The arrival of a new version of Android is a bittersweet moment depending on whether your handset is eligible to receive the update. Sony has just confirmed its rather short list of handsets that are scheduled to receive the Android 11 update, join us after the break to see if your phone is one of the chosen few.
Below is an overview of when the current, compatible Sony Xperia smartphones should receive their Android 11 update:
- Xperia 1 II: from December 2020
- Xperia 5 II: from the end of January 2021
- Xperia 10 II: from the end of January 2021
- Xperia 1: from February 2021
- Xperia 5: from February 2021
Even considering that Sony isn’t a prolific manufacturer of smartphones, it’s still a mighty short list. It’s unknown at this time whether more handsets will be added to the list in the weeks and months ahead, so there’s a decent chance that if your Xperia phone isn’t present already it may never be.
If you have the Xperia 1 II, the Android 11 update will add the ability to make slow-motion recordings in 4K HDR @120fps, so that’s something to keep an eye out for.
The Android 11 update brings the following improvements and features:
- Chat management in one place – Important conversations with friends and family in different apps can be shown on the lock screen.
- Conversation bubbles – Conversations from any messenger app (provided the function is supported by the app) can now be pinned to the screen so that they can always be seen overall screen contents and can be used even better when multitasking.
- Screen recording – The recording of the screen in the form of a video is now supported directly in Android 11 and no longer has to be activated via a separate app.
- One app for all smart devices – Smart devices in the household such as heating, light, or security systems can be controlled via an integrated app that opens automatically with a long press on the power button.
- Audio selection – Quick setup to control media playback. Simply switch from headphones to speakers with the push of a button so that no sound is missed.
- Voice control – Faster and easier access to apps thanks to intuitive voice commands – even without an internet connection.
- More security – Additional security and privacy updates are sent automatically and directly from Google Play to the Xperia smartphone so that the latest protection measures are always installed.
- Easier access authorization for apps – Which applications are allowed to access confidential data and which are not can now be conveniently regulated using a one-time authorization. For applications that have not been used for a long time, all authorizations are automatically reset.
This confirmed list of Android 11 recipients surprisingly doesn’t include the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus phones that launched during 2019, which is a poor showing on Sony’s part if they are to be left stranded on Android 10.
