Last Updated on April 6, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
If you are a subscriber to the Vodafone network in Europe you are finding a new OTA update arriving as a notification for the Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua. The new build number is 18.3.1.C.0.22. We know the software update is already landing in the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands and Spain. The two model numbers which are receiving the same are the D2303 and the D2403.
As you likely know already, the over the air updates arrive at different stages for device owners. That means it may already be available for you as a system notification or you may be waiting several days for it to reach you. Inside users will find a better camera, better battery life, stability enhancements and an overall smoother and faster ROM experience when using the phones. In addition to the improvements we mentioned, users will find bug fixes. Therefore, if you are experiencing bugs in the current operating system, you should always update to the new build.
The new 18.3.1.C.0.22 firmware is staying on the same Android 4.4.4 KitKat software. Since most of the Android 4.4.4 features were patched in the previous builds, we don’t expect many new features coming until Android 5.0 Lollipop. Lollipop comes with the new material design UI, material design in the application drawer, updates to the Easter Egg, smart notification with a “do not disturb” feature from the lock screen, Android RunTime (ART) replacing Dalvik and Android beam. We don’t know if the M2 is receiving Lollipop. Sony are not announcing anything.
The new update is only for Vodafone UK, Vodafone DE, Vodafone NL and Vodafone ES today. Those erring on the side of caution should backup the data before accepting the file. You can use apps available from Google Play such as Helium or use the built-in feature from the phone. You don’t automatically wipe data by installing official updates issued by the phone carrier networks. However, if you are applying a factory reset you will wipe the data.
As usual, we always like hearing your take on things. Are there any new features you’ve noticed after upgrading which we didn’t mention here? Does it bring new bugs that readers want to know about? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.