TOKYO: Sony could finally release the Android 5.0 Lollipop update before the end of the month as it confirmed on Twitter that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update could be released soon and that they are now finalizing testing and optimizing Lollipop for the entire Xperia Z series line-up, including smartphones and tablets.
It looks like the Lollipop update for the Xperia Z series devices has been quite buggy and it is taking Sony longer than usual to fix all the bugs and issues for the final firmware. While a delayed rollout will no doubt cause disappointment with users, an early rollout of a buggy update is likely to cause greater disappointment among owners of Xperia devices. At a time when the company is struggling in the smartphone market, it will be quite a bad idea to lose the loyalty of its existing Xperia customers.
At the Mobile World Congress, a Sony Xperia Z3 with the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop firmware running on it has been spotted at Sony’s booth. A video showing the Android Lollipop update on the Xperia Z3 has been published that shows off all the changes that Sony has included with the Lollipop update. The exact build version of the Xperia Z3 at the show floor was 23.1.A.0.632. Some of the changes that are clearly visible in the video are the new soft keys at the bottom, updated launcher, and redesigned app icons based on Material Design guidelines, new notification menu with quick settings, and a rebranded Music app. The device was most likely not running on the final Android 5.0.2 software, so fans will not judge performance based on the video but it does appear to be quite snappy, just as you would expect on a flagship smartphone. A second video has been published by Engadget Japanese that gives another look at the Xperia Z3 running on Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The devices that have been confirmed to receive the Android 5.0 Lollipop are the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1s, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compacy and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.
