Motorola was quick to launch its Android 17 beta program, announcing it just days after Google released the first beta for Pixel devices in February 2026. And to everyone’s surprise, the brand kept expanding the beta program to more and more devices, now available for over a dozen smartphones. However, on the other hand, the company is struggling with the Android 16 rollout, as the update hasn’t reached all eligible devices.
Motorola is struggling to wrap up Android 16 rollout
The company began rolling out a stable Android 16 update to its devices in September 2025, ahead of many of its competitors, including OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo. The Edge 60 Pro and Edge 50 Fusion were among the first phones to receive the Android 16 update. However, Motorola struggled to deliver timely releases to other eligible devices.
Premium devices like the Razr 2025 and Razr Ultra 2025 weren’t lucky either. They started receiving the Android 16 update towards the end of February 2026. The situation only worsens as you move towards cheaper phones. Making matter worse, there’s no official announcement regarding the eligibility of devices or the rollout schedule for Android 16.
Just as we’re getting close to the Android 17 release, Motorola has started rolling out last year’s update to its entry-level phones, including the Moto G35. Since the company is aggressively working on the Android 17 beta program, we hope it will look to complete the Android 16 rollout as soon as possible.
Motorola looks more promising this year
Motorola has been struggling with software releases over the past couple of years. However, if you’ve been tracking recent rollouts and announcements, it’s clear that the company is working to improve the software commitments and rollouts.
The recent major upgrades, though not timely, have shown signs of improvement. The software support period has also been upgraded significantly in recent months.
Motorola’s mid-range and high-end phones were typically limited to three OS upgrades, now promising up to five. It took a big leap forward earlier this year with the release of Motorola Signature, which promises seven generations of major OS upgrades. That’s the best you can get on an Android device.
In February, Motorola surprised with the Android 17 beta announcement just days after Google announced the Android 17 Beta 1, while other brands took over a month. Even more surprising is that the beta program now covers over a dozen Motorola devices, while other non-Google brands have offered it for very few of their phones.
Motorola seems to be taking its software game seriously, and I hope to see quicker update rollouts this year. Also, it would be very welcoming to hear an official rollout schedule for the upcoming OS releases, providing more clarity on when users can expect the updates to land on their phones.
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