A list of Sony smartphones that will receive Android 8.0 has been released by a Japanese website. Like what most of Android smartphone manufacturers do, only the devices launched from the years 2016 and 2017 will be updated to the upcoming version of the operating system. The list includes the flagship devices of the Japanese tech firm like the Sony Xperia X Performance, the Sony Xperia XZ. the Sony Xperia XZs, and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Several mid-range devices will also be updated, including the Sony Xperia X, the Sony Xperia X Compact, the Sony Xperia XA1, and the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra. To complete the list, one low-end smartphone, the Sony Xperia L1, will also be updated to Android 8.0. It is interesting to point out that the Sony Xperia XA, which was launched alongside the Sony Xperia X and the Sony Xperia X Performance in 2016, is not included in the list. There could be other factors that prevented the smartphone from getting the aforementioned software upgrade.
The Android 8.0 update will bring a wide range of new features to the Sony smartphones. Among these new features is the notification channels, which allows for the granular control over the notifications sent by a certain application. The Picture-in-Picture mode, which is already in set-top boxes powered by Android 7.0 Nougat, will come to smartphones and tablets once Android 8.0 arrives. The PiP mode allows for a supported application to be overlayed in a window on top of another app. Project Treble, which promises to make the development and distribution of security patches and other updates faster, will also arrive with the major upgrade of Android OS.
The search giant also promised that there will be under-the hood improvements in the upcoming version of the Android operating system that should make boot times faster and app launches quicker. While Sony has already identified the list of smartphones that will be upgraded to Android 8.0, owners of these devices may have to wait for months before the update arrives. Sony will have to fine tune the software for their smartphones to remove bugs and possible vulnerabilities, which could take a considerable amount of time. More information regarding Sony’s timeline of Android 8.0 update rollouts will likely be released soon.