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Why the Moto X isn’t shipping with the latest version of Android

Published Aug 5th, 2013 1:30PM EDT
Motorola CEO Woodside Interview Moto X Android

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One of the more puzzling aspects of Motorola’s big Moto X launch last week was why the device won’t be shipping with the latest version of Android even though Motorola is owned by Google. In an interview with AllThingsD, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside reveals why the Moto X isn’t getting Android 4.3 right away: Because Google never bothered showing it to Motorola while it was being developed. In fact, Woodside claims that the first time Motorola even got a look at the Android 4.3 code was after Google unveiled it alongside the new Nexus 7 tablet last month. It goes without saying that this is somewhat odd, especially because Google is spending $500 million to make the Moto X a hit and it would make sense for the device to be a showcase for the latest version of Android.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.