[Moto Maxx Android Development] ChazzMatt:
But you are referring to the 5.1 update given to the XT1254 FINALLY in July 2015 -- not the laggy 5.0.2 given to the XT1225 in March/April 2015. (Moto Turbo XT1225 first in March, Moto Maxx XT1225 in April.) Motorola never updated past 5.0.2 to other versions of Lollipop for the Quarks, except for the XT1254. It was like "We already gave you Lollipop. Shut up!" :rolleyes:

In fact, Motorola only gave 5.0.2 to the XT1250 (same phone as the Droid Turbo) in March 2016. Yeah, read that again. One full year after they first pushed out Lollipop to any Quark, they finally gave an OLD version of Lollipop to the final Quark -- not even the 5.1 they gave the Droid Turbo. (Of course, some people flashed the 5.1 Droid Turbo ROM over the XT1250. It IS the same phone, down to the FCC ID. But they shouldn't have to do that.)

Thus, custom ROMs were better for Quark owners in almost all respects, because it gave them Lollipop faster or better features.

Sure, Verizon block updates as long as possible. They want you to buy new phones, not get updates that make your phone as good as their new phones. :rolleyes: When I was with the old no-contract "regional" CMDA/LTE carrier MetroPCS (before they were bought by T-mobile and turned into T-mobile's budget brand running on T-mobile GSM/HSPA/LTE network), they did the same thing.

MetoPCS would End-Of-Life a months-old phone rather than give it a new Android version, because their profits came from hardware sales. MetroPCS: "You want a new version of Android? Pay for a new phone!" I used XDA to update my MetroPCS Androids, using custom ROMs. ;) This is also how I learned so-called exclusive "Verizon" phones are sold to regional CDMA/LTE carriers under other model names, but still the same FCC ID. Thus Droid Turbo XT1254 = Moto Maxx XT1250 (sold by many U.S. regional CDMA/LTE carriers). ;) With one LG "exclusive" Verizon Android phone, when it came to MetroPCS with a different model name, the Verizon startup animation was STILL in the system media folder alongside the MetroPCS startup animation. :victory:

(These regional CDMA/LTE carriers are not MVNOs. They are standalone carriers with their own towers and spectrum. Many use Sprint or Verizon as roaming partners and vice versa -- but they are REAL carriers with their own networks. The old MetroPCS was the most successful of these, establishing a presence in 12 large/medium sized markets, and becoming #5 in customers after the big four of Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile, and Sprint. Leap/Cricket was next in size, #6, and were competitive with MetroPCS. Both had a roaming agreement with Sprint for outside their own markets included in the monthly price, and with MetroPCS you could also pay extra for Verizon voice/data roaming if you wished. AT&T bought Cricket to become their MVNO budget brand -- changing them from CDMA/LTE to GSM/HSPA/LTE -- and T-mobile then bought MetroPCS for the same reason. So, these two former no-contract regional CDMA/LTE carriers are now just MNOs for AT&T and T-mobile -- but prior to this they were standalone, ambitious CDMA/LTE no-contract carriers trying to become "national" carriers, establishing towers/spectrum in many markets.

Those two -- MetroPCS and Cricket -- were the exception. Most of these regional CMDA/LTE carriers exist in very rural, sparsely populated areas where the big four have no financial incentive to invest in towers/spectrum. They get the same phones as Verizon, from the same manufacturers, with the same bands -- since they have to be compatible for roaming agreements. But when Verizon LIES and wants to claim an "exclusive" phone, the manufacturer simply re-names it to give to these much smaller carriers. Same FCC ID and everything. The exact same device -- just not the same model name. Thus the U.S. Moto Maxx XT1250 is the SAME phone as the Droid Turbo XT1254 and runs on Verizon with a Verizon LTE SIM card just like a non-Verizon Moto Nexus 6. You can even flash Droid Turbo ROM over the XT1250 if you wish. It's the SAME phone, with the same FCC ID, same bands.)

Anyway, back to Verizon updates or lack thereof... This didn't stop Motorola from pushing out Lollipop to other Quarks like the XT1225 MONTHS before the XT1254 last year. Or waiting an entire year to push out Lollipop 5.0.2 to the XT1250? (9 months after the Droid Turbo got 5.1?) There's really no rhyme or reason.

The Motorola factory direct Quarks (like I own) which are not associated with any carrier can receive updates straight from Motorola/Lenovo. Verizon has nothing to do with them. Last year, it was the factory direct XT1225 (in India) which first got Lollipop 5.0.2. Then over the next few months, the carrier-associated XT1225 phones (Telefonica, Movistar, Claro, Nextel) got 5.0.2. FINALLY, in July 2015 the XT1254 got 5.1 Lollipop. Look here and see all the various stock ROMs for all the Quarks:

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=39558

It's the Brazil Moto Maxx XT1225 which is now in a SECOND soak test. Don't be surprised if the factory direct XT1225 get stock Marshmallow soon, and the Verizon Droid Turbo gets it in July 2016. ;)