It brings along performance improvements, UI tweaks, and new features

Mar 19, 2014 09:47 GMT  ·  By

Starting today, owners of Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1, and Xperia Z1 Compact smartphones out there can download and install the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system on their devices, the Japanese mobile phone maker has officially confirmed.

The handset vendor has unveiled that the update has started rolling out to said smartphones worldwide, yet not all users will see the platform as available right from the start, that’s for sure.

As it usually happens with this kind of updates, the deployment is performed in stages, which means that it will reach some devices at a later date, depending on market and carrier.

As for the enhancements included in the update itself, Sony claims that they will deliver a brand new experience to all users who own one of the aforementioned handsets.

“We’ve been working to build new Sony experiences on Google’s KitKat release to create some neat / sweet features (if we say so ourselves) – in addition to a few performance tweaks here & there,” the company notes in a blog post.

The main change in the new software release is, of course, the inclusion of Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat OS release, which comes with its own set of performance improvements and UI tweaks when compared to the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean platform.

At the same time, Sony Mobile says that the update will provide users with a custom, tweaked Status Bar and Quick Settings, which should prove much more intuitive and customizable than before. According to the company, they have been “cleaned up to ensure you only get the notifications you really need.”

At the same time, the new firmware release will provide users with the same “sleek launch animation and live wallpaper across the lock and home screens” that can be enjoyed on a Sony PlayStation 4 at the moment.

“We’re also uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions – bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for (to name but a few): Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select, [and] Smart Social Camera,” Sony continues.

The company’s own Media applications have been bumped up as well, including WALKMAN, Album, and Movies, all of which now come with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration.

Overall, this should result in a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience, given that the integration with Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories deliver a more intuitive UI, along with faster download speeds and other enhancements as well.

Last but not least, there is also the Xperia Themes feature to enjoy in the new update, which provides users with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select, enabling them to skin up to 280 assets across their Xperia smartphones.