Sony Xperia Z to get Android 4.2 soon after launch

Sony’s Xperia Z is all set to be the first handset by the company to feature Android Jelly Bean out of the box. Supposed to launch sometime in February, the phone will unfortunately feature the earlier version 4.1 of Jelly Bean, but Sony seems to be wanting to set things right and says it will release the latest Jelly Bean version 4.2 for the handset soon after its launch.

In a Twitter QnA session, Sony Product Manager Lego Svardsater wrote to multiple users enquiring about the availability of Android 4.2 on Xperia Z, “Xperia Z launches on JB 4.1, but will receive 4.2 shortly after launch. As always, we’ll share more info on this over the coming weeks on the blog.”

Waiting to jump from 4.1 to 4.2

Unlike an upgrade from Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean, the jump between Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to 4.2 Jelly Bean is supposed to be UI-specific changes to stock Android.

Sony’s flagship phone Xperia Z was shown off at CES 2013. This Xperia device is said to have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP55 and IP57, making it both dust and water resistant. Sony is joining the ranks of other manufacturers that pack a 1080p resolution in a 5-inch device with Sony Xperia Z. This gives the device a pixel resolution of 443 ppi. The effect this will have on the battery life of the phone is yet to be seen.

The USP of this phone will definitely be its 13 megapixel camera. The camera gives users the ability to record HDR video. The phone is also packed with a 2 megapixel front facing camera. Sony Xperia Z is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and is LTE-capable.

The Xperia Z's display is powered by Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2. An important feature of the Xperia Z is the Battery Stamina Mode that according to Sony improves the standby time of the phone by four times by shutting down battery draining apps whenever the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is back on.

Here are some of Xperia Z’s specifications:

• 5-inch screen with a 1080p resolution
• 4G LTE, EDGE, Wi-Fi, NFC
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 13 megapixel camera with HDR recording and 2 megapixel front-facing camera

Along with the Xperia Z, Sony had announced the Xperia ZL—a variant that will only be available in some regions where the Xperia Z isn't. While the specifications are identical to the Xperia Z, the Xperia ZL is slightly thicker and lacks a glass back panel and LTE capabilities. The ZL also lacks the IP55 and IP57 certification, which means it isn't dust and water resistant like the Z.

However, there is no word from Sony on the availability of the handsets. Tthe only shred of detail available is that Sony had said that the launch would happen sometime in this quarter. According to GSM Arena, while some major UK retailers pin the availability of the device to March, some Polish retailers have listed the device for a February launch.