Android Marshmallow (Photo : Reuters)
Google has reportedly set the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P release date on October 5, meaning Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be out in the open on the same day. However, the new Android, or least a feel of the software, can be experienced ahead of the latest Nexus unboxing.
Android fans can test drive a basic Marshmallow feature now courtesy of the free to download Google Now Launcher. According to 9to5Google, version 5.3 of the application includes a key upgrade that Android 6 is poised to deliver - the redesigned app drawer.
When installed, Google Now launcher will alter the app drawer as the collection of apps can now be scrolled vertically. And like iOS 9, the upgrade includes a search bar that permits users to easily access the application they need or want to pull up.
The update appears to be automatic for most Android users that previously installed the Google Now launcher but the jump can be performed manually by heading to the Play Store.
Using the Google-provided launcher is by far the best way to get a feel of Android Marshmallow ahead of the Nexus 2015 models. As convention dictates, Google will first deliver Android 6 to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P then the outgoing flagships - the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 - are next in line.
Only then the branded Androids will follow so the wait could take weeks or even months for the real Android Marshmallow to be chewed in by the majority of Android devices.
Essentially, Google Now launcher version 5.3 offers a temporary relief that Marshmallow will not be able to give that quick. As a bonus, the app also gives an easy access to Google Now that many experts regard as the better rival of Apple's Siri.
The powerful digital assistant Google Now on the launcher app is just a swipe away.
