Sony Mobile’s freshest flagship phone, the Xperia XZ1, comes with the all-new Android Oreo stuffed inside as standard. We’ve been playing with the XZ1 and its feature-packed software for a few days now and here’s our take on the user experience with Android 8.0 and Sony’s bonus modes.
Although we’ve been playing with the beta version of Android Oreo OS for some time on the Pixel phone, Sony’s Xperia XZ1 has offered our first glimpse of version 8.0 on a non-Google handset. Rather than appearing in a raw, vanilla form, Android 8.0 has instead been skinned and bolstered by some additional Sony features and add-ons. Of course that’s absolutely the norm, with most mobile manufacturers ‘tampering’ with the OS to give it a distinctive look and feel.
Android Oreo of course adds some neat new functionality when compared with the year-old Nougat OS. Check out our complete guide to Android 8.0 for everything you need to know. And if you already own a Sony phone, you can find out whether it’s due to be updated to Oreo.
Sony has added some rather cool bonus bits on top of Google’s OS, however. For instance, you get full support for PS4 Remote Play, which allows you to stream your Playstation gaming session to your Xperia XZ1 over your home WiFi network. That’s great news if some other pesky family member has taken control of the TV, or you simply want to blast through Uncharted: The Lost Legacy while going through your morning motions.
You also get the Sony Mobile assistant on-board, which is essentially a handy tutorial and set of shortcuts for anyone not familiar with Android and Xperia phones. This shows you how to use the best hidden features of the Xperia XZ1, including managing your memory and storage and prolonging your battery life.
Sony has added some smart audio features too, which makes the XZ1 well suited to music lovers. DSEE-HX support boosts the quality of compressed tracks, for instance, while you can also play Hi-Res audio files.
Check out our Sony Xperia XZ1 unboxing and hands-on video below to see Android Oreo and Sony Mobile’s OS tweaks in action.
Want to know more about Sony’s flagship device? Head to our Xperia XZ1 hub where you’ll find reviews, guides and more.
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