Android M update overview: Asus, LG, Sony update flagships to Android 6.0.1

Android Developers Blog

Tech manufacturers and carriers alike are continuing the update to Android Marshmallow to pave the way for the upcoming Android N platform.

One of the big-name tech giants, Sony Mobile, previously announced that a number of their flagship lineups will be joining the Android M bandwagon. In addition, their announcement stated that some of the recent lineups – particularly those that came with Android 5.0 Lollipop – will be making the jump straight to Android M, skipping the Lollipop's 5.1.1 version.

Months after Sony opened its Android M beta program to users, the full version of the Android M platform began rolling out last month. The very first devices to get the full Android M version were the current flagship lineups, the Xperia Z5, the Xperia Z4 Tablet, and the Xperia Z3+ (which is also listed as the Xperia Z4 in some regions).

However, Sony Mobile has also confirmed that the Android M update will be limited to devices that can pass the requirements for the new platform. In the Xperia Z-series, lineups from Xperia Z2 upwards are slated to receive Android 6.0.1, and the Xperia Z1 and older flagships will need a manual flash and a compatible cooked ROM if the users will insist on checking out Android M. Meanwhile, as for other Xperia lineups, only the Xperia M5 and M4 Aqua, as well as the C4 and C5 Ultra, are listed on the Android M update page.

Sony Mobile and Samsung are two of the few to make to the Android M jump some time after the platform's launch, while some tech manufacturers are either early – which makes the versions susceptible to glitches – or very late in announcing their Android M updates.

LG was one of the very first to announce its jump to Android M, with some LG G4 users reportedly receiving the Android M notification as early as October last year, just weeks after Google released the final version of the stock Android M file. Another flagship lineup, the LG V10, received its Android M update early this year.

Meanwhile, Asus is on the other end of the spectrum, announcing its Android M update plans only this year. According to a list on Android Pit, the tech giant plans to concentrate first on an Android 6.0.1 update for its ZenFone and ZenPad lineups, and will schedule the rollout starting this month.