Newsletter
With Android 6.0 Marshmallow being official now, we expect companies to announce the phones that will get updated and possibly a timeframe for the update. HTC has already posted the list of devices that will get Marshmallow starting in late 2015. There was a list of Samsung devices that would get the update and some LG devices are supposed to get it too, as suggested by an official support page, although information from these two companies is not official yet. Now it’s the turn of Motorola, as it has communicated some details about this update.
The company has used an approach based on simplicity since the first Moto X launched. It uses an almost untouched skin of what stock Android looks like and it enhances it with some additional services like voice commands or an interactive notification system that works even when the phone is asleep. They are also reminding some Marshmallow features that will make it to their phones like Doze Mode to improve battery life, Now On Tap, which is one of the biggest changes, Android Pay, Direct Share and the simplified volume controls.
Some apps preinstalled by Motorola will disappear with the new update, as they are considered reiterative. Moto Assist will be retired, as a similar functionality is provided by the “Do Not Disturb” command on the “Sound and Notifications” settings. Motorola Migrate will also be removed as Marshmallow improved backing up the user’s data, and the Chrome Extension from Motorola Connect will no longer exist, as similar apps found on Google Play can replace its functionality.
As for the phones that will get updated, the recently announced Moto G (2015), Moto X Play, Moto X Style and Moto X Pure Edition are (unsurprisingly) among the list. From last year’s models, the second generation Moto G and its 4G LTE compatible version will get it, as well as the US Moto X Pure Edition (2014). Other devices include the DROID Turbo, Moto Maxx (2014), Moto Turbo (2014) and even though Google is supposed to handle the update of the Nexus 6, Motorola is listing it as well to get the update. They made clear that this is a preliminary list, so some things might change. The company will work hard to bring the update as soon as they can, but they didn’t provide a specific time-frame for this update to start hitting those devices.