Motorola has begun rolling out the Android 16 update to select phone models.

It's earlier than normal, but Motorola is disseminating Android 16 to certain models.

Owners of Motorola's high-end phones sometimes wait many months to get major Android updates. Motorola hopes to shorten this time and provide more updates to newer devices. Typically, Motorola's flagship and Edge series phones get two to three major Android system updates, along with three to four security updates. In comparison, companies like Samsung and Google offer four to seven updates to their flagship devices.

Although not a top-tier model, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo, released last year, is slated to receive five years of both major Android OS and security updates. Motorola's mid-range "G-series" phones typically get one to two Android OS updates.

Motorola recently began the Android 16 rollout for the Edge 60 Pro, Edge 60 Fusion, and Edge 50 Pro. This update is notable because it's arriving sooner than past updates. As an example, the initial stable version of Android 15 became available last December for the Edge 50 Fusion and Edge 50 Ultra. Motorola states that this early Android 16 release demonstrates its dedication to delivering timely software updates.

Motorola says Android 16 is "designed around simplicity, security, and connectivity." One new feature is Notification Auto Grouping, which organizes notifications from the same app to reduce clutter. Instant Hotspot lets users activate their Motorola phone's hotspot from an Android tablet or Chromebook when logged into the same Google account.

Users can now access more detailed battery information, including battery health, in Android 16. New device diagnostics and component health monitoring tools are also available to help ensure proper hardware function. Now that the rollout has started, more Motorola phones should soon be ready for the update.

Motorola's U.S. market share was 4.29% at the end of last month. This puts them behind Apple (55.67%), Samsung (22.46%), and Google (5.16%) in North America. In the first quarter of 2025, Motorola held 5% of the global market, ranking Lenovo-Motorola eighth worldwide. Growth is primarily coming from the Asian-Pacific market, especially India. The premium Edge and Razr foldable series were the best-selling models.

As of the second quarter of this year, the Razr holds 28% of the global foldable market. This gives Motorola second place, ahead of Samsung but behind Huawei, with their global foldable market share doubling year-over-year.

In Android's early days, Motorola was a major player. The DROID, released in November 2009, was the first real competitor to the iPhone and the first phone with Android 2.0 Eclair. Motorola had several popular Android phones in the following years, such as the DROID X.

After a period of decline, Motorola is trying to regain its position. Offering faster Android updates and extended support for its phones should help increase demand.

A new book, "Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips," will soon be released, highlighting the technological revolution of the 21st century.

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