On September 29, Google officially introduced its first Nexus devices running on the newest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.
According to various sources, users of other Android-based handsets can expect to receive the latest firmware platform starting next week.
Google's recently-held event served as the launch stage for the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X, the two models respectively developed by the company's manufacturing partners Huawei and LG, CNET reported.
As reported by different sources, Google will begin rolling out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update to old Nexus devices starting on October 5. According to NDTV, the handsets that will receive the firmware upgrade during the first wave of its roll out include the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 2013 Edition, Nexus 9, Nexus Player and the Android One Devices.
Aside from the Nexus lineup, the other handset model that will also get the update is HTC. Based on an official list released by the company, the handsets that will receive the firmware upgrade are the Butterfly 3, One M8 Eye, One E8, One ME, One E9, One E9+, One M9+, One M8 and One M9. These devices will get the update before this year ends, GSM Arena has learned.
HTC's other devices, such as the Desire 826, Desire 816 and Desire 820 from its mid-range line, are also set to get the update. However, it is not yet clear when the firmware upgrade will arrive for these devices.
The roll out will be managed by various network carriers and will be conducted in stages. This means not all users will get the update at the same time.
With the latest platform, it seems Google can once again expect a huge bump in the Android operating system's adoption rate. Currently, the Android platform has now 1.4 billion active users, which is 400 million more than what the Google had last year. According to the company, the latest increase can be attributed to users various regions.
"We've added 400 million active devices and the momentum is happening around the world - especially in emerging economies," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement according to NDTV. "In countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, Android has literally doubled in the last year."
"And what's exciting about this is in most of these cases these are people who are adopting a smartphone for the first time," the executive added.
As to what users can expect in the newest platform, Android 6.0 Marshmallow comes with a variety of features such as Google Now on Tap, enhanced fingerprint reader support and the integrated mobile payment system Android Pay.
