OnePlus Announces Android 6.0 Marshmallow Roadmap

OnePlus took to its forums to announce the roadmap for bringing over Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its growing portfolio of devices.

First up is the OnePlus One, which will continue on with Cyanogen OS as that is what the product officially shipped with. The Marshmallow update for the One (with Cyanogen OS) is expected in the first quarter of 2016. There will also be a community build of OxygenOS, but no timeline has been promised for it as the company will be “updating the community build when time allows”.

Next up is the OnePlus 2, which is also expecting an update in Q1 2016. This update will be for OxygenOS and will include the new standard API for fingerprint sensors that comes along with Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

For the OnePlus X, the company has refrained from giving a timeline for the Marshmallow upgrade. Considering that the roadmap is quite flexible for the other two devices, we have mixed feelings for this. On one hand, not providing a date or even a quarter gives them ample of time and plenty of wiggle room to push a polished update. On the other hand, not being able to specify a quarter in 2016 for the release of the OS makes one wonder if the company is actually committed to delivering Marshmallow while it is still relevant. Considering the fact that OxygenOS is decently close to stock Android, and that we still have one and a half month left for 2015 to end, the OnePlus X loses some of its sheen as a lower budget handset which benefits from being close to stock Android as it loses out on the quick upgradability aspect. Whatever be the case, we hope that the device will receive Marshmallow along the same time frame as the other OnePlus devices.

It’s not all bad news for OnePlus X owners, as the company has released the kernel sources for the device. This should help inject some more choice into the custom ROM scene for the device. You can find the kernel sources here.

OnePlus sure has their work cut out for them, as they should be aiming to beat manufacturers with heavy skins on delivering a pleasant Android 6.0 experience in a timely manner. The devices, along with their budget, make for some decent competition in the mid range. Timely update support would be a welcome cherry on the top.

What are your thoughts on the roadmap of OnePlus and their updates? Are you satisfied with the estimated release timeframes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Read on for related content:

• Google Engineer Advises to Avoid USB Type-C Accessories from OnePlus
• Hands On With The OnePlus X: A Humble Leap in the Right Direction
• OnePlus Announces Protection Plans for OnePlus 2
• Through the Viewfinder: The OnePlus X Launch

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YU Partners with Reliance Retail For Offline Sales

Micromax’s YU Televentures has entered into a partnership with Reliance Retail to sell its smartphones in offline stores. The phones will also come with VoLTE enabled, and will cost Rs 6,499; Rs 7,499 and Rs 10,999 for the YU Yunique, Yuphoria and Yureka Plus respectively. The move is a welcome change from the flash sales and online-only model that the company follows.

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Asus ZenFone Zoom Certified By TENAA

The Asus ZenFone Zoom has made its way to Chinese regulatory authority, TENAA. The ZenFone Zoom packs aboard a 13MP rear camera which also packs in a 3x Optical Zoom module with OIS and Laser AF hardware. The phone is otherwise a mid ranger with a 5.5″ FHD display, 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 chipset and variants with 2GB/4GB RAM with other storage options.

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Sunday Debate: How Can Android Wear Capture the Mainstream?

Android Wear has been around for over a year, and despite numerous software iterations and two generations of hardware filled with alternatives, the smartwatch game still hasn’t trickled down into the mainstream, and it has certainly not matched the prediction that analysts have been putting forth for years now.

While Wear is not a mainstream product, it is a good piece of technology for those that have an use for it. The current version of Wear is miles ahead of the earlier, laggier releases, and a lot more is coming soon to further maximize the experience. The new software features come with support for new hardware, too, including LTE connectivity and speaker support. But despite the new gestures and the new shiny watches, we don’t know if Wear will have what it takes throughout 2016 to captivate the mass market. So we ask you:

• What does Wear need to appeal to a wider base?
• What factors are currently holding Wear back? (in Price, Hardware, Software, Design)
• What kind of hardware and software features would sell among consumers?
• Should Google start opening up Wear for further customization on OEM’s part?
• How can Google integrate the platform into everyday life?

Join the discussion!

Hardware

Android Wear watches now pack pixel-dense displays, proper processors and plenty of RAM, but what the watches are missing in order to maximize their usefulness are not related to what one needs to draw pixels on a screen, but to make said information valuable. Android Wear could benefit from extra sensors that would justify the always-on-you gadget and the quick access to information. Some of the most popular wearables are centered around health, and Wear can become the ultimate health and information hub with the proper sensors. This would, of course, require a proper battery as well. While Wear watches are packing bigger batteries now, the consensus seems to be that it’s not quite enough for mainstream appeal.

Software

On the software side, Wear is doing a much better job than most its competitors; their smartwatch approach is one that’s about one-handed use (only extended by the current and upcoming gestures) and quick glancing of information. It’s not to be a phone on your wrist but an extension of your phone. As such, Wear has gathered a “notification center” fame that some reviewers claim is taking away from its potential. But with smart voice commands and voice UI navigation, one handed gestures, and the hardware sensor, Wear can find software possibilities that make it a truly compelling at-a-glance information hub. Right now, Wear’s software doesn’t do much that you can’t do on Android, but by exploiting Wear’s form factor virtues and possible future scanners, the value of Wear can be greatly enhanced to be more than what’s mostly a way to read and reply to notifications.

Debating

Android Wear has come of age, but it has more steps to cover before it can be a universally appealing product. Perhaps one day smartwatches will be as ubiquitous as smartphones, but current offerings, their pricing models and their capabilities do not seem to be enough to break that consumer inertia that’s keeping people from strapping more technology to their bodies. So with software and hardware in mind, as well as price and design, we ask:

• What does Wear need to appeal to a wider base?
• What factors are currently holding Wear back? (in Price, Hardware, Software, Design)
• What kind of hardware and software features would sell among consumers?
• Should Google start opening up Wear for further customization on OEM’s part?
• How can Google integrate the platform everyday life?

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Custom Quick Settings App Allows Addition of Quick Settings on Android 6.0 Without Root

If you are amongst the batch of people with access to stock Android 6.0 and don’t want to root for some reason, you can still add custom quick settings to your device without tinkering too much. Developed by XDA Recognized Contributor Quinny899, this app lets you do all that on Stock Android 6.0 without needing root access.

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Unofficial CyanogenMod 13 For Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 LTE

XDA Recognized Developer kotzir, much to the rejoice of many users, has brought Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 in the form of unofficial CyanogenMOd 13 builds for the device. These builds are for the GT-S7275R/B/T variants only, and have a few bugs, so be sure to check the thread before flashing.

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Unofficial List of Working Modules For Xposed On Marshmallow

Xposed for Marshmallow recently went live, making it more easy for people to take the decision to jump onto the Marshmallow bandwagon. With the help of the community, XDA Member f41lbl0g has put together a list of working Xposed modules on Marshmallow, so if you wanted to know if your favorite module is working before jumping the gun, take a look here!

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