Xperia 1 III Premium Flagship Might Get Only One Android Upgrade
For those following the smartphone market for almost a decade now, it's not unusual to hear Sony's smartphones getting price tags considerably higher than their competitors. At the same time, the company has been one of the very few among its peers that kept its doors open to Android ROM developers and modders. This paints a rather confusing picture of Sony's smartphone business, and this latest revelation doesn't help improve that image. According to its Dutch office, its latest Xperia 1 III high-end flagship will get only two years of monthly security fixes and one major Android update.
Although it's an unusual strategy, it isn't unheard of for manufacturers to offer only one Android upgrade to their most recent models. Motorola may have started that trend with its mid-range Moto G series, and OnePlus is the latest and most controversial to join that small group with the OnePlus Nord line. What makes this revelation shocking is that the Xperia 1 III is hardly something you'd consider "mid-range."
According to DroidApp, Sony's Benelux branch responded to its inquiries about software updates with this disheartening information. The Xperia 1 III will get two years of updates, but that only refers to monthly security updates. As far as Android upgrades, it will get only one, which will be Android 12.
Announced earlier this year, the Sony Xperia 1 III has all the hallmarks of a premium phone and has a price tag to match. At $1,299.99, it easily surpasses most of the flagships this year, including an equivalent Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. At that price point, you'd expect a bit more from Sony when it comes to software updates.
Of course, this could simply be a miscommunication on the part of a local Sony office, and the company could end up with the usual formula of two Android upgrades and three years of software updates. Then again, Sony doesn't exactly strike one as a company that's heavily invested in its mobile business, and it might not be that invested in providing that kind of premium software support either.