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Android 9.0 Pie tipped for XZ1 and XZ2 line starting next month (Update: Sony responds)
Update, August 15, 2018 (04:25AM ET): Sony has come back to us with a statement, but it doesn’t answer whether we can indeed expect Android Pie from September.
“We will communicate the details of our Android 9 Pie upgrade roadmap soon. Please stay tuned to our global blog and @SonyMobileNews Twitter feed for all the latest updates,” a representative told us in an emailed response.
We can’t really infer many (if any) details from this update, but an “upgrade roadmap” suggests we could be looking at a phased approach. So we’d expect the latest Sony flagships to get the update first, while owners of budget devices will probably need to wait a few months longer.
News of a Sony upgrade roadmap also comes after Samsung revealed an upgrade roadmap… for Android Oreo.
Original article, August 10, 2018: Although Android 9.0 Pie was available for the Essential Phone the same day as it was for the Pixel line, not every third-party manufacturer can be that fast. However, it does seem like OEMs are going to be much faster with Pie than for Android 8.0 Oreo.
Case in point: Sony reportedly promised that it will bring some delicious Pie goodness to its Xperia XZ line of smartphones, via GizChina. The rollout will begin in September and complete by the end of November.
For clarification, the XZ line of devices includes the following models:
The fact that these smartphones are getting Android 9.0 Pie isn’t too surprising, considering that phones in the XZ line were part of the Android P beta testing program. However, Sony is the first company that we know of to give a specific timeline for its stable rollout.
Other companies – like OnePlus, vivo, OPPO, HUAWEI, and more – are being much more vague with their rollouts, giving timelines like “by the end of the year” or “in Q4 2018.” So kudos to Sony for making an actual commitment.
If you want to find out more about the features and changes in Android 9.0 Pie, check out our roundup here. If you want to know when your device will get the latest flavor of Android, bookmark our Pie tracker page here.
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