Motorola updates chart for Android upgrades

Motorola recently updated its owner's forum to let customers know when to expect Android 2.1 for their handsets. Aside from the Droid rollout back in March, not much has changed here in the United States since that last time we checked the forum.

That list, however, has grown considerably longer with the addition of new Moto models. As the Backflip, Dext, and Quench hit carriers across the globe, Motorola is beginning to evaluate when an upgrade would be feasible.

I spent a few minutes talking with the MotoDev team at Google I/O and pressed them on the promised second-quarter delivery for the T-Mobile Cliq and Cliq XT handsets. They assured me that the updates would arrive on time and insisted that I not worry. Now I can't speak for Motorola, but my calendar tells me that Q2 ends in just about two weeks.

It will be interesting to see how these handsets can change Google's Android Market statistics. As you may have read, one half of all Android handsets accessing the Android Market are now running at least OS 2.0 or higher. With no other device makers expected to upgrade to 2.1 over the next few weeks, we should get a sense of how successful these two phones have been.

Of course, Motorola could again start splitting the pie should their Droid X handsets launch with Android 2.2 "Froyo." Call me crazy, but I think it's possible. If you look at who is attending the event next week you'll notice Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen on the list. We already learned last month that Froyo would include Flash capability, so why bring him and Google's Andy Rubin onstage? Something tells me that this isn't just another Motorola phone for Verizon.