Sony is now distributing the May 2018 Android security update to the Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ1, and the Xperia X lineups, with numerous users from various parts of the world reporting they started receiving the new software package(s) earlier this week. Besides shipping with the latest set of vulnerability fixes, the firmware adds the ability to disable notifications from the What’s New app that comes pre-installed on the smartphones, with two owners of one of the eligible devices claiming it also improves performance by eliminating some animation stutters introduced with the April security update. The latter point is somewhat contested by many other Xperia users who haven’t experienced any kind of performance issues following last month’s series of patches.
The Japanese original equipment manufacturer is expected to start rolling out the same security update to its other supported models in the coming days, thus continuing its tradition of being one of the most active Android phone vendors when it comes to developing, testing, and deploying new software in a timely manner. Sony was the fastest OEM to embrace Android 8.0 Oreo and its support for Google’s Project Treble, a program that separates the core Android framework from vendor-specific notifications, hence streamlining the process of creating firmware upgrades. Project Treble is what directly enabled the wider availability of the second developer preview of Android P, the first experimental Android build that’s offered on both Google-made phones and third-party devices simultaneously in the history of the mobile operating system.
The Xperia X is the oldest handset on the list of Sony‘s products that are now receiving the May security patch but it’s still unclear whether the firmware will mark its end of life in terms of software support. The OEM usually keeps its handsets updated for two years following their commercial debuts but also clearly communicates EOL cycles, whereas it has yet to share any details on the mater in regard to the Xperia X which was released exactly two years ago after being announced at Mobile World Congress 2016.