Google Nexus Devices ‘Stay Puft’ As Android 6.0 Marshmallow Hits The Airwaves

True to its word, Google is now rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its first-party Nexus devices. Purchasing hardware that has Google’s official stamp of approval on it means that you’re always the first in line to get updates to the latest operating system and that you’re well covered when it comes to timely security updates.

Google has posted factory images of Android 6.0.0 (Build MRA58K) to its developer site, and supported devices include the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 smartphones, Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 tablets, and the Nexus Player. So you can head on over and download them now if you wish to get a head start on the rest of the pack.

If you prefer to go the simple, over-the-air (OTA) route, Google notes that updates to Marshmallow are taking place, and that the updates will “occur in stages and some carriers will receive the update later than others.” And while the aforementioned Nexus devices are the first to receive the Marshmallow update, we must also point out that two newly announced smartphones — the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P — come preloaded with Marshmallow fresh out of the box.

In addition, both Samsung and Motorola have outlined their upgrade paths for Marshmallow. A word of warning to Galaxy S5 owners, you won’t be too happy to learn that you’ve been left out of the loop when it comes to sitting around the campfire to roast marshmallows.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow brings with its a number of performance enhancements, subtle UI tweaks, a new app permissions interface, big improvements to battery efficiency and maintenance, and native support for fingerprint sensors.