Android 5.0 Lollipop Running on Sony Xperia Z1, 2 and 3; Beta Testing of New Software Begins

Sony has started running the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on its devices - Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2, and Xperia Z3 – just a few days after Google released the source code for its latest software, Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Japanese technology giant has said that they are "working to provide updated versions of the necessary binary files as soon as we can – head on over to Developer World for the latest."

"Now's probably a good time as any to tell you about a new, exclusive initiative we're running in Sweden with "3"... 3Beta – a pilot programme giving select Sony fans the chance to test drive Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 compact devices running early versions of our Android 5.0 Lollipop release," reported Sony Mobile blog. 

The company said that it would gather all the feedback on Android 5.0 Lollipop to ensure that Sony device users have a good experience of the software when it is commercially rolled out next year.

"We're really excited to bring Android 5.0 Lollipop to the entire Xperia Z Series from the beginning of 2015 – it's the latest version of Android packed with new features including a more responsive UI, better control over device security, new ways to control notifications, improved performance and a lot more," said Sony.

Sony devices that will get the new firmware update are - Xperia Z Ultra GPE (Google Play Edition), Xperia Z, Xperia ZR, Xperia ZL, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1s, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet, Xperia Tablet Z, and Xperia Z2.

The new software will be rolled out first to Google devices - the Nexus 4, the Nexus 5, the Nexus 7 (2012), the Nexus 7 (2013), and the Nexus 10 before making it available to devices from major smartphone makers like LG, Sony, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Zenfone, and OnePlus One.

Google released Android 5.0 Lollipop on 3 November but its update was reportedly put on halt after Nexus 5 users, who have received the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, complained that the battery of their phone got drained faster than expected when Wi-Fi was activated.

However, Trevor Johns, a senior developer programs engineer for Android at Google who admitted to the glitch, wrote on the Android Developer Preview site on Thursday that the issue had been solved. 

"This issue has been fixed in the latest builds, and this issue is now considered resolved. Thanks everyone," wrote Johns.

Google is expected to roll out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update very soon now that the bug issue has been fixed.