Motorola details what its Android 12 update will bring and device list

Abner Li | Dec 22 2021 - 1:22 pm PT

With Android 12 now two months old, more and more OEMs are beginning to update existing devices to the latest OS version. Motorola has now detailed what Android 12 will bring to its devices next year and which phones will be updated.

“My UX” remains the name of Motorola’s “comprehensive suite of experiences” that it adds on top of Android. Material You with Dynamic Color is the first highlight, and it’s touted as helping make the “most expressive, dynamic, and personal OS ever.”

Now, you can change the wallpaper on your device and your entire Android 12 experience changes to match. Using advanced color extraction algorithms, you can easily personalize the look and feel of your entire phone, including notifications, settings, widgets and even select apps. We’re combining the dynamic color, rounded shapes, and large open layouts from Material You with the rich, premium feel of the Motorola brand.

Similar to Pixel phones, long-pressing the homescreen lets users access a “Personalize” menu to adjust: Layout, Fonts, Colors, Icon shape, Sounds, Display size, Font size, and Dark theme. There are also “Themes” and “Wallpapers” with previews provided throughout.

Design-wise, Motorola is more or less using the Pixel’s lockscreen and layout with a large clock that shrinks when there are notifications. You get the weather like before as well as shortcuts for Home/device controls and Google Pay/wallet at the bottom. Quick Settings makes use of a 2×4 grid, and the Settings app is also nearly identical.

On the privacy front, there are microphone and camera indicators in the top-right corner, as well as Quick Setting toggles to shut off access, just grant approximate (versus precise) location, and the Privacy dashboard.

Other additions include the Conversations widget, new Accessibility features (Area magnification, Extra dim, Bold text, and Grayscale), Game Dashboard (branded as “Moto Gametime”), and easier device switching/set-up.

Motorola also teases more My UX and Ready For (desktop/dock) experiences, as well as camera features, in 2022. It’s unclear how the update is being optimized for foldables. Motorola’s initial “Android 12 OS + My UX experience” update is currently in testing and will begin rolling out in February 2022. The following devices will get updated: