Sony Xperia Android Update: See What 6.0 Marshmallow Can Do To Your Phone
Sony Mobile has rolled out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its Xperia Z5 series, Z3+ and Z4 tablets starting this month.
Sony published a video showing the key changes that will be brought to the phone with the operating system update. The video highlights some of the key features that are native to Marshmallow as well as those that are exclusive to Sony phones.
The video shows an Xperia Z5 that upon upgrading gains ability to grant permissions to individual apps, easier text editing and enhanced sharing capabilities.
It also focuses on the new camera UI, which gains ability to adjust shots in real time and swiping to switch shooting modes. The new update will now allow users to control brightness of the scene in real time in the camera app and also switch between camera modes such as Night, HDR , 4K video, Panorama, etc. with a simple swipe gesture. The new Camera 2.0.0 app was actually introduced last November and it’s not part of the Marshmallow.
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The video also shows the easy in-app access to stickers within the Xperia Messaging app. To know more, you can check out the video below.
The new update is Android 6.0 only (not version 6.0.1), although it does include the latest February 2016 security patches from Google, according to the Xperia blog.
Besides, the features showcased in the video, Android M, has Doze power saving feature that allows greater battery life with the app turned on in default settings of the smartphone. It is said to save at least 30 percent power depending on the device’s internal hardware.
Other features included in the Android 6.0 are a new home screen, WiFi calling, Google Now on Tap, and new voice search assist.
Sony, however, has not included the STAMINA mode within this update, although it is expected to bring it back in a later firmware update. Also, Sony, following the likes of Samsung and HTC, has not included adoptable storage within the update. This means you cannot use a microSD memory card to expand the phone’s internal storage.
As of now, Sony has released Android Marshmallow to Xperia Z5, Z5 Premium, Z5 Compact, Z4 Tablet and Z3 +. The latest firmware is currently available only through the Sony PC Companion app and an over-the-air (OTA) update, although not all users claim to have received the new version automatically. The update has also been spotted in Thailand, Russia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, United States (carrier specific), India and Malaysia besides some other confirmed areas.
Other devices that are confirmed to get the firmware include Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4.
Sony Xperia Z5 phones now getting Android 6.0 Marshmallow
The Sony Xperia Z5 smartphone range has just started receiving the much awaited Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. It must be noted that the phones include the global versions of the regular, Premium and Compact models of the handset.
Although this is not the 6.0.1 version of the software, it does kick in additions from the February security update which is great. Apart from that, it brings with it prime Marshmallow offerings like enhanced privacy settings, the battery saving Doze feature and more to the Sony Xperia Z5 devices.
Moreover, a fresh home launcher has also made its way into this update, as pointed out by the Xperia blog. What’s missing though is Sony’s trademark Stamina mode for battery saving. We’re guessing this is due to the incorporation of Doze. If not that, the company may very well bring back that feature through a later update.
Also read: Sony Xperia X series phones promise better photos and battery life
The Xperia Z5 range was introduced by the Japanese company in September last year in the form of three handsets. While the regular model offers a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the Compact model adopts a 4.6-inch 720p monitor. The Premium variant is a cut above the rest, as it has been equipped with a 5.5-inch 4K panel.
All these phones claim to offer 2-day battery life, and hold 23MP cameras on their rear surfaces. Moreover, they run on the octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor which is paired with 3GB or 2GB (Compact) worth of RAM.
Those who own either of the three Sony Xperia Z5 devices must now keep checking their phones for a notification to download the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update, if they haven’t received it yet.
Sony Xperia Z5 review: a show jumping workhorse
By Pippa Tshabalala: Columnist on 9 March, 2016
I need to state up front that I am a Sony Xperia Brand Ambassador. I don’t want to be accused of hiding it so I’m being very open about that fact right off the bat. This post is also not sponsored by Sony in any way.
Now that that’s out of the way, there’s also a reason I agreed to be a Brand Ambassador for Sony Xperia. The Xperia range, while not without faults, is a damn good series of smartphones and the Sony Xperia Z5 is no different.
There are three phones in the Z5 range — the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, the Z5 and the Z5 Premium. I have the straight-up Sony Xperia Z5, and that’s where this review begins.
Design and aesthetic
If you’ve used any previous versions of the Xperia Z range, you’ll find this one an improvement in terms of visuals. It’s a bit slicker than the Xperia Z3 as the glass back is now frosted and tinted. The Z3 was an absolute fingerprint magnet, so this doesn’t have you wiping your phone every five minutes in an effort to keep it clean.
The edges are slightly more rounded and the buttons more flush against the sides of the device. There is only one side flap now, covering the microSD card and nano SIM slots and apparently the rest of the open ports are waterproof. I can’t say I’ve tested this, because I really don’t want to drop my phone into a bucket of water! That said, it’s become the hallmark of many of Sony’s phones so there is no reason to doubt it at this stage. The plus is that if your phone gets dirty, you really can just rinse it under a tap and voila.
Read more: Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review: bright-eyed but blinded by its legacy
The power button has moved half way down the phone, and I find this a bit uncomfortable. I can’t touch it without having to turn the phone and look for it as it sits flush against the side and can be difficult to find.
The edges are slightly more rounded and the buttons more flush against the sides of the device
The casing has been slimmed down a bit so the phone looks slightly smaller, but the screen size in fact hasn’t changed at all. It’s large, clear and easy to see and remains a 5.2-inch Full HD panel.
Features
For those people still harping on about the fingerprint sensor, Sony has finally included it in the Xperia Z5, adding an extra layer of security to the phone. I can’t say this is something I use, but it’s good to know the option is available. The sensor itself is actually inside the power button and of course if you don’t want to use it, there’s still the traditional Android lock options available.
The phone has 32GB of onboard storage, however Sony has actually upped the microSD support to 200GB. Sure, there aren’t a whole lot of affordable 200GB microSD cards out there right now, but this is surely something that will change in the coming months.
Processing and performance
Sony has once again used the same chipset in the Z5 as it did with its rather limited Sony Xperia Z3+ model, which is surprising considering how problematic its heat management system was. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (the chip in question) features a quad-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53 and a quad-core 2.0GHz ARM Cortex-A57, with an Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB of RAM.
While these issues have apparently been remedied, I find after using if intensively (graphics heavy games and the like) it definitely heats up quite significantly. Not as much as the Z3 which can get extremely hot, but noticeably enough to mark it on the list of “needs improvement”.
User interface
The Sony Xperia Z5 is running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, so there is a fairly common look and feel with a lot of other Android phones. I’ve never been mad about Sony’s UI, but this hasn’t been something that’s worried me due to the customisable nature of the Android OS. I’ve heard other complaints about it, but I generally download my own launcher and customise it anyway, so it isn’t something high on my list of complaints.
The camera is the main reason I love the Xperia range so much
There is always a bit of bloatware with Sony phones though — apps that really don’t have much use at all, and which I normally remove almost immediately if I can.
Camera
The camera is the main reason I love the Xperia range so much. Damn, it’s nice! There’s a 23MP rear camera at the rear, which takes amazingly clear and crisp photos. You can zoom in to an object far away and still end up with a picture that looks pretty decent and only slightly grainy. The coolest new camera feature however is the hybrid autofocus, which adjusts within 0.03 seconds. If your hand is shaking a bit or you’re trying to take a quick action shot, this is a really awesome tool.
Video-wise you can film in Full HD at 120fps as well as in 4K which does seem a bit of a waste since the screen is HD, but if you’re desperate to watch in 4K, then you’ll need to get yourself the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.
The front camera is a 5.1MP snapper, which is the same as previous generations of this phone. It will film in 1080p and is still pretty decent if you’re a selfie addict.
Battery
And finally, we get to the battery. Interestingly the battery life isn’t as good as I would have expected, but it’s still streets ahead of many of its competitors.
Sony shrunk the battery down to 2900mAh, but I think this was the wrong choice. Battery life is one of the most important things to people like me, who use their phones for work, for playing games, for taking photos, and yes, by the end of the day I probably still have 20-30% battery life left. However with the Z3, a battery charge would last almost two full days before the next charge. The Z5 might give me a day and a half at most, which is still more than many other phones of the same ilk.
Positives
Negatives
Verdict: There will always be things we don’t like about a phone, but overall the Sony Xperia Z5 is a quality phone that performs well and looks good. It takes great photos and the battery life is substantial. So if you need a workhorse with a decent amount of processing power, the Z5 is a good choice.
Score: 8/10
Editor’s note: Pippa is a Sony Xperia brand ambassador, however this review is written for Gearburn independent of Sony’s input or discretion. Editing by Andy Walker.
