Motorola Updates Moto G With Android 4.4.3 KitKat, Along With Rest Of Moto Smartphones

Motorola announced in a blog post Tuesday that it is rolling out the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update to some of the company’s Moto family of smartphones, including the lower-priced Moto G and sensor-packed Moto X. The update is planned this week for U.S.-purchased Motorola smartphones. The company did not say when it would update Moto G devices sold abroad.

Motorola said it will issue the Android 4.4.3 update to the Moto G for users who purchased the device online in the U.S. and in retail stores throughout Brazil. The company sells the Moto G in a variety of options, starting at $180 (USD) for 3G and $220 for 4G.

Android 4.4.3 brings the ability to pause video recording with a "pause/resume button on the viewfinder" as well as the Motorola Alert, an app that can be set to automatically send text messages to specific contacts whenever the smartphone leaves designated places like school, home or work. In addition to those updates, Motorola said the Moto X would have improved image quality for its camera, with better exposure consistency, "more realistic flash coloring, and improved photos in low-light conditions" on the front camera.

The Moto X will update to Android 4.4.3 for T-Mobile users this week, and the Moto E would be updated as long as it was purchased online in the U.S., Motorola said. The company promised consumers that it would also offer Moto E users an upgrade to “the next major” update following Android 4.4.3 KitKat.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) also began issuing the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update on Monday to the company’s Nexus line of devices. Android 4.4.3 is also coming this week to Google Play edition smartphones sold through the company’s online store. Since Motorola released the Moto X in 2013, the company has issued updates to its Moto smartphone line days after they are released by Google – in stark contrast to the longer delay experienced by Samsung and HTC customers. Motorola credits its quick turnaround time to the version of Android it uses, which is a relatively unmodified or "stock" version of the mobile operating system.

Do you own a Moto G, and has it updated to Android 4.4.3 KitKat yet? What about other Motorola devices, like the Moto X or Moto E? Let us know in the comments below.