Want the official stock Android experience on a Sony device? The Sony Xperia Z is said to be on track to go all ‘Google Edition’ on us.
Whilst Google I/O 2013 didn’t bring us dedicated new Android hardware, Samsung were called in to offer up the Samsung Galaxy S4 as a donor device to receive a dose of the stock Android experience. Since then, we’ve also learnt that HTC’s flagship, the One is being made available in much the same way and now it would appear that Sony will be turning their waterproof flagship, the Xperia Z into the third powerhouse to come complete with some stock Jelly Bean goodness.
Following rumours of a potential stock Android handsets coming out of the Japanese manufacturer, Android Central is now confirming such claims that the company has plans to re-release the Sony Xperia Z as a stock Android handset.
Unlike the publicly announced Google Edition Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, the Xperia Z will be the first stock Android device to feature on-screen keys after the likes of LG Nexus 4 which came out last year. As such we’re hoping for even better integration and better performance from the quad-core phone.
Google has promised to give update priority to this new wave of stock Android devices, but it’s unsure as to how much each set of updates will differ from device to device. In the case of the Xperia Z, as to whether Sony will be able to retain some of the unique elements currently available on the standard Xperia Z is unknown. It’s unlikely the advanced auto mode in the camera will carry across, but we’re wondering whether or not there’s potential to push the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 technology to the stock updates for the Z.
With regards to the availability, Trusted Reviews expects an official announcement sometime in July, whilst AC claims that for the moment, this release will be a US-only affair. A market that Sony doesn’t yet offer the standard Xperia Z. We suspect that any potential availability in Europe will only come to light after its release Stateside.
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