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Hate to be all bad news bears this morning, but the Cliq XT won’t be the only device from Motorola’s lineup not receiving an Android update. Their Android Software Upgrade list has been updated accordingly. I suppose the good news is that the Motorola Flipout, Charm, and i1 will be stuck at Android 2.1 as opposed to the Android 1.5 build the Cliq XT will run for the rest of its life.
How disappointing…but did anyone really expect anything different? With the rate that Motorola has been churning out newer Android handsets it might be an unrealistic demand to devote extra manpower to bringing older devices up to date. Sure, super popular, landmark handsets of yesteryear like the Droid lineup may still get updates, but you’re out of luck if you bought into one of Moto’s midrange or low-end offerings. Note that for the future.
[via Androinica]
I wonder if the original Moto Droid will get past Froyo…
This is only problem with android phones is the updates that never come.
Lenn, you might want to say, “This is the only problem with Motorola Android phones: updates that never come.” Other hardware vendors have done a better job. None have been perfect but I think Motorola is the worst by far. I will never buy another product from them again.
Motorola doesn’t realize that this will affect its future sales because of poor brand image. But I think Google needs to do something about the ugprade process. I don’t care what they have to do, and how they have to force manufacturers and carriers to accept some standard ways of implementing Android on their phones, but they have to do it before it gets out of hand. If it’s hard for manufacturers to update a few models per year right now, imagine how hard it will be 2-3 years from now when they’ll all make dozens of Android devices per year, as they switch from dumbphones too 100% smartphones.
Wow. So let me see if I understand this. Moto Phones with a red “V” on them get updates. Phones for T-mo and att don’t. I understand now, I am grateful for motorola clarifying for me. I have t-mobile, therefore I cannot ever buy motorola because they will not be updating their phones. How’s that blur working out for you now, moto?
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Motoblur – Blurring the lines between android and upgrades
@Aaron P. Jaeger I think you are probably right but I think Samsung have been pretty bad too. The Galaxy S should have had Froyo a long time ago.
Man if htc can update a mytouch y not a cliq just wrong
Just add them to the sh#t list along with Samsung! Sony can pull out with its new wave but we’ll see!
The right thing for the manufacturer to do here is to declare a length of time that Android updates will be provided for the phone on the packaging / in the specs list. I personally don’t care about these phones but this would avoid surprises. The length of time I think should match the longest carrier contract that the user could be committed to. I wonder how much effort is involved on the phone manufacturer’s end in just providing Vanilla Android in it’s simplest form after the initial commitment is over.
If they get rid of that craptastic motoblur we wont have to worry about this.
It’s gonna be a circus to see what phones get anything after 2.3 or 2.4. A drastic change to Android for phones has to be coming and I doubt any of today’s phones will get officially updated except the NxsS.
Just a correction: Motorola i1 will remain on Android 1.5, the same as Cliq XT =/
Motorola is so lazy….. not to say any other thing…
what needs to be done is that google should have every company (htc,moto,samsung) list them on a site page with the update there to download and not leave it up to the brand. i mean it is only googles product.
I believe that Google should set it’s foot down and make the manufacturers use stock android builds and put their motoblur, sense, touchwiz skins on the market targeted to the brand device as home replacements. These skins is what keeps android so fragmented.
I thought Samsung was the worst at updates after not receiving Froyo for my Epic in a timely manner as promised, but looking at what Motorola’s been doing lately in regards to updates makes Samsung look great in comparison. Say what you want about Samsung, but oddly enough they’ve updated their non-flagship phones like the Moment, Intercept, Acclaim, etc. Not bad for Samsung. Motorola on the other hand completely abandons their non-flagship phones with a Verizon logo on it. This is why I’m wary of buying the Atrix 4G. First it might have a locked bootloader, Second, AT&T won’t allow sideloading apps, and Lastly Motorola might not even update it past Froyo. Too bad, cause the Atrix has so much potential to be an awesome device.
^ without *
Personally, I think phone mfgs need to quit “promising” updates. I had the behold2. No update. I had the mt3g, got the update a few weeks ago and it is now a brick. I just purchased the motorola defy. Great phone. Yeah, it only has 2.1 but that’s good enough for me. If it gets an update, nice. Just make sure the update works!
They better update the first Droid. I worry because that phone was made by working with Google just like the Xoom.
This is why an unencrypted bootloader is a horrible thing.
Sorry, encrypted
@JP
Your comment is the real solution. Companies will get lazy and drag their feet when it comes to updating phones (esp. mid range phones like the ones listed above). If they pull the skins and put them in the market as a home replacement then Google can update all phones at once (or close to it) then it will be up to companies to update their home apps from the market…and if they don’t then oh well (vanilla android is better anyway lol). Hopefully google will do something, although I really don’t see anything changing.
“but did anyone really expect anything different?”
My answer is clear. We should!
They do this because we allow it.
Phone companies are used to create each phone with an attached OS version, release it and forget about it. Many times with very, very big flaws that could be solved with a simple update. AND WE ALLOW IT. We go and buy new phones from such companies.
But modern Phone OS are made to be updatable. And they still choose not to…
Well, here is one (just one) that won’t do that. One of the main considerations for me when buying a phone is durability. With that premises I IMMEDIATELY discard companies as Nokia, Motorola or Samsung. They all do the same. Deliver and forget.
That’s why my current phone is an HTC Desire. I already got a Froyo update and, even if I don’t get a gingerbread, they are open enough to allows custom Rom development. That’s why you can still use older models with current OS versions.
And the decision to change phone is yours, maybe because the hardware is a little outdated and you want something better. But not because you can’t used apps anymore because your manufacturer decided not to update you… Not anymore.
I’m just one. But many ones can deliver a Message. Think twice the next time you shop for a phone.
For those that say google should do something…
Do you forget? Android is Open Source. So the manufacturers can do (and they do) what ever they want.
STOP LOOKING FOR OTHERS TO DO YOUR JOB. The consumers are the only that can force the hand of a manufacturer…
At this point anyone who buys a Motorola phone, especially one that has BLUR on it, deserves what they get.
i agree with the above about samsung and lg being the worst at upgrading. at least motorola tries and keeps people informed.
Motorola always supports their high end devices. My original droid is running froyo. The Droid X and Droid 2 are up to date aswell. On Verizon Motorola shines. I think Motorola treats things like i1 and flip out as just dumb phones and the people on them don’t really care about updates because they have low to mid grade devices. Also I think it is a matter of adoption. What do you do if you have a device that doesn’t sell well? Do you commit money and resources to it and upgrade the device at a loss of profit? Lets be honest here. If you are up to speed on all things Android why are you buying low and mid grade devices? Motorola has been ok about updates, not great, but ok. HTC is the best at updates and the easiest to put a rom on, but I truly wish they put more into the battery life of their devices. If they did that I would gladly leave Motorola for them, but until I see some dual-core and better battery life I will stick with the high end Motorola offerings.
So the same company that can’t be arsed to update its phones is the same one that locks down its phones’ bootloaders.
I guess Motorola is still a one-way ticket to fail.
no surprise here
As a reg cliq owner this absolutely INFURIATES ME!!! I have had a terrible problem with my phone and had to do 6 factory resets, waited forever to get a 2.1 build that doesn’t support most of 2.1’s features (multi-touch; live wallpapers; much more) and I am still very angry!!! I don’t believe this I dont even know what Ide to if they promised the upgrade and didnt deliver. the Charm is a fairly new freaking phone and they already crossed it off the list. Motorola can go Eff themselves… soo pissed. rant over.
welcome Americans to Motofail. In the rest of the wold Motorola is not updating ANY phone, even the flagships. For instance the milestone (gsm version of OG droid) is still in 2.1 with many bugs like the alarm not working and random instant play of songs.