An update to the most recent version of the Android operating system called Marshmallow is slowly becoming available for more devices. While HTC released this update for the unlocked version of the One M9 a while ago in the U.S., those who own a carrier-locked version of the smartphone had to wait a little longer before hearing some news about it. Let’s remember that the update process on Android takes more time compared to other platforms, the reason is that after Google releases the software, OEMs customize it to add more functionality or change the way it looks. Then, carriers receive this modified version of the OS and they have to test it in their devices and perhaps include some of their own apps.
Sprint was the first carrier to release such an update, and that only happened last week. A couple of hours ago, we found out that T-Mobile had already approved the update for their One M9 variant and users could expect it starting February 16. Now, it’s be discovered that the One M9 model from Verizon has been cleared for approval of the Marshmallow update. Mo Versi, VP of Product Management for HTC, communicated through his Twitter account that the carrier has also approved the update for the handset earlier today, however, users will also have to wait a little longer for the software to roll out as it will be released on February 16. It’s also worth mentioning that these updates are usually released in stages, so not all of the devices will be getting updated at the same time.
Marshmallow didn’t bring many visual changes to the overall Android experience, but some companies have taken this opportunity to modify the looks of their own skins. It is unknown if HTC will make further changes to customize this version on the One M9, but given that the HTC One A9 was released running Marshmallow and it looked very similar to the previous version, we could expect something similar on the M9. Still, some of the native features that are included in Marshmallow are the new, more granular permissions, Google Now On Tap providing contextual information of whatever is displayed on screen and a better energy management feature called Doze Mode to improve battery life.