We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
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.
Recommended Stories
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'.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: