Sony KitKat Update News - Which Devices, When is the Update, What's Included (Updated)

Sony recently announced which of it’s smartphones are getting KitKat first, along with fresh info on what users can expect with the very latest Android uplift. The first devices to get KitKat were the Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact.

The next round involves many more devices including the Xperia Tablet Z and last year’s flagship, Xperia Z. Both of these devices show firmware versions of 14.x over at the certification body PTCRB.

KitKat brings smart caller ID which identifies an unsaved number when someone calls, an ultra low-power audio playback state to get extra juice out of your media player and the most elegant Android UI yet.

Read on for the full details.

Update – (May, June) More Xperia Updates for: SP, M, M2, Z, ZR, Z1 Compact.

Which devices are getting it?

The first handful of devices getting 4.4 according to Sony are: Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact.

Sony mentions which devices will get KitKat later: Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia E1 and Xperia M2.

Round 1 Updates:

Z1 – Available

Z Ultra – Available

Z1 Compact – Available

Round 2 Updates:

Z – Not available, likely coming very soon. You can see a fresh update over at PTCRB, 10.5.A.0.227 registered on April 29th pops up, which is above the build number 14.x which other devices received 4.4 KitKat.

ZL – Not Available, likely coming soon. Version 10.5 is certified as of April 29th.

T2 Ultra – No firmware info available yet. 4.3 Jellybean still available, registered in April.

E1 – Not available. No KitKat certified yet. 4.3 Jellbean still available, registered in March.

M2 – Build version 18.0.C.1.12 registered April 11 appears, unclear if 4.3 update or 4.4.

Xperia Tablet Z WiFi – Not available. No KitKat certified yet.

Xperia Tablet Z 4G/LTE – Not available yet, likely coming soon, 10.5.A.0.227, registered April 29th shows up

What’s new in Android 4.4 KitKat?

Google has given us some of the highlights:

Faster multitasking
More elegant user interface
Chromecast support
Cloud printing
Device management now inbuilt – wipe your device remotely should you lose it
Secure app sandboxing
NFC tap to pay
Smarter caller ID uses Google Maps to tell us who is calling even if the number is not yet saved in our phone
Integrated messaging via Hangouts combining usual messaging with downloaded messaging apps like Whatsapp and Viber
Instantly activate voice commands by saying “OK Google”
Music scrobbling via lockscreen
Much better emoji support
Email app redesign
Extremely low battery-usage during music playback (audio tunneling)

What does Sony bring to KitKat?

You can here read more about Sony’s plans for KitKat.

Google’s Android 4.4; KitKat as standard – bringing performance & UI optimisation…

Tweaked the Status Bar and Quick Settings… now more intuitive and customisable (and pretty easy on the eye)… cleaned up to ensure you only get the notifications you really need

If you’ve got a Sony PlayStation 4, you might recognize the new user interface – we’ve added the same sleek launch animation and live wallpaper across the lock and home screens

Uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions – bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for (to name but a few): Messaging, My Xperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select, Smart Social Camera and…

Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies, with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration* – a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience – Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI, better download speeds, and more!

Unique custom interface experience: “Xperia Themes”, with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select – skin up to 280 assets across your Xperia smartphone with a variety of styles, and more to follow soon…

How/where do I update to KitKat?

You can update using Sony’s PC Companion for Windows users and Bridge for MAC OS users. Install the program, connect your phone, if it’s the first time that you’ve connected the phone to your computer, then the correct drivers will automatically install. The latest update should appear in seconds, if not click update.