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Despite Google's best efforts over the years, we can't say the age-old Android fragmentation problem has gotten much better of late. The newest version of the world's most popular mobile operating system, for instance, was delivered to the Pixel handset family in its stable form more than four months ago, failing to expand to a large number of non-Google devices in the meantime.
Of course, the blame falls primarily on the shoulders of all those other smartphone manufacturers that continue to need outrageous amounts of time to "optimize" and roll out their own over-the-air goodie packs. Of the overall disappointing group of Android handset vendors, Samsung undoubtedly managed to rise above the pack in the last few months, arguably followed by Sony.
Granted, it's odd to see the company's latest high-end device score this upgrade after three older models, but apart from Samsung, no other (non-Google) OEM can currently boast a grand total of four official Android 11 deliveries.
Some companies, including one that led the Android 10 charge more than a year ago, have yet to bring a single smartphone up to date, making Sony's software support efforts that much more impressive... this time around.
Sony Xperia 5 II owners, of course, should know that their update is not live around the world at the time of this writing, which could however change in a simple matter of days. Tipping the scales at only 700MB or so, this is not very different from what Google itself has delivered to its in-house Pixel devices all those months ago, which is clearly the key to a successful early rollout.
Unlike its predecessor, the Snapdragon 865-powered second-gen Xperia 5 is naturally still available in the US, but just like so many Sony phones released in the last few years, its $950 list price is pretty hard to swallow.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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