The Android 7.1.1 Nougat soak test for the Moto Z update has just begun, with Motorola Mobility pushing it out to some users. The smartphone released in September last year alongside the Moto Z Play and both were running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, which was then updated to Android 7.0 Nougat. Android 7.1.1 soak testing for the Moto Z Play started earlier this month for a limited amount of users in India and Brazil. Now it’s reported that the soak test has also arrived for the regular Moto Z, taking it to the software version NPL.26.107. Soak testing is a process that Motorola commonly uses to experiment with new updates with help from beta testers taking part in its program. The company does this to ensure that the update is ready for a wider release and that any potential issues like bugs are eliminated. The process itself is relatively quick, and as the Moto Z is already running Android 7.0 Nougat, the soak testing for Android 7.1.1 Nougat is not expected to take long at all. Therefore, it could only be a week or so before a widespread release of the new OS build, albeit the rollout itself will likely take some time to be completed.
Android 7.1.1 Nougat is the latest stable Android version for most devices, although Android 7.1.2 is available for Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL. The Moto Z’s Android 7.1.1 update will bring several new features, performance optimizations, and stability improvements. Among the benefits that it offers are Moto Mods 2.0, new icons for Motorola apps, and additional emojis. The update also includes the latest Android security patch dated June 1, 2017.
A successor to the Moto Z Play named the Moto Z2 Play was recently announced, though the Lenovo-owned company has yet to announce a successor to the Moto Z. However, a smartphone dubbed the Moto Z2 was listed just last week on Geekbench, with the listing revealing it packs the Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and Android 7.1.1 Nougat. While it remains to be seen how long does Motorola take to officially announce the Moto Z2, more details on the device and the company’s other future products will likely be available later this year.