It is highly unlikely that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow firmware update anytime soon. For those S5 owners who can't stand the waiting and the suspense, some CyanogenMod developers have released a CyanogenMod 13 ROM that will bring a Marshmallow custom update for the handset.
The ROM was just recently launched, said Autoo Mobile, so users who opt into the update will have to swallow some bugs and broken features which will be fixed in the succeeding updates.
Some of the broken features include several CM features that have not been combined yet, including external storage and video recording. Also, on the first boot, com.android.phone will force-close the device, but after that everything should work smoothly.
The update download and instructions are made available on Androiding. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is bringing to devices new features including Doze mode, which will effectively decrease battery consumption by allowing a smart sleep mode for devices with the firmware. Other changes expected are upgrades to the user experience and design of the operating system, refined fingerprint scanning (which has been rumoured to be a prerequisite for OEMs), and customised permission granting to apps.
Of course the custom update will come with some detailed prerequisites, which International Business Times lines up for users:
- The ROM is compatible with Samsung Galaxy S5 models carrying the following codenames: kltexx, kltelra, kltetmo, kltecan, klteatt, klteub, klteacg, kltedcm, klte.
- Make sure that the device has the latest version of TWRP recovery installed.
- Use the correct USB drivers for the phone to enable issue-less transferring of the ROM and Google Apps to the device's storage.
- The device must have at least 80% of battery charged before the installation process begins to avoid the device from shutting down before the update is completed.
- Back up important data and settings to prevent unexpected data loss while the update is being made.
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