Samsung Android 6.0 Marshmallow came with a number of features, both new and improvements from the previous version, Lollipop.
However, looking at Android 6.0 M critically, it’s more of a polished and extension of Android Lollipop’s principal features and functionality. Marshmallow has changes in key areas like design and visual appearance, Google integration, performance and system features, security and usability.
The OS has been updated and it now brings a mixture of features from both Google and Samsung. The South Korea-based company started pushing the update first to Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge devices before reaching out to other devices across the globe. When launching the rollout, Samsung detailed features available for S6 Edge devices but was silent on its veteran clients.
Nevertheless, the company has not left out other eligible users of the popular mobile OS. New features the update will bring to other Galaxy devices have now been outlined in addition to those already effected on the Galaxy S6 Edge panels. The company described the features in a detailed blog post on Wednesday. Android 6.0 update brings two major features among others to all eligible Samsung smartphones.
Samsung Internet 4.0 browser
The all-native, newest Samsung browser has been made better than the previous versions. A change in the browser brings more privacy and functions better. Highlighting the uniqueness of the browser, Samsung says the program comes with a Security Mode which functions more or less like Incognito Mode. However, the former is more secure. Security Mode only works with fingerprint authentication. The mode neither saves the users’ passwords nor history. Saved pages and bookmarks stored in the mode will also be kept securely. In another major improvement, the new Samsung Internet 4.0 browser will be compatible with HTML5 among other enhancements.
Cross App feature
This new feature enables you open apps within other apps. For instance, when you have opened a messaging app, let’s say Facebook, with Cross App you can go to your pictures or videos and share them with friends across the opened platform without closing the app. Users can also take photos with the in-app camera and share them directly via any messaging app they are in. As if that is not enough, users can also open URLs from within the chat app accessible through the in-app browser. You can flick the screen to minimize the website while the page is still loading and continue with whatever you were doing in the chat program. The new app also allows users play audio and video – which they can maximize to full screen – from within a chat app. Precisely, it supports multimedia playback.
In addition to the aforementioned two major features, Android 6.0 Marshmallow update also includes App Standby Mode and Doze Mode which are new battery optimization functions. The former detects if an app is idle and automatically switches the device to sleep mode while the latter saves power when the phone is not charging and is stationary for a while. MIDI protocol on Galaxy smartphones will now be supported with the update as well. Also in another improved feature, Samsung users will be able to adjust the speed of the audio while playing video from within an app. Lastly, Samsung has now bestowed more command to users over runtime permissions with a number of options offered in the Marshmallow update.
Apart from the specific features for non-Galaxy S6 Edge users, Samsung users with S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ will get Edge Panel enhancements. The improved edge screen and new edge features allow display of more content as the edge could be widened from 260 pixels to 550 pixels. The number of panels customizable has also increased to nine with People Edge and Apps Edge panels inclusive.