Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 start receiving Android 11 a month early as Sony sets an example other OEMs should follow

Sony has set an interesting example for other smartphone OEMs in regard to major operating software update rollouts. We reported on the company's expected Android 11 upgrade plans back in November, which revealed that the 2019 flagship smartphones Sony Xperia 1 and Sony Xperia 5 would start receiving the latest Android OS in February 2021. But it appears Sony may be ahead of schedule as XperiaBlog has reported that the rollout for the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 has already started.

While the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 Android 11 update rollout seems to be restricted to devices in Russia and Southeast Asia for the time being, a wider global rollout can be expected imminently. The relevant firmware is build version 55.2.A.0.630 that also includes the December 2020 security patch. A changelog has not been published, but it appears the Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 will use the previous camera software and not have access to the Photography Pro app yet.

Sony’s Xperia lineup may be more “compact” than the extensive ranges of other competing smartphone companies, but launching the Android 11 rollout for the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 earlier than scheduled will certainly be perceived as a customer-friendly move. Both of the flagship smartphones originally operated on Android 9.0 Pie upon release before being upgraded to Android 10 at the end of 2019.

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