As expected, after the Google Nexus devices, it was the turn of the Motorola smartphones that are now receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS updates.
With the rollout of the latest Google operating system on several Motorola handsets including the Moto X Style, the Moto X Pure Edition (2015), and the Moto X Pure Edition (2014), the Lenovo-owned American company has also begun pushing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update on its Moto G3 in the US.
However, there is a caveat in the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update on the Moto G (2015) in the US, the smartphone has to be unlocked, which means that it should not be locked to any American telecom carrier.
According to Android Authority, owners of the unlocked Moto G3 in the US should be expecting the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update to have already come to their devices since a few days ago and they can just opt to install it manually, assuming that it did not update automatically.
Bringing a ton of new features
The Android 6.0 Marshmallow brings a ton of new features to the Motorola Moto G3 including the Doze mode, the more granular app permission controls, Google Now on Tap, Android Pay, and much simpler volume controls.
The Marshmallow update shall also bring exclusive Motorola features including the Moto Assist, the Motorola Migrate, and the Google Chrome extension for Motorola Connect.
Motorola explained that there is no need for users to pre-install such exclusive features on their devices since Google already provides similar functionality in Android. The company says that it wants to complement Android and not compete with it.
For owners of unlocked Moto G (2015) who wish to know whether the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is already available on their devices, they just need to check it manually by clicking on the Settings, and then going to the About Phone, and eventually to the System Updates.
Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition in India
While the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is already coming to the Motorola Moto G3 in the US, or at least in the unlocked units of the device, a new variant of the third generation of the Moto G has just been launched in India.
Officially called as the Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition, the smartphone was officially announced before Christmas in India with a retail price of about $220.
The smartphone came with a blue back and a white slate back color options. But it was initially made available exclusive to Flipkart, reports The Indian Express.
The Moto G Turbo Edition is the more rugged version of the Moto G (2015) which was launched a few months ago in India. The new variant is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor compared to the Moto G3’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset.
The latest variant of the Moto G3 is a slightly higher-spec version of the base model with dust resistance and fast charging features added in for good measure.
The biggest improvements on the Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition are the faster processor and the longer battery life. For its relatively affordable price, it actually comes off as a more sensible buy than the Moto X Play.
The Motorola Moto G Turbo Edition features a 5-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 screen resolution. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, with an option for storage expansion via a microSD card slot.
It also features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with an LED flash and 5-megapixel front-facing snapper. Just like its base model, the Moto G Turbo Edition includes the usual connectivity options including 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 3G, GPS, and microUSB.