Motorola’s Android 10 rollout doesn’t really inspire a lot of confidence.
Under Lenovo’s tutelage, Motorola’s software update efforts have been put on the backburner. The brand used to be the benchmark for timely software updates, but in the last three years that goodwill has been eroded as Motorola reneged on updates to phones like the Moto Z2 Force, the Moto E5 series, and more. Instead of delivering two platform updates and three years of security updates, Motorola now provides just one platform update and security updates “every other month.”
Motorola even tried to enforce the single platform update policy on its 2020 flagship, the $999 Edge+. After intense backlash, Motorola is now promising two platform updates for the device.
In addition to delivering fewer updates, Motorola is taking longer to roll out updates it has promised in the first place. The Moto G7 is just getting its Android 10 update in May 2020. Motorola’s Android One phones, however, will receive two platform updates and three years of security updates, because that is a requirement of being in the Android One initiative.
Here’s the state of Motorola’s Android 10 rollout:
List of Motorola phones already updated to Android 10
- Motorola RAZR: Rolling out (May 11 2020)
- Moto Z4: April 2020
- Moto G7 Plus: January 2020
- Motorola One (Android One): March 2020
- Motorola One Vision (Android One): January 7 2020
- Motorola One Power (Android One): December 12 2019
- Motorola One Action (Android One): April 6 2020
List of Motorola phones waiting to get the Android 10 update
Motorola started rolling out the Android 10 update to the Moto G7 and G7 Power in Brazil, but it will be a few weeks or months before the update makes its way to the devices in the U.S. Motorola’s software update page in the U.S. makes no mention of the update becoming available to any device in the G7 series.
These are the Motorola devices waiting to get the update to Android 10:
- Moto G7
- Moto G7 Play
- Moto G7 Power
- Moto G8
- Moto G8 Plus
- Moto G8 Play
- Motorola One Zoom
- Motorola One Macro
- Motorola One Action
List of Motorola phones that won’t be updated to Android 10
Because of Motorola’s policy of rolling out just one platform update, most of its devices launched over the last two years will not make the switch to Android 10. Devices like the Moto E5, E5 Play, and E5 Plus haven’t received a single platform update, with the devices still on Android 8.0 Oreo. Customers that picked up these phones had to resort to installing a custom ROM to switch to Android 9.0 Pie.
Similarly, the Moto E6 debuted last year with Android 9.0 Pie, and won’t be getting the Android 10 update. Then there’s the Moto E6s, a phone that launched in March 2020 with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.
Here’s a full list of all Motorola devices released after April 2018 that won’t be updated to Android 10:
- Moto G6
- Moto G6 Plus
- Moto G6 Play
- Moto Z3
- Moto Z3 Play
- Moto E6s
- Moto E6
- Moto E6 Plus
- Moto E6 Play
- Moto E5
- Moto E5 Plus
- Moto E5 Play
While Motorola used to be a good option for in the budget segment, the lack of updates just doesn’t make it a good recommendation in 2020. There’s much more choice in this category now, and with Nokia selling a lot of budget phones in the U.S. and committing to Android One for its entire portfolio, you’re better off going with that brand has to offer. Nokia did a much better job with the Android 10 update, and with Android One onboard you are guaranteed two platform updates on even the brand’s entry-level phones.
Android One goodness
Nokia 7.2
$350 at Amazon
All the features you need
The Nokia 7.2 comes with robust internal hardware and a vibrant FHD+ screen with HDR10. The hardware is still decent, and the fact that it runs Android One gives the device an edge in this category. It has received the Android 10 update earlier this year, and the design combined with the features on offer make it a great choice in 2020.
