Xperia Z may get Android 4.2.2 update next month

A screenshot of the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update for the Sony Xperia Z has raised hopes that the newest flavour may come next month, i.e. a month after release. An anonymous tipster supplied the Xperia Blog the screenshot – the first one, running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on the Sony Xperia Z. From the screenshot one can infer that the Jelly Bean update will have firmware version 11.1.A.1.450. "However, we are told this is a beta version, so expect the firmware version number to be in the form of 11.1.A.X.XXX by the time it is released," the post adds. 

What's more, the guys at the Xperia Blog even heard that the official release for this Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware will take place at the end of March in Europe. But, nothing is confirmed yet. 

The smartphone, supposed to be launched this month, will feature the older Jelly Bean version out of the box. 

Sony Xperia Z will come with Android 4.1 out of the box

Rumours had surfaced last month, and in a report we had stated that 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.”

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