Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
- Sony has outlined when its phones will get Android 11 updates.
- The Xperia 1 II will be the first to get updates in December, followed by others in January and February.
- It’s not clear if or how Sony will update older phones.
Sony has outlined just when eligible Xperia phones will get Android 11 updates, and it’s good news if you have a cutting-edge model — if not so much for everyone else.
The Xperia 1 II will unsurprisingly be the first phone to get Android 11, with an upgrade arriving in December 2020. The Xperia 5 II and Xperia 10 II should receive their updates weeks later, near the end of January 2021. The original Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 are last in line and should get their OS revisions in February.
Read more: Google should require two years of updates for every Android phone
The Sony Xperia interface isn’t as heavily customized as others, so many of the features will be similar to what you’d find in stock Android 11. Chat management is easier with a dedicated notification section and always-available conversation bubbles. You’ll also find more powerful smart home and music controls as well as improved privacy and security policies.
There’s no mention of Android 11 releases for other Sony Xperia phones at this stage. That doesn’t necessarily mean other devices are out of the loop, but you might not want to count on updates for the original Xperia 10, 10 Plus, L3, or L4. And that’s unfortunate — you may have a recent handset that’s stuck on Android 9 even though it’s months old.
Sony is still better at updates than some Android vendors that may take several months or more to provide new software if they aren’t limited by US trade bans. It’s not as quick as rivals like Samsung, though, and this could still be frustrating if you can’t justify the outlay for a high-end device.
