Marshmallow

[Brah]

Been holding out to buy a new Android phone until more models have Marshmallow (not upgrades to it, which seems to often have issues).

Seems the new models are uncharacteristically slow in coming out, but likely intentional until they move old stock on Lollypop, etc.

Is anyone here using such a phone?

[nakatago]

Been holding out to buy a new Android phone until more models have Marshmallow (not upgrades to it, which seems to often have issues).

Seems the new models are uncharacteristically slow in coming out, but likely intentional until they move old stock on Lollypop, etc.

Is anyone here using such a phone?

Nexus 6P. Google Nexii usually come out the end of the year, then CES and COMPUTEX happen in the first half of the succeeding year. So, second quarter you usually hear about the flagship phones from OEMs. More often than not, said phones will have the Android version in the Nexus released just a few months before. After that, you start hearing news of which and when the phones released in previous years may get their updates. If an OEM announces a phone and it will not be on the latest Android version, there will be talk of it, if the OEM didn't already promise when it will be updated.

The next Android version would be announced in May in Google I/O, and a series of developer previews released a few weeks shortly after until the next Nexus is a announced.

That's just how the Android product cycle is.

So, if you want phones on the latest Android version, Nexuses are November, the major OEMs come trickling in by March (usually, Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola and Sony). New players come in between like Xiaomi and Huawei.

[Brah]

Interesting, and good information.

So right about now we should be seeing new models with the upgrade.

[nakatago]

Interesting, and good information.

So right about now we should be seeing new models with the upgrade.

http://www.phonearena.com/android/new-phones

[Brah]

Interesting that not all on are Marshmallow.

Also interesting how many new (to me anyway) makers there are - ZTE, Meizu, Huawei, Lenovo (the spyware maker), one or two others I saw in Funan. I remember when Xiaomi was new.

Some are really cheap and of poor build quality, like ZTE.

I used to be a phone geek but not for years so am not up on the changes.

[Wd40]

My wife and me both are on Xiaomi now. She has the Redmi Note 3 and I have the Redmi Note 2. Both phones together cost $400. Her phone has fingerprint scanner too. Too much of features for the price. I think these phones should last us atleast until end of this year. The phones are on Lollypop. The only thing they dont have is NFC. Although NFC is getting popular, its still not something that we cannot live without.

[nakatago]

Interesting that not all on are Marshmallow.

Also interesting how many new (to me anyway) makers there are - ZTE, Meizu, Huawei, Lenovo (the spyware maker), one or two others I saw in Funan. I remember when Xiaomi was new.

Some are really cheap and of poor build quality, like ZTE.

I used to be a phone geek but not for years so am not up on the changes.

Huawei makes nice hardware but their software is shit. I personally know a reviewer who says at much at that's why the Nexus6P is such a hit. That said, Huawei having worked on a Nexus phone gives them access to how Google develops software so they should learn from that.

Xiaomi, I hear is similar though MIUI being an iOS clone and the lack of released sources so that people can make custom ROMs to replace MIUI is off-putting for a lot of people.

You could also look out for OnePlus. Their products have good features, come with near-stock Android. The only problem is, their production is demand-based, and with their stupid invite-to-buy program, a lot of people just don't bother. Hopefully, they get their shit together.

About Lenovo's spyware: I just recently acquired one of their laptops and it seems the spyware debacle really set them straight--no superfish found. If they're really sincere or it's just smoke and mirrors, time will tell. That said, I'm just waiting for the official release of the new Ubuntu LTS this Thursday and I'm replacing Windows 10. Hopefully, Motorola remains a separate division within Lenovo but a lot of people are not confident about that.