Software updates are a dreaded nuisance for any smartphone owner. Today, Motorola has solidified our stance on the issue, as it has retracted numerous of its previous upgrade promises. The new timeline pushes the Android 4.0 update for the DROID XYBOARD 8.2, DROID Bionic and Motorola XOOM Family Edition back until next quarter. Additionally, Atrix 4G, Atrix 2 and Photon 4G owners may be out of luck. Whereas the previous timeline showed the devices would be receiving their Ice Cream Sandwich update in Q3, the new list only entails that “further plans [are] coming soon.” What this means exactly is still unclear.
While this wasn’t completely unexpected, it’s a sad day for early adopters. Constantly manufacturers are revealing new groundbreaking hardware with behind-the-curve software. As an Atrix 4G owner, I’m ashamed that such a travesty couldn’t be avoided. The phone may have launched with Android 2.2 Froyo, but underneath lie the internals of the world’s first superphone. I’ll continue to use the handset, but Motorola needs to realize that it’s this type of thing that will prevent me from being a returning customer. For the full run-down, we’ve included the official upgrade timeline below.
Region / Model* |
Upgrade Status |
USA |
|
MOTOROLA XOOM WiFi-Only (MZ604) | Jellybean Upgrade (Android 4.1.1) rollout began in July 2012. |
MOTOROLA XOOM WiFi + 3G/LTE (MZ600/MZ602) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout began in June 2012. |
DROID RAZR (XT912) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout began in June 2012. |
DROID RAZR MAXX (XT912) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout began in June 2012. |
ATRIX 4G (MB860) | Gingerbread (Android 2.3) rollout began in July 2011. Further plans coming soon. |
DROID XYBOARD 8.2 (MZ609) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout to begin in Q4. |
DROID XYBOARD 10.1/Xoom 2 (MZ617) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout began in August 2012. |
ATRIX 2 (MB865) | Further plans coming soon. |
DROID 4 (XT894) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout began in August 2012. |
MOTOROLA XOOM Family Edition (MZ505) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout to begin in Q4. |
DROID BIONIC (XT875) | ICS Upgrade (Android 4.0.4) rollout to begin in Q4. |
PHOTON 4G (MB855) | Further plans coming soon. |
ELECTRIFY (MB853) | Further plans coming soon. |
CLIQ 2 (MB611) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
ADMIRAL (XT603) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
DROID 2 (A955) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
DROID 2 Global (A956) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
DROID 3 (XT862) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
DROID PRO (XT610) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
DROID X2 (MB870) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
MILESTONE 3 (XT883 / XT860 / ME863) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
MILESTONE X2 (MB867) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
MOTOROLA PRO+ (MB632) | Will remain on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) |
Source: Motorola