People who use the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge can expect to receive the Android 5.1 Lollipop update as soon as next month. Updates to the cameras of both devices are also in the works.
The Canadian phone company known as Rogers Wireless stated on its official list that both devices would be eligible for the upgrade to Android 5.1. According to Amit Chowdhry of Forbes, the company expects the update to be sent to devices sometime before the end of June.
"Sometimes, things change beyond our control so all dates listed are subject to change," Rogers Wireless warned.
If the update proceeds as scheduled, Chowdhry noted that it would include the "Guest Mode" feature and the ability to take RAW photos. These features were originally added in Android 5.0 Lollipop, but many Galaxy S6 owners cited the fact Samsung left those features out.
"Guest Mode lets someone else use your smartphone, but they will not be granted access to your photos and personal data," Chowdhry wrote. "The new version of Android reportedly has a notifications feature that will let you swipe up to minimize incoming messages."
Chowdhry added that Google fixed several bugs and made "memory performance improvements" in Android 5.1. However, other carriers, such as T-Mobile, may just skip that update altogether and go with Android 5.1.1 instead through an over-the-air update.
"Android 5.1.1 fixes a major memory leak issue, which has plagued Android Lollipop since it launched in November," Chowdhry wrote. "Apparently, the stock version of Android Lollipop is unable to free up memory as certain apps are opened and closed - which is causing the devices to become slower."
According to Chowdhry, both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones come with Android 5.0 out of the box. The update will be pushed out to users depending on the carrier and the region; Chowdhry explained how one can check to see if their device is eligible for the update.
"When you receive the update, a system update notification should appear in the notifications bar," Chowdhry wrote. "You can also manually check if you have a software update available by tapping on Settings > About device > Software updates."
Rahul R. of International Business Times made a list on the new enhancements offered by Android 5.1. They included the following features:
- Fixes app termination bug
- Fixes Wi-Fi not connecting issue
- Improves battery management functionality
- Returns Silent Modefeature that was absent from Android 5.0
- Issues in "OK Google" voice-command addressed
- RAM management improved
- Fixes audio/multimedia-related problems
- Wireless connectivity bugs fixed
- Enhances notifications
- Regular performance/stability improvements
Abhijeet M. of SamMobile reported that both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have "the best cameras in the smartphone market right now," noting that the camera app is friendly to users at all levels.
"There's always room for some improvement no matter how good a particular aspect of a smartphone might be, and our sources tell us that Samsung is currently working on an important update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge's cameras," Abhijeet wrote. "This camera update will be a part of Android 5.1.1 whenever that version of the OS rolls out for the two devices."
Abhijeet speculated that the camera update for those Samsung devices could pave the way for the Galaxy Note 5, which could be launched "in the second half of this year."
"At this point development on the Note 5 is probably in a very early stage, at least as far as software is concerned, but it certainly looks like the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will get some camera features that will pave the way for more advanced iterations of these features in Samsung's next Note flagship," Abhijeet wrote.
