If you’re using an ASUS ZenFone 2 and above, it looks like you’re in for a sweet treat. ASUS will be rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in Q2 2016 and they have just published a list of devices that will be receiving it.
As posted in their ASUS ZenTalk forum, the following devices will be updated very soon:
PadFone S (PF500KL)
ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML, ZE551ML)
ZenFone 2 Deluxe (ZE551ML)
ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition (ZE551ML)
ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE500KG, ZE500KL, ZE550KL, ZE551KL, ZE600KL, ZE601KL)
ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)
ZenFone Max (ZC550KL)
ZenFone Zoom (ZX551ML)
Generally, if you’re using the higher end ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML/ZE551ML) or newer, you should be eligible to upgrade. Strangely the entry-level 5″ ZenFone 2 (ZE500CL) isn’t listed while the older Snapdragon 801 powered Padfone S (PF500KL) is in line to receive the software update. Once you’ve made the switch to Marshmallow, the OS will make Google Messenger, Calendar and Gmail as the default application. If you perform a factory reset, the previous ASUS Messenger, ASUS Mail and ASUS Calendar is still available from the Google Play store.
Hopefully, ASUS will take the opportunity to trim down on the amount of bloatware with this major update. For those using the first generation of ZenFones (ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, ZenFone 6), there’s still no visibility at the moment.