Every time a new Android Operating System is released, the first question everybody wants to know is, “Will I get a software update on my device?” We anxiously await the manufacturer of our smartphone to announce the ‘lucky’ devices and we are happy to say that earlier in the day, Motorola let the world know which devices would get the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. Two devices were conspicuously missing from the list – the Moto X second-generation, also known as Moto X 2014, and the second-generation Moto E, released just over six months ago.
On that topic, we have some good news and some bad news – Motorola Canada has confirmed the second-generation Moto X will receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update, however, the second-generation Moto E will not be receiving any Marshmallow love. Motorola will keep updating their page as decisions are made on what devices will or will not be updated. It is very surprising that the Moto E is not on the update list as it is only a little over 6 months old, and Motorola specifically touted during its release that it would stay a relevant device and be updated.
Motorola has never believed in putting too much UI over the basic Android O/S, but prefer on, “Tackling areas where we can enable more meaningful exchanges between you and your phone. This philosophy has enabled us to make what we think are the most personal and responsive phones in the world, built on a foundation of pure Android with a few Moto Enhancements to improve (not impede) overall functionality.”
There are also some Moto Enhancements that are to be eliminated because they are too similar to official features already baked into Android 6.0. The ‘Do not disturb’ and ‘Sound and Notification’ settings are very similar to Motorola’s Moto Assist, so they will be stripped out during the update. Motorola plans to drop Motorola Migrate because of the way Google now handles backups and restores even user software and apps, making it easier to transfer information between smartphones. The Motorola Connect is also slated for the scrap heap as there are many similar products on Google’s Chrome Store. All of these changes will be apart of the Android 6.0 update.