Now that Google has opened the Marshmallow floodgates, manufacturers are beginning to detail their plans for the update to Android 6.0.
Sony, one of the better Android OEMs when it comes to updates, has revealed exactly which devices will make the jump to Marshmallow. The list is predictable, if you’ve been following Sony over the past months, with just a couple of names shining through their absence.
These are the Sony devices that will receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow, as per a company blog post:
- Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, and Xperia Z5 Premium (absolutely no surprises here)
- Xperia Z4 Tablet (not included: the Xperia Z4, which is exclusive to Japan, where updates don’t seem to be a priority for companies. Xperia Z4v? Yeah, Sony and Verizon want you to forget about that)
- Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (again, predictable)
- Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet (released in February 2014, probably at their last major update)
- Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4 (the select few mid-rangers getting Marshmallow)
The most glaring absence here is that of the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact. Launched in September 2013 with Snapdragon 800 processors, the Z1 duo have outlived the two-year period that Google itself promises for major updates. Sony did release Android 5.1 for these devices, just last month.
It looks like the 2013 Xperia Z is also reaching its end of support line, which shouldn’t be a surprise, as Sony didn’t include it in the Android 5.1 update wave. Other devices not deemed worthy of Marshmallow include the Xperia E3, Xperia A4, Xperia T2 Ultra, and the Xperia Z Ultra.
Sony promised it would share more details on the updates “soon.” For what is worth, the post includes the standard disclaimer about timing and availability varying based on market and operator, and a rather ominous warning that some of the listed models may not get the update at all, for certain markets/operators.