Some Sony Xperia X owners are getting a few new features to try out through Sony’s “Concept” program. However, there are some caveats. In order to gain access to the new features, the Concept initiative must be available in your country. You will also need to have downloaded Sony’s Concept Installer application from the Play Store and be enrolled in the “Experimental track” of the program. The program is completely optional, so it is not installed by default. Obviously, it also requires that you have a Sony Xperia X device. In addition to a couple of new features, several bugs are also fixed with the update – which brings the software version to 38.3.A.0.94.
Among the new features is an adjustment to the camera application. The adjustment “fixes” the brightness of the screen in “viewfinder” mode so that the user has a realistic representation of just how bright the image is going to be once taken and processed. Also added in the update is a feature Sony calls “ambient display.” The ambient display feature brings your device’s display to life in the event that you get a message while your screen is off. It essentially provides a quick way to check whether the message is important enough to respond to, without having to pick up your device and turn on the display. If you don’t like the idea of your screen waking up whenever you happen to get a message, you are not forced to use it. The update adds the feature as a new settings option under the devices display settings menu. It turns off and on with a simple toggle switch. Beyond the new features, the latest update brings several bug fixes. The first of those solves a bug which caused an audio loss on the Bluetooth channel when using the “OK Google” voice features. The update also fixes a problem which caused the notification LED to not light up properly for missed calls. Finally, a fix is included for devices showing a tinted display even when the devices “Night Light” mode is turned off.
For the unaware, Sony launched Concept in 2015 and it is currently only available in Europe. The initiative brings alternative versions of the default operating system to select devices, both testing and showcasing features that the company plans to bring to its future devices. It is also a great way for users of that software to provide feedback and suggestions directly to the people behind the software. If you are taking part in Sony’s Concept initiative and have a Sony Xperia X, the update is rolling out now and will appear as a notification on your device.