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Moto X 2013 at 10: The first Google Pixel in all but name
The 10-year-old Moto X 2013 was a glimpse into the future of Google’s phone strategy
Long before Google started building its own phones, recently going as far as using custom-made processors, back in 2012 the company acquired one of the most iconic phone brands in the US — Motorola Mobility. This marriage was soon explained as a way for Google to acquire key smartphone patents, but there was something else and far more wonderful to come out of the acquisition for a nerd like me: The Moto X.
Ever since the Lenovo takeover, Moto's design language has changed pretty drastically. The unique material choices and dual front-facing speakers of yesteryear have been ditched for front-mounted fingerprint sensors, more obnoxious-looking cameras, and metal and glass designs. The latest edition of this comes in the form of the 2017 Moto X, which has just been leaked in several photos. It's not a looker.
The lads and lasses on the open source CyanogenMod Team continue to bring their Android nightly ROMs to phones and tablets that have long been abandoned by uncaring manufacturers. This week a handful of new devices get builds for CM13, based on code from Android 6.0. All of them are nightlies (so possibly not ready for primetime), but I'll bet their respective users are happy to get the attention anyway. Here they are:
Since the launch of the Moto X, Motorola has been pretty good about releasing timely Android updates... though that's been called into question recently. Apparently at least one variant of the original Moto X (the one from 2013) has been lagging a long way behind as well. The Sprint version of the phone only recently got its over-the-air update to Android 5.1 (the one from February). Before now it had been running Android 4.4.4 (the one from 2014). Ouch.
It's definitely not getting an Android 6.0 update, but the original Moto X is still getting Android 5.1.1. As is customary (i.e. required), Motorola has posted the kernel source for the update. You can grab it on GitHub if you're the developer sort.
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While many of us have been living the Lollipop life and looking forward to Marshmallow, life hasn't been so grand for owners of the first generation Moto X on Verizon. They've been languishing on Android 4.4.4 all this time, but it looks like that's finally changing. A soak test for Android 5.1 is starting to roll out, and that could soon mean a general release of Lollipop for this once proud device.
Google and the various major Android device vendors and carriers are scrambling to patch the recently-discovered Stagefright exploit, a weakness in Android's multimedia processing that can allow remote access via a simple MMS message. Google has already begun patching Nexus devices, and Samsung is working its way through its extensive product range starting with flagships. Yesterday Motorola released its plans to update its phones.
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AT&T approved the Android 5.1 update for the first-gen Moto X (XT1058) on July 7th, but yesterday the carrier decided to halt the update. AT&T is calling this a "temporary" suspension, but isn't saying what exactly the issue is.
Courtesy of Android Peru on Facebook, we have some photos of what may just be the third generation Moto X. You guys get more excited about leaked gadget photos than you do about celebrity wardrobe malfunctions, so I'll let you check out the pics before I point out my observations.
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- AT&T has posted its changelog as well. Here's what the carrier says you're getting.
The original Moto X launched in 2013, and while the device is approaching the two year mark, it's still new enough for people to reasonably expect an upgrade to the newest Android releases.
The original Moto X signaled a major design shift for Motorola, and the company has done an admirable job keeping the device updated to the latest versions of Android so far. The Moto X 2013 is now seeing its first Android 5.1 updates, specifically for the unlocked retail models in the United States and Brazil plus the Rogers carrier version sold in Canada, according to Motorola manager David Schuster. This comes after a few weeks of soak tests.
Motorola announced the Android 5.1 update for both Moto X devices a few weeks ago, but it started out as a very slow soak test. Motorola's David Schuster says that today that test is expanding to more countries with a full release coming as soon as next week.
The Atrix HD came out in 2012, right before Motorola's Google-fueled turnaround. That's why it was surprising when Motorola put this phone on the KitKat update list in late 2013. That update never came through, leaving the device on Android 4.1.1, but Motorola is offering a deal on a new Moto X to make up for that.
Motorola hasn't exactly been hitting it out of the park with cameras as of late. The 2014 Moto X offered a minor improvement over the 2013 model, but it's still put to shame by other flagships. At least the camera app is in the Play Store so it can be updated with new features, just like it is today.
Motorola has a mixed record when it comes to device updates. The first-gen Moto X made the jump from Jelly Bean to KitKat quite smoothly, but Lollipop has proven to be more of a challenge. Motorola recently announced the 2013 Moto X would go straight to Android 5.1, but when? Soon, according to Motorola's David Schuster.
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- The 2nd Gen Moto E is joining the party too. Motorola has posted release notes stating that the device will also get Android 5.1.
The Moto X line is a great destination for Nexus lovers who tire of feeling like beta testers for Google, but the transition does come at the expense of timely updates (not that all Nexus devices are speedy). Fortunately Motorola remains committed to getting its devices up to date, and it looks like Android 5.1 may soon come to both iterations of the Moto X.
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If you're going to do any serious modding on your Android smartphone, your first step is going to be unlocking the bootloader. This is a simple procedure on Nexus devices and a few other handsets, but many of the top OEMs have added security measures to prevent regular users from mucking about with their stock software. For these devices, there's a tool called Sunshine by recognized developers Justin Case (jcase), beaups, and friends. Version 3.0 just came out, and it can unlock the bootloader and acquire S-Off with almost every modern Motorola and HTC smartphone on the market.