Android 6.0 M ”Marshmallow” vs. iOS 9 — FIGHT!

Google has confirmed the name of Android M — Marshmallow. The new version will first make it to the expected new Nexus devices due for release later this year.

Soon after, it’ll be available for OTA upgrades for older pure-Android shinies, and presumably the select Sony models that are currently blessed with the developer beta. But after that, who knows?

Aye, there’s the rub. At least with an Apple iDevice, you know you’re going to get the update, as long as yours is reasonably recent.

In IT Blogwatch, bloggers light the campfires. Not to mention: Inter arma enim silent leges…

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. [Updated 11:28 pm, 3:23 am and 9:00 am PDT with more comment]

Ooh, Ron Amadeo, all the time to the top: [You’re fired -Ed.]

With every major Android launch comes a new codename, and…a statue [on] the lawn in…Mountain View. … Right now we only know about the platform additions thanks to the SDK. … With this and the leak of the 2015 LG Nexus 5, it seems like a complete launch of Android Marshmallow will be here soon.  MORE

Florence Ion is charged by “the safe and predictable choice”: [You’re FIRED -Ed.]

Google unveiled the statue for Android Marshmallow at its Mountain View headquarters this morning. … The new mascot looks delicious enough to smother in between two pieces of graham cracker and a chocolate bar. … There’s still no word on when to expect it to arrive to your Android devices, [but] I wouldn’t hold your breath. … Your best bet to get the new version…will be to buy this year’s latest Nexus.  MORE

Google’s Jamal Eason eases devs into it: [Phone it in, much? -Ed.]

Who doesn’t like marshmallows? … Get your apps ready for Android Marshmallow. The final Android 6.0 SDK is now available. … We also updated the Android Support Library to v23. … Images have been updated for supported Nexus devices (Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 & Nexus Player). … Supported Nexus devices will receive an Over-the-Air (OTA) update over the next couple days. … Google Play is now ready to accept your API 23 apps. … We recommend that you use Google Play’s newly improved beta testing feature to get early feedback.  MORE

An’ Drew Olanoff draws his neutrino wand: [Don’t cross the streams -Ed.]

If you remember, KitKat got kind of weird when Google started doing cross promotion with the candy company. Maybe there could be a Ghostbusters tie-in this time?  MORE

So David Ruddock chronicles the preceding naming rumors: [You’re riddickulous -Ed.]

Marshmallow was definitely among the most-speculated potential names for the next version. … While the statue isn’t exactly…creative, it is nothing if not direct.  MORE

Meanwhile, Brandon Russell leaves this here: [Give me strength -Ed.]

Google focused a lot on the underlying experience, giving users control over app permissions and native support for…64-bit ARMv8. … We’re also expecting Now on Tap, which looks set to be one of the coolest mobile features ever. … It’s getting even smarter and more ever-present than before. Other features include doze, which reduces background activity, native support for fingerprint recognition, and a standard API for implementing fingerprint-based authentication.  MORE

Boy, isn’t Colonel JK Stern a big phan? [Please. Make it stop -Ed.]

U get a lot of EVERYTHING with Android that iOS will never have. … You get customization that iOS would never get without jailbreaking your device. … Google literally has outpaced every other Mobile OS…and no one can really compete. The only thing killing them is when Sammy/LG/HTC etc put their skins over it and hose it up! Try out a Nexus device, Vanilla Android is just purely awesome. … The lack of multitasking-support on most iPhones does not really make things more productive. I can actually leave things running in the background and not worry about it.  MORE

Update: Kirk Strauser sounds slightly sarcastic:

Its predecessor, Lollipop, clawed it way to 18.1% share in just 9 short months! In fact, Android versions released since October 2013…account for a whopping 57.4 share! With quick adoption like that, you should plan to upgrade your current phone to Marshmallow any day now. … (I typed that whole thing with a straight face.)  MORE

And here’s Captain DaFt, to decode the meaning behind the name:

Bland, soft, cloying, unsubstantial, can’t take the heat without falling apart, and easy to poke holes in. Is Google trying to tell us something?  MORE

Update 2: This news is a Carly Page turner:

Despite speculation that Android M would arrive as version 5.2, Google confirmed that Marshmallow will arrive as version 6.0. … [It] is likely to debut on a duo of new Nexus devices later this year, one from LG and one from Huawei. [It] sees the firm “going back to basics” by focusing on improving the quality of the platform  MORE

But Sophie Curtis doesn’t care for a fumble in the dark:

Android Marshmallow also brings support for…USB-C, which Google claims charges devices three to five times faster. Like Apple’s Lightning connector, USB-C chargers can be plugged in either way round, so you’ll no longer have to fumble around in the dark trying to plug in your charging cable.  … A new permissions system makes it easier for users to decide what information the apps on their phone can use. … You can also revoke permission for an app to access certain information.  MORE

Update 3: So what does this mean for the new Nexus release date? JC Torres is bullish (albeit using the F-word):

Google seems to be right on schedule as far as its…Marshmallow, release goes. The final Android M…was originally scheduled for the third quarter. … That leaves September as the last opportunity to meet that Q3 deadline. … That also means we could be looking at the first official glimpse of the new Nexus smartphones next month. There have been a lot of leaks already. … The latest on the LG-made smartphone hinted at a fingerprint scanner, which would coincide with Android Marshmallow getting official support for the sensor. … Despite the excitement around Android 6.0, or perhaps more around the new Nexus devices, there is one downside. … Lollipop, barely a year old, is just beginning to take root. … It would be months…before OEMs start pushing out upgrades…once again underlining the problem of Android fragmentation.  MORE

And Finally… Inter arma enim silent leges

You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings, who curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don’t have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @RiCHi or itbw@richi.uk. Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.