Update | The Sony Xperia 1 III is slated to get a total of 1 major Android version updates

Update: Sony has gotten back to DroidApp in order to clarify that the Xperia 1 III will in fact receive official software support for the first 2 years after its launch. Therefore, it stands to gain at least 1 more major upgrade following Android 12.

On the other hand, the OEM did include a disclaimer that this "situation may vary by region". In addition, it now notes that its pricey new flagship will receive security upgrades "within the industry standard", a rate that may be difficult to define.

Original Article: The Sony Xperia 1 III is a new Android flagship phone with a particularly premium 4K OLED HDR display with an unusual and cinematic 21:9 aspect-ratio, packed with in-house panel technology besides. However, partially thanks to these specs, it has sizeable price-tags, even for SKUs with 12GB of RAM.

The premium device has yet to be released in some markets, the Netherlands included. This upcoming event got the blog DroidApp wondering as to the extent of official software support for the phone. Sony NL has reportedly replied to its query with a potentially disappointed statement.

The company has apparently revealed that the Xperia 1 III will get no more than 1 major Android upgrade. There will at least be monthly security patch updates on top of that, albeit for 2 years following the phone's release.

This indicates the flagship is in line for the upcoming stable 12 update, which might be here as early as October 2021, and none of its successors thereafter.

According to DroidApp, the only other OTAs the 1 III would ever see are bug/security fixes on an emergency basis. This alleged schedule may strike many consumers as frankly inadequate, especially for a device slated to start at €1,299 (US$1,534) in the Netherlands.

Furthermore, a number of competing Android OEMs have committed to up to 3 years' worth of support, if not more in some cases. On the other hand, this alleged statement has yet to be corroborated elsewhere, and has no guarantee of translating to other markets at present.

Buy an Xperia 1 II on Amazon