Verizon joins the latest crop of carriers to update flagships with the current-gen Android Marshmallow 6.0.1.
In an announcement posted on the Verizon Wireless support page, it is confirmed that the 6.0.1 version of Android Marshmallow is already rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S5 listed on Verizon-locked contracts. The new version updates the software to the MMB29M.G900VVRU2DPD1 build.
Some of the noted Android Marshmallow features are already the new update, including Wi-Fi Calling, App icon update, Ultra High Quality Audio and Android for Work.
Two new features, Now on Tap and the Doze function, are also live with the newest version of Android platform. This means that the Verizon Galaxy S5 now has the Google Now on Tap option, where users can access detail cards on background information and apps just with a simple tap. Meanwhile, the Doze function automatically puts the Galaxy S5 into a sleep state when the device is not being used, and this makes the battery charge last longer for a more proactive power management feature.
The new Android Marshmallow update also refreshed apps permissions for Galaxy S5 users, so they can now customize and turn off permissions they don't want.
Verizon Wireless is the latest mobile carrier to update their flagship devices list to Android Marshmallow. Although Google released the stock ROM for the 6.0.1 version last year, some carriers build their own version of the Android platform, layering it with their own, homegrown firmware. This creates a bottleneck in release schedules, so carrier-locked devices often get left behind in a major Android version update.
Other carriers that have also adopted Android Marshmallow for their devices include Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile, each carrier having its own roadmap schedules depending on the flagship devices on their list. Meanwhile, Android Marshmallow will be replaced by Android N soon as the current-gen platform.
