Android Community Weekly Digest: Oct. 11, 2015

We just passed the storm that was the new Nexus and Android Marshmallow announcements, but it is only now that we are starting to feel the effects. Android 6.0 has started rolling out to older Nexus devices and manufacturers are starting to line up their ducks for Marshmallow. But while everything is fine and dandy in the wider Android land, some OEMs are having a harder time trying to catch up. Welcome to the latest edition of Android Community’s Weekly Digest, covering the period from October 5 to 11, 2015.

The Nexus 6P and its Camera

But first let’s take a deeper look at last week’s star. When Google unveiled the Nexus 6P, it was everything that we expected, at least based on leaks, but managed to still keep a few tricks up its sleeve. Aside from the premium look thanks to its metal body, the first Huawei Nexus also revealed a talent for photography. Digital photography benchmarking experts DxOMark pretty much puts the Nexus 6P at the number 3 spot among all smartphones, including the most recent iPhones. Yes, a Nexus finally makes it to the top 3. Of course, it’s not enough to completely displace Samsung and new top dog Sony, but it at least shows it is possible for a Nexus smartphone to be there.

A rain of marshmallows

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has started to roll out to the public, and naturally the first recipients of the upgrade will be Google’s own Nexus devices. While OTA updates are slowly starting to trickle to users, Google has made available factory images for supported devices, which would allow ROM developers to kickstart their processes and let eager power users taste the treat ahead of everyone else. And what treats does Marshmallow contain? Among other things like a new app permissions system and fingerprint scanner support, Marshmallow also brings in the new “Now on Tap” search super power to Android and heralds the coming of in-app translations. And of course, there’s the customary easter egg waiting for you, allowing you and a friend to play a game of flappy bird, er, marshmallow.

OEMs and carriers have slowly started announcing their upgrade plans for Android 6.0, following HTC’s very early list. T-Mobile has revealed a rather long list of devices eligible for the upgrade. In contrast, Sony’s roster is quite short and sadly leaves the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 compact in the dust. Not all devices are created equal, after all, but luckily for owners of the aging Nexus 4, some ardent souls have found a way to unofficially make possible the impossible.

HTC in trouble, Sony in peril

Android might be the most widely adopted mobile platform but not all players are able to make it big in the market. Sometimes, even the bigger players are having a hard time catching up. As we put the close on the third quarter of the year, companies are revealing their numbers for the past three months. Unfortunately for HTC, things still aren’t looking up. The Taiwanese manufacturer didn’t have encouraging finances to show. It isn’t giving up yet though. Later this month, it plans to unveil a new product, perhaps the hero device that CEO Cher Wang had alluded to. It better be, as the company is in dire need of saving.

While not completely in the red, Sony’s future in the mobile industry is just as uncertain. Continuing the restructuring it has been doing for the past three years, the Japanese electronics giant spun off its image sensor division into a business of its own. That business happens to be one of the most successful within Sony’s manifold operations. This separation leaves the company free to focus on the mobile side of things. Sony hopes to see a turnaround by 2016, or else it might consider doing something drastic with it. Perhaps sell it like it did the VAIO.

Wrap-up

It is a rather turbulent times for some Android hardware partners as the mobile market sees a progressing change of flow of power. Even stalwart giant Samsung isn’t immune, with the jury still out on whether its most recent play has been of help. That said, no one’s calling it quits in the Android market just yet. Next week, HTC will be unveiling what could be its final gamble in the high-end Android market. But before that, Chinese startup OnePlus might have something in store tomorrow for us, so keep your eyes peeled as we navigate the turbulent and unpredictable waters of the smartphone market.