Motorola has announced that it will be skipping the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the first-generation Moto E, Moto G 4G and Moto X. Instead, all of them will directly receive the 5.1 Lollipop update.
According to Ketan Pratap of NDTV Gadgets, the announcement was confirmed by David Schuster, Motorola's senior director of software product. He elaborated on the company's decision in a Google+ post.
"As some of you might know, we've been testing Lollipop 5.0.2 upgrades on Moto X (1st Gen), Moto E (1st Gen) and Moto G with 4G LTE (1st Gen) in several regions," Schuster wrote. "In parallel, we have started testing Lollipop 5.1, which was recently released by Google."
Schuster added that the aforementioned devices will go "directly from KitKat to Lollipop 5.1" because of the "improvements" made by Google on the Android software. While there has been some negative feedback, Motorola stands by its decision.
"We did not do this without weighing the various pros and cons," Schuster wrote. "At the end of the day, we felt it was the best path to ensure we deliver our consumers the best available solution. We have starting a number of test soaks with 5.1 in a number of regions and hope to be fully deploying the upgrades soon."
Pratap reported that in the past, Motorola has struggled with hardware issues related to the first-generation Moto X, given that it was powered by the "dated dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor." However, Android 5.1 had new features for the Moto E, Moto G 4G and Moto X.
"Some of the features of Android 5.1 Lollipop include support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and HD voice on compatible devices," Pratap wrote. "Other changes include easy handling of Wi-Fi toggles and Bluetooth from Quick Settings; fix for random app crashes; improved security in case the smartphone has been stolen or is lost."
According to Pratap, the other features included "improved heads-up notifications that let users swipe up to collapse; better handling of system audio while playing a media file, and new 'No interruptions until next alarm' option in Priority mode."
Joe Hindy of Android Authority further elaborated on other features users would have if they updated to Android 5.1 Lollipop.
"You can now connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices without being required to go into the Settings app," Hindy wrote. "Simply click the down arrow and continue from there."
Hindy noted that a distinction has been made between Priority Mode and No Interruptions Mode. Both of their icons now appeared in the selection window.
"No Interruptions Mode will now still deliver notifications and you'll still see the notification light blinking. It's no silent mode, but it works pretty much the same," Hindy wrote. "The only real gripe is that alarms still don't go off, so you'll still need to create a tweaked Priority Mode (where alarms are okay, but everything else is turned off) in order to get a 'truer' silent mode."
According to Hindy, over 14,000 additional tweaks, fixes and other changes were made in Android 5.1. A link to the full changelog has been posted on Teknik.
However, Hindy pointed out the Android 5.1 missed a few things. He wanted a "true silent mode" for notifications and an option to reboot the device.
"There is still no reboot option," Hindy wrote. "When long pressing the power button, you still only have the option to Power Down."
Despite those problems, Hindy concluded that "the update is a big step forward for Lollipop."
Moto G 4G, Moto E and Moto X users can update to Android 5.1 Lollipop on Motorola's website.
