After promising Android 4.3 updates for a number of its Xperia devices back in early November, Sony today began to deliver. The company announced this morning that updates to Android 4.3 are now making their way to both the Sony Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra, bringing with them a bump up to the newest version of Jelly Bean as well several new features and some general performance improvements.
The update extends the Sony Social Smart Camera functionality to the Xperia Z Ultra, giving owners of the 6.4-inch phablet the ability to stream video live to Facebook, use image recognition tech to gain knowledge about objects around them and use Timeshift burst to capture 61 images in 2 seconds.
Sony is also rolling out updated versions of its entire native app catalog with the update, including apps like Messaging, Small Apps, Walkman, Album and Movies. Finally, the updates also include support for Xperia Themes, a feature that will offer downloadable UI packages. Sony says that more information on Xperia Themes will be released soon.
Sony cautions that, as with most over the air updates, the timing and availability of the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra's bumps to Android 4.3 will vary by market and carrier. The good news is that they're finally starting to flow and that they're bringing with them quite a few new goodies. The Xperia Themes feature sounds especially intriguing, and it'll be interesting to see how many UI packs Sony puts together and just how extensive the changes will be.
Via Sony Mobile blog
