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As you may know, Google came out with the new Android 6.0 but it is not available in my country right now. I was wondering if I bought an Android 5.0 device from the store, would I be able to upgrade to Android 6.0 manually in the future?

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  • Without knowing your exact phone's model number, carrier etc. We are unable to tell you if the manufacturer planned to roll out Android 6.0 for this specific device.
    – GiantTree
    Dec 17, 2015 at 16:26
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    Possible duplicate of When will my device get the Android 6.0 update (Marshmallow)?
    – Firelord ♦
    Dec 17, 2015 at 19:55
  • I'm not sure if you understand how Android works. You can't just throw purr Android 6.0 on any phone. You need the device drivers, then you have to include them into the OS. This is a very technical process that very few people can do. You'll have to find a custom ROM that somebody else made for your phone, or you'll have to hope that your manufacturer released a ROM for your phone.
    – sonictt1
    Dec 17, 2015 at 23:18

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You need to choose carefully, since many vendors and carriers will abandon devices quickly as they release new ones. So no, you cannot guarantee that ANY device running 5.0 will be able to upgrade to 6.0. However, here are some suggestions to improve your chances:

  1. Get a recent Google Nexus device. These are always the first to get new releases because they are Google's Android showcase devices. Check this page for devices that have 6.0 firmware available.
  2. Get a device that is on this list. CynaogenMod (CM) is a very good alternative firmware that has breathed life into many, many old devices that have been long-forgotten by the vendors. CM13 is the version based on Android 6.0 and they are working hard to expand the number of devices supported.
  3. Take a look at XDA-Developers device forums and look for devices that have unofficial Marshmallow builds. Keep in mind that many of the ROMs posted there are experimental and possible unstable, and this may be especially true of a new 6.0-based ROM.
  4. Get a device that has an upgrade guarantee or a device that the manufacturer has stated will be getting 6.0. This article is a nice recent list that will get you started, and there is also a Community Wiki on this site tracking status. However, keep in mind that even if you have a device from this list, the carrier may take longer to (or never) push out the update. As an example, I once had a phone where HTC had released an update but my carrier took almost a year to push their branded version to my phone. If you can't root your device, you may be at the whim of your carrier.
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    Not to forget 5. What's really new in Android 6? Is it worth the hassle?
    – ott--
    Dec 17, 2015 at 21:08

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