We are a couple of days from the announcement of the much discussed Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and the LG G5. So until I get to play with the new devices, I am in a bit of a lull. Admittedly I haven't been updating as frequently as I would have liked, so I thought I will do a quick look at the Marshmallow update that just started rolling out to the Note 5 (N920C). Which should give us a glimpse of some of the things that can be expected from the S7 and S7 Edge since they will be running Android Marshmallow too.
By quick look, I really do mean quick look. I only flashed the update on my Note 5 at around 2am earlier today, and I've only had like a few hours with it so far. Some of the features will be familiar to those already using a phone with Marshmallow, some will be unique to Samsung devices. So let's get started.
It's Smooooth...
After flashing the update, even prior to doing a factory reset, I immediately noticed the smoother performance on the device. Apps seems to load faster, animations seems shorter and smoother, and in general more fluid than it was. Even the speed of unlocking using the fingerprint sensor seems a bit quicker too. Not sure how long this "smoothness" will last, but I'm loving it so far.
It looks just a little bit different...
Overall this is the same TouchWiz that we know and try to tolerate. Some changes to the colour scheme here and there, flatter icons, as well as more Material Design-y animations. Overall minor touches to what we already know from the Note 5. No surprises here really, and it looks to be the same UI from the leaked images of the S7.
In fact, it seems that Marshmallow on S6 series of devices will look the same too, and to me that's a great step forward for Samsung in terms of keeping their flagship devices updated.
When I first saw the leaks for the Marshmallow update on the S6, the thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the boxed-up icons. Thankfully it's an option that you can change in settings.
There are also more customisability, and control throughout the system. A few notable ones are the ability to change the shortcut on the lockscreen to something else entirely, and the ability to turn off fast charging capability. Also another welcomed addition is the ability to turn off Pop-up window, something I don't use at all other than when I accidentally trigger it.
And oh... 2 finger swipe down to access all the toggles is back, and you'll notice a toggle for VoLTE too which is nice.
Even more control...
In settings, you now have even more ways to control how your phone works. Like the ability to turn off background data, or notifications for apps very easily in a list. It's a lot simpler to do compared to previously, and the ability to turn off background data for some apps will probably save you some battery too.
You now have the ability to control app permissions as well in a unified location as well thanks to Marshmallow. Again, this is a huge feature that I always mention whenever I am talking about Marshmallow. All those additional controls for background data, apps permission, will go a long way in ensuring that TouchWiz doesn't become LagWiz that quickly. (Of course a lot of it will still be down to how much junk apps you install on your device. No one can save you from yourself.)
Shhhhhh....
A new mode in Samsung's new and improved Internet browser allows you to hide your web browsing data from prying eyes. Unlike Chrome's Incognito mode which just doesn't store any cookies, history, etc, Samsung's Secret mode will allow you to store your "favourite" webpages, history, sign-ins, etc. To access Secret Mode, you would need a password, or simply your fingerprint. This is a feature that will probably come in handy for many. I also realised that in Secret Mode, screenshots are disabled, removing the possibility of accidentally taking a screenshot.
Making life easier, one feature at a time...
Previously on Note 5, if you use fingerprint unlock, you need a password of at least 6 characters, including a letter and a number. That's super inconvenient when trying to unlock the phone, and your thumbs are wet or dirty. Now, you have the option to use a PIN or Pattern instead as an alternate unlocking method. It's a nice update, but it kinda should have been there from the get go.
Smart Capture...
A simple feature that originated from the Note 5, but expanded so that you no longer have to take out the pen just to do a long screenshot. On the Note 5 it may not be groundbreaking since the Screen Write feature already does long screenshots, but it'd be great to see this super useful feature on the Galaxy S series devices.
Other Marshmallow goodness...
So far Doze seems to be working alright, you can clearly see the flatline when I was asleep, and the phone sipping battery. You have Google Now on Tap too on board with a long press of the home button if you opt in, offering contextual information when you need it.
Honourable mention...
This goes to the new Messages application. With a feature call Cross App, you can now run certain apps within the messages app. Like the camera for example, or when someone sends you a website link. You can run those within the camera app itself without needing to leave the page. Which would be pretty useful... if people still use SMS... You can read more about the feature here.
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These are just some of the features that I could find in my short time with it that are worth mentioning. This is still very early on of course, and I'm sure there are a lot more features within the OS waiting to be uncovered. A lot more testing to be done to see whether Doze really works properly on it too. But so far I'm pretty happy with the update, and if anything I think it's a good sign for the S7 and S7 Edge that will be announced come February 21st (for those in Singapore who wants to watch the live unveiling, it's February 22nd, am).
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