Related Articles
Last week, we heard it was coming, and now it’s here. Android Jelly Bean has made it to a slew of Sony Xperia Z devices, including the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, and the Xperia Tablet Z. Jelly Bean has already come to the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra.
Sony made the announcement in a blog post, though timing and availability may vary by country and by which network you’re on. A Sony spokesperson has told me us Brits should see the update in “a matter of days”, though it’ll depend on your operator.
Jelly Bean will make graphics run smoother on these devices, according to the Sony blog post. As rumoured, they’ll also get Sony’s Smart Social Camera function, which lets you launch Xperia camera apps from within the viewfinder. This feature was previously seen on the Xperia Z1.
Sony is also porting a host of apps to these devices, including Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, Track ID, Sony Select, and a load of media apps. These media apps (Walkman, Album, and Movies) have cloud integration, so you won’t lose your purchases if you lose your handset.
The Jelly Bean update will also give you Xperia Themes, a “unique custom interface experience”. It sounds like you’ll be able to download a new look for your device, but Sony is promising to share more info on it soon.
More security features are also promised, as well as an updated power management app, with more options to help extend your device’s battery life. And you’ll have more control over the user profiles on the Xperia Tablet Z, with Restricted Profiles giving you isolated, secure spaces with individual local storage, home screens, widgets and settings. So it should be easier to keep your stuff private.
Have you seen the update yet on your device? Are you annoyed it’s only just getting Jelly Bean, now KitKat is coming to others? Let me know in the comments, or on our always up to date Facebook page.
