Microsoft Corporation Increases Cross-Platform Strength with 74 Android OEMs

Microsoft announces adding a total of 74 Android manufacturers to its list that would pre-install its apps and services in their next models

While there are rumors that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) plans to discontinue manufacturing smartphones, it doesn’t mean that it has forsaken the mobile industry. The software giant wants its applications on your next-gen mobile device before you buy them. Today, the company announced that it has partnered with 74 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across 25 countries that either will pre-install or have started to pre-install its products in their Android smartphones and tablets.

The latest big-name addition to start installing Microsoft apps and services in its hardware is Acer, which it intends to do so in the second half of 2016. The recruitment of 74 partners by Microsoft shows that it has been working fast, as it announced its partner program hitting the count of 20 in May last year, including Cyanogen and Samsung.

The program focuses on getting Android OEMs to embed its premium branded Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, and Skype applications in their products. Microsoft OEM division’s corporate VP, Nick Parker, made the latest announcement in a blog post.

He wrote: “These partners offer or will soon offer Android devices pre-installed with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype. Office and Microsoft services are available on a wide variety of Android devices today, such as the LG G Pad II, Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z4, and many other tablets and phones offered by our partners. Specific offerings may vary by device.”

The company’s officials don’t publicly say that the deals are related to its patent campaign, through which it collected patent royalties from Android manufactures. While exact details of these agreements have not been disclosed, Microsoft is most likely licensing its patents to its partners for pre-installing its apps.

Mr. Parker wrote: “Our strategic agreements with these partners, in which IP alignment is an important feature, demonstrate how Microsoft is leveraging the scale of the hardware ecosystem, and working with partners in new ways to deliver rich experiences to our customers.”

Under the present Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, Microsoft has shifted its focus from Windows and hardware to software, applications, and services. It brags that Microsoft apps have been downloaded over 100 million on the iOS and Android with 20 million paying customers for the Office 365 suite. It even acquired Groove, a music streaming service from a Canadian startup Zikera.

While Microsoft’s Windows Phones have been rejected by the majority of global market, it doesn’t want its name to be forgotten. According to comScore’s data, Android powered 53.3% of all smartphones in the US by the end of 2015, which is why the software giant is particularly focused on this operating system (OS).

Recently, Microsoft brought its personal digital assistant, Cortana, to Android platforms. In October, its Arrow Android launcher was introduced from the beta phase, before which it acquired the company that made Android’s Echo lock-screen app, Double Labs. During its financial results last month for the December quarter, Microsoft announced how it is adjusting its approach on software-services, which is why it is now focused on becoming the primary source for apps and services for both, iOS and Android users.

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Facebook is testing SMS, multiple accounts in Messenger

It looks like the features are Android-only, at least for now.

Facebook has slowly beefed up its Messenger offering over the past year, with not only the ability to send payments and hail an Uber ride, but also the addition of an AI-inspired personal assistant (or at least the promise of). Now it looks like Messenger will have a couple of other features added in the near future: the integration of SMS plus support for multiple accounts. It was first seen on Android Police but we've since received confirmation from Facebook that the company is indeed testing these new features.

"At Messenger we are always trying to create new ways for people to communicate seamlessly with everyone," said a Facebook spokesperson. "Right now, we're testing the ability for people to easily bring all their conversations -- from SMS and Messenger -- to one place. It's a really simple way to get, see and respond to all your SMS messages in just one app. By choosing to access your SMS messages in Messenger, they're right alongside all the other enhanced features that Messenger offers."

We should note here that SMS was actually a part of Facebook Messenger before, but it was removed a few years ago due to low adoption. But perhaps with the advent of messaging apps like WhatsApp and Google's Hangouts, Facebook had a change of heart. From the Android Policescreenshots, it looks like the SMS messages will be colored differently -- purple instead of blue -- and that it's an optional feature that can be enabled or disabled in settings.

Screenshot credit: Android Police

As for multiple accounts on Messenger, Facebook had this to say: "Millions of people share phones with their family and friends. Until now, there hasn't been an easy way for people to access their individual Messenger accounts from shared devices. To address this, we've launched a feature on Android to enable multiple people to log in and use Messenger from a single phone."

We're not quite sure why family and friends would want to share Messenger accounts on a single phone, but we can see this feature being more useful in a tablet, where it's more likely to be a shared household device. It could also be useful if you have both a personal and a professional account. From the looks of it, you can add accounts to the Messenger app in settings and be able to switch between them as you wish. There's no telling when these features will arrive for all Android phones, but we wouldn't be surprised if they appeared on your device in the near future.

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Why Facebook and Google mine your data, and why there’s nothing you can do to stop it

It’s no secret that Facebook and Google, and pretty much every company that sells connected devices or online services, tracks their customers to some extent. Internet companies have repeatedly been scrutinized and even taken to court for mismanaging users’ private data, and customers have become more interested in protecting their digital data in the past few years following Edward Snowden’s leaks.

So why do these companies mine your data? And is there a way to prevent it?

Exposed author Bernard Harcourt spoke to Business Insider about privacy in the digital age, explaining that Internet companies need our data to better target us with advertising. By knowing our likes and dislikes, Facebook, Google and others can offer us ads that we’re more likely to click.

In return, we get to use these addictive and/or useful online services free of charge, since Facebook and Google make their money directly from advertisers hoping to sell their products to us after luring us in with their ads.

But Harcourt also looks at the darker side of the story, the fact that the NSA used Internet companies to gather massive amounts of data about consumers. Of course, Internet companies nowadays often promote encrypted products and fight for our privacy and security, so they often aren’t so willing to share data with governmental agencies — at least not without a warrant.

The only way to escape data mining is to ditch these services completely. But for many Internet users, access to Facebook and Google products is part of their daily routines. There’s simply no way they can completely stop using services like Facebook and Google. That said, there are ways to protect your privacy while surfing the web: Check this link for Facebook tips, and this one for general Internet privacy tricks.

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Apple Readying 4in "iPhone 5se" For April Launch

Apple's 4in iPhone 6c will arrive in September 2016 ahead of the iPhone 7 launch, sources claim

Anyone who's shown even a passing interest in pre-launch rumours of a forthcoming phone will know that there does tend to be a fair bit of back-and-forth, see-sawing, if you will, over specific details about Apple’s plans for an iPhone 5c refresh. 

To date there have been a plethora of articles about the return of a 4in iPhone, starting with talk of the iPhone 7c, which then turned into the iPhone 6c. Nowadays, however, it is being referred to as the iPhone 5se — i.e. an evolution of the iPhone 5s, meaning TouchID and a new CPU. 

Regardless of the name, there are two alleged launch dates for the iPhone 5se (or is it the iPhone 6c!?): April 2016, so, just around the corner, or September, which is a bit further away and also Apple’s usual date for launching new iPhones. However, it is looking more and more likely that Apple will announce the iPhone 5se at its apparent March event, alongside the Apple Watch 2 and iPad Air 3. Multiple sources now claim THIS event is the one we’ll see the return of the 4in iPhone at — and that makes sense too. Apple wouldn’t want the iPhone 5se spoiling its iPhone 7 reveal. 

However, it is looking more and more likely that Apple will announce the iPhone 5se at its apparent March event, alongside the Apple Watch 2 and iPad Air 3. Multiple sources now claim THIS event is the one we’ll see the return of the 4in iPhone at — and that makes sense too. Apple wouldn’t want the iPhone 5se spoiling its iPhone 7 reveal. 

And 4in iPhones are still VERY popular, too. 

19% of all iPhone owners are still holding on to their beloved iPhone 5s, says a new report from Mixpanel, while the iPhone 5 accounts for 8% and the iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s are 5.4% and 4.2%, respectively, of all active iPhones currently in use.

From now on, for the sake of brevity, we will be referring to the smaller, 4in iPhone as the iPhone 5se, as this is likely what it will be called when it eventually launches. 

“The new device is internally codenamed ‘N69,’” reports 9to5Mac, “but the launch name will likely be the “iPhone 5se.” The “se” suffix has been described in two ways by Apple employees: as a “special edition” variation of the vintage 4-inch iPhone screen size and as an “enhanced” version of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, the upcoming “5se” features a design similar to 2013’s flagship but upgraded internals, software, and hardware features that blend the old design with modern technologies from the past two iPhone upgrades.”

The iPhone 5se will look like a cross between an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 6, according to reports, and it’ll be available in the same colour scheme as the current iPhone 6s: Rose Gold, Space Gray and silver. The iPhone 5se will also feature a bunch of the iPhone 6/iPhone 6s’ components, as well as a more rounded design which makes it sound a lot closer to the iPhone 6 than the iPhone 5s. 

“The company is also expected to release new Apple Watch accessories, including new straps, and updates to the operating system at the event,” reports The Independent. “But it won’t see a full redesign of the Watch itself, which is thought to be coming in September — probably at the same time as the iPhone 7 is released.”

Sources have provided the following list of “iPhone 5se” upgrades over the 5s:

• The chamfered, shiny edges have been replaced with curved glass like on the iPhone 6 and 6s lines
• The same 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera systems from the iPhone 6
• Support for larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording
• Barometer for tracking elevation in the Health app
• An NFC chip for Apple Pay
• The A8 and M8 chips from the iPhone 6
• Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi chips from the iPhone 6s
• Live Photos from the iPhone 6s
• Same Silver, Space Gray, Gold, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line.

Word of Apple’s BIG Q1 reveal first surfaced last month and since then things have developed pretty quickly with talk of a new Apple Watch, a new iPad Air and a reboot of the iPhone 5c, apparently called the iPhone 5se, appearing at the event. 

And this is pretty significant. Apple doesn’t usually do stuff like this, like, ever. 9to5Mac got the initial scoop way back when and had this to say earlier this week: 

“Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch the iPhone 5se, the iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch band options at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, according to sources. We previously reported that Apple was on track to launch the new products during the week of March 14th. As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement. The media event would be Apple’s first since September, and much like the fall event, is planned to touch on three major product categories for the company.”

We saw some concept renders and rumours a while back suggesting the iPhone 6c/5se would come in a few colour variations, including blue and pink. Well now, as of February 8, new reports claim that there will be precisely three colour variants - silver, space grey, and pink. Allegedly this won't be your shy retiring soft pink, or rose gold, either, nope, this is full on PINK. This is all according to exhibitors speaking to Japanese Apple blog Macotakara at the Tokyo International Gift Show.

Wondering what a new iPhone 6c/7c will look like? As is often the case ahead of Apple device launches, someone with 3D modelling abilities has taken it upon themselves to put together the various rumours and leaks into a visual imagining of the forthcoming smartphone design. We've seen repeated rumours that the next C category iPhone will feature a metal build rather than the old plastic, but the jury's out on whether it'll carry on the bright colouration. 

Ferry Passchier decided to run with the colourful look in his renders of the 4in, iPod-like iPhone 6c. He depicts the new phone as having a very similar design to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6, but naturaly smaller, and in a selection of dark pink and dark blue for the metal bodywork, on top of the existing iPhone colours - space grey, rose gold, silver, and gold.

First iPhone 6c/iPhone 5se Photos Surface - Confirms TouchID Home Key

The first live photos of the iPhone 6c or iPhone 5se have emerged online, and brace yourself because you might be taken aback by how underwhelming it is! You see, the photo shows the new model side-by-side with an iPhone 5 and the differences are subtle enough that you've gotta be paying attention to spot them - otherwise it basically just looks like a pair of iPhone 5 phones.

The photo, which comes via Dutch Apple site onemorething.nl, shows an iPhone 5 on the left, and the new 4in model on the right. At first glance it does just look like the same phone, but we can just about discern is slightly smaller, and a bit wider - it's hard to be sure from this angle but it may be a bit thinner too. You can also see the controls are in a different location, with the right-hand model exhibiting the recent iPhone 6 series control layout, and the same goes for the front-facing camera position. If you look at the power key you'll also see a design that appears to be the TouchID Home key with an integrated fingerprint scanner, while the iPhone 5 has the old Home key with a square motif.

iPhone 5se Renders Emerge

There have also been a bunch of colourful mock-ups published online by China Mobile that aim to show how the iPhone 5se will fit in with Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus lineup. Once again, colour and price will be the driving factor behind iPhone 5se adoption — and no, we do not believe it will be called the iPhone 7c. This is a reboot to 2013’s iPhone 5c, so the 5se makes perfect sense. Even more so when you consider the handset is based on the iPhone 6’s design just with iPhone 5s specs and hardware inside it. 

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Here’s what The Mail Online had to say about the iPhone 5se: “Apple is reportedly planning a March event for the Apple Watch 2, and it is believed the new handset will be unveiled at the same time. The firm will then save the launch of its rumoured iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus until its traditional September event. Given the fact that the iPhone 7c could be released before the official iPhone 7, it is more likely the phone will be called iPhone 6c.”

Apple reportedly sold in excess of 20 million iPhone 5c units which is a HUGE amount of sales for a handset that many labelled a failure. HTC, Sony, LG and Samsung would all love sales that large for their respective, non-flagship handsets and for this reason we do have to take the iPhone Xc series seriously.

Consumers loved the iPhone 5c, you see the handsets everywhere — just look around you next time you’re out. The idea of Apple releasing three handsets in 2016 might sound odd to many, but the reality is much simpler: Apple is a business and it will do all it can to dominate the mobile space. 

The reintroduction of a more affordable iPhone, but, importantly, one that costs more than this year’s models next year, alongside two new handsets would generate a lot of additional revenue for the company — particularly if the iPhone 7c is based on the iPhone 5s, as sources suggest.

Why? Simple: Apple can sell old technology at modern prices and that, dear readers, is excellent business if you can get away with it!

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Facebook Updates with New Features

Facebook Updates with New Features

Facebook has been making changes that may affect the way you use its popular social network service.

You may have seen friends use some of the new Facebook features and wondered what they are. Or maybe you have even used them yourself.

Collages and Live Video are new ways to share with others what is happening in your life. GIFs are now available in Facebook Messenger without needing an app, or application software program.

Your Friends Day video is a collection of your Facebook photographs you can prepare for release and share with others.

Photo Collages

Sharing photos is easier now with Collages. Facebook’s website uses groups of pictures you took together at the same place and around the same time. It combines them into collages -- images you can then share in your Facebook Timeline.

These collages can include photos and videos you took on your phone. You can see which images Facebook has suggested, and remove any you don't want to include. You can also “drag and drop” to change the order of the photos and videos.

Facebook is offering Photo Collages first on Apple iPhones and then on Android. If you do not yet have this feature, try looking again in a few weeks.

To get started, open the Facebook app on your phone and touch the Photo area.

Facebook Status Photo

If you see a slideshow at the top of your photos, then you have this feature enabled on your app. If you do not see a collage, take a few pictures to see if one appears. Tap the slideshow to open a collage.

Facebook Collage

You can choose which photographs to include in the collage. Tap the X icon at the upper right corner to remove any photos you don't want to include. Go to the bottom of the collage and tap the Add More icon to choose any other photos you have on your phone to be added to the collage.

If you took a lot of pictures of one subject, you can choose to include one image or all of the images in a slideshow within the collage.

You can organize the images in your collage by dragging and dropping them into position. Drop them to change the order in which you want them to appear and to change the size of the images.

At the top is the title of the collage. The default title Facebook gives the collage is based on when you took the photos; for example, you might use the term "Saturday Afternoon." You can cancel the default title and add any name you want, such as "My First Dance Lesson."

Tap the Next icon, then select who can see the collage. You can choose to make the collage public or share the pictures with only your Facebook friends.

You can also include a description above the collage. When you are satisfied with your settings, tap Post in the upper right corner to share your collage.

After publishing your collage, you can no longer make changes. So be sure your collage is the way you want it before you tap Post.

Viewing the Collage

The collage will appear as a slideshow on your Timeline. If you tap on the slideshow, the collage opens with the photos organized in a series of lines.

GIFs in Facebook Messenger

The Facebook Messenger app got a whole lot more fun, if you like GIFs or the Graphic Interchange Format. Now you can include colorful GIF images in Facebook Messenger without having to use a different app.

Facebook Messenger GIFs work both on your computer and within the Facebook Messenger app on your phone. You should be able to add GIFs to your Facebook messages anywhere you are in the world.

Facebook Messenger GIF Icon

To add a GIF to a Facebook message, just touch or click on the GIF icon below the message box.

Facebook GIF Search

You can see the Trending GIFs that people are using the most. Or you can search for a GIF based on akeyword.

Choose the GIF you want and that GIF will appear as a message from you. At the bottom of the GIF you can see where the image came from.

Live Video

Facebook also wants you to share your fun with friends as it happens with the site’s new Live Video feature. Live Video lets you broadcast live streamingvideo to your Facebook friends or other people.

There is no need to wait until the activity has ended to post what you were doing. Facebook Live Video lets you share your world with others in “real time”.

Like collages, Live Video is not yet available to all Facebook users. As with many new features, Facebook is slowly releasing Live Video. But soon this service will be offered around the world.

Facebook Live Video Icon

To get started using Live Video, open the Facebook app on your telephone. Next, click on the Status icon, and tap the antenna icon at the bottom of the screen.

Facebook will turn on the front camera of your phone in Live Video. You can use the rear camera by touching the circle icon with two arrows in the upper right corner of your screen.

You can add a description of the video to let your friends know what they are watching.

When you are ready, press on the Go Live button and start streaming. You can stream for up to 30 minutes. Simply tap on the Finish icon when you are done.

Facebook Live Video

During the Live Video streaming, you can see the names of people who are watching and read their comments. You can block anyone showing signs of bad behavior.

When you are finished streaming, the video will be saved on your Timeline so your friends who didn't see it can watch later.

Watching Live Videos

You can subscribe to Live Videos from your friends and from movie stars or others so you will know when they're broadcasting on Facebook.

Tap the Subscribe icon when you watch a video if you want to get alerts for future Live Videos from that person.

To receive someone's Live Video, you first go to his or her Facebook Page. Then go to the Video section and tap Subscribe. You can watch past Live Videos and get notified when they are broadcasting.

Friends Day Videos

Facebook has a treat for you. If you have been on Facebook in the past few days, you may have seen friends sharing their Friends Day videos. If you actively posted photos on your Facebook account, you may have your own Friends Day video waiting for you.

To see your Friends Day video, go to the Facebook Friends Day page.The Friends Day video is private, unless you decide to share it with others on Facebook.

But before you share it, you may want to change the video to include different photos or messages. Just because Facebook thinks someone is a close friend of yours does not mean you have to agree.

If you decide to edit your Friends Day video, you must do so before sharing it. After you share your video, you no longer have the chance to make changes.

To edit your video, click the Edit icon. You will see the video at the top of the screen with a bar underneath. On this line is a blue dot that you can drag to move the video ahead or back. Below the video is a collection of your Facebook photos.

Drag the blue dot to find the photo you want to remove. Then find a photo you want to use instead. Drag the replacement photo on top of the photo you want to remove and the replacement photo will appear in your video.

When you are done editing your video you can share it with others in a post and add a message to your post.

I'm Pete Musto.

Learn more about the Friends Day videos at the Facebook Help page.

Your Thoughts

Are you excited about Facebook's fun new features? Which ones have you tried? Which ones will you use most?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for VOANews.com. George Grow was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

collage - n. a collection of different things

GIF - n. a format for image files that supports both animated and static images

application - n. a computer program that performs a particular task (such as word processing)

slideshow - n. a presentation based on a series of projected images or photographs

keyword - n. a word that is used to find information in a piece of writing, in a computer document, or on the Internet

streaming - adj. playing continuously as data is sent to a computer over the Internet

antenna - n. a device (such as a wire or a metal rod) for sending or receiving radio or television signals

icon - n. a small picture on a computer screen that represents a program or function

subscribe - v. to get a publication or service regularly

edit - v.  to prepare (a film, recording, photo, etc.) to be seen or heard :to change, move, or remove parts of (a film, recording, photo, etc.)

drag - v. to move (items on a computer screen) by using a computer mouse

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Get Ready for More VR Games: Unity Now Supports SteamVR

Adding virtual reality to video games just got much easier thanks to a new integration between the Unity game development platform and Valve's SteamVR.

Game developers who use Unity gain the capability to build VR experiences more easily, which could translate into more VR game titles available.

But don't expect to see those VR titles at your local GameStop next week. The SteamVR experience requires special hardware like the HTC Vive, which will go on sale in April. Vive and the SteamVR platform are open-source competitors to the Oculus Rift, which starts shipping March 28.

Valve, the company behind the Steam platform, announced the integration at the Unity Technologies developers' conference today. Both companies are among the biggest names in game development, but they're facing increased competition from Oculus and Amazon, which announced its own open-source game development platformyesterday.

"Valve and Unity are both dedicated to creating the highest-quality VR experiences possible," said John Riccitiello, CEO of Unity Technologies. "That means giving developers every possible chance to succeed, and our collaboration with Valve is designed to do just that."

From a player's perspective, PCMag's Will Greenwald found the Vive controller to be very similar to the Oculus Touch and Playstation VR controllers when he did a hands-on test at CES. The Vive system comprises a headset, two single-handed controllers, and two base stations that track their movements.

Valve also announced a rendering plugin for Unity that will simplify the integration and allow for "enhanced fidelity and performance," according to a release.

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Android Marshmallow Review: The Best Mobile Platform

Google delivers another EPIC update in the form of Android Marshmallow, a truly huge and awesome platform for phones and tablets

Last year, with the arrival of the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P the Android world was all about Android Marshmallow 6.0. The new build, previously known as Android M, built on Google's earlier advances with Android Lollipop, continuing the wonderful new Material Design ethos, but importantly it introduced a number of new and powerful features, as well as further enhancing performance optimisations with the 64-bit architecture and, a BIG deal for many users, some excellent built-in power saving features. After all, we all want our phones to run for longer, don't we?

We've got Android 7.0 to look forward to this summer, and you can already bet it'll be called Android N. In the meantime though, let us take a look at what's hot (and maybe what's not) about the current version...

Android Marshmallow: App Permisions

A seemingly small and unexciting change at first glance, app permissions inside Android Marshmallow have been extensively tweaked. Why's this a good thing?

Well ok, if you're a long-time Android user you'll be familiar with this scenario: you download and install an app from Google Play and it gives you a wall of text saying these are the app permissions you need to grant - it's weird, and confusing, and a bit of a hassle.

Android Marshmallow takes a different route, with app permissions being individually bundled up and distributed to you as and when you use a certain feature that requires it. Itnow lets users reject or approve permissions from individual apps and individual functions within the app itself. You won't be hit with a big wall of permissions when you install an app anymore, instead when you use a feature, say the voice message recording inside WhatsApp, it'll ask you for permission then, rather than up-front.

You can still go into permissions for any given app and tweak them at any time, however. This pretty much streamlines app installation and use, and for features you never use, you'll never get asked to grant permission!

Android Marshmallow: Web Browsing & Chrome

It wouldn't be new Android without at least some attention given to the web experience via the Chrome browser. Most notably Google has added "custom tabs" which allow Chrome to open up links to web content inside an app as an overlay, rather than jumping you out of the app entirely and into the full-blown browser, as has been the case until now.

This feature will allow app developers to customise the tabs to fit the look and feel of their own app design language, but will be directly linked to Chrome on that device and a logged-in user account, preserving things like remembered passwords and login details - allowing for a seamless experience.

Again, this is more streamlining from Google and it's very welcome too, as it was a bit laborious being booted out of an app and into Chrome for every bit of shared content or hyperlink.

Android Marshmallow: Fingerprint Scanner

Between the inclusion of fingerprint scanners on a range of Android phones (including the new Nexus devices) and the rollout of Google's own Android Pay it was inevitable that some attention be given to fingerprint scanning and biometric security. Google's gone for standardised, built-in support for fingerprint authentication, allowing developers to make use of the feature for unlocking devices, logging into apps and content, and purchases via web stores or points-of-sale in bricks n' mortar retail outlets.

Android Marshmallow: Android Pay & Mobile Payments

Android Pay is now rolling out and is a natural evolution of Google Wallet — the Big G’s first attempt at mobile payments. Android Pay has been redesigned and rejigged with 2015/16’s market in mind. In order to use it you will need Android handset running Android KitKat and above and NFC — bad news for OnePlus 2 owners, then! Unlike Apple Pay, Android Pay does not require a fingerprint scanner, despite many new Android handsets shipping with one. If you don’t have a fingerprint scanner on your phone you can authenticate a payment using a PIN, pattern or password.

Android Marshmallow: Battery Optimisations

Doze is designed to make your Android Marshmallow handset suitably more power efficient. How it works is simple: sensors detect when you’re not using your phone, say while watching a movie or reading a book, and put it into a kind of sleep mode so it uses less power. This is an excellent addition to Android and one that adds in a bunch more hours to a handset’s idle performance. You’ll even notice the difference on older hardware like the Nexus 5.

Material Design: New App Drawer & New Animations

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It's not a big visual overhaul but Material Design has been tweaked a little, most notably the new animations designed to make everything even more visually integrated, intuitive, and seamless. On top of this a new app drawer design is much cleaner, features vertical scrolling, discretely colours itself the same way as your wallpaper, and prioritises your most-used apps at the top. Lastly, Google has added a more seamless homescreen rotation functionality, and options for toggling this on or off.

Android Marshmallow: Android RAM Manager

No this isn't a kind of shepherd. The Android RAM Manager keeps a close eye on your phone's Random Access Memory and shows you a much more detailed background of which apps are most hungry for your phone's grey matter.

Android Marshmallow: Adoptive Storage

Adoptive Storage allows the Android system to "adopt" an external memory device such as a microSD card and treat it as onboard storage. Excellent stuff! Now we just need OEMs to start including microSD-support again and everything will be good again!

Android Marshmallow: Dark Theme

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Pretty much does what it says on the tin; there's a dark theme now if you want it!

Android Marshmallow: Google Now

Plenty of attention has been focused on Google Now, generally with the intention of making it smarter, faster, more responsive and accurate, and overall easier to use and get exactly what you need out of it.

Google says the Google Now suite understands context better than ever before, so for example, if you have a route set up in your Maps already you can ask "how far is it?" and Google Now will know you are referring to the current route's end destination - you don't have to be so specific any longer.

Android Marshmallow: Voicemail

Google has expanded voicemail functionality to include a lot more useful details at a glance and allowing you to control your message playback via a slider, pause, delete and much more, rather than having to go through the annoying process of pressing number keys to perform these functions when prompted.

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

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This functionality will need to be enabled on a carrier-by-carrier basis, but support is expected to become widespread.

Android Marshmallow: Status Bar Customisation

The settings menu has been expanded to allow you to directly customise which icons appear in the status bar - don't want to see a Bluetooth indicator? Toggle it off or on as you wish.

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