Mobile OSs New bosses, same old Motorola.

[ChazUK]

http://www.androidcentral.com/atrix...not-received-ice-cream-sandwich-says-motorola

Well this is tough news. Motorola Mobility has been maintaining an update chart and evaluating its current device lineup as to which devices should go forward with Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Just a few days ago, they delayed several devices having previously said they would get the upgrade in Q3. Now, they have announced the Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and Electrify will not be receiving the update and will be remaining on Gingerbread.

This is not good news.

Atrix 4G - Launched February 2011
Original OS: Android 2.2
Current OS: Android 2.3
Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset based handset.

Photon 4G - Launched August 2001.
Original OS: Android 2.3
Current OS: Android 2.3
Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset based handset.

Both phones now without an official upgrade path to Android 4.0. We all know Tegra 2 is capable of running ICS (ZTE Grand X) and even Jellybean (Motorola Xoom Wifi) - 4G version updated thanks to the Android Community.

It really bugs me to see Motorola drop (what I see as) capable hardware from upgrades like Android 4.0 and 4.1 (which are leaps and bounds better than any Gingerbread based software.

I did have hope that Google taking the reigns at Motorola would have had a positive effect on their smartphones. Hopefully Sean at Android Central is right when he writes "We hope this is just a difficult transitional period for Motorola and that they will learn from this." but something would have to drastically change at Motorola before I'd ever consider another piece of Motorola Hardware.

I myself got burned by extreme delays to my Wifi European Xoom, having to unlock the bootloader and install the U.S based software to get prompt updates like the rest of the U.S based Wifi Xoom's.

Bad moves, Google.

 

[b24pgg]

Bad moves, Google.

Google released the Jelly Bean source code 3 months ago. This is Motorola's fault, not Google's.

 

[S.B.G]

Google released the Jelly Bean source code 3 months ago. This is Motorola's fault, not Google's.

Since Google owns Motorola [Mobility], could we say that it is Googles fault as well?

 

[b24pgg]

Since Google owns Motorola [Mobility], could we say that it is Googles fault as well?

It's a separately run subsidiary. Totally different CEO and executive structure. Blaming Google for Motorola's screw up is basically like blaming an Apple stockholder for Apple Maps.

 

[S.B.G]

Certainly plausible, but it could have come down from Google to Motorola [Mobility] to make some changes for potential new handsets and Android OS versions.

Ancillary to this topic, I learned from a couple of my professional contacts inside Motorola [Solutions] that they are now authorized to use iPhones as their company phones if the employee chooses to.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Oh I completely agree it is crap and I am very pissed off about it.

I will not touch moto for a while now.

Google has/had a great chance to improve things by using Moto to force more timely updates.

My only hope now is all new devices launch by Moto from when Google took over the pipe line so the new devices pumped out improve things.

Also More manfactures need to start telling FU to the carriers and reduce the carrier strong arming.
Last none nexus device for me for a long LONG time.

 

[ChazUK]

Subsidiary or not, Google/Motorola could show other Android OEM's how it's done with swift, regular updates to their hardware. Leading by example so to speak.

It's wrong to see that non-Google owned manufacturers like Samsung are able to pump out updates faster (Jellybean on the international S3 already) with a Jellybean update due for their older handsets (Galaxy S2) on the way too when some Motorola handsets launched with Gingerbread and will (officially) stay on Gingerbread.

As well as detailing the update for the Galaxy S III, Samsung also released a full list of devices that will be upgraded to Jelly Bean. The list includes ten phones: the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S Advance, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Chat, Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy Beam, Galaxy Ace Plus, Galaxy Mini 2, and Galaxy S Duos; four tablets: the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Note 10.1; and an unknown device, the Galaxy Music

Source: The Verge

This is in turn, made worse with the Atrix 4G and Photon 4g's locked bootloaders. This makes it harder (but not impossible) for ROM devs to support what is essentially abandoned hardware.

It totally stinks and was something I'd hoped that Google would have turned around taking ownership of Motorola. They still have a chance to do so going forward but I will remain critical until that happens.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Samsung list has complete bull **** on it as well. The noticeable lack of the original galaxy tab 10.1.

 

[ChrisTX]

My only hope now is all new devices launch by Moto from when Google took over the pipe line so the new devices pumped out improve things.

The new Moto devices launched with ICS, and not Jelly Bean so I doubt things will change. Unless you go Nexus, you're getting the OEM/Carrier branded experience. And even then, the Verizon branded Nexus took forever to get Jelly Bean compared to every other Nexus. Apple wins here in this way because all iOS devices have access to the latest version of iOS at the same time. Carriers, and OEMs are slow with updates to keep their customers buying new handsets often. It's sad but true. Apple beginning with Steve Jobs were the first mobile handset company to tell the carries "Hands off!"