Sony has made great efforts to bring Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its product lineup in a timely manner, and furthermore, the company hasn’t neglected its older models either. In fact, earlier this week the Japanese tech giant started rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow on more Xperia Z devices, including multiple Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 variants, as well as the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. This time around, the release is considerably wider and is not limited only to smartphones listed in the company’s Beta program.
Sony’s new software update schedule is quite ambitious and commendable, mainly because the company seems to want and release Android 6.0 Marshmallow on a wide range of devices, old and new, roughly at the same time. The Sony Xperia Z2 (model number D6503), the Xperia Z3 (D6603) as well as the Xperia Z3 Compact (D5803) have received Android 6.0 Marshmallow earlier this month, but the previous release was reserved only for variants and users that are involved in Sony’s Beta Marshmallow program, which aims at pushing beta updates to early adopters willing to test the software and provide feedback. However, earlier this week the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update was officially released on multiple variants, including those who are not part of the Beta program. This includes the Sony Xperia Z2 (D6502, D6503), the Sony Xperia Z3 (D6603, D6646, D6653) and Xperia Z3 Dual (D6633), and even the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. In fact, both the Wi-Fi and HSPA+ Xperia Z2 Tablet models (SGP511, SGP512, SGP521) are now queued up for the Marshmallow update. Last but not least, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, model numbers D5803 and D5833 also seem to have received the latest software package, bumping the build number up to “23.5.A.0.570”.
As to what you can expect from Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, the update includes a brand new user interface for the camera application, enhanced privacy settings, and promises better (or rather “smart”) battery life thanks to the addition of Doze Mode. However, keep in mind that Doze replaces Sony’s proprietary STAMINA mode, which may not yield the same results at the end of the day. In any case, Sony already confirmed that it will reintroduce STAMINA mode in a later Marshmallow build, which will most likely be released to Beta participants, first and foremost.