploads from the accounts you subscribe to, and Account, which shows a summary of your… account! It also comes with new in-app editing tools that you can use to polish videos to upload whenever you don’t have access to professional software. In addition, serious YouTubers can get the refreshed version of the Creator Studio app for an enhanced Analytics section. The latest version’s only available for iOS at the moment, but the Google-owned company promises that it’ll soon be out on the Play Store.
Source: iTunes, YouTube Creators (Google+)
Is the Nexus 5X a good deal?
Google’s Nexus line-up has always been an interesting part of the Android story. We never know what to expect. This year, Google has changed things up again by releasing, not one smartphone, but two. The Nexus 5X is the long-awaited successor to the popular Nexus 5, while the Nexus 6P follows on from last year’s less loved Nexus 6.
If you felt the Nexus 6 was too expensive, and it looks as though many people did, then you might be excited by the pricing on the Nexus 5X. It starts at $379 for the 16GB version and it has a pretty enticing set of specs. But does it compare to the value for money that the original Nexus 5 represented two years ago? The market has moved on since then, prices have fallen, and the Nexus 5 was originally offered at $349. Is the Nexus 5X a good deal?
The high points
The first stand-out feature on the Nexus 5X, both figuratively and literally, is the 12.3MP main camera. Google knew it had work to do on this front. One of the biggest disappointments about the Nexus 5 was the performance of the 8MP camera. It looks as though the 5X is going to be capable of capturing quality shots, and it needs to be. The front-facing camera has also been overhauled in the wake of selfie-mania, and it’s rated at 5MP, undoubtedly a massive improvement over the old 1.3MP effort in its predecessor.
Nexus Imprint is the other thing that immediately jumps out about the 5X. A conveniently placed fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, under the camera, is a smart move, and less awkward to use one-handed than a traditional home button placement. It only requires a single touch and it looks lightning fast.
If these two features are as good as they look, then they definitely make the Nexus 5X a tempting prospect at this price.
Middle of the road
The rest of the specs are less impressive. The screen is 5.2-inches with a standard 1080p resolution, it’s actually slightly less sharp than the Nexus 5, which was 4.95-inches and 1080p. The hexa-core Snapdragon 808 backed by 2GB of RAM looks a little lightweight compared to current flagships.
| LG Nexus 5X | |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.2-inch LCD display 1920 x 1080 resolution, 424ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | 2.0GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 processor |
| GPU | Adreno 418 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Storage | 16, 32GB |
| MicroSD | No |
| Networks | GSM 850/1900 W-CDMA 2/4/5 CDMA 0/1/10 LTE Band 2/4/5/7/12/13/17/25/26/41 |
| Dual SIM | No |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, rear-mounted |
| Camera | 12.3MP rear-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture, laser-assisted autofocus 5MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture |
| Battery | 2700mAh, non-removable |
| Wireless charging | No |
| Dimensions | 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9mm, 136g |
| Colors | Charcoal Black, Quartz White, Ice Blue |
Storage options are the same: 16GB or 32GB. For most people, 16GB isn’t going to be enough in the long term, but the extra 16GB costs $50 and there’s no Micro SD card slot. $429 is still relatively cheap, but it’s not a special price when you look at what’s out there. The battery is a respectable 2,700mAh, and it’s not removable.
The compromises
There are also a couple of disappointing compromises in the Nexus 5X. Wireless charging support has been dropped. Google has gone all-in with USB Type-C instead. It’s reversible, so it should be much easier to plug in, but for anyone used to wireless charging it’s still going to feel like a step backward.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the Nexus 5X design certainly doesn’t stand out. The original Nexus 5 had the angular, monolith thing going for it, with curves top and bottom that gave it a unique, instantly recognizable profile. The 5X is a rectangle with rounded corners that would be tough to pick out of a line-up, though, it is at least slimmer.
See also: Nexus 5X hands-on: a look at Google’s new affordable phone
How does it compare?
When the Nexus 5 came out, it was the best value budget smartphone on the market. There really wasn’t another phone at the time that offered quite as much for $350. We can’t say the same about the 5X. If you’re thinking of dropping $379 on the Nexus 5X, there are actually quite a few other options that you could consider.
The Asus Zenfone 2 is only $300 and it manages to pack in a 5.5-inch display, with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, and 4GB of RAM. The OnePlus 2 starts at $329 and has an octa-core processor, more RAM, a bigger battery, USB Type-C support, and a fingerprint sensor. You could pick up an LG G3 for around $330 now, with a 5.5-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel display. Even the Moto X Style (Pure) is only $400 and it boasts a 5.7-inch display and a 21MP camera.
Moto X Style/Pure
The Nexus 5X may be better than some or all of these, it’s impossible to say for sure until we get some decent time with it, but it’s clearly launching into a much more competitive landscape than the Nexus 5 did. If you agree that you’ll need at least 32GB, which will cost you $429, then it’s only an extra $70 for the Nexus 6P, which starts at 32GB, but also has a bigger and sharper screen, a better processor, more RAM, and an 8MP front-facing camera, not to mention a metal body.
Good, but not great
If we rewind to the beginning of LG and Google’s Nexus partnership we can put the Nexus 5X into some perspective. The Nexus 4 was a phone that had a surprisingly premium design with good build quality, a set of specs that didn’t look out of place with the flagships of the day, and it started at just $299. If the Nexus 5X was being offered at $299 we’d be lauding it as an incredible bargain. Even if it landed at $350, like the Nexus 5, it would stand out in the budget field, but at $379… it’s not so clear.
There are lots of other little improvements in the Nexus 5X, and it’s impossible to judge properly without using it for a while. It will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and there’s no telling when some of the competition mentioned above will get that. For Android fans, the stock nature of the Nexus 5X can’t be underestimated. We also have high hopes for the camera and the fingerprint sensor, but there’s no hiding the fact that there are some disappointments here, too.
On paper, the Nexus 5X looks good for the money, but it doesn’t look great.
Google ordered to unbundle Android apps in Russia by next month
Last month, the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service found that Google is unfairly using Android to give itself a competitive advantage and has now given Google a little over one month to comply with the agency’s demands. Come November 18th, Google will have to change the requirements that it places on its hardware partners, specifically the ones that the Russian regulator feels are unfairly restricting apps that aren’t created by Google.
Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has taken a particular exception to arrangements that Google comes to with its partners with regards to pre-installed apps. By pressuring device manufacturers to pre-load a range of Google owned apps, such as Chrome, Maps and Search, along with the Play Store, but not allowing them to pre-install competing apps, third party services are being disadvantaged. Google has been ordered to amend these type of agreements and may also face a fine of 1 to 15 percent of revenue from these services.
The case arose after search rival Yandex issued a complaint against Google. The Russian search provider probably has a lot less to worry about now, as the change in rules would increase the likelihood that OEMs will include its software out of the box for regional handsets.
“To restore competition on the market, Google should amend agreements with mobile-device producers within a month and exclude the anti-competitive clauses,” – Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service
Google doesn’t appear to have any way to appeal the ruling and the company has not commented on the matter. While the decision may help out third parties, it’s not clear how this will affect important services, such as maps or email, which are linked into other Android features like Google Now.
This case is just the latest in a long list of anti-trust investigations faced by Google. The search giant is under investigation by the European Commission regarding its Android OS and pre-installed services, and is also fighting a similar anti-trust case in Europe over alleged preferential shopping search results. India has also launched its own investigation into the manipulation of search results and the FTC is pondering a case of its own.
New video takes a look at Android’s Easter egg tradition
When I got my second Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy S III, it came shipped with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. I learned that there was a secret Easter egg hidden in the system. It took me some time, but I eventually discovered the Easter egg: pixel-art Androids wearing Ice Cream Sandwiches flying across the screen, Nyan Cat style.
Google has long included amusing little Easter eggs in their products, but the Easter eggs found in Android releases are some of their most well-known. Natalie and Lorraine, a duo of Google engineers who also make videos of what goes on behind-the-scenes at their workplace, take a brief look at these secret goodies and how they came to be.
They both travel to Cambridge to chat with Android Framework Engineer Dan Sandler. The first such Easter egg, in Gingerbread, was created by artist Jack Larson and contained a painting of a zombie gingerbread. Since then, Dan has been in charge of bringing these Android version Easter eggs to life, starting with the Android bee in Honeycomb.
Unfortunately, we do not get a glimpse of what Marshmallow’s Easter egg will look like, but Nat & Lo have also created a video on how the Marshmallow lawn sculpture was created.
Do you have a favorite Android Easter egg? Tell us yours at the comments below!
Source: Android Developers Blog
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