Users of Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 who are registered in the Xperia Beta program are now getting an early beta version of the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The Xperia Beta program was launched by the Japanese tech firm last month. The registration first was offered to users who own a Sony Xperia Z3, the Z3 Compact or the Z2 in Italy, Spain and Netherlands.

The pre-release version of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow was launched to a small group of handsets in select regions in order for Sony to first test it out and then eventually find issues and determine what's needed to be added or tweaked.

This early release is done to ensure that all issues in the software will be fixed and that the mobile operating system will be further polished before it is dropped to more devices.

The Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow that's landing on the Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 does not have the February security patch like the one on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow that was released to the global Sony Xperia Z5 days back.

Even so, it still has the new features that come from the latest iteration of Google's mobile operating system. This includes the Doze mode, which will put the Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 in deep sleep to preserve battery life.

There's also the Do Not Disturb mode, which lets users choose which apps and contacts can pop notifications. The famous Google Now on Tap is also intact; this feature displays relevant information based on the user's emails, apps and other activities.

In addition to all those, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for the Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 includes the new Camera 2.0.0 user interface, which is the same as that on the Xperia Z5 units. With it, users can access various camera modes by simply swiping. It also includes sliders, which users can use to change the adjustment factors.

The update also includes a new home launcher equipped with a search option but minus the home screen layout options.