A couple of months ago we saw an updated release schedule for Sony’s Xperia lineup of phones and tablets that included a possible future update to Android 4.4 KitKat. Many of these devices not only included Sony’s current Xperia Z1 family of phones, but also Sony’s previous Xperia Z family as well. Now Sony has updated its support page for the Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z to reflect that the Android 4.4 KitKat updates will be coming just next month in May. While this release schedule has now been specified down from just “Q2 2014” to May, it doesn’t specify an exact date when these phones will receive the update. As always it could get delayed, but usually at this point if Sony’s confirmed the update the way they have they won’t likely delay it further.
This update comes a little more than 6 months after Android 4.4 KitKat was announced and subsequently released, and is for devices that have already received two major updates. Each of these Xperia Z devices launched on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, was later upgraded to Android 4.2 and then to Android 4.3, meaning that the Xperia Z family of devices will have one of the best update schedules in terms of sheer update volume of any on the market. At this point Sony has been running about 6 months behind when Google announces a new version of Android until the update actually gets pushed out for its phones, and it’s also been updating quite a few phones as well. Once these updates get pushed Sony will have around a dozen devices on Android 4.4 KitKat, which makes up most of their phone and tablet library in the last 2 years.
Those looking for a manufacturer that’s both consistent and quick with its updates can probably rest assured that Sony will be there for them when the time comes. Whether or not this same Xperia Z family of devices will get the next version of Android, whatever it ends up being called, given that they’ll have already received 3 major updates by the time the KitKat release lands, but let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. Check out the Sony support page for the listing of all their devices and a release schedule of updates for each.