Fresh from tweeting that it “can’t wait to get started” with Android 4.3, the latest version of the Google mobile platform which was announced yesterday, Sony has confirmed it will bring the new latest version of Jelly Bean to its Xperia Z family of devices.
A post on the company’s blog says it is “already getting suck in” and is working to develop updates for the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP and Xperia Z Ultra.
That support is unsurprising since these are its latest range of smartphones and tablets and not bringing them up to Android 4.3 would be unthinkable. Beyond these obvious choices, Sony says it is still evaluating other devices, it says some that remain on Android 4.1 could skip the 4.2 build altogether:
We’re also looking at uplifting some of our other devices running 4.1 direct to 4.3 – we’ll share more info / deets / timings when we can.
Sony, however, is not known for being quick with Android rollouts so customers will probably need to be patient once again. Back in December 2012, the company promised Android 4.2 updates for 10 of its 2012 Xperia range, and that process was only completed last month.
The company acknowledges that its efforts updating the 2012 Experias “hasn’t been as succinct or as timely” as many customers wished. While the Japanese firm hasn’t provided concrete details of changes it has made to its processes as a result of feedback, it rather vaguely says it is “constantly improving the way we do things.”
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The timing of all updates will be subject to carrier approval, of course, but it seems Sony is determined to shed its reputation as a laggard when it comes to Android updates. Given the acclaim that HTC has seen for its One smartphone, and impressive sales of Samsung’s new Galaxy S4, the company can’t afford to lose any ground on the competition and stay stuck on older versions of Android.
The issue of fragmentation of course applies to all Android handset makers, and, like Sony, they will all be working to bring the latest version of Jelly Bean to as many customers’ devices as possible.
The new additions to Android 4.3 include multi-user accounts with restricted profiles, support for Bluetooth Smart technology and a new set of DRM APIs. There’s a strong focus on multimedia, for example, launch partner Netflix is able to offer 1080p streaming inside its Android app for the first time.
Headline image via Sony
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