Android 6.0 news: Marshmallow update ported to the Nexus S

Google Nexus SWikimedia Commons/Luca Volpi (Goldmund100)

Although it has already been more than a month since Google officially rolled out its newest Android platform, many device users are still waiting for their Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. This is because tech manufacturers still have to build their own Android 6.0 versions that will be compatible with their flagships.

Meanwhile, tech-savvy Android users have managed to port the original Android 6.0 ROM to their own devices, not waiting for the official update. In the case of Google developer Dmitry Grinberg, he had Android Marshmallow run an older Nexus device, the Nexus S.

According to the Android Community website, Grinberg managed to port the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Nexus S as part of his projects. While Google has prioritized sending the new Marshmallow as a needed update for its Nexus lineups, what is surprising is that the Nexus S is not among the list of Nexus iterations that would get the new platform.

Since the Nexus S is considered an older-gen Nexus, the technical specs of the device disqualifies it from any updates above Android 4.1.2 or the Jelly Bean environment. The Nexus S was launched in 2010 and came with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box.

However, Grinberg managed to port a working version of the new environment to the older device, and the developer stated that it was a stable and compatible build. The features of the device such as the camera, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth all function normally after the update.

In a report by IB Times, although Grinberg did use the official stock ROM from Google, the Android 6.0 environment for the Nexus S can be considered as an unofficial one, and only those tech-savvy enough to know how to flash and manually update their Nexus S devices should consider upgrading their units.