Google Android M: List of Motorola smartphones eligible to receive Android Pay and other new features

Google's newest smartphone operating system, Android 6.0 also known as Android M (Marshmallow) which was showcased at the IO Developers Conference earlier in the year, is now confirmed to hit a host of popular Motorola smartphones. Android M, featuring the most expected Android Pay contactless mobile payment functionality, will seed as an update to Moto handsets such as:

• Motorola Nexus 6
• 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
• Motorola Moto X play 2015
• Motorola Moto G (2015)
• Motorola Moto X Style (2015)
• Motorola Droid Turbo
• Motorola MAXX
• Motorola Turbo
• Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (2014) specific to the US
• Motorola Moto X (2014) specific to Europe, Asia and Latin America
• Motorola Moto G (2014)
• Motorola Moto G (2014) LTE

Motorola has stated that owners of these smartphones can expect to see the Android M OS update in the very near future. Google's Marshmallow will initially hit popular Nexus smartphones before extending to Motorola handsets across the world.

[Source: Motorola].

Android M - Key Features

Motorola owners, after installation of Android M, can check out for new features/functionality such as:

• Android Pay: Google's contactless mobile payment system enables Android users to make payments at supported retail stores, via a virtual account number that represents users' account information on their credit/debit cards. This system does not transmit actual debit/credit card details.
• Google Doze: Google Doze automatically reduces the multiple background processes/tasks that are initiated by Android, thereby serving as an enhancement to the overall battery-life of a smartphone when handsets are left unattended. Theoretically, this feature is claimed to double the overall standby-time of the battery.
• Google Now on Tap: Google Now functionality is tweaked by Android M, such that users can initiate On Tap: input. With this, additional information about any keyword can be obtained by just long-pressing the home button. More than one reference to the content queried for by users is provided by Google Now by accurately collating related data.

• Fingerprint Scanner: This functionality boosts the security of the entire smartphone and Android Pay, by introducing biometric sensor technology.

• Simplified Volume Controls: With alarms/notifications and sound systems demarcated, users should be able to access on-screen volume controls more efficiently than in Android Lollipop.

Apart from the latest list of Motorola smartphones eligible to receive Android M as an OS update, users of high-end handsets, of other prominent handsets as mentioned below would also be seeded Google's new OS:

• HTC One M8
• Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
• Samsung Galaxy Note 5
• Samsung Galaxy S6
• Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
• Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Duos
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4
• Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
• Samsung Galaxy Alpha
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A
• Google Nexus 5
• Google Nexus 6
• Google Nexus 9