Last Updated on April 12, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
Sony Corporation, a Japanese multinational conglomerate out of Kōnan Minato, Tokyo, Japan, has just revealed the Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is out now for the Sony Xperia ZL. Go to Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now and take a look if this update is ready to for installing. If it isn’t there yet do not fret because it takes time to reach everybody.
To this day Sony has not forgotten anybody and there is no sequence to finding out when it will arrive at you personally so save your breath there. Also note that there is no extra button or combination of buttons to press to help it along. We hear all sorts of rumors where people have pressed a certain code and it magically appears. It will pure coincidence if that did happen and even though the future might hold better knowledge, now there is no way of finding out at all. OK, now we have that sorted out, let’s get into some of the features!
I often say that it is important to check out what the software is bringing to each device because it can vary. That is the case yet again today and I can prove it. Those of you who own the PlayStation 4 (the new PlayStation) will have already been exposed to some of the user interface features Sony have brought down to its mobile sector in this update. Now users can reach the new launch animation and live wallpapers direct from the lock screen. Also, there will be a new camera app icon that are accessed without unlocking. They are calling this a “Smart Social Camera.” We first saw this happen in iOS 7 and most people enjoy what it brings. It is a bit tricky to work. It is a big icon that looks like a button, but it doesn’t work as a button. You have to swipe up or swipe over the icon for it to open the camera app. Inside will give new features to take photos with but don’t panic about your existing photos because nobody can reach them, meaning that whatever photos you have stored are safe.
All of the status bar icons are white, before some of them were green. The font looks better and more crisp because it is made to suite KitKat. In my opinion, the battery icon looks better in white with the amount that is used being more transparent compared to the remaining. All of us use our phones so much that the battery is easily used up mostly and there’s nothing worse than feeling anxious about your battery. I feel that the look of it this time still shows how much is used obviously, but it doesn’t set you off in a panic mode.
You might have read what we wrote about yesterday with an Extreme Battery Saver Mode in the HTC that is helping people save 40% more battery. Its appears Sony have their own little something up their sleeves too because in this update is a feature called battery Stamina Mode and it is aimed at doing the same thing and prolonging the battery juice. It works differently though, by offering more advanced power management feature, as well as data management, so it is up to you to work out how to save it and not it happening automatically.
If you text a lot you will love to know that there are new Emoji faces that can be used and it doesn’t matter what app as long as it has a keyboard you can now use these Emoji smiley faces. The “Send” button is also revamped.
Rounding out the rest of the notable features includes updates for the media apps, Walkman, access Sony entertainment network from the cloud, Xperia Themes. Those who are getting in on the new SmartWear technology will love the new compatibility with the SmartBand and it’s applications such as LifeLog.
Sony are hard at work and updating several other device now and in the coming days so we will try our best to stay on top of it all. If you own anything else Xperia related then check back soon and find out what is coming up next.
You can check how Sony put things in the official change log here.