Top Android news of the week: Marshmallow internal/ external storage, better battery life, expensive BlackBerry
This week in Android we got pricing for the BlackBerry Priv, saw that Marshmallow can use external for internal storage but at a price, and HTC will give quick updates for the One A9.
HTC has stated that the unlocked HTC One A9 will get all OS updates just a couple of weeks after Google's own Nexus devices. This is a good incentive for prospective buyers as Android enthusiasts appreciate getting all updates, and especially soon after Google rolls them out.
The first Android phone coming out of BlackBerry will be out soon, if you can afford it. The BlackBerry Priv will set you back $699 in the US, a high price considering it's the firm's first Android phone.
It is the only Android phone with a hardware keyboard so BlackBerry fans may be willing to pay the price.
Marshmallow can turn external storage into internal, but at a price
When you insert an SD card into a device with Marshmallow installed you'll be asked if you want it to serve as typical external storage or internal. If you choose the latter the card will be formatted and recognized as typical internal storage.
This comes at a cost, however, as your real internal storage in the phone disappears. The SD card totally replaces it instead of merging with it.
In an effort to force developers to maximize the battery life of their apps, Google has instituted two changes to the development process. The first is the requirement to use unmodified Doze, Google's battery saving mode built into Marshmallow.
The second forced measure is to show all system processes in the app that consume battery. Hiding them is no longer an option.
