Motorola is pretty bad at software updates, with new versions of Android delayed by months and devices often receiving minimal support. And things aren’t getting much better, as a new version shows how confusing it is to understand what Motorola is and isn’t promising.
The Motorola Edge 70 Max, a rare Android phone with built-in Qi2 magnets, debuted yesterday like a mostly boring new release. Actually, it’s just those magnets that make the £700 phone attractive.
They are certainly not the promises of the software.
As we noted, Motorola’s UK website says the Edge 70 Max is promised security updates until 2031, with “up to 3 years” of OS updates. Relatively standard, although a little below what Google and Samsung devices offer at the same price.
But there is a footnote.
It explains that this includes “2 operating system updates and up to 3 years of security updates from the global release date,” which somewhat contradicts the description above. Most Android brands consider “3 years of OS updates” to mean 3 OS updates, something Motorola apparently disagrees with. Meanwhile, the “three years of security updates from the global release date” directly contradicts the July 2031 date provided above.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, Motorola may have left this in other regions. The footnote says that this policy varies by region (which is another thing to disagree with) and sure enough, Motorola’s other regional listings for the Edge 70 Max lack the same 2031 date. One of our commenters noted that, in swedenMotorola only promises security and operating system updates for 3 years. It’s also possible that this is worded poorly, but the confusion doesn’t end there.
GSMArena Also, point out other places where Motorola is wildly inconsistent on this device alone. The EU EPREL label, for example, says that updates are provided for 7 years.
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Similar issues can be found even on Motorola’s flagship devices such as the Razr 70 series.
Aside from the Motorola Signature and Razr Fold, both of which promised 7 years of operating system and security updates, nothing in Motorola’s lineup seems to be getting a firm response, at least not a public one. We get confirmation of Motorola’s update policies on specific devices as they are released, but since they vary by region, it’s really difficult to know what applies to the end user.
Motorola is just bad with updates.
It’s been this way for a while, the Edge 70 Max is apparently the one that took this to the limit (pun mostly intended). It’s a reminder that when you buy from Motorola, you’re buying the device as-is. The updates are the icing on the cake (while in comparison, all other Android brands offer their users unlimited add-ons).
It would be one thing if Motorola was simply bad at communicating its software updates, but the company has proven time and time again that it’s also bad at rolling out updates. Last year’s Razr foldables, for example, I only got Android 16 in February, and that was a enormous improvement in the last two generations, which It wasn’t updated until later. Aftermaths had been revealed.
We’ll update this article if Motorola provides any clarification on the update situation for the Edge 70 Max or, for that matter, anything else.
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