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Android 6.0 Marshmallow continues to expand its reaches to new models, and throughout the past couple of days, Google’s latest Android release has just recently hit both the Moto G 2nd Gen in the US, as well as the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 on Verizon’s network. Now, after an apparent delay, Sony seems to be next in line for a bit of time under the spotlight, as fresh reports reveal that the Sony Xperia Z5 family in Japan recently made the jump to Android 6.0, introducing a number of new features and various changes in the UI.
In light of the recent Xperia X announcement, the Sony Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium might be the last smartphones of their kind. According to the manufacturer, there will be no Sony Xperia Z6, and apparently the “Z” line-up was replaced by the recently announced Sony Xperia X family of smartphones. With that being said, it’s possible that Android 6.0 Marshmallow could be the last major software update for the Xperia Z5 series. Whatever the case may be in the future, it looks like Sony is now ready to bring Android 6.0 to Xperia Z5 users in Japan, specifically those who have purchased the smartphone(s) from local carrier NTT DoCoMo.
The update introduces several new features including Runtime Permissions, Doze mode for improved battery management and Google Now on Tap, which brings the functionality of Google Now to every app. Numerous changes have been made to the user interface as well, and the update includes a new Xperia Home launcher – not to be confused with the new UI introduced along with the Sony Xperia X series. Other UI changes include those in the camera app, which allows users to easily switch between modes through simple swipe gestures. The recent apps screen received a small visual tweak as well and now hides the toolbar at the bottom of the screen once the user scrolls through the list of recent applications. There’s also a new “Edit” button in the notification area, which can be used to easily add and customize the list of quick toggles. For those who enjoy customizing their home screens, the new launcher offers the ability to choose between various transition effects when switching between panels.
Although there’s no official word on when Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be released on the Sony Xperia Z5 series outside of Japan, the fact that the update made its highly anticipated debut should indicate an imminent rollout in more regions around the world.
