Android 4.3 to hit Sony Xperia smartphones, tablet

The new flavor of Android is due to reach a wide range of Xperia devices, even as Sony is still busy rolling out Android 4.2 to some members of its lineup.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean just spilled out Wednesday, but Sony has already lined up the devices slated to receive Google's latest update.

Sony's Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, and Xperia Z Ultra were confirmed as some of the recipients for Android 4.3, according to a Thursday press release. An ellipsis after Xperia Z Ultra suggests that other devices may also be in line.

No launch date was revealed for the Android 4.3 updates. Sony is still busy rolling out Android 4.2 to certain devices, such as the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. The Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z will get custody of Android 4.2 starting early August. The company is even looking to bypass 4.2 by updating devices running 4.1 directly to 4.3.

Sony also acknowledged kinks in the update process to Android 4.1 and promised to do better with Android 4.3.

"We're aware the process hasn't been as succinct or as timely as you might've expected," Sony said in its press release. "As part of Developer World's piece, Fredrik Ekstrand, our Head of Software Product Management, elaborates on some of the reasons for this, but essentially we've heard your frustrations and are constantly improving the way we do things."

With Android 4.3, many of the updates appear to be under the hood. Among the front-end changes is the addition of a Multi-User Restricted Profiles feature.

Read the CNET Editors' Take

Editors' Take: At an event in San Francisco, Google today unveiled the next version of Android, and while it doesn't appear to be a major departure from the last, it does bring its share of improvements, including mult-user restricted profiles. Read More