Now that Google has officially introduced Android 6.0 Marshmallow, major manufacturers are starting to announce their upgrade plans. Motorola did it yesterday, and today Sony follows suit, revealing which of its Xperia devices will get the new operating system.
Seeing as Google just released the Android 6.0 Marshmallow code, it is too early to tell with exact certainty when every one of those smartphones and tablets will get its turn at receiving the software upgrade. But, Sony has to be commended for being so transparent this early in the game, something which other Android vendors should be doing as well.
"We will make Android 6.0, Marshmallow available for: Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia Z4 Tablet, Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4", says Sony in a blog post.
As you can see, the list of supported devices is quite extensive, covering three generations of global flagships launched since January 2014 and some more affordable handsets. Sony does not say whether this list is final, so we will have to wait a while to see if more devices will be added.
Sony notes that when the software upgrades will be made available will vary depending on the market and carrier approvals, where needed. There is also apparently no guarantee that every version of a supported device will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow: "Most models supported but some operator/market exceptions will apply", Sony explains.
The Japanese maker promises to reveal more information about what the software upgrade will bring to the table for Xperia owners sometime "soon", but in the meantime you can check what improvements Google has baked into its new operating system by checking out our coverage.