14 DAY TRIAL // Motorola's flagship smartphone Moto Z has already received the Android 7.0 Nougat update in Europe. In addition, Verizon pushed the update to its own version of Moto Z back in November, though we expected Motorola to first update the unlocked model.
While Europeans, as well as Verizon customers, can already enjoy the benefits of the Android 7.0 Nougat update on their Moto Z, consumers in the US who purchased the smartphone directly from Motorola will have to wait until next month.
According to AndroidCentral, Motorola has confirmed that the unlocked version of the Moto Z will be updated to Android 7.0 Nougat starting in February. Unfortunately, a clear release date hasn't been announced, so we don't know how many more weeks Moto Z owners will have to wait.
In the same piece of news, Motorola's official has stated that another smartphone released by the company last year, the mid-range Moto Z Play, will be getting a similar Android 7.0 Nougat update after the Moto Z.
US customers who own the Moto Z Play should expect to receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update starting March, one month after the Moto Z is supposed to get it. Moreover, Motorola has confirmed that both the unlocked and Verizon models will be eligible for the update around the same time.
Motorola also offered an explanation for the delay and the reason the unlocked Moto Z will receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update a few months after Verizon's model.
So, according to the US-based company, the reason behind the delay is the fact that Verizon launched its own-branded Moto Z in July, whereas the unlocked variant went on sale in the US in late September.
Since they run different software versions, two different teams are working on bringing new software updates. So, there you have it folks, let's hope Android 7.0 Nougat arrives on the unlocked Moto Z sooner rather than later.