Motorola recently released the official list of its handsets that will be able to receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update and unfortunately the Moto E 2015 was not included. However, the device is said to obtain the upgrade through CyanogenMod CM13 Custom ROM. The rest of the details about the process and prerequisites of installation were itemized.
According to International Business Times, a senior member of XDA Developer forum named squid2, has made a CyanogenMod based Marshmallow update CM13 series to Moto E (3rd Gen) also known as Otus. The interested users can try this custom ROM so they could explore the new features of Android v6.0 on their device.
For those tech savvy who wish to try the CyanogenMod based Android M, here are the prerequisites and the things they should keep in mind before installation:
First, this CyanogenMod CM13 Android v6.0 Marshmallow custom ROM can be installed only on Moto E 3rd Gen aka Otus, XT1505, XT1506 & XT1511 models. So if they tried on other devices, it might get bricked. To make sure of the device's model go to Settings > About phone > model number.
Second, though installing custom ROM improves the device's performance and UI experiences. This would make the company's warranty void and they will no longer be liable to provide updates in future. But then, users can restore warranty by flashing the device with stock-ROM.
Third, they have to make sure the device is rooted (Bootloader unlocked) before moving on for custom ROM installation.
Fourth, installation of custom ROM will clear all of the memory stored in the smartphone, so they have to make sure to back all the data by installing Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone.
Fifth, USB driver should be installed on the PC, or else the device (Moto E) will not be recognized by the computer. And lastly, the device should have at least 80 percent of battery so there will be no way to interrupt the installation.
Android Geeks gave the step by step process of installation.
According to the site, the first thing to do is download and save both the CM 13 firmware file and Google Apps package in the desktop without unzipping anything. Next step, users should establish a USB connection between their smartphone and their computer, then put the downloaded files on their phone and then remove the USB cord. Once done, turn off the device and reboot the Moto E into recovery mode. From recovery, first wipe the system and clear cache: select "wipe data factory reset", "wipe cache partition" and "wipe dalvik cache. Return afterwards to main menu of recovery and then flash the Android 6.0 M OS; choose "install zip from SD card" and "choose zip from SD card." The user then have to choose and install the CM 13 software and then repeat this last step and install Google Apps package on the device. Lastly, return to recovery and select "reboot system now".
Upon installation of the CyanogenMod based Android 6.0, there would be working and broken features on the user's Moto E. The working features are: Display, WiFi, SD Card, GPS and audio (partial) while the broken ones were RIL, Camera, FM radio, video playback and everything else.
This CyanogenMod based Android Marshmallow is only advisable for tech savvy users. Meanwhile, Moto E 2015 users have to take the prerequisites before installing and the step by step procedure as guide so that nothing would go wrong with the process.
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