Japanese consumer electronics major Sony has made a surprise announcement that the company will fast-track the Android Pie release for several Xperia series phones starting this month.
Previously, the company had promised to roll out the Google's sweet dessert-flavoured OS to Xperia XZ1, XZ2 series by the end of 2018. Now, the devices are slated to get the latest software as early as next week.
"Android 9 Pie will be available on the XZ Premium, XZ1 and XZ1 Compact from 26 October, while XZ2 Premium owners can benefit from the upgrade from 7 November. The XA2, XA2 Ultra and XA2 Plus will have the update from 4 March," Sony said in a statement.
Many tech critics and fans have appreciated Sony for detailing the actual date of arrival of the software, while rival brands just reveal Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), and most often times, fail to adhere to the promise.
This is a welcome move by Sony, as this will definitely help the company build strong loyalty with the patrons. As of now, it has released the Android Pie to the Xperia XZ2 and the XZ2 Compact series and by the next weekend, three more Sony phones will get the new OS.
Android Pie: Key features you should know
- Digital wellbeing is one of the key aspects of Android Pie. It brings Dashboard, which highlights screen time and phone usage including how many times the device has been unlocked and a number of notifications received so that users get an overview on how much obsessed with the phone. It also allows users to set App Timers to put limits on app usage
- Android Pie also comes with Wind Down and Do Not Disturb. With these features, users can set a daily schedule to get the phone ready for bed. Its screen fades to Grayscale, while Do Not Disturb silences notifications for a restful sleep. He/she can activate Do Not Disturb anytime they want to disconnect.
- Android 9 Pie also makes notifications more useful and offer actionable functionalities with conversations such as attach photos and stickers along with suggesting smart replies. Also, helps users get things done faster by predicting their next move and displaying the right action on the phone.
- The new System navigation system offers a single home button that provides intelligent predictions and suggestions (user enabled).
- Google's Android 9 introduces several new security features, including a standardized biometric authentication prompt to provide a more consistent authentication experience across Android.
- After upgrading to the Android Pie, devices will restrict any apps accessing users' phone microphone, camera, or other sensors when an app is idle or running in the background. (If an app does need to access a sensor, it will show a persistent notification on your phone.)
- The Pie update also brings important enhancements that protect all web communications and offer private web surfing. It enables encryption of Android backups with a client-side secret (the device PIN, pattern or password) for greater security.
- Android Pie's Slices feature identifies relevant information of users' favourite apps to make them more easily accessible when they need them
- Other notable features include full-view screen friendly swipe-based navigation interface option, revamped setting drawer, adaptive battery and display, extend battery life and several others.
