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Android 6.0 Marshmallow continues to widen its reaches every month, with some OEMs being more successful than others at pushing the update to their product lineups, as usual. Samsung has done a relatively good job at distributing Google’s latest mobile OS, and the latest Samsung device to make the jump to Android 6.0 is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 in France, where Marshmallow is now reportedly available for download OTA (over the air).
According to fresh reports, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is now rolling out in France on the Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7; also known by model number “SM-T550”. The update bumps the build number to “T550XXU1BPE1” and should include a handful of Marshmallow-specific features such as Google Now on Tap, performance optimizations, various changes to the user interface, and possibly Doze Mode for better battery management. Remember, Doze Mode is a native Android 6.0 Marshmallow feature, but not all Android devices on the market support Doze even though they may run (or be ready for) Marshmallow. You can find out whether or not your device – in this case the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 – is ready for Doze using a third party application and following our “How to” guide. As for the matter at hand, owners of the Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 in France should now start receiving the update notification at any moment. Otherwise, the update process can be triggered manually by heading down to the tablet’s “Settings” menu and accessing the “Software update” submenu. Alternatively, the latest software package can also be downloaded on a computer using the official Samsung Smart Switch application.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 was released one year ago in May 2015 running Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The tablet is equipped with a 9.7-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1024 x 768, a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.2 GHz per core, 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 / 32 GB of on-board storage, a 5-megapixel main camera paired with a 2 MP front-facing sensor, and a 6,000 mAh battery rated at up to 14 hours of multimedia time. Throughout its lifetime, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 received several discounts, with the latest eBay deal having the slate on-sale for $199. Currently, the tablet is listed on eBay for $229, or 30% off the original $329 price.