Sony voices Xperia Android Nougat rollout plan

Google’s upcoming major Android release, Android Nougat, is the hot topic right now, especially after the software giant debuted it earlier than usual yesterday for Nexus users. Naturally, this puts a spotlight on manufacturers to keep up. We already know that the LG V20, set for a Sept. 6th launch, will run it out of the box — beating the Note 7 to the punch, which Samsung says will begin rolling out in 2-3 months. Motorola and HTC make a valiant effort for timely update turnarounds. But what about Sony?

Well, you don’t have to wonder. The Sony Mobile team has just let us in on its Android 7.0 plans. It confirms that the following devices are on its Nougat upgrade roadmap: Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z4 tablet, Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia X, Xperia XA, Xperia XA Ultra, and Xperia X Performance. There you have it.

Sadly, the Xperia Z3 isn’t included, but then again, it is nearing its two years of existence. Manufacturers typically cut off major software updates at two years. Sony doesn’t give any indication of when to expect the Nougat update for the said devices, only stating as an asterisk at the bottom of the announcement: “Software rollouts are a phased process – timing and availability will vary by market and/or operator.”

One other teaser the team provides is that new features and functionality and UI improvements are afoot. As of late, Sony has been working at toning down the Xperia’s UI in favor for Google’s aesthetic, so we’ll see what those refinements mold into.

We know Xperia users want to know a time-frame for the Nougat update (everyone does), but at least this is something. It’s more frustrating when manufacturers are completely quiet about it. Hit up the source link for the official word.