Android 7.0 Nougat Update Release Date For Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto G4, & Moto G4 Plus This Q4 2016

Sep 28, 2016 10:48 AM EDT

Owners of the Moto Z family and Moto G4 range will be pleased as punch to hear that the Android 7.0 Nougat update is ready to be unleashed real soon -- in the beginning of Q4 2016, if we were to be more exact. This would mean the Android 7.0 Nougat update will hit the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto G4, and Moto G4 Plus in the beginning of October 2016 at best, and we do not think that t it will be delayed all the way to December this year.

Even if the early October release date for Android 7.0 Nougat happens for the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto G4, or Moto G4 Plus, they will not be the first smartphones in the market to run on Nougat. The LG V20 would be the first non-Google handset to have that distinction, as well as being the first Android-powered device to do so even ahead of Google’s very own “pure” Android devices.

This is certainly an improvement for Motorola smartphone owners, as non-pure Android phone owners tend to have to wait for a far longer time than expected before picking up the latest Android operating system version. Sometimes, there are even handsets that get skipped over for a particular Android release, which is why those who prefer to walk on the safe side tend to settle for a pure Android device from Google such as the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P.

The recent release of the Android 7.0 Nougat version has been slow when it comes to adoption by various hardware manufacturers. Motorola is a whole lot faster off the blocks at this time around with plans to roll out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Moto Z range and Moto G4 family. According to Droid Life, a Motorola spokesperson even confirmed that users will be able to receive Android 7.0 Nougat on the likes of the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto G4, and Moto G4 Plus some time in the beginning of Q4 2016.

It also remains to be seen whether the older Motorola efforts such as the Moto X and Moto G range will be on the receiving end of some Nougat goodness. However, Motorola does have a consoling tone in their reminder that "upgrades are about getting it right and making sure the phone performance remains the best it can be." In other words, please be patient and you should see Nougat on the horizon without any kind of performance issues or bugs.

Waiting for a few more months ain’t too bad actually. Better obtain a well done Android 7.0 Nougat update rather than a half-baked one which is full of problems and bugs. However, if you cannot wait to take advantage of Nougat goodness like Doze, then perhaps picking up the LG V20 when it arrives would be a better bet.

You can also refer to Motorola's software update page regularly if you are impatient in waiting for the update.