Droid Turbo: Lollipop software update?

[philly]

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this, Ry. I see no transparency here at all. And I don't consider "we're working on it" or "soon" to be valid updates and are in fact a slap in the face to customers. I guess I also don't grasp why there are no timetables or dates given for updates? Why not? Do they really have no idea?

I'm repeating what I've said before, but I know of no other business that can give these vague answers and have people with products that don't work as intended and they basically just tell you it's too bad, we'll fix it "soon."

I would just say that although we were never "promised" an update by a certain date, the Turbo was clearly sold proudly and boldly stating in all the advertising that it was upgradeable to lollipop. To those of you who think that waiting for said update going on 9 months now is reasonable, with no real communications as to when it will be updated, I submit that you have no idea what good customer service looks like.

before I bought the turbo I went and verified that it did indeed saying something about upgrading to lollipop and it did. And here we are almost july, coming up on a year in a few months lol. This isn't 2012. Upgrades are flying left and right, different phones have gotten multiple lollipop updates in this timeframe, yet the droid turbo still hasn't got a single one. I do think kitkat works fine but I am expecting a lollipop droid turbo build by now that works fine also. I don't think they have put any urgency on it at all, no offense to the apologists in these threads, but they are the kind of people keeping helping to keep the heat off of verizon and motorola for letting this slip this late.

 

[mimsiesboy]

OK fess up, how many verizon reps on here defending the big red machine?

Posted via the dell

 

[Aquila]

s updating an OS on a smartphone is just so darn complicated and almost impossible to do that it really takes 9 months to do it, and how dare we even ask questions about it because us non-code writing idiots couldn't possibly understand?

They haven't been working on 5.1 for 9 months. It's been like 3? Unfortunately, that resets the clock. 5.0 was scrapped after approx 6 months, either because it was too difficult or because 5.1 would be a better experience. Either way, asking questions is fine - but Motorola (and most OEMs) have never given dates and KEPT to them. Most don't give dates at all, and those that do often fail to meet that deadline. Giving a deadline when the carrier is in control is a horrible idea.

Just because they never give dates doesn't mean it is right. And some do give dates. Microsoft is telling the world that they are putting out a new OS free to download on July 29th that will run on perhaps billions of computers.

Microsoft is making their software available for download on a specified date - and it has probably been ready for months. They aren't at the mercy of carriers and they're not an OEM (aside from Surface, and sorta kinda at that?) - Microsoft is akin Google in this example, in which case Lollipop was released on time and available for whoever wanted it on a Nexus. So Microsoft releasing software doesn't mean anything, unless you're going to forgive Verizon for the Turbo because Google did release Lollipop.

 

[Aquila]

Wouldn't customers who are paying the bills need to know? Why is it such a secret? It is called customer service. I can tell you have never worked anywhere where you actually had to deal with customers directly and meet goals and deadlines.

In this relationship, Motorola's customer is Verizon. Their customer is also you, but in a much more tertiary capacity. Verizon holds all the cards on whether or not they get to push an update to you.

 

[Aquila]

before I bought the turbo I went and verified that it did indeed saying something about upgrading to lollipop and it did. And here we are almost july, coming up on a year in a few months lol. This isn't 2012. Upgrades are flying left and right, different phones have gotten multiple lollipop updates in this timeframe, yet the droid turbo still hasn't got a single one. I do think kitkat works fine but I am expecting a lollipop droid turbo build by now that works fine also. I don't think they have put any urgency on it at all, no offense to the apologists in these threads, but they are the kind of people keeping helping to keep the heat off of verizon and motorola for letting this slip this late.

I think we can all acknowledge that it sucks for those that are waiting that 5.0 was abandoned in favor of 5.1. I don't see anyone arguing against that. What I see is people saying that most people don't care and that neither Verizon nor Motorola are doing anything differently with this device than what they do with any other devices. It's about perspective and scale - not trivializing your frustrations; merely pointing out that all of this is business as usual for both companies (and all other associated companies sans Google's Nexus devices). Does business as usual suck if you're really wanting the latest software on non-stock devices? Yep.

Let's keep in mind the Turbo is probably Moto's least popular device and that Verizon is one of the most scrutinizing customers they serve. Those two factors do not bode well for the overall update longevity nor the speed of any updates that are granted. Getting your lowest priority item through the highest of hoops is always going to take a back burner to more important and/or easier projects. That doesn't mean it won't get done, it just means sometimes other things are going to cut in line.

 

[Ry]

If there is no update they should just come clean and say they can't update it. I fail to understand why some of you think there is a problem with the company just telling the truth. Coming out with comments like David Schuster did on the 11th saying it is in the "lab" and going well tells the customer nothing! When a corporation tells you all is going well you should be worried.

By update, I mean no new news. They've been saying the same thing for the other devices and the Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E have all been getting Lollipop with 5.1 coming out recently. What makes you believe that there is anything different going on with the TURBO?

Just because they never give dates doesn't mean it is right. And some do give dates. Microsoft is telling the world that they are putting out a new OS free to download on July 29th that will run on perhaps billions of computers.

I'm talking specifically to Android OS updates. Samsung doesn't give dates. HTC and OnePlus have given dates in the past and they both got bit by not being able to hit them.

Also, there are a lot of people on this forum that need a "fix" because their AC doesn't work, WiFi has connection and holding a connection problems, calls that don't make a ringing sound while waiting for the other party to answer, which according to the release notes published for 5.1 on another moto device may get fixed by the update. Is it OK for people to pay full price for things they could fix just because they simply haven't gotten around to it yet and how dare you ask when it will get fixed?

A Risk Analysis of the bug would help determine how fast it gets fixed. 5.0 Lollipop alone wouldn't have fixed the issue. 5.1 may fix it.

It is an accurate statement that I don't know how their test labs work. That statement seems a bit arrogant. Is updating an OS on a smartphone is just so darn complicated and almost impossible to do that it really takes 9 months to do it, and how dare we even ask questions about it because us non-code writing idiots couldn't possibly understand? We all have our opinions and I respect yours. I'm still going with the theory that they can't update it due to some flaw, and they are just not going to tell us and keep stringing everyone along so eventually people give up and move on to something else.

I dealt with the Verizon process on this very forum when I was following DROID BIONIC and DROID RAZR updates. Also, it's not that the update would be complicated but I think it's naive to think that it's as simple as you make it to be. And again, looking at how Motorola has rolled out Lollipop 5.0 and 5.1 updates to their other devices, namely both generations of Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E, it's clear that the DROID TURBO is lower in priority. Not sure how much Motorola has expanded since they had to be saved by Google then sold to Lenovo but the size of the team writing and testing OS updates probably hasn't expanded all that much.

Heck. Again. The Verizon variant of the Motorola Moto E for their PREPAID service got an update from 5.0 to 5.1. The second gen Moto X has 5.1 rolling out. The Nexus 6 has 5.1. We've seen Motorola do 5.1 for low-end devices (Moto E). We've seen Motorola do 5.1 for mid-range devices (Moto G). They've done it with similar hardware to the TURBO in the Moto X and Nexus 6. And if I read things right, the DROID TURBO's international variant, the Moto Maxx, has 5.0 on it already.

Motorola is working on the update and have been keeping people up to date through various social media channels.

 

[Ry]

Wouldn't customers who are paying the bills need to know? Why is it such a secret? It is called customer service. I can tell you have never worked anywhere where you actually had to deal with customers directly and meet goals and deadlines.

I'm a project manager for a large (45K employees) company that deals with medical devices and medication management for hospitals. The software and hardware products I manage deal directly with the distribution of medication to from the loading dock all the way through being administered to a patient. I know goals and deadlines.

As stated by others, Motorola's customer is Verizon.

 

[tdizzel]

If there is no update they should just come clean and say they can't update it. I fail to understand why some of you think there is a problem with the company just telling the truth. Coming out with comments like David Schuster did on the 11th saying it is in the "lab" and going well tells the customer nothing! When a corporation tells you all is going well you should be worried.

Just because they never give dates doesn't mean it is right. And some do give dates. Microsoft is telling the world that they are putting out a new OS free to download on July 29th that will run on perhaps billions of computers.

Also, there are a lot of people on this forum that need a "fix" because their AC doesn't work, WiFi has connection and holding a connection problems, calls that don't make a ringing sound while waiting for the other party to answer, which according to the release notes published for 5.1 on another moto device may get fixed by the update. Is it OK for people to pay full price for things they could fix just because they simply haven't gotten around to it yet and how dare you ask when it will get fixed?

It is an accurate statement that I don't know how their test labs work. That statement seems a bit arrogant. Is updating an OS on a smartphone is just so darn complicated and almost impossible to do that it really takes 9 months to do it, and how dare we even ask questions about it because us non-code writing idiots couldn't possibly understand? We all have our opinions and I respect yours. I'm still going with the theory that they can't update it due to some flaw, and they are just not going to tell us and keep stringing everyone along so eventually people give up and move on to something else.

Wouldn't customers who are paying the bills need to know? Why is it such a secret? It is called customer service. I can tell you have never worked anywhere where you actually had to deal with customers directly and meet goals and deadlines.

Again with complaining about them saying that its in the lab and that not telling the customer anything? Myself and at least one other person here have explained to you exactly what it means, you just don't seem to want to listen for some reason. Maybe you just like to complain, I don't know.
And it is absolutely right for them to not give us a date, because they have no way of knowing the date it will be ready. Myself and others have also explained this to you multiple times but, again, you don't seem to want to listen.
And you keep talking about them missing deadlines. What exactly are their deadlines? Not some date that David Ruddock posted on G+ and Twitter(and then changed but nobody seems to want to mention that) that he got from some overseas contact(his admission) that he refused to post on the blog that he works at(for reasons he wouldn't say, but likely because he knew there was a low likeliness of it being correct) but the deadlines that Verizon and moto set for updating the Turbo. If you can't with 100% knowledge and accuracy state the goal, then any statement you make about them missing goals and deadlines is completely meaningless. And anyone who has significant experience in customer service will tell you that just because a customer wants to know something, it doesn't mean you should tell them.
We get it. You're upset that you don't have lollipop on your phone. You are totally, completely and absolutely well within your right to be upset about that. But please,try to at least listen to what people are saying before you decide that you are just going to ccomplain.

 

[Davidoo]

Link appears to be broken.
You can't possibly believe OEMs don't make carrier specific Flagships. If you do you must have only been following Android for about 2 weeks. They've been doing it since forever. My first android phone was the Motorola Droid which was a flagship that was specifically made for Verizon. That has continued on to the Droid Turbo, with dozens of phones by numerous OEMs made specifically for a single carrier in between. It's not done as much now, but it's definitely still done. To say otherwise is just wrong. the Z3v is the Flagship phone that Sony made for Verizon.
Now if they had released the regular Z3 on Verizon and then released a lower spec'd Z3v, then I'd agree that it's not a flagship. But that's not the case. It absolutely is a Flagship by most accounts and definitions.

And since we're on Android Central debating this:

This week's sidebar poll: Best Android flagship — Note 4 or Droid Turbo? | Android Central

Referring to the Droid Turbo, which is a special phone for one carrier, as a flagship.

Just fell out of my chair looking at the article from our very own Android Central that tdizzel posted. Here a great quote from it. Gotta love it...with "the promise of fast (very freaking fast) updates." If this is considered "freaking fast" I would hate to see slow!

"Motorola isn't taking this lying down, and they have released a beast of their own in the Droid Turbo. So far it's only available on Verizon here in the US, but we're thinking that will change. While it has no S Pen, it does have the specs and one important thing — the promise of fast (read: very freaking fast) updates."

 

[Davidoo]

My apologies to you Ry and tdizzel. I know my last few posts have seemed like just complaining for complaining sake. I have read and followed many of your posts and appreciate your input. I know many keep telling me this is usual procedure along with "Verizon is Motorola's customer." It just seems the real customers who are paying their bills are the least informed. I'm taking a break from this for a while (ok, at least a couple of hours) as sometimes I need to keep in perspective the important things in life as I tend to get wrapped up in some of these non-important things too much, and I should know better.

 

[tdizzel]

Just fell out of my chair looking at the article from our very own Android Central that tdizzel posted. Here a great quote from it. Gotta love it...with "the promise of fast (very freaking fast) updates." If this is considered "freaking fast" I would hate to see slow!

"Motorola isn't taking this lying down, and they have released a beast of their own in the Droid Turbo. So far it's only available on Verizon here in the US, but we're thinking that will change. While it has no S Pen, it does have the specs and one important thing — the promise of fast (read: very freaking fast) updates."

I can't vouch for the commenters lol. I read some of them when I posted that and it made me smile a little.

 

[tdizzel]

My apologies to you Ry and tdizzel. I know my last few posts have seemed like just complaining for complaining sake. I have read and followed many of your posts and appreciate your input. I know many keep telling me this is usual procedure along with "Verizon is Motorola's customer." It just seems the real customers who are paying their bills are the least informed. I'm taking a break from this for a while (ok, at least a couple of hours) as sometimes I need to keep in perspective the important things in life as I tend to get wrapped up in some of these non-important things too much, and I should know better.

No need to apologize. I'm in no hurry to get lollipop, but I completely understand your frustration with not having it. Just trying to calm you down a little so you're not so frustrated.

 

[vzwuser76]

If there is no update they should just come clean and say they can't update it. I fail to understand why some of you think there is a problem with the company just telling the truth. Coming out with comments like David Schuster did on the 11th saying it is in the "lab" and going well tells the customer nothing! When a corporation tells you all is going well you should be worried.

Who has said there is no update? There is an update, one that they are apparently having problems with getting to work well on the Turbo. Just because we don't have the update in our hands doesn't mean it doesn't exist. He said it's in the lab, if they are having issues and are working to correct them, what else should he say? When they work on these updates, they test them in labs at first, then test them out of the lab, then they have the carrier test and if they approve the update they issue a soak test to have non employees test it. If all that goes well, they push the OTA update to customers. Issues can arise anywhere during the chain, and in addition to that the carrier can request it be redone to either add or remove features or software. That presents a lot of opportunity for issues to arise.

Maybe they were already having issues with LP on 5.0.2 and decided that 5.1 might solve them so they skipped 5.0.2 only to find 5.1 had as bad or worse of an issue. Add to that that they also have 2 generations of the Moto X, G, and E to update as well ahead of the Droid Turbo, and last year's Droids to update after it gets it. Considering the shakeup in management, there were probably also many tech positions consolidated or liquidated, so they may be working with less resources than they had under Google.

 

[GeodudeFFP]

I think WHENever the update comes, and WHATever version it is, we should all go out to dinner and celebrate! Until then, I'll enjoy the phone I have (XT1225 still running KK), and remember that everything I (and everyone who is NOT directly involved with producing the update) believe about the update is, in reality, nothing more than speculation. Let's enjoy summer...but OK, I'll confess that I'll keep reading this thread, in part because it's quite entertaining, and because there is definitely some informative things interspersed in here.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[deesugar]

This "update" with how long it's been taking, constantly changing statuses and the way Motorola communicates or doesn't communicate sounds more and more like every tech related thing that eventually turned into vaporware.

There are always some people that want to continue drinking the Kool-Aid but I'm about ready to put my cup down and join reality.

 

[doogald]

This "update" with how long it's been taking, constantly changing statuses and the way Motorola communicates or doesn't communicate sounds more and more like every tech related thing that eventually turned into vaporware.

Which update? I have seen nothing since a couple of weeks ago. So far I know of exactly four updated status statements, maybe five if you count the Verizon test lab engineer who said (not officially) in May that it would be updated by mid-June, and three of them said basically the same thing. I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

[GatsbyGlen]

I think my solution will be to get a new phone this winter

 

[Ry]

That constant change in status was them saying they're doing 5.1 instead of 5.0. lulz.

Posted via Android Central App (Moto X)

 

[Aquila]

Dude, I was giving you a hard time bro. There is no progresses in this forum as no one has a date for lp release. It's just entertaining that, as stated before, we have 75+ pages with no real information. But I'm sure you weren't pointing me out as a troll... I'm Irish, so that would make me a leprechaun!

Posted via my Digital DJ TURBO!

I don't currently have any rules against leprechauns in the forums.

 

[Ry]

My apologies to you Ry and tdizzel. I know my last few posts have seemed like just complaining for complaining sake. I have read and followed many of your posts and appreciate your input. I know many keep telling me this is usual procedure along with "Verizon is Motorola's customer." It just seems the real customers who are paying their bills are the least informed. I'm taking a break from this for a while (ok, at least a couple of hours) as sometimes I need to keep in perspective the important things in life as I tend to get wrapped up in some of these non-important things too much, and I should know better.

No need to apologize. I understand things can get heated when people have differing viewpoints. As long as it doesn't get personal and the conversation remains constructive, then there's no harm, no foul.

Motorola went from A+ to a D in JR Raphael's Android Upgrade scorecard in his ComputerWorld Android Power blog and rightfully so. They were extremely quick with KitKat updates but Lollipop appears to have been troublesome for them even with staying with a relatively AOSP UI. It's not just the DROID TURBO, but their entire line. When you have Samsung upgrading 2013 devices while Motorola struggles with their 2014 devices, something is definitely wrong at Motorola.

The Motorola that was trying to upgrade the DROID RAZR to Jelly Bean has come back out again after they've set high expectations with their recent (KitKat) upgrades. Hopefully they can get back on track. I still think the DROID TURBO will get 5.1 eventually and it's my opinion that it'll be sooner that some people posting here may think.

The reality is that Motorola is still working on it.