Android 4.1, JellyBean Update Announced for Xperia S, Acro S and SL
The Android 4.1, JellyBean will roll out for the Sony Xperia S, Acro S and SL at the end of May.
The smartphones were certified to receive the software update this week. Preparing JellyBean to be released for those devices has been a bit of a process as there were several setbacks postponing the date of certification.
JellyBean will bring some exciting new features to the Xperia line such as "TalkBack" and "Gesture Mode." "TalkBack" reads what is present on the screen to the user and "Gesture Mode" allows low vision or blind users of the device to navigate using touch and swipe gestures along with speech output.
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The JellyBean firmware will also improve the overall performance of these Xperia devices, making movement between home screens and switching between apps much smoother.
Sony also recently made the Xperia Z available in the U.S. this week.
The global and unlocked version can now be purchased through Sony's U.S. web site for $629.99.
The Xperia Z smartphone could also launch on T-Mobile as early as this summer.
The device recently was spotted passing through the FCC. This version of the Xperia Z included a T-Mobile branded user manual that highlighted the carrier's specific features such as Wi-Fi calling. The device's documentation confirms the presence of both AWS LTE and pentaband HSPA+, which further confirms that this will be a T-Mobile device.
T-Mobile has not yet confirmed its plan to release the Xperia Z, but judging from these leaks and FCC documents, an announcement by the company should be coming soon.
The Xperia Z has been a tremendous success for Sony as the company was able to to move 4.6 million units in its first 40 days.
The reason the company was able to do this was due to its decision to launch the smartphone earlier than some of its competitors releasing similar devices. Most tech enthusiasts did not expect it to do this well, but hitting the market before other handsets such as the Galaxy S4 and HTC One gave it a significant advantage.
