The speculation as to what Google will call the next version of Android, to date being known as 'Android M,' is over. The company has unveiled a new statue at its headquarters, revealing that Android M is Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Google revealed many of the features of Android Marshmallow at Google I/O in May, however the company often keeps the name under wraps in order to build anticipation.
"Whether you like them straight out of the bag, roasted to a golden brown exterior with a molten center, or in fluff form, who doesn't like marshmallows? We definitely like them! Since the launch of the M Developer Preview at Google I/O in May, we've enjoyed all of your participation and feedback," said Google on the Android Developers blog. "Today with the final Developer Preview update, we're introducing the official Android 6.0 SDK and opening Google Play for publishing your apps that target the new API level 23 in Android Marshmallow."
As you can see, the company also released the final version of the Android 6.0 SDK, as well as the third and final software preview, that can be downloaded onto Nexus devices. Google notes that the preview versions are close to final, but not yet ready for consumer use. Those who do want to flash the image will need to re-flash their device to a factory image in order to continue to get over-the-air updates.
One of the most anticipated features of Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the simplified permissions, allowing users to have granular access to different permissions for different apps. The software also includes Google's new mobile payment app, Android Pay, as well as support for USB Type-C.
Interestingly enough, the version number of Android Marshmallow is 6.0 rather than 5.2. This is a little unexpected as it is likely that Android Marshmallow will be a little more subtle of an update than Android 5.0 Lollipop. Previously, the company has been known to introduce smaller updates with incremental version numbers rather than bringing them up to round numbers.
The smartphones that will show off the new software have been featured heavily in the rumor-mills. It is now expected that Google will reveal two Nexus devices rather than one. One of the devices will be a 2015 version of the Nexus 5, with the other being an updated Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 is being built by Huawei, with the Nexus 5 being built by LG. Both devices are expected to feature fingerprint scanners, with native support for fingerprint scanners being added in Android 5.2.
