Ever fancied dipping a Jelly Bean in your T? Sony says the hotly anticipated Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for its Bond-endorsed Xperia T is on its way, but users hoping for the very latest version of Android will be left sorely disappointed.
The update brings Google’s robotic concierge, Google Now, into Xperia users’ hands, as well as more control over notifications — such as turning them off on an app-by-app basis or expanding notifications for more information. The NFC-based Android Beam app will also be included, Sony promises, along with an improved camera experience.
The Xperia T will also benefit from Google’s efforts to lubricate its interface — codenamed Project Butter, it should allow the device to run lag-free at 60 frames per second.
Missing out on Android 4.2 means the Xperia T will lack some of the features that grace the latest Android phones, notably the Nexus 4. These include the ability to launch the camera direct from the lockscreen or the new ‘Photo Sphere‘ feature, which lets you take panorama photos from the stock camera app.
Sony has updated its media apps, however, and replaced the pretty useless Timescape widget with the previously tablet-exclusive Socialife.
The Japanese mobile-maker hasn’t confirmed whether Android 4.2 will be coming in the future, but with the CES-announced Xperia Z launching later this month with 4.1 onboard, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Sony promised last year that most of its 2012 Xperia lineup would be updated, but it seems some phones are being left behind with the Xperia J, P, S, Sola and U stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich, with no hint of Jelly Bean arriving anytime soon.
Are you chomping on a delicious Jelly Bean, or stuck with a stale old Ice Cream Sandwich? Share your thoughts in the comments or over on our Facebook page.
Additional reporting by Jordan O’Brien.