With the ZenFone 2, ASUS Highlights the Most Annoying Thing about Android

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 31 Aug 2016

If you’ve been waiting for ASUS to upgrade your ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML) to Android 6.0, you’ll be glad to know that the wait is over. The company has finally announced the release of Marshmallow for the ZenFone 2.

While this is certainly good news for anyone who has a ZenFone 2 (like myself), it highlights one of the most annoying things about having an Android phone: the fact that you have to wait for a long, long time to get the latest version of Android.

Shortly after Marshmallow was released, ASUS announced that several phones, including the ZenFone 2, would get Android 6.0. While it didn’t provide an official timetable then, it eventually set a Q2 2016 release date for Marshmallow on the Zenfone 2 – which it missed!

Alongside the ZenFone 2, ASUS rolled out a few other variants: ZenFone Zoom, ZenFone Laser, and ZenFone Laser. You’d think that ASUS would release Marshmallow for the ZenFone 2 first, and Marshmallow for these variants later. Nope, these variants got Marshmallow about 2 months before the ZenFone 2.

The timing of the release is annoying as well. ASUS rolled out Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the ZenFone 2 a week after Google officially released Android 7.0 Nougat.



Quick recap.

Purchased a ZenFone 2, thinking ASUS would upgrade it to Marshmallow quickly, as promised? Joke’s on you!

Purchased a ZenFone 2 instead of the Laser or Selfie version because it has better specs? Joke’s on you, they got Marshmallow first!

Glad you finally got Marshmallow for your ZenFone 2? Google started rolling out Nougat, so joke’s on you!

Let’s put the annoyances aside and focus on the positives.

First up, the fact that Marshmallow comes with several great new features. Such as Now on Tap, Direct Share, Doze, App Standby, USB Type C support, Flex Storage, advanced controls to turn permissions on or off, and more.

Next up, the fact that with Android 6.0, ASUS removed lots of bloatware. Such as:
  • ASUS Backup, Asus Game Center, Asus Email, Asus Calendar, and Asus Browser.
  • Data Transfer
  • Dr. Eye (TW SKU)
  • Jawbone UP
  • Google+
  • Mirror
  • Omlet
  • Party Link
  • PC Link
  • Photo Frame
  • Remote Link
  • TripAdvisor
  • What's Next
  • Yahoo Shopping (TW SKU)
  • Zinio
Marshmallow for ZenFone 2 is rolling out OTA. If you checked for updates and found nothing, you can manually download the update from ASUS's support website here.



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