BlackBerry Priv gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Android 6.0 launched over half a year ago, but even today there are still lots of devices that have yet to receive the software upgrade to Marshmallow. In fact, at the beginning of this month fewer than one in 20 were running Google's latest mobile operating system.

For BlackBerry Priv users though things are looking up. The Canadian maker has announced the Marshmallow rollout for its first Android smartphone, introducing improvements to the camera, battery, privacy, security, and more.

BlackBerry says that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is available now for smartphones purchased through ShopBlackBerry.com (unlocked models, basically), and will reach carrier-branded Priv devices starting May 3. The unlocked model is priced at $649 on the company's official site.

Among the most noteworthy changes are S/MIME support and support for more apps in BlackBerry Hub, new keyboard gestures and better predictions, mute indicator for notifications, Doze implementation to improve standby times, 24 FPS video support in 4K, 1080p and 720p modes and slow-motion video capture at 120 FPS with 30 FPS playback.

The Android 6.0 Marshmallow software update is being delivered over-the-air, and you will have to be patient until it reaches your Priv as there is no standalone installer for it. BlackBerry recommends connecting to Wi-Fi for the upgrade process, as the package is likely rather large.

BlackBerry has also posted a YouTube video which takes you through the major changes that the Android 6.0 Marshmallow brings to Priv devices. You can watch it below.