Moto G4 Plus Finally Gets Android 8.1 Oreo Update, Moto Z3 Play Android Pie Update Appears Imminent

Motorola is finally rolling out Android 8.1 Oreo to its Moto G4 Plus smartphone. Yes, you read that right. It is an update to Android Oreo and not Android Pie like most smartphones today. The company had promised an update for the smartphone back in 2017 but after never really go to pushing the update out. If you still possess a Moto G4 Plus smartphone, don't be surprised to see an update notification popping up after a long time. Separately, it looks like the Moto Z3 Play will get its Android Pie update soon.

Lenovo-owned Motorola initially did not include the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus in its update schedule back in September 2017. A few days later the company clarified that there was a miscommunication and the Oreo update will roll out for the G4 Plus. Motorola also mentioned that since this was an unplanned upgrade, it might take some time to fit it into the update schedule. The company took close to 17 months to deliver this update.

The Moto Z3 Play is another smartphone that is likely to get a software update soon. The company back in August 2018 planned to update eight smartphones to Android Pie and the Moto Z3 Play was one of them. Motorola has recently published Pie release notes for the Z3. There is no news of the Moto Z3 Play receiving the Pie update yet which means that it is in the pipeline and might be just pop up any time soon.

A closer look at the release notes does not reveal anything special but the usual Android Pie features. These include a new UI, one-button navigation gestures, updated volume controls, temporary rotation key and screenshot editing. Motorola didn't launch the Moto Z3 Play in India.