Motorola has revised its initial timeline of upcoming software updates and the result isn’t encouraging. The company’s (which has now been taken over by Google) latest announcements will not help its case, as it hasn’t had the best of sales numbers off late. However not all of Motorola’s phones will be affected by this update. The recently announced high end phones i.e. the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD will receive Android 4.1. Both these phones make up the high end category of Motorola’s line of smartphones. Sporting a 312 ppi with a Super AMOLED screen coupled with a 2530 mAh battery, the DROID RAZR HD is certainly deserving of the Jelly Bean update.
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The DROID RAZR MAXX, with a similar pixel density and an even better battery (rated at 3300 mAh) is incomplete without the like of Android 4.1. However, all the hype is restricted only to these phones. Motorola’s mid range smartphones, the Atrix 4G and the Atrix 2, which were earlier scheduled to receive Android 4.0 update in the third quarter, have now been pushed into the future plans category. Both these phones have a pixel density around the 260 ppi mark and a decent battery life make them good competitors in that mid range segment. Being listed under the “future plans” category diminishes their image in a competitive market.
These phones along with Motorola PHOTON 4G and Motorola Electrify were scheduled to receive the Ice Cream Sandwich in the third quarter. Many critics have voiced their opinions stating that this delay will not help a company that is struggling. Apart from the high end phones receiving the Jelly Bean update there will be a few other phones that will receive Android 4.0 update. The Motorola DROID BIONIC and the Motorola XOOM family are expected to receive updates in the fourth quarter this year.
There are several of Motorola’s phones that are still stuck on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with no signs of an update announcement. Phones like the DROID 3, the Admiral, the DROID X2 and several others. The DROID X2 and the DROID 3 can be ruled out of getting an update given their age. However, considering the fact that the ATRIX 2 is just a year old and also talking into account that Motorola is looking at future plans of focus which is centred around Android 4.1, it is essential that Motorola introspects its decisions and comes up with a wise decision.
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September 27, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Having suffered through all of the misleading information about an upgrade for my Bionic and having been a Google employee and hearing a ton of their BS firsthand, there is no way in hell I will purchase another Motorola device. They should just play with their patents and let the devices rot on the shelves.
September 27, 2012 at 9:11 pm
The problem appears to be inherent in the Android design. As a Linux/UNIX developer for decades, it appears that Google and Motorola have done a bush-league job of architecture, design and development. I find it interesting, almost amusing (if I weren’t one of Motorola’s victims) that Samsung phones and most tablet vendors are far ahead of the company that theoretically should have an edge.
I’m wondering if Google has covert agreements with the other Android device vendors to give them an edge in taking new versions of Android to market, so those vendorswouldn’t abandon the Android platform for, say, Windows 8 or the HP-mangled WebOS.
Or, perhaps, the developers and engineers at Motorola are just incompetent. Or all of the above.
It will soon be time to buy put options on Google stock.