What you need to know
- Sony has started rolling out its Android 13 update to the Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, Xperia 1 III, Xperia 5 III, and Xperia Pro-I.
- Changelog appears to be quite minimal as Sony has opted to not include major changes, however, the specifics are still a mystery.
- This marks one of two major OS updates for the Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV with Android 14 being the last Sony will provide.
Sony's latest Xperia flagships are receiving the Android 13 update along with a few other Xperia device devices.
A Reddit user posted a few images of several Sony phones receiving the Android 13 update (via Android Police). The Sony Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, Xperia 1 III, Xperia 5 III, and Xperia Pro-I are the devices currently in the path of this OS update.
Looking at XperiCheck, it looks like this Android 13 update is marked as version 64.1.A.0.857 for the Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV. This OS update also includes the latest December 2022 security patch. The Xperia 1 III will see version 61.2.A.0.382 with the Xperia 5 III gaining update version 61.2.A.0.381. The Xperia Pro-I will begin receiving version 61.2.F.0.147 for its Android 13 update.
The Japanese OEM mentioned a month ago that both the Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 5 IV would be receiving Android 13 but did not provide a release window. That timeframe appears to be now as users are beginning to notice it, but the update is not widespread just yet. There was also no word on the changelog but, as the update is now coming out, it doesn't appear to be that substantial.
Given Sony's "stock" build of Android, we should not expect any major changes with the Android 13 update beyond what we received with Pixel smartphones, like notification permissions, per-app languages, more dynamic theming options, and other updates.
The Sony Xperia 1 IV and the Xperia 5 IV were both released this year, with the former's launch date back in May and the latter in September. The Japanese OEM had promised two major OS updates for these two phones, which means that the next release, which would be Android 14, will likely be the final one for this pair. Still, it's nice to see Sony pushing out updates to its most recent flagships before the end of the year.
Both devices are powered by the last-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, with the Xperia 1 IV being designed specifically for those interested in recording professional-grade audio and songs.
The Sony Xperia 5 IV is a smaller phone, sliding into your hands with a 6.1-inch OLED, 120Hz display. Given it's size, the Xperia 5 IV is mighty with its camera game. With 12MP for its front and back shooters, the Xperia 5 IV is capable of capturing 4K HDR content with 120fps capabilities on that rear lens.
