The year 2016 is going to be big for Android smartphone owners around the world, as the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow update will be rolled out to most devices. Companies such as Samsung, Lenovo, Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Sony will release Google's latest OS to their respective phones, bringing a series of new features and enhanced security.
Google initially released the Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its Nexus line, but other smartphones are expected to get it a little late due to additional testing required to adjust with the forked version of the Android OS. With every new major Android OS release, there are some devices that are left out for various reasons. Latest releases are usually the first ones to get new software, and here's a confirmed list of some of the important devices that will be upgraded to Android M starting this year, according to GSM Arena.
Samsung
Samsung will start updating its Galaxy smartphone lineup this year. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy Tab S2, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy A8 and A7 will receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The update will be rolled out in phases so users can expect delay based on the country and carrier.
Lenovo
Lenovo will update select devices to Android M, mostly released in 2015. According to GSM Arena, the K3 Note, A7000, A7000 Plus, Vibe S1 and Vibe P1 will receive Android Marshmallow this year. Lenovo is also set to launch its K4 Note on 5 January, which will also join the party sometime this year. Lenovo's ZUK Z1 is also expected to get upgraded to Android M in 2016.
Motorola
After Nexus and GPE phones, Motorola is one of the first OEMs to rollout latest Android software updates. In 2015, the company will update its Moto X Pure (Gen 3), Style (Gen 3) and Play editions. The Moto G3 already received the Android M update in India and the US. The smartphone-maker also plans to update some 2014 smartphones, including Moto X Pure (gen 2), Droid Turbo, Moto Maxx and Moto Turbo.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi will start updating its Mi phones to Android 6.0 Marshmallow this year. The first devices to get the new software are going to be Xiaomi Mi 3, Mi 4 and Mi Note followed by Redmi Note 2, Redmi 2, Redmi 2 Prime, Mi 4i and Mi Note Pro.
OnePlus
OnePlus currently has three devices in its lineup and the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X will be updated to Android M first. A new version of the Oxygen OS will be rolled out with Android Marshmallow. OnePlus One users can expect the Android M OS rolled out to them later this year.
Sony
Sony will be updating a lot of Xperia smartphones to Android M this year. The list includes the Xperia Z5 series, Xperia Z3+ also known as Xperia Z4, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M5 and Xperia M4 Aqua. Devices launched in 2014, including Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, as well as 2013's Xperia Z Ultra GPE will receive the update.
HTC
HTC will be updating mostly the latest smartphones in its lineup. HTC One M9, One M9 Plus, One E9, One E9 Plus, One ME, Butterfly 3 and Desire 826 from 2015 and HTC One M8, One E8, One E8 Eye, Desire 820 and 816 from 2014 will receive Android Marshmallow this year.
Huawei
Huawei's list of Android 6.0 Marshmallow-eligible devices include Ascend P8, Ascend P8 Max, Ascend G8, Mate S, Honor 6 Plus, Honor 7, Honor 7i and MediaPad X2, along with some devices launched in 2014, such as Mate 7, Honor 6, Mate 7, Honor 4X, Honor 4C and Ascend G7.
Asus
Asus' entire Zenfone 2 series, Zenfone 2 Laser, Zenfone 2 Deluxe, Zenfone Selfie and Zenfone Go, which were released in 2015, will get updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow in 2016. The company's Padfone 5 is also expected to receive the new software.
Others
There are several other Android smartphone manufacturers that will be upgrading their devices to Android M this year. Companies like LG, BlackBerry, Nvidia and others will update their respective Android phones sometime this year.
