Marshmallow – key new features

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has been one of the most anticipated releases of 2015. Not to mention that the OS release coincided with the launch of two amazing Nexus smartphones. Each Android update makes the OS a little better than it was before, bringing improvement and fixes to all sorts of bugs. The most exciting thing though is when Google releases a new version of the software. There are many differences between Android versions, if we look at Marshmallow and Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich we see that Android matured a lot.

Google worked on their OS to make it run smoother and Marshmallow can handle more complex tasks with greater ease than it’s predecessors. Android 6.0 doesn’t only bring discreet operating improvements, it also brings visual improvements, a bunch of cool features and hardware support for USB Type-C. For Android Marshmallow, Google looked for some ideas at their rivals. They “borrowed” some features from Apple’s iPhone. The first is a finger print scanner support, and an actual finger print scanner for the nexus 5x and 6P. Apps permission is now very similar to what we see in iPhones. A new text editing feature is the “Cut/Copy/Paste” option right above a selected text. And probably the most useful feature is a greater control over third-party apps, Marshmallow puts running apps in a sleep mode when the phone is not being used. This way the apps will not use as much battery, but the effect is relatively small, don’t expect it to prolong your autonomy with tens of hours.

Here are a few of Android’s 6.0 Marshmallow new features:

1. Google Now on Tap: this feature is activated by a long press of the home key. This feature understands the content type ( music, movies, news, etc) and give’s links with different search results related to that content. For example, if there is an address in the content, Marshmallow will give us directions and a link to Street View.
2. More intuitive Volume Management: Android Lollipop had a similar feature, but now it has been refined. By putting the volume to zero you enable Silent Mode and by tapping the down arrow you can adjust the device’s volumes interdependently. Like in previous versions, you can allow certain apps and notifications to make an audible alert even in Silent Mode.
3. Doze: this is Marshmallow new battery saving feature. When the device senses that is inactive and stationary it will cut down on background processes, force apps into a sleep mode or even close them and will increase the time between checks for unimportant updated.
4. Sharing: Marshmallow learns your sharing behavior, the people with whom you share and the apps you use. In other words the apps you use for sharing content will be easier to find and will be at the begging of the list.
5. Swipe left for Voice Control: when swipping left from the lock screen in Marshmallow you get the Voice Control instead of the dial-pad.
6. System UI Tuner: This reminds me of the latest Blackberry software, by swiping down with 2 fingers you get a menu that lets you add, remove or organize the tiles in Quick Settings.
7. Improved Device Monitor: Marshmallow give users more detailed information about the battery, memory, data, and so on. In the case of the Memory information it also shows how much space apps and content use.

I’m sure that there are lots more new and useful features to be found on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The more time we spend using and interacting with this OS the more we will discover.