Sony is rolling out Android 4.4. KitKat to four more devices, with the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, and Xperia Tablet Z now receiving the chocolaty treat.
The company previously promised to push Android 4.4 KitKat to select devices in May, and it now looks like Sony is making good on its promise.
"The next Sony User Experience upgrade for Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z starts from today - rolling out in selected markets, with more to follow in the coming weeks," Sony announced in a new company blog post on Wednesday, May 21. "We've been building new Sony experiences on Google's KitKat release to create some neat / sweet features (if we say so ourselves)."
In addition to the usual combo of performance tweaks and general improvements, here's what the new update will further bring to the table:
- Android 4.4 KitKat with all of its standard goodies, bringing an improved performance and a neat UI optimization
- New Sony user interface similar to that of the PlayStation 4, with launch animation and live wallpaper across the lock and home screens. The Status Bar and Quick Settings also get a revamp that not only brings a new look, but also makes them more intuitive and customizable
- Sony's entire native app portfolio also gets bumped up, with tweaked and improved experiences for Messaging, Email, Smart Social Camera, Battery STAMINA Mode, Sony's Media apps, and more.
- The "Xperia Themes" unique custom interface experience, with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select
- Compatibility with Sony's SmartWear Experience, SmartBand SWR10 and Lifelog app.
As usual, the update is rolling out over the air (OTA) and it will roll out gradually, which means that it will not arrive on all devices at the same time. Also, keep in mind that while Sony has released the update, particular carriers may slow things down depending on their testing procedures. As always with an OTA rollout, your phone or tablet will automatically notify you when the new software is ready to download and install.
After the Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z get their KitKat treats, the company will roll out the new update to the Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia E1, and Xperia M2 from July.
