Google reveals Android M, version 6.0, is named Marshmallow; SDK and final preview released
M is for Marshmallow Trak.in : Android M is Android Marshmallow, Here is How it Tastes! Vivek Pai / MediaNama : Android Marshmallow lowdown: permissions, auto backups, behavior changes & more Carly Page / Inquirer : Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the next version of Google's mobile software Khurram Anwar / Gizmochina : Google Officially Announced The Name Of Next Android Version 6.0 As “Marshmallow” Duncan Riley / SiliconANGLE : Android Marshmallow is all very good, but f**ked update model means few existing users will ever get it Rohit KVN / International Business Times : Google Officially Announces Android 6.0 Marshmallow; Key Features Tech2 : Android M stands for Marshmallow: Top 6 features of Android 6.0 Drew Olanoff / TechCrunch : Google's Next Version Of Android Is Called “Marshmallow” Ron Amadeo / Ars Technica : Android M's official name is... Marshmallow [Update: Version 6.0] Simon Sharwood / The Register : ‘Marshmallow’ picked as moniker for Android 6.0 Brandon Russell / TechnoBuffalo : See how the Android Marshmallow statue was made in this new video Tyler Lee / Ubergizmo : How Google Arrived At Android's Tasty Names Vlad Savov / The Verge : Google's Android naming policy: ‘sometimes we like to troll’ Cat Zakrzewski / Wall Street Journal : Google Adds Marshmallow to Its Android Pantry Abel Avram / InfoQ : Android Marshmallow Comes with SDK 6.0 and API 23 Robert Nazarian / Digital Trends : How to install the Android M (Marshmallow) Developer Preview on your Nexus device Sam Thielman / Guardian : Google unveils hopefully sweeter new operating system Marshmallow David Ruddock / Android Police : Marshmallow Is Android 6.0, As Confirmed By Newest SDK Florence Ion / ITworld.com : M is for Marshmallow: Google quietly announces the official name for Android 6.0 Shawn Knight / TechSpot : Marshmallow is the official nickname for Android 6.0 Pradeep Neela / Android Advices : Download Android M Developer Preview 3 for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 & Nexus Player Kellex / Droid Life : What's New in Android 6.0 Marshmallow Developer Preview 3 (Updated) Varun Pandula / Gizmo Times : Google Android M is Marshmallow - Official Name for Android 6.0 Amit Bhawani / PhoneRadar : Google Android M is Marshmallow : All you wanted to know Justin Diaz / AndroidHeadlines.com : Download The Final Android M Preview Builds Rajesh Pandey / Android Beat : How to install the final Android 6.0 Marshmallow Developer Preview on your Nexus 5, Nexus 6, or Nexus 9 Rohan Pawar / Android Advices : Google's Android M is Android Marshmallow and Here are the Top 6 Features Eric M. Zeman / Phone Scoop : Android ‘M’ Is for Marshmallow, Final Preview Build Released Ryan Whitwam / ExtremeTech : Google announces Android M is 6.0 Marshmallow, releases third and final developer preview Michael Calore / Wired : The Next Android Now Has a Name: Marshmallow Adam Clark Estes / Gizmodo : It's Official: Android M Is Marshmallow Jordan Novet / VentureBeat : Google unveils the final name for Android M: Marshmallow Tom Huddleston, Jr / Fortune : Google's Android says M is for ‘Marshmallow’ Duncan Jaffrey / Ausdroid : M is for Marshmallow — The next version of Android … Eric Zeman / ProgrammableWeb.com : Google Releases SDK with Revised APIs for Android 6.0 Marshmallow John Freml / Pocketables : Third Android Marshmallow developer preview comes to all recent Nexus devices Sunil Jamboor Nagesh / Fone Arena : Android ‘M’ is officially known as Marshmallow Alex Wagner / TmoNews : Google confirms Android 6.0 Marshmallow, releases final Android M Developer Preview Wayne Williams / BetaNews : Google confirms the next version of Android is Marshmallow Jerry Hildenbrand / Android Central : Grab the new Android Marshmallow wallpapers Nathan McAlone / Business Insider : Google finally reveals what the ‘M’ in Android M stands for: Marshmallow Jacob Siegal / BGR : You can download Android Marshmallow right now - here's how Derek Walter / Greenbot : Android Marshmallow developer preview 3 and SDK are now available Bruno Ferreira / The Tech Report : Android M is for Marshmallow Chloe Albanesius / PC Magazine : Android M Is Officially Android 6.0 Marshmallow Karissa Bell / Mashable : Google confirms the newest version of Android is called Marshmallow Richard Nieva / CNET : M is for Marshmallow: Google announces name of Android update Richard Lawler / Engadget : Android ‘M’ is for Marshmallow Brandon Russell / TechnoBuffalo : Android M is officially Android Marshmallow Andrei Frumusanu / AnandTech : Google Releases Final M Preview: Android 6.0 Marshmallow Chris Hall / Pocket-lint : Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the next version of Google's mobile OS Chris Crum / WebProNews : Android 6.0 Is Officially Called Marshmallow
Context & Ripple Effects
The name reveal closes out the Android M preview program: after months of 'Android M' placeholders, Google settles on Marshmallow ahead of the fall Nexus rollout and hands developers the final SDK so apps can be rebuilt against version 6.0 rather than a moving preview target.
The coverage arc that follows shows what the transition costs downstream — Motorola is pruning its own companion software (dropping Moto Assist, Migrate, and Connect) to fit the new OS — while commentary at launch already flagged the recurring complaint: most existing devices will never see 6.0 because of the update pipeline.
First-order effects
- Android developers get a stable API target for 6.0, shifting from preview builds to shipping Marshmallow-compatible apps before the OS reaches consumers.
- Nexus owners become the first real user base for Marshmallow, since Google's own devices are the guaranteed day-one upgrade path.
Second-order effects
- OEMs like Motorola must rework or retire device-specific software to align with Marshmallow's behavior changes, passing migration work down to their own users.
- The update-fragmentation critique sharpened at launch pressures carriers and manufacturers over how slowly non-Nexus hardware receives 6.0.
Third-order effects
- The Q3/Q4 release rhythm Google has held since 2013 turns each naming-and-SDK moment into an annual checkpoint where the installed-base gap between flagship and legacy Android widens — the structural weakness later iterations, including the Android N follow-up, inherit.
The trend: Android's yearly dessert-cycle release train keeps prioritizing developer-ready SDKs and Nexus-first rollouts while leaving the broader installed base behind.