Less than a month after Google released a preview version for developers and Android bravest million for the last Nexus devices, Sony has also just provide "their" developers the ability to test a preview version of the next version of Android on some of its devices.
See also : Nokia's smartphones are back
Sony has released a version Android Developer Preview M for Sony Xperia devices in the Sony Open Device Program.
While this can help developers test the new version of Android before it is more widely available, and ensure that their applications are compatible, there are some reasons why you might not want to use Android M as your operating system for everyday use your Xperia device.
For example, currently there is no support for the camera or modem , which means you will not be able to take pictures, or receive data over a mobile Xperia smartphone running the developer preview.
That said, if you want to test Android M, all you need is a supported device with an unlocked bootloader . This includes most Sony smartphones, from Xperia Z1, Z2 and Z3 to including Compact and Ultra models, and tablet versions of these models. While the owners of a Nexus device can simply flash the ROM, Sony instructions assume you download the code from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), some additional files from Sony, then compile the build by you well.
Since this is a version from the AOSP, you will not natively proprietary applications from Google. This includes the Play Store, you'll need to integrate with a sideload.
It is good to see that Sony provides much support to its developers, and the Nexus devices are not the only ones to offer developers a way to test new features.
See also : Nokia's smartphones are back
Sony has released a version Android Developer Preview M for Sony Xperia devices in the Sony Open Device Program.
For example, currently there is no support for the camera or modem , which means you will not be able to take pictures, or receive data over a mobile Xperia smartphone running the developer preview.
Since this is a version from the AOSP, you will not natively proprietary applications from Google. This includes the Play Store, you'll need to integrate with a sideload.
It is good to see that Sony provides much support to its developers, and the Nexus devices are not the only ones to offer developers a way to test new features.