No Marshmallow for you: 2015 Moto E doesn’t make list of Motorola’s upgrade-worthy phones

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 5 Oct 2015

So much for promises. Even though Motorola pledged the 2015 Moto E would stay up to date with fresh software, the phone is apparently not worthy of Android Marshmallow.

The Moto E isn’t on Motorola’s list of phones slated for an upgrade to Marshmallow. It’s a major disappointment because the device was released this year Motorola touted, “we won’t forget about you” when referencing updates in marketing material.

Android lice noted the fine print specifies the Moto E would get “at least one” software update, so Motorola technically met its obligation, because the phone got a boost from Android 5.0 to 5.1 earlier this year. C’est la vie.

In other bad news, the 2014 Verizon AT&T Moto X also didn’t make the cut. ile it’s not unheard of for some Android phones over a year old to get cut loose, it’s sure to anger those who may have gone with a Motorola device because they believed the company was committed to timely updates. 

This whole issue feels like a cost-cutting move: it takes a lot of engineering time resources to support devices for different carriers. Motorola’s new master novo recently slashed some jobs, it’s entirely possible that some of the personnel who would have taken on these tasks aren’t there anymore.

The story behind the story: One of Motorola’s major claims to fame is how well the company updates its phones. Despite that pledge, it’s been more of a mixed bag lately. The 2013 Moto X finally got llipop a couple of weeks ago. But no support for the Moto E is downright ridiculous. There are always engineering challenges with older hardware, but this is a current-generation phone. If Apple can get the ione 4S to work with iOS 9, you’d think Motorola could perform a similar feat.