Motorola has stepped up its game in recent years when it comes to software updates. It has even managed to get the last few waves of major Android OS updates rolled out on an almost Nexus-like timeline, but budget devices are always a lower priority. Motorolapromised it was different when the low-cost 2015 Moto E was announced back in February. However, just 219 days later, it looks like the Moto E won’t be getting any major updates.

With Google planning to push Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Nexus devices next week, the time has come for OEMs to start talking about their own update schedules. Motorola, always seeking to remain transparent, has posted a list of all the devices it plans to update to 6.0. Not on that list is the still very new 2015 Moto E. Devices like the Moto G (2015), Moto X Pure Edition (2015), Droid Turbo (2014), and Moto X Pure Edition (2014) will be getting the update, but there’s no firm date.

When the new Moto E was announced, Motorola got everyone excited with the pricing. The retail price is $120-150, with the more expensive model running an LTE radio. This version of the phone has even gone on sale for as little as $99 on Amazon. The software is very close to stockAndroid, and it has most of Motorola’s custom software add-ons, which are actually good additions to Android.

 

 

For $150, it was a very compelling device. Motorola also went out of its way to assuage fears it would lag on updates (see the video above). Here’s what Motorola Marketing Manager Magno Herran said back in February.

That seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? Yet, here we are looking at a phone just a few months old with no update prospects. This device launched on Android 5.0 Lollipop and was bumped up to 5.1 Lollipop, but most don’t consider that a major update. Android 6.0 would add features like Google Now On Tap, improved battery life with Doze mode, and granular permission management. That’s the kind of update you really want.

There doesn’t appear to be any technical reason to leave the Moto E behind so soon. Inside is a Snapdragon 410 system-on-a-chip, just like the one powering the 2015 Moto G, which is getting an update to Android 6.0. The only real difference is that the Moto E sells for much less and that probably makes it a lower priority. On one hand, you can’t expect flagship levels of support for a $150 phone, but Motorola did market this device as being well-supported with updates.

With the premium phone market shrinking as budget devices get better, Motorola really shouldn’t be stingy with support on these devices. Phones like the Moto E could be a big part of its business going forward.