Sony Mobile has this morning confirmed that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for its new Xperia devices (Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V) will start to receive the update from the middle of Q1 2013. Sony Xperia devices that launched earlier this year including the Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia ion, Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia J will be upgraded to Android 4.1 in “due course”. Looks like Xperia miro, Xperia tipo, Xperia tipo dual, Xperia sola and Xperia U users are excluded.
The release date for Jelly Bean is later than we expected, we had always assumed it would launch later this year. Recent owners of the Sony Xperia T/TX may feel the most annoyed especially since Sony said that the handsets will be “upgraded to Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) following launch“. We interpret ‘following launch’ as near enough immediately after release – certainly not four months later.
We suspect that the JB launch for the other 2012 Xperia models could take as long as early Q2 2013, given that no concrete information has been given. It’s hard not to commend Sony Mobile for updating many of its mid-range handsets along with their higher-end models. However, Xperia sola and Xperia U owners will rightfully be arguing why they won’t be seeing the update. It’s certainly not a question of hardware specification.
What we do know by now is that Android version upgrades are a slow and painful process for all manufacturers. There’s also every likelihood that Sony Mobile is hindered with the sheer volume of handsets it has released this year and last. Trying to update and certify a new Android version update for all of these handsets must be a logistical nightmare. Let’s hope that as time goes on, Sony gets better at releasing more timely updates.
Thanks Stojan!
New firmware has been certified for the four Sony Xperia handsets running on the NovaThor chipset – the
Sony Mobile Malaysia has announced pricing and launch dates for the new range of Xperia handsets – the Xperia P, Xperia U and Xperia sola. The Xperia U will launch on 15 May and will cost RM899 (€226). For a limited time it will also come with a car charger thrown in free of charge. The handset will be available in black with either a pink or white cap and in white with a pink cap. Not as generous as what the
