[jamestanmar]

Marshmallow for the Moto G 2015, yes... For the Moto X, no.

Oopppsss... Thanks

[David Alfredo]

I received my notification to upgrade to Marshmallow (Retail 8/1 GB model XT1541, Spain) , the thing is I have some apps installed on the SD card (Facebook Messenger and a couple of games for my daughter basically) and I would like to know the procedure for a smooth, not too much complicated upgrade, do I need to clear apps cache / move back apps to internal storage ?

Also, is Marshmallow running as smooth as 5.1.1 on the "peasant" 1 GB RAM Moto G 2015 ? If Marshmallow takes up more RAM while not providing any real advantage then it's not great for me (Google Now on Tap is still not available in Spanish and when the time comes it would be barebones). My XT1541 runs buttery smooth, snappy and fast on 5.1.1 with the default Google Now launcher, if the device is going to perform worse after the upgrade then I won't bother upgrading. Thanks in advance for suggestions and feedback.

[acejavelin]

You don't need to do anything, but backup any personal stuff just in case (photos, music, etc.) and make sure your stuff is backed up to Google account. This isn't really necessary but if something doesn't go right you might need to factory default after the update (it's rare though).

Marshmallow is solid, battery life is roughly the same for most people, and memory management is improved. In general performance is improved in both 1GB and 2GB versions. You also get the System UI Tuner, ability to integrate external storage into internal storage (very nice, especially for 8GB models). The only real bug is OTG is not working, similar to before the latest Lollipop update.

[David Alfredo]

Thanks ! Really appreciate the feedback. I guess I will give Marshmallow a go then, I don't use OTG at the moment but is there a fix for it / future fix ?

As for turning SD storage into internal storage, I believe you need a top of the line, really expensive SD card to match, if it's even possible, the speed of the internal NAND storage memory. Furthermore, the resulting available storage space would not be 8 + 32 (in my case with a 32 GB SD card) but only 32 GB, Marshmallow only uses the new formatted device as system storage (there's no access to a "double" internal system storage). I reckon that would be a pain for engineers but, as with every tech these days, it could be fixed with time... but in that time the number of 8 GB devices will be almost negligible.

[acejavelin]

Thanks ! Really appreciate the feedback. I guess I will give Marshmallow a go then, I don't use OTG at the moment but is there a fix for it / future fix ?

As for turning SD storage into internal storage, I believe you need a top of the line, really expensive SD card to match, if it's even possible, the speed of the internal NAND storage memory. Furthermore, the resulting available storage space would not be 8 + 32 (in my case with a 32 GB SD card) but only 32 GB, Marshmallow only uses the new formatted device as system storage (there's no access to a "double" internal system storage). I reckon that would be a pain for engineers but, as with every tech these days, it could be fixed with time... but in that time the number of 8 GB devices will be almost negligible.

I am sure OTG will get fixed, this was a problem with Lollipop for a long time then the last Lollipop OTA fixed it, my guess is the fix didn't migrate to Marshmallow and it will be fixed in the future.

Not sure what you mean about "really expensive" card, I use a 64GB Samsung EVO, was about $20, works fine. Any standard UHS-1/Class10 card should work fine, which probably 80%+ of all modern cards fall in this category and all work well. On of friends uses a $16 64GB Microcenter generic card, it's Class 10 and work fine. Android will often complain of access speed, but it seems to on every card regardless of speed.

Don't buy I to all the rumors, get the facts...

[David Alfredo]

Well thanks for the explanation then ! my SD card is also a Samsung EVO UHS-1/class 10 but 32 GB (about 10 Euros, cheap) but when reading about the new Marshmallow features they mentioned you would need a professional SD card, guess they were just speculating or simple talking out off their... whatever, I will give that new Marshmallow a try for sure. Good day friend !

[Cliff Woolfork]

My impressions so far using Marshmallow on the 8GB/1GB Moto G.

* battery life is better, Doze seems to work as advertised
* System Tuner is a nice touch. It reminds me of my Xperia Z3
* memory management has improved, it feels "speedier"
* app permissions are my favorite update
* Google Play Music will NOT download to external memory anymore, hope this is fixed soon, I'm now limited on what music I can keep on my phone
* speaking of SD cards, mine is apparently "slow", using a 32GB Sandisk Ultra (Class10 UHS-1), Facebook app starts and runs slow using the SD card, so I put it back on internal memory
* the Marshmallow update makes me want to fork over $220 on the 16GB version, something I should have done from the beginning... Lol

Overall though, I'm happy to be among the few owners of a non Nexus device running the latest.

Posted via the Android Central App

[David Alfredo]

I was going to upgrade to Marshmallow this morning but then I read the "Google Play music will not download to external memory" bug.... basically Google Play Music is the app I use the most apart from Calls / WhatsApp, my model is 8 GB so I have no other option but waiting for a fix, is it a Marshmallow bug or a Google play music bug ? I guess operating system bug will take longer to fix / distribute... this would mean I won't be upgrading any time soon, oh well... guess 5.1.1 is good enough.

I would have bought the 16 GB / 2 GB RAM model too but then again my 8 GB / 1 GB model was a flash sale on Amazon for $119 compared to the 2 GB model that fluctuates between $190 and $215, considering I usually buy the best "value for money" (budget phone) every year or so I thought the XT1541 was good for 12-16 months and those $70 I saved get put aside for next upgrade.

Come this time next year my upgrade should include at least 16 GB of internal memory or more and of course a minimum of 2 GB of RAM (hopefully there's a "Moto G4 2016 by Lenovo" as competent as the Moto G3 2015 which is the best value for money phone I've ever had).

[David Alfredo]

My impressions so far using Marshmallow on the 8GB/1GB Moto G.


* Google Play Music will NOT download to external memory anymore, hope this is fixed soon, I'm now limited on what music I can keep on my phone

I made some comments about this above but, have you tried formatting the SD card (from the settings menu in Marshmallow) as "External storage data" ? seems to work for some people even if the SD card was already formatted - brand new.

Also, you mention the phone feels "speedier" on Marshmallow, have you noticed more refreshing going on (and more apps being closed in the background compared to 5.1.1) ?

[Cliff Woolfork]

I made some comments about this above but, have you tried formatting the SD card (from the settings menu in Marshmallow) as "External storage data" ? seems to work for some people even if the SD card was already formatted - brand new.

Also, you mention the phone feels "speedier" on Marshmallow, have you noticed more refreshing going on (and more apps being closed in the background compared to 5.1.1) ?

No matter how I format my SD card, it won't transfer music or the Play Music app itself to the SD card. Google downloads the music as cache I believe.

Most my apps on the phone are 10-150MB in size, then there's Play Music sitting at 2.1GB, which is about a tenth of the total music I have.

Seems like I have MORE running in the background but it still feels faster. I haven't really paid much attention to what's running. Typically close every app once I'm done.

I'm gonna end up buying another Moto G but this time, get the proper one for my needs. I'll end up selling this 8gb/1gb model.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto G³

[bking1901]

any advice for fixing a wifi battery drain? ever since I updated to marshmallow my battery life has taken a significant hit, with wifi being the number 1 culprit at the top of my battery usage screen, above screen and all others.

also, if there's a way to revert back to lollipop I'd love to hear that as well. I'm not very impressed with marshmallow and would rather switch back to lollipop when my battery life was great.

[Javier P]

any advice for fixing a wifi battery drain? ever since I updated to marshmallow my battery life has taken a significant hit, with wifi being the number 1 culprit at the top of my battery usage screen, above screen and all others.

also, if there's a way to revert back to lollipop I'd love to hear that as well. I'm not very impressed with marshmallow and would rather switch back to lollipop when my battery life was great.

You could try these instructions. They worked for X Play owners with a similar WiFi drain.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sho...d.php?t=630902
moto x play facing wifi battery drainage issue after 6.0 marshmallow update

[NucleBAH]

So your 8gb XT1541 got M? Hopefully my 16gb XT1541 will get it soon!

Posted from my Moto G (2015) on the Android Central app.

[David Alfredo]

So your 8gb XT1541 got M? Hopefully my 16gb XT1541 will get it soon!

Posted from my Moto G (2015) on the Android Central app.

yes I got the notification to upgrade yesterday... but conflicting reports on Marshmallow battery drainage, the claims of some savvy users stating the 1 GB model on Marshmallow is hit by frequent apps "refreshing" compared to 5.1.1 and the Google Play Music bug / SD Cards performing slower (maybe since the code to access them has been rewritten in order to allow for both system-memory "mode" and external-data "mode") all making me sit and wait and not wanting to upgrade anytime soon.

I don't know about other builds, but the firmware on my 8/1 GB model running default Google Launcher on 5.1.1 is amazing when it comes to speed, smooth operation, battery (Fascinating how I get always 7+ hours of screen time on auto-brightness and it still reaches 10% battery after 40+ hours) and even multitasking, it really feels like Motorola / Lenovo built this firmware carefully thinking about the available RAM and how to get the most out of it using the latest tech from Android 5.1.1).

For me there' s no really a need to upgrade unless some critical app needs to run on M, which I find highly unlikely.

[acejavelin]

any advice for fixing a wifi battery drain? ever since I updated to marshmallow my battery life has taken a significant hit, with wifi being the number 1 culprit at the top of my battery usage screen, above screen and all others.

also, if there's a way to revert back to lollipop I'd love to hear that as well. I'm not very impressed with marshmallow and would rather switch back to lollipop when my battery life was great.

The Marshmallow WiFi bug was fixed a long time ago and was implemented into the Moto G's update, so careful with Google search results. Honestly, as I tell everyone with unexplained issues after an upgrade, try the common things (reboot, clear cache, etc), and then factory reset.

BTW, it is possible to downgrade to Lollipop, sort of, you will still have a Marshmallow bootloader but everything will be Lollipop, it works fine but until you flash a full factory Marshmallow firmware image, you can never take another OTA or you could brick your device due to a bootloader/firmware mismatch.

[sacrdandprofne]

Finally!

Locked Moto G3 on WIND.

[Chairman Honeycrisp]

Me too, I have a G locked on Telus and the update is downloading right now.

[truelitistnot]

My impressions for Marshmellow (Android 6) on Moto G (2015);

It's no big deal. No significant changes, at least nothing to get excited about over Lollipop.

Android 6.0 has introduced loads of bugs; especially the hot phone/battery draining problems. Non-responsive phone, especially coming out of lockscreen problem. SD card problems. WIFI connection problems. And other issues.

I am experiencing the hot phone/battery drain issues, SD card issues and the non responsive phone issues.

Android 6 update in my opinion is buggy as hell and doesn't offer anything worth the hassle of all the bugs.

I'm going back to Lollipop which was incredibly stable on my Moto G 2015. I never had any problem on lollipop. Android 6 has been loads of problems.

[acejavelin]

My impressions for Marshmellow (Android 6) on Moto G (2015);

It's no big deal. No significant changes, at least nothing to get excited about over Lollipop.

Android 6.0 has introduced loads of bugs; especially the hot phone/battery draining problems. Non-responsive phone, especially coming out of lockscreen problem. SD card problems. WIFI connection problems. And other issues.

I am experiencing the hot phone/battery drain issues, SD card issues and the non responsive phone issues.

Android 6 update in my opinion is buggy as hell and doesn't offer anything worth the hassle of all the bugs.

I'm going back to Lollipop which was incredibly stable on my Moto G 2015. I never had any problem on lollipop. Android 6 has been loads of problems.

Factory reset... These are not common bugs, except SD issues, all should be fixed with factory default. SD problem is very common and has a simple fix, but I think your situation calls for more drastic measures

[sacrdandprofne]

I'm getting great battery results so far.

[acejavelin]

I'm getting great battery results so far.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...368678b2d4.jpg

Lol... 2% usage doing nothing isn't saying much. Show us your stats when you have 2% remaining, that might tell a different story.

But anyway, yes, Marshmallow is quite battery friendly for the most part.

[sacrdandprofne]

Lol... 2% usage doing nothing isn't saying much. Show us your stats when you have 2% remaining, that might tell a different story. .

That may take a while at this rate. 😉

[David Alfredo]

this is my experience after upgrading to Marshmallow

1- Option to move shortcuts items from the pull-down menu around

2- There's a new memory management option showing footprint statistics for each running app
... but you can't see realtime usage anymore, to me it's more important to check how much memory an app uses in a certain scenario.

3- Apps can be allowed and denied permissions now
...but most of them won't work as intended or even crash / freeze when certain permissions are blocked, this is not specified and you'd have to guess

4- "Do not disturb" mode has a couple new options such as "do not disturb until next alarm triggers"
...but this is not new as you could set 5.1.1 DND mode to match the time until your next alarm

5- You can format your SD card as internal storage now
...but the total amount of storage would be the SD card size, it's not internal + SD, it's SD storage only.
...and the phone becomes sluggish (even with a class 10 UHS-1 SD card), it's way better to just use the original internal storage, really not worth it.
...and you can't access SD content from a computer anymore, even if it's formatted as external storage and not internal
...and certain apps such as Google Play Music won't recognize/download to the SD card anymore

6- Native file system explorer
...but as stated above, exploring your phone's content from a computer was way faster and you could copy files directly into your phone from a PC, you need a third party app such as "Airdroid" now.

6- Doze is implemented to improve battery time
...but the new firmware adds battery drainage and the phone now drains the battery way faster compared to 5.1.1

7- Some apps seem to perform better but just marginally
...too little, not the jump I was expecting, maybe this is apparent in devices with better specs.

8- Google Now on Tap
...but it's only working in English collecting data from US sites and webs mostly so as of today useless for the rest of the world.

additional bugs and glitches

-after the phone has been locked for some time (10+ minutes or so), after unlocking it there's some lag and sluggish performance for some seconds until it becomes smooth again, could be related to Doze

-WiFi would disconnect for no reason every few hours (and automatically reconnect)

-some apps seem to perform worse (maybe not optimized for Marshmallow)

Deal breakers

- Moto assistant removed, I used that feature a lot to let the phone help me setting a lot of stuff

- SD content locked from computer via USB, cant cut/copy/move data from or to computer anymore, I used to move *big* 1080p videos from SD card to computer, re-encode to 720p there and put on SD card again. Also upload movies and music to SD Card, watch internal storage for "orphan" directories and general maintenance... not anymore, sorry but this is unacceptable, why going backwards like this ?

you can use a third-party tool such as "Airdroid" but the speed is like 100 times slower compared to USB connection and it's another running service in your phone + advertisements + unwanted stuff

- Battery drainage, it seems a factory reset would fix it, why is there no information about it when you're upgrading ? why bothering re-installing all your stuff again when 5.1.1 was flawless ?

- Performance enhancements just marginal if any, by the time apps optimized for M perform way better than those on 5.1.1 we all will have a new phone.

- Certain apps, specially Google Music, can't seem to detect SD card now, so SD card becomes almost exclusively to store videos and photos from the camera but you can't move them to PC unless you use a dedicated app as stated above, even some apps that used to store data on SD card won't do it now, it's like it became invisible to them, guess this could be fixed with time.

- I have some expensive Sennheiser earphones with a mic and a button to trigger some actions (skip and pause music, accept / reject calls, run Google Now...) and it worked flawlessly on 5.1.1, now the mic for voice calls and button won't work on Marshmallow, why ?


**
all in all, DISAPPOINTMENT, rolling back to 5.1.1 as we speak, I trusted Motorola / Lenovo to offer a certain degree of quality control when delivering their updates but failed miserably, I can see a lot of non-savvy users scratching their heads and returning phones after "upgrading" to Marshmallow, it's a RUSHED upgrade full of bugs, glitches and removed features.

One of the reasons I went with Motorola was the stock Android experience and the guaranteed OS upgrades, but this Marshmallow upgrade is absolutely intolerable, maybe a factory reset and a ton of fiddling and tweaking and waiting for fixes would do it, but how many users are expected to go through all of that ? how many of them even know how to do it ? it's not acceptable. It's like they had a fixed budget for the upgrade and once money was spent they released the upgrade as it is.

WAIT FOR A FUTURE UPDATE, phone runs beautifully on 5.1.1, this M update is nothing but trouble and you don't have to spend a week tweaking the phone to fix stuff just to see most of the bugs, the most relevant, are not even fixable (e.g. access SD card via USB).

[sacrdandprofne]

Battery drainage, it seems a factory reset would fix it, why is there no information about it when you're upgrading ? why bothering re-installing all your stuff again when 5.1.1 was flawless ?

I've noticed a lot of people complaining about this, but I guess I lucked out and don't appear to have this issue.

- SD content locked from computer via USB, cant cut/copy/move data from or to computer anymore,

I definitely agree with you on this one: I hate that the FTP is so glitchy. Every time I want to dump files I have to go into dev mode, choose "charge only", and then change back to "FTP" in order for it to work. Very annoying. Almost enough to make me want to switch back, but not yet.

[David Alfredo]

I've noticed a lot of people complaining about this, but I guess I lucked out and don't appear to have this issue.


I definitely agree with you on this one: I hate that the FTP is so glitchy. Every time I want to dump files I have to go into dev mode, choose "charge only", and then change back to "FTP" in order for it to work. Very annoying. Almost enough to make me want to switch back, but not yet.

can you comment a bit on the M update and features that you would consider must-have and essential compared to what we have in Android 5.1.1 ? how's your experience so far ? I just finished installing 5.1.1 back (thanks to Motorola support it was relatively easy) and I would need like two more updates (fixing all the glaring stuff I mentioned) before risking upgrading once more.