Motorola details which Moto devices will get Marshmallow update, talks software changes (Update)

In a release posted on Motorola’s official blog, the company revealed which devices would receive the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update, and that various Moto Enhancements will be dropped following the launch of Marshmallow due to similarities between official features in Android 6.0.

For example, the ‘Do not disturb’ and ‘Sound and Notification’ setting set to be featured in Marshmallow is extremely similar to Motorola’s Moto Assist, so the company has decided to remove the feature as part of the rollout.

Motorola says it has consistently made an effort to avoid bloatware and skins when it comes to the company’s devices, emphasizing that Moto Enhancements have always been focused on “tackling areas where we can enable more meaningful exchanges between you and your phone.” This methodology has allowed Motorola to approach its Android devices in a way that doesn’t hinder the inherent purpose of many of the platform’s core features, something other smartphone manufacturers often aren’t very good at.

In terms of other Moto Enhancements set to be removed when Android 6.0 launches, Motorola plans to drop Motorola Migrate because Google’s operating system now backs up and restores user software and apps, and also easily transfers content between smartphones. Furthermore, the Google Chrome extension found in Motorola Connect is also headed off into the sunset when Marshmallow releases, since there are so many similar products on Google’s Chrome Store.

Android Marshmallow brings new enhancements such as Doze Mode, allowing devices featuring the new operating system to enter deep sleep battery saving when not being used, Now on Tap, Google’s smarter, more contextual version of Google Now, simpler volume controls, as well as a flurry of other upgrades.

According to Motorola, the company has plans to update the following devices, although Marshmallow availability will depend on region and carrier:

• 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Play
• 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
• 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE² (2nd gen)
• DROID Turbo
• 2014 Moto MAXX
• 2014 Moto Turbo
• Nexus 6

Motorola says Android 6.0 is expected to rollout in the coming weeks but that it, “won’t push the upgrade out until we know they’re ready.” It’s unclear why U.S. and Canadian carrier versions of the Moto X 2014 aren’t included in the list, and we’ve reached out to Motorola Canada for clarification. It’s also unclear whether this is a definitive list — no Moto E variants are listed, not even the newest one. It appears that the first-generation Moto G in all its incarnations is also set to stick with Lollipop.

Last month, Lenovo laid off a fifth of Motorola’s workforce (approximately 500 employees), following the release of the company’s Q1 financials and a profit decline of 51 percent, many of whom came from Motorola’s software division. When Lenovo first acquired Motorola from Google, the company had 3,200 people on staff, but over the course of reducing what Lenovo calls “redundancies,” over 1,200 employees have been let go.

Update: Motorola Canada has confirmed that the second-generation Moto X, also known as the Moto X 2014, will receive the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. But the second-generation Moto E, released just over six months ago, will not. The official has been posted, and will be continually updated, on Motorola’s support page.

Related link: Lenovo just laid off a fifth of Motorola’s workforce

[source]Motorola[/source]