The new update for the Android OS has a name. Google confirmed in a blog post that the update for Android is called “Marshmallow”.
The update was previously known as just Android M or Android 6.0. It was first announced in May during the company’s annual developer conference.
Jamal Eason, Google Product Manager, said in the blog post:
“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!”
The name of the update is in line with previous names that Google has given to its software updates. The company usually names them alphabetically and after sweets. The current version of Android is called Lollipop, while the one before was called KitKat.
Other update names include: Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean.
The new update introduces a new power-saving mode called ‘doze’ which reduces background activity when the device isn’t held by someone. It will also introduce Android Pay, a mobile payments service that lets users pay for goods in apps and at retail stores using their devices.
Android Marshmallow includes native support for fingerprint authentication that can be used for Android Pay services and the Play Store. Developers will also be able to make use of the fingerprint sensors for apps.
Developers that want to develop or update Android applications can now do so by downloading the software development kit.
The consumer version will not be available for download until Autumn.
