Now that Android 6.0 (otherwise known as Android M or Marshmallow) has been rolled out by Google for almost two months now, many Android users of newer devices are wondering when it will arrive on their particular smartphone or tablet. This is what is known about the Android M Version 6.0 Marshmallow Release Date on Sony products like the Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact, Z5 Premium, Z4, and Z3 on U.S. Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.
According to Android Pit, Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact users who had registered for beta testing received the company's concept build of Marshmallow in the week beginning on October 19th. That was over a month ago, and the build is receiving its first OTA update. This update will be rolled out gradually, so there will be some waiting if you're involved in the testing, and this test is also limited to users in selected European countries.
Of course, the Z3 and Z3 Compact won't be the only one of Sony's Android devices to receive Marshmallow, as the official list includes the newer Z5 series like the Z5, Z5 Compact, and Z5 Premium. Also included is the Z4 Tablet, the Z3+, and the Z3 Tablet Compact, as well as the Z2, Z2 Tablet, M5, C5 Ultra, M4 Aqua, and C4.
Xperia Sony reports that Sony is pushing out the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (the latest version of Android just below 6.0) update to Xperia Z3, Z3 Tablet and Z3 compact. There are reports that certain Sony devices such as the Sony Xperia Z3+, Z4 Tablet, C4, C5 Ultra and M5 will be skipping the Android 5.1.1 update and going straight to Marshmallow.
There has been no indication on what devices will be receiving the update first. It's very odd that most of the news on the Android Marshmallow update seems to be talking about the Z3 series instead of the newer Z5 series. The tradition of the Android upgrade rollout is that newer devices receive their new version first, followed by later versions.
In the past, Sony pushed out the Android 5.0 (also known as Android L or Lollipop) upgrade later than its announced release date. Keep that in mind as these predicted dates are listed. Assuming the Z5 will be the first to get it, then the earliest that the Z5, Z5 Compact, and Z5 Premium can expect to receive it would be sometime before the end of this month. The release date would also be dependent on the carrier, which in the United States would be the big guys like Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T.
So can Sony Xperia Z5 users expect to receive their Marshmallow update before the holiday season? At this point, it might be safer to predict a "no" answer to that question. This doesn't mean that things aren't happening behind the scenes, and Sony will have learned from last year's mistakes and manage to bring Marshmallow to all its eligible Android devices sooner rather than later.
