With almost every manufacturer and network operator announcing the shift from older Android platforms to Ice Cream Sandwich, the 2011 Sony Xperia lineup of smartphones finally seems to be in line for a taste of Google’s latest mobile OS. The vast range of Android handsets, most of which operate on the Gingerbread version, now have a schedule chalked out for an ICS transition.
The first set of handsets to receive the upgrade includes the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. This roll-out is slated to begin sometime during mid-April and continue for around 4 to 6 weeks. Following the footsteps of these devices are the Xperia arc, Play, neo, mini, mini pro, pro, active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman. The software overhaul for the latter half of smartphones is expected to be released by late May or early June.
“Because this update is a significant revamp of some of your phone’s features, we want to make sure you take a conscious and informed decision to upgrade, so that you continue to enjoy optimum experiences from your Xperia smartphone. Therefore, we’ll only be making it available for download via PC Companion and Bridge for Mac (i.e. not over the air via 3G or Wi-Fi), and you also won’t receive any update requests or notifications,” reads a post on the official Sony Xperia Product blog.
Although Sony has officially confirmed this schedule for now, the dates of software availability might tend to waver with respect to regions and service provider specifications. Further details about this ICS update plan will be announced by mid-April.
Currently, there is no concrete information on specific dates and markets for the Android 4.0 rollout to the 2011 Sony Xperia lineup.