Sony Mobile is launching a new software update for the Sony Xperia XZ, Xperia X Performance, and the Xperia XZs, introducing the June 2017 Android security patch to the smartphone trio. The update pushes the build number to version 41.2.A.7.8 for all three devices but the version of Android OS remains unchanged at Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Having said that, no other changes or additions seem to have been included in the update, which is to be expected given that all three smartphones at hand already run Google’s latest version of Android OS.
The Android security patch for the month of June is being distributed over-the-air (OTA), meaning that Sony Xperia XZ, Xperia X Performance, and Xperia XZs owners should receive an update notification beforehand. Otherwise, the update process can be triggered manually from the ‘Software update’ sub-menu accessible from ‘Settings’ > ‘About phone’. As is usually the case in regards to software updates, users are advised to download the package over an active Wi-Fi network and while making sure that the smartphone has at least 50 percent battery life left. The update at hand follows Google’s monthly schedule for security patches, and precedes the March security patch launched on the Sony Xperia lineup in mid-March.
The Sony Xperia X Performance and Xperia XZ were released in June and October 2016 respectively. They ran Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow at launch and both smartphones have been updated to Android 7.1.1 Nougat earlier this year in April, right around the time the Sony Xperia XZs was hitting the market running Android Nougat out of the box. Despite this age gap, all three smartphones share several hardware characteristics, including a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip housing four Kryo cores in big.LITTLE configuration, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera for selfie enthusiasts. However, while the Sony Xperia X Performance and Xperia XZ carry 3GB of RAM, the newer Sony Xperia XZs aims to facilitate multitasking with more ease by adopting 4GB of RAM. The latter model also features a 19-megapixel main camera as opposed to a 23-megapixel sensor, backed by electronic image stabilization (EIS) and predictive phase detection autofocus.