As the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X have now officially hit shelves and arrived on doorsteps, it’s time for the frenzy surrounding the latest version of Android to begin in earnest. As with every major update of Android, users with a Samsung, Sony, LG, Motorola or other device will have to wait a little longer to get the update. This is because of the extra software, features and little tweaks that these manufacturers put into their devices. It takes a little longer for these extras to be worked into the new version of Android, devices that run stock Android straight from Google do not need to make these extra changes. The question however remains; when will my Android smartphone get the Android 6.0 Marshmallow?
Sony
Sony has become known for rolling out updates a little more slowly than others, but they always get their in the end. For Sony users, there isn’t an exact time frame for this sort of thing, but it does seem s though some devices could get the update before the end of 2015, but for the rest of the Xperia line it appears likely an early 2016 rollout is to happen. Sony have already announced which devices will get Android 6.0 and you can read that here. Some devices, including the Sony Xperia Z3+, Z4 Tablet, C4, C5 Ultra and M5 will be skipping Android 5.1.1 be updated directly to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
HTC
Since the launch of the HTC One M8, the Taiwanese firm has vowed to do better when it comes to Android updates, and it seems that so far they’re keeping that promise. The HTC One A9 is launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow pre-installed, which is a quick turnaround for HTC. For existing devices however, they have already announced a solid list of which devices will get the update. The quickest device to get the update will be the Google Play Edition of the HTC One M8, which is slated for Marshmallow in October. The HTC One M8 and One M9 devices are all listed of course, as well as some Desire devices. The full list (which could be expanded upon, yet) is found here.
Motorola
Considering that Motorola devices are running nearly stock Android, we should start to see some of the devices get their update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow before the end of the year. Just like other manufacturers, Motorola has issued a list of those to get the update, and we have that here. It seems the rule of thumb here is anything from 2014 and above will get the update, however the Moto E from 2015 seems to be absent so far, which is bizarre. Either way, these devices are set for some of the speedier updates compared to others on this list.
Samsung
The most popular Android smartphone manufacturer, Samsung will of course be looking to support all of their customers. Samsung hasn’t issued an official word on which devices will get the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow just yet, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at things. There is a leaked list of a handful of devices, but it does appear that anything from 2014 and up, starting with the Galaxy S5, will get the update. Mid-range devices like the Galaxy Alpha and the A-Series should get the update as well, but there’s no telling about lower-end hardware. As for when, devices like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 line should get their updates before the end of year, while older flagships will get the update sometime early 2016.
OnePlus
One of the more interesting companies to appear in the past year or so, OnePlus has two – soon to be three – devices to update to Marshmallow. They have yet to issue any official statement on timing, but as OxygenOS updates are slowing, it could be a sign that they’re working on a OnePlus Two update. Where the original OnePlus One is concerned, this is still supported by Cyanogen, and they’re already working on a Marshmallow release, but there is an unofficial build already available for the adventurous.
Huawei
Huawei is a company that has not become known for their quality update path, but now that they’ve partnered with Google, things could be changing on that front. The Chinese firm has already come out and said which devices will be getting the update, it appears the P8 line, the Mate 7 and Mate S will be getting the update as well as many of the 2014 Honor devices. The full list can be found here, but considering Huawei have said that they won’t start testing until November, early 2016 seems the best case scenario for the first devices to get the update.
Google Nexus
The Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P have launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but there are many other Nexus devices out there. In fact, many of them already have their update! The full list basically starts with the 2013 Nexus 7 and goes up from there. The Nexus 7 2012 (the original one), Nexus 10 and Nexus 4 have sadly been dropped, but they certainly had a good running. Those looking to start afresh and get the factory images can check here, otherwise an OTA update will be hitting your device – if it hasn’t already – in the next couple of weeks.
LG
For LG G4 users, there’s good news. In Poland, LG have rolled out the update, using the smaller territory as a testing ground for their new software – just as they did with the G3 and Lollipop last year. It would appear the LG G3, G4 and V10 will get the update to Marshmallow, but just what other devices are getting Android 6.0 remains to be seen. LG haven’t said anything just yet, but early 2016 for these devices seems likely. The LG G4 outside of North America might see things sooner, without carriers getting in the way, but right now it’s still up in the air as to just which devices will get Marshmallow and when.