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Motorola starts rolling out Android 9 Pie for the Moto Z2 Play
Today is a good day for Moto Z2 Play users, as the device is, at long last, receiving an over-the-air update to Android Pie. Read on to learn more!
There was a time when Motorola was widely considered the king of updates. Back when the company was owned by Google, updates would roll out to Motorola devices around the same time as Nexus phones, and often even faster: the original Moto X got Android 4.4 KitKat before the Nexus 4. That Motorola is, however, long gone. After the company was purchased by Lenovo from Google's hands, they've managed to release compelling innovations in hardware with the Moto Z and Motorola One device lines, but they've fallen flat on their face when it comes to updates. One device that has lagged behind is the Moto Z2 Play and the company is finally giving it some love.
Moto Z2 Play and Moto X4 get LineageOS 15.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
Official builds of LineageOS 15.1 are now available for the Motorola Moto X4 (code-name: payton) and the Motorola Moto Z2 Play (code-name: albus).
Android 9 Pie may be the latest Android version, but most Android phones aren't likely to receive an update to it anytime soon. The latest Android distribution statistics show that Android Oreo still has a long way to go before it becomes the most widely used Android version, while the Android Pie official update story still has a few months to go before it gains any momentum. In the absence of official updates, enthusiasts can turn towards unofficial Android Pie ports, which are available for a surprisingly broad variety of smartphones. At this point, however, most of these Android Pie ports are based on stock AOSP and don't contain many added features. LineageOS 16, based on Android 9 Pie, is still in development, although again, users can flash unofficial builds if they feel they can handle teething issues.
Keyboard Mod for the Motorola Moto Z series has been canceled
The Keyboard Mod for the Motorola Moto Z series of smartphones has been canceled. Instead, the company is working on a new phone with a sliding keyboard.
Although Project Ara never saw the light of day, Motorola's Moto Mod initiative has actually resulted in quite a few successful products. Motorola's promise of three generations of support for Moto Mods means that even this year's Moto Z3 Play and Verizon Moto Z3 support Moto Mods. We've seen Motorola announce a Gamepad Mod, Wireless Charging Mod, a Smart Speaker mod with Amazon Alexa support, and more. Unfortunately, one mod that was announced at CES this year won't be released: The Livermorium Slider Keyboard Mod. The keyboard mod would have attached to any Moto Mod-compatible phone (any Moto Z device), equipping it with a dedicated sliding keyboard. The product's Indiegogo page was updated today announcing the cancellation of the product.
Moto Camera 6.2 brings Google Lens/YouTube Live to many Motorola phones
A Moto Camera update was said to be for 2018 smartphones, but the APK has been extracted and has shown to work on older Motorola smartphones as well.
Motorola released an update to their Moto Camera application just a couple months ago that redesigned the user interface and even added in Google Photos integration. This update also came with Google Lens, YouTube Live, and some changes to the user experience (such as sliding a single finger up or down to zoom in and out). This release was said to be for Motorola's 2018 smartphones, but the APK has been extracted and has shown to work on older Motorola smartphones as well.
Moto G6/Moto Z3 Play apps ported to the Moto Z2 Play [Root]
The Motorola Moto G6/Motorola Moto Z3 Play apps have been ported to the Motorola Moto Z2 Play. Check them out here and how to install them!
The Motorola Moto Z2 Play is one of Motorola's older flagships, and as such may see a delay in receiving the latest Moto app updates. The company's latest devices, such as the Motorola Moto G6 and the Motorola Moto Z3 Play, all have the latest Moto apps. The new versions of these apps offer new features and better stability but sadly aren't available for the Moto Z2 Play. Thanks to the work of XDA Senior Member Junior Passos, you can install the newer versions of the Moto applications on your device now. All you need is TWRP to flash the ZIP. The applications (and new features!) included in the ZIP are listed below.
These smartphones will support Fortnite Mobile on Android
Fortnite Mobile on Android launches soon. Epic Games' website confirms that 40 devices will be supported at launch. Here are the devices it'll support.
Fortnite Mobile on Android is a long-awaited upcoming release of an already massively popular game. Since launching on Apple iOS, users of Android smartphones and tablets have been wondering when Fortnite would launch on their devices too. The Android release has apparently been delayed as we recently reported that it will be launching as an exclusive with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. This exclusivity will supposedly last 30 days. After 30 days, Fortnite Mobile on Android will become available for all supported Android devices. If you're wondering if your device will be supported, we've got the list of supported Android devices taken straight from Epic Games' own website.
TWRP 3.1.1 Released for the Moto Z2 Play
Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) version 3.1.1 has been released for the Motorola Moto Z2 Play with /data decryption support.
The Lenovo Moto Z2 Play was only recently released to consumers, and already XDA Recognized Developer Santhosh M has been able to port TWRP 3.1.1 to the device.